UK – Page 2

The Jam | Absolute Beginners

“The Jam were the most popular band to emerge from the initial wave of British punk rock in 1977; along with the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the Buzzcocks, the Jam had the highest impact on pop music,” (Qobuz). “While they could barely get noticed in America, the trio became genuine superstars in Britain, with an impressive string of Top Ten singles in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The Jam could never have a hit in America because they were thoroughly and defiantly British … More than any other group, the Jam kept the tradition of the three-minute, hook-driven British guitar pop alive through the ’70s and ’80s, providing a blueprint for generations of bands to come.

Under the direction of guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Paul Weller, the trio spearheaded a revival of mid-’60s mod groups, in the style of the Who and the Small Faces. Like the mod bands, the group dressed stylishly, worshipped American R&B, and played it loud and rough. By the time of the group’s third album, Weller’s songwriting had grown substantially, as he was beginning to write social commentaries and pop songs in the vein of the Kinks … as the Jam grew more popular and musically accessible, Weller became more insistent and stubborn about his beliefs, supporting leftist causes and adhering to the pop aesthetics of ’60s British rock without ever succumbing to hippie values. Paradoxically, that meant even when their music became more pop than punk, they never abandoned the punk values — if anything, Weller stuck to the strident independent ethics of 1977 more than any other punk band just by refusing to change.”

“Absolute Beginners” (1981) begins in D major; at 0:53, the chorus shifts down to B major, but the tune ends decisively in E major. Despite not getting much airplay in the US, the video couldn’t adhere any more closely to the standards of the earliest days of MTV, featuring over-exposed, over-lit footage.

Swing Out Sister | Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong

“Swing Out Sister are a sophisticated pop duo from the U.K. Singer Corinne Drewery and multi-instrumentalist/arranger Andy Connell’s sound ranges from jazz, classic, and modern pop to hooky EDM and synth pop,” (AllMusic). “1987’s It’s Better to Travel hit the top spot on the British album charts. 1989’s cinematic Kaleidoscope World resonated in the U.S., Europe, and Japan.” Many other releases followed, received with varying success around the world.

” … Nottingham-born Corinne Drewery was a fashion designer and model. After moving to London in 1977, she attended Central St. Martin’s with a certain Sade Adu. Drewery had no professional musical experience. She met Connell by chance at the Hacienda Club just after the band had completed their demos and signed with Phonogram. They discovered a shared love for vintage Blue Note and Riverside jazz, the scores of John Barry and Ennio Morricone, the funky Brazilian fusion of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim, the high-class pop of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, the sweeping cinematic soul of Isaac Hayes and David Porter, Motown, Stax/Volt, and singers Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone, and Dusty Springfield. After a brief audition,” Drewery was invited “to be a full member — just in time to release their official first single, ‘Blue Mood,’ late that year … The single didn’t do much, but its follow-up, 1986’s “Breakout,” was a Top Ten hit in Great Britain and Japan.

… The group’s appetite for experimentation was far from sated, however. 2001’s Somewhere Deep in the Night offered a wide range of haunting vocal harmonies set in soaring string arrangements that owed an unapologetic debt to film composers such as Michel LeGrande, Francis Lai, and Pierre Barouh. It offered several instrumental tracks showcasing Connell’s arrangements. Issued in England, Japan, and Europe, its singles, including “Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong” … and the sweeping, hallucinatory title track were far too adventurous to chart.”

Starting in a D major that spends very little time on or even near its tonic chord, “Where the Hell Did I Go Wrong” shifts to Bb major for its chorus at 1:03. At 1:26, the pattern continues, with more shifts in tonality following. Many thanks to Ari S. for this wonderful find — her ninth contribution to MotD!

Laura Mvula | Show Me Love

“Taken from Mvula’s latest release The Dreaming Room, ‘Show Me Love’ is an incantatory, gospel-tinged art-pop hymnal that drifts from moments of deep personal introspection to fissions of out-of-body spiritual awareness,” (Pop Matters). “The climactic eruption of orchestration is startling in its intensity; over it, Mvula repeats the title phrase over and over and over again, trying to stretch it out, to discover its true contents and phonetic subtleties.

… She seems to channel the ethereal qualities of Bjork or Kate Bush. Her voice fits the gorgeous arrangement perfectly, and the lack of a consistent, thumping beat really works to the song’s advantage. Eventually, things build up toward the end, creating something unique and majestic. The vocals and production are constantly intriguing while enhancing the piece’s natural beauty. The mechanized vocals create a beautiful contrast with the lush strings and glorious brass sections near the end.”

Mvula’s career has taken more hold in her native UK than in the US, but she’d certainly be an intriguing addition to the US charts. Co-written by Mvula and Laura Pauline Amanda, “Show Me Love” (2017) starts in F major, but gently shifts to D major at 1:25. The original key returns at 1:50 as the momentum and volume begin to build. The keys continue to alternate throughout.

Nik Kershaw | What the Papers Say

“After releasing two albums in the space of barely six months, Kershaw took his time over the third,” (Moving the River). “He settled in to North London’s Swanyard Studios for most of 1986 to work on the self-produced Radio Musicola (1986), employing the cream of the English session scene (The Kick Horns, Charlie Morgan, Mark Brzezicki, Wix, Andy Richards, Simon Phillips, etc). Yes, Musicola was Kershaw’s chance to take on the Trevor Horns of this world and deliver a big-budget, endlessly-fussed-over studio ‘project’… Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his meteoric rise to fame, the main themes of the album are press intrusion and tabloid sensationalism.

… An interesting album which clearly fell between the stools of art and commerce, Radio Musicola reached a barely believable #46 in the UK album chart, just over a year after Kershaw had played Live Aid. It disappeared without trace in the US … 18 months is a long time to leave between albums when you’re hot, though Kershaw didn’t seem bothered about his new ‘selective’ popularity; in fact, he seemed genuinely relieved, but wondered how MCA were going to sell him now that he was focused on being a musician rather than a pop star.”

“What the Papers Say” begins with an intro in A minor, followed by an unprepared jump to F# minor at 0:15 and a shift to Bb major at 0:30. But as the chorus begins at 0:45, despite the percolating tonality shifts, the return to A minor somehow still (sort of) feels like home. The unsettled pattern continues throughout, all the way to the off-kilter, unresolved ending — entirely appropriate for the tone of Kershaw’s lyrics:

I saw it on the newsstand, it shouted at me!
It said, “We are all good and they are all bad”
Well drive me to the clinic ’cause it’s driving me mad

Edward Elgar | Enigma Variations

“Elgar was born on 2nd June 1857 at Broadheath, a village some three miles from the small city of Worcester in the English West Midlands,” (Elgar.org). “His father had a music shop in Worcester and tuned pianos. The young Elgar, therefore, had the great advantage of growing up in a thoroughly practical musical atmosphere. He studied the music available in his father’s shop and taught himself to play a wide variety of instruments … Elgar was very largely self-taught as a composer – evidence of the strong determination behind his original and unique genius.”

“Premiered in London in 1899 … the Enigma Variations consist of a theme followed by 14 variations … apparently created when, during a spot of pianistic doodling after a long day teaching, Elgar was prompted by his wife Alice to develop a tune which she had enjoyed amidst the tinkling,” (Edinburgh Music Review). “The variations developed into representations in music of various friends and colleagues, some whimsical, some deeply moving, and Elgar hinted at some deeper profundity, and also at another hidden theme, hence the name, ‘The Enigma Variations.’ For me, the mystery is much less interesting than the actual music, which is sublime.

Variation IX, ‘Nimrod’, is justly famous. The title is a clever allusion to Elgar’s friend and editor, August Jaeger, whose name means ‘hunter’ in German. Nimrod was the ‘Mighty Hunter’ in Genesis, the first book of the bible, and this magnificent slow movement, dedicated to Elgar’s close companion, reveals the depth of their friendship.”

At 14:45, there is a prominent shift from G major to Eb over a hushed section — nearly a complete pause — at the beginning of the “Nimrod” theme.

Leveret | Ricer II

“In the close-knit world of English folk music, Leveret boasts an impressive pedigree,” (NPR). “The trio’s Andy Cutting is renowned for his mastery of the melodeon, a type of accordion with a push-pull mechanism for intonation that imbues it with a wheezy kick. The band’s fiddler is Sam Sweeney, of the flamboyant nu-folk band Bellowhead, and its concertina player is Rob Harbron — both are deft and expressive musicians in their own right. (The concertina is yet another variety of squeezebox, a small hexagonal specimen with a pure, invigorating honk.) Within its respective milieu, Leveret might be considered a supergroup were the term not anathema to the band’s entire ethos: introspective, understated, minimalist.

… Leveret’s members have stated on multiple occasions that their music is not so much arranged as felt, operating without predetermined parts — a jam session. So profound is the trio’s communion that its players seem telepathic, charting a rippling musical terrain visible only to each other. Leveret’s (2017) effort features exclusively original material and is aptly titled Inventions. In an album overflowing with lovely melodies, ‘Ricer II’ is the most baldly euphoric. (The tune was composed by Cutting, who named it after a potato ricer, presumably one that brought him especially great joy.) The happy-go-lucky number skips along in accelerated triple-time; about halfway through, it even goes so far as to change keys, modulating triumphantly with the gusto of a Broadway finale. ‘Ricer II’ is neither difficult nor complex, just two short parts that circle round and round like a kitten chasing its tail.” The two keys in question are C major and (after 1:04) D major.

Pet Shop Boys | The Theatre

” … for years, they’ve been a very brilliant pop thing,” (BBC). “From the artwork, to their outlook, image, and literally quite good ability with tunes, they created an intelligence and panache that has seen them become one of the most successful duos of all time. Not for nothing did they once describe themselves as ‘The Smiths you can dance to.'”

” … the whole album (1993’s Very) sounds like it’s been double dipped in Tennant/Lowe’s jar of magical pop dust, and though it has lots of dancefloor-ready tunes” (Steve Pafford) ” … there are some weighty lyrics, with the coruscating anti-Conservative overtones of ‘The Theatre’ lambasting societal imbalances while mocking the bourgeoisie attending Pavarotti in the Park.”

“The Theatre” begins with an intro in Eb minor, but shifts at 0:38 to Eb major as the first verse begins. At 1:42, the chorus brings us back to the original key, but at 2:02, we’ve returned to Eb major for the next verse. The pattern continues from there. As mentioned in Pafford’s review, the sections in major key detail the glossy world of theatre-goers:

It’s another world here / the streets are gleaming / I was even dreaming / that they’re paved with gold

With the Pets’ trademark ease, the point of view of the minor-key choruses turn on a dime:

While you pretend not to notice / all the years we’ve been here / we’re the bums you step over / as you leave the theatre

Many thanks to longtime reader/listener and first-time contributor Mandy D. for this wonderful submission!

Scritti Politti | Bam Salute

“… to these ears, Provision (1988) is an almost-perfect follow-up to the classic Cupid & Psyche ’85,” (MovingTheRiver). “There’s arguably more cohesion – (vocalist Green) Gartside and keyboard-playing cohort David Gamson co-wrote and co-produced all tracks (no Arif Mardin this time) and the guest spots from Miles Davis, Roger Troutman and Marcus Miller are expertly placed.

‘Sweetness’ is the word that seems to follows Scritti around. And despite containing two classic ballads (‘Overnite’, ‘Oh Patti’), Provision is unashamedly happy music – all the songs are in major keys … And is there a Grammy award for arrangement? If so, Provision should have won. Gamson and Green do some intricate things here with backing vocals (check out ‘Bam Salute’), rhythm guitars and synth syncopation. No-one else has really explored similar areas, including the greats of ’80s R&B. No wonder Miles was a bit obsessed with Scritti.

Provision missed the top 100 in the States but made the top 10 in the UK (selling over 100,000 copies) and produced one top 20 hit in ‘Oh Patti’. Writer Nick Coleman gave the album a 9/10 rave in the NME, calling its songs ‘sweeties to rot your teeth and detonate your heart.'”

Starting in C major for the verse, “Bam Salute” both tumbles and climbs(!) into its D major chorus at 0:54. At 1:17, the next verse returns us to the original key. The pattern continues from there. Throughout the track, the solid reggae-inspired groove fights for top billing with polished synths effervescing with syncopated kicks.

James Duncan Mackenzie | Fibhig

“With a superb piping pedigree and an equally fine touch on the wooden flute, this Lewis multi-instrumentalist and composer focuses on his island heritage and his own compositions on Fìbhig,” (Living Tradition).

“Fine new tunes, a dozen musicians and singers, and bewitching production by James himself bring the rugged beauty of (Scotland’s) Hebrides to life. Birthdays and weddings, mountains and sea, and an animal menagerie – there’s no shortage of excitement here. For an island album, especially one from Lewis, Fìbhig is surprisingly cheery and upbeat, enjoyable from start to finish … the charming title track (is) named for a tiny hamlet in the back of beyond … “

The first long section of “Fibhig” walks the line between Ab major and its relative F minor. At 2:19, an unprepared key change jumps us up to Eb major, which similarly shares the spotlight with its relative C minor.

Eurythmics | There Must Be An Angel

“Released in June 1985, ‘There Must Be An Angel’ it became Eurythmics’ only UK #1 single — a jubilant, gospel-infused track that remains one of their most celebrated works,” (Ultimate Eurythmics). “Written by Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox, the song is a euphoric blend of soul, pop, and gospel, with Annie’s vocal soaring above a rich arrangement. But what truly elevates the track is the harmonica solo, performed by none other than Stevie Wonder … The single was the second release from the Be Yourself Tonight album, following the punchy ‘Would I Lie to You?’

… The lush orchestration, gospel choir, and Stevie’s harmonica all contribute to a sound that feels transcendent … Annie has described the song as ‘pure joy,’ a deliberate contrast to some of the darker, more introspective material in Eurythmics’ catalogue. Dave Stewart once recalled that when they were working on the track, Annie said, ‘This could be great for Stevie Wonder,’ and the idea of bringing him in added to the song’s sense of wonder and spontaneity.

The 1985 track is built primarily in C major, but from 2:34 – 3:08, the bridge shifts to Bb major, bringing a temporary change in the groove as well. An instrumental verse follows the bridge (including the harmonica feature).