Tag: TV

History Is Made at Night (from “Smash”)

With the announcement yesterday that the cast of the 2011 NBC drama, Smash, will reunite on May 20 to present a stream of the one-night-only 2015 Broadway concert of the musical within the show, today we feature a song from the show, “History is Made At Night,” written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and featuring Will Chase and Megan Hilty. Key change at 3:05.

Theme from “Steven Universe Future”

Steven Universe Future was an American animated series which aired on Cartoon Network for only a few months, wrapping up in March 2020. It revisited the longer-running series Steven Universe and a movie by the same name.

Starting with a brief a capella intro in Eb major, there’s an upward sweep to E major at 0:05; the theme remains in E major for all of its remaining 25 seconds!

We’re All In This Together (from “High School Musical”)

Recognizing a sentiment that is invoked frequently these days, today we feature “We’re All In This Together” from High School Musical (2006). Key changes abound, with the tune modulating by whole step between verses and choruses throughout — 0:25, 0:42, 0:58, 1:36, 1:52, 2:00, 2:33, 2:50.

Let’s Give Up (from “Portlandia”)

As its final season reached its end, the music-packed TV comedy Portlandia featured the tune “Let’s Give Up” (2017). The lightweight pop feel of the track is completely out of character for the personal musical style of vocalist Carrie Brownstein, who’s spent much of the past 25 years as a vocalist and guitarist for the punk-tinged indie rock band Sleater-Kinney. But it’s 100% on-brand for the series, which saw both Brownstein and her vocalist/multi-instrumentalist co-star Fred Armisen lightheartedly hop from genre to genre throughout.

From Stereogum‘s review: “The song flips through a series of major topics, like global warming and trying to tune out the news, before taking on the numbing convenience of social media and binge-watching TV.” Portlandia’s final seasons weren’t among its best overall, but you’d never know it from this glittery, cutting satire.

Starting in F# minor (the track starts at the 0:28 mark), the kicky funk/pop tune modulates up to G# minor for the chorus at 1:02, reverting to F# minor for verse 2 at 1:19.

Have You Seen a Child (from “Amahl + the Night Visitors”)

Weekend bonus mod: thanks to frequent contributor JB! Written by Gian Carlo Menotti, an Italian-American composer and librettist, Amahl and the Night Visitors first aired on NBC on Christmas Eve, 1951; it was the first opera written specifically for television and was intended to be children’s programming.

According to Opera Magazine, Menotti was challenged by deadlines; he was assisted by his composition colleague Samuel Barber in completing the orchestrations, which were first performed under the baton of NBC Symphony Orchestra conductor Arturo Toscanini. The production, later staged by many opera companies, was aired on national TV for eleven years straight; sporadic performances have continued over the years.

The main theme is repeated in several keys; the first modulation is at 0:33.

Barry Manilow and Bette Midler | (I’d Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China

“(I’d Like to Get You on a) Slow Boat to China” is a Frank Loesser tune, originally published in 1948. It has been covered by pop artists ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Miss Piggy. Today we feature Barry Manilow and Bette Midler in a 2005 performance on The Today Show. The easy rapport resulting from Barry and Bette’s longterm status as accompanist/music director and vocalist/touring artist (respectively) is clearly on display here. The first of two key changes is at 1:40, and it’s even announced!

Sergio Mendes | Never Gonna Let You Go

A weekend bonus mod from MotD fan Christopher Larkosh:

“‘Never Gonna Let You Go'” (1983) marks a moment where Brazilian composer, keyboardist, bandleader, and performer Sergio Mendes, formerly of Brasil 66, can be considered to be fully assimilated into the US musical scene. The song was a smash hit, spending weeks on the charts — which at the time meant Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 and the TV show ‘Solid Gold.'” The Solid Gold Dancers, emblematic of the popular weekly show, apparently took their coffee break during this segment.

This tune’s keys-of-the-moment and modulations are too numerous to track: Exhibit A, the shift from the intro to the first verse (0:23).

EDIT, June 2021:

Rick Beato managed to wrestle the entire tune into submission. What a chart!

Jonathan Coulton | NDA

Weekend bonus: No pure modulations here, but plenty of fun shifting through key(s) of the moment. Software guy Jonathan Coulton became a full-time singer/songwriter in the mid-2000s, releasing several albums since. Recently, he was commissioned to write a series of Schoolhouse Rock!-style short songs for the TV series The Good Fight — detail-packed miniature musical explainers of legal and political terminology.

“NDA,” which describes the ins and outs of Non-Disclosure Agreements, features verses which are solidly in G Major. But the choruses (first at 0:10!) and bridge (0:27 – 0:41) cycle briefly through other keys.