USA – Page 17

Eddie Kendricks | If You Let Me

“By 1972, Eddie Kendricks, the Temptations singer who led the ensemble through classics like ‘Just My Imagination,’ was ready for a new sound,” (Downbeat). “The vocalist’s first solo effort, 1971’s aptly titled All By Myself, still hewed toward classic Motown, so when Kendricks was set to record its follow-up, People … Hold On, he enlisted a new raft of players to back him,” and enlisted a group called the Young Senators … “‘We took Motown away from the Motown Sound,’ Young Senators percussionist Jimi Dougans, 74, said recently about the pivotal 1972 Kendricks album. ‘If you listen to any Motown records, they had a certain rhythm, a certain groove … They locked into that, and that’s the Motown Sound. Even the producer [of People], Frank Wilson, said we wanted to get away from that.’

… Motown had enjoyed stratospheric success, finding an uncanny ability to cross over. But People—accented with a heavy swing—seemed less pop-oriented. If Motown had been The Sound of Young America, this music was the sound of the streets, and the title was no accident. People was one for the people, not for Middle America. Tracks like ‘If You Let Me’ and ‘Eddie’s Love’ showcased slinky two-step rhythms and horn charts steeped in an urban sound that never were intended to appeal to every demographic in America.”

“If You Let Me” doesn’t clearly state its Bb tonic chord until the 0:18 mark; its unpredictable harmonic sensibility and frequent syncopations don’t allow us to get too comfortable. Starting at 0:43, a contrasting section briefly implies that Ab is the new key, but at 0:52, a strong cadence in Bb re-asserts the original key. The contrasting section repeats several times throughout the track.

Skeeter Davis | The End of the World

“Although she was a mainstay on the country charts for decades, Skeeter Davis’ crossover success on the pop charts was mostly limited to a pair of Top-10 singles,” (American Songwriter). “But one of those songs, her 1962 hit ‘The End of the World,’ stands as one of the greatest songs ever about the aftermath of a devastating loss.

… ‘The End of the World’ was written by the songwriting pair of Arthur Kent and Sylvia Dee. Dee, the lyricist, was inspired to write the song by the death of her father, although the lyrics keep the loss general enough to make it seem like it could be a breakup. In any case, Davis’ performance, understated and vulnerable, took it to another level. Instead of remaining within country music circles, ‘The End of the World’ took off when New York DJs started spinning it on the regular. Not only did it work its way into the pop charts, hitting #2 in 1962, but it also hit the Top 5 on the Hot R&B, Easy Listening, and Country charts, an unprecedented feat.”

After a start in Bb major, a shift up to B major at 1:56 is followed by a partially spoken verse, leading up to a sung rubato for the balance of the verse as the tune draws to its end. Although it feels far from rushed, the 12/8 ballad has a run time of under 2:45.

Jeff Goldblum + the Mildred Schnitzer Orchestra (feat. Scarlett Johansson) | The Best Is Yet to Come

Having starred “as The Wizard of Oz with Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo in the critically acclaimed global box office smash Wicked, Jeff Goldblum’s storied career now spans six decades of award-winning work as a starring actor in film, television, and theater,” (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra). “He has also produced both film and television projects and is an Oscar nominated director for his short feature film, Little Surprises. Goldblum’s many cinema credits include The Big Chill, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Fly— and box office behemoths Independence Day, Jurassic Park, and Thor Ragnorak. As a pianist, “… Goldblum launched the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra 30 years ago. Since then, he and his band have performed for delighted audiences … playing contemporary arrangements of classic jazz and American Songbook standards.

“Speaking to the New York Times, Goldblum explains that he picked up the piano at a young age: ‘I’m from Pittsburgh and was one of four kids, so our parents got us music lessons, very wisely and nicely and life-changing-ly,’ he says. ‘I had a facility for it. But I didn’t yet know the joys of discipline.’ After a couple of years of vague commitment to lessons, it took an intro to jazz to really focus our Jeff.” (Classic FM) … “’That did something to my innards. That’s when I got better, because I wanted to learn that thing.'”

“The Best Is Yet To Come” (1959) was written by the team of Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh, who also wrote Frank Sinatra’s 1957 classic “Witchcraft.” (Songfacts). The tune is perhaps most associated with Sinatra; the phrase “The Best Is Yet To Come” is etched into the singer’s gravestone. But Goldblum’s version 2025 version takes a very different approach, with its bossa nova feel complimenting the vocals of actor Scarlett Johansson. The chromatic exactitude of the melody turns each long phrase its own little world, making the frequent key changes almost an afterthought. The intro is built in Bb minor, but as verse 1 starts at 0:17, there’s a shift to D major; verse 2 shifts to F# major at 0:42. More shifts continue throughout.

Lou Christie | Lightnin’ Strikes

“’Listen to me, baby, you gotta understand / You’re old enough to know the makings of a man.’ That’s how Lou Christie opens ‘Lightnin’ Strikes,’ his one #1 hit,” (Stereogum). “He sounds like an early-’60s teenybopper crooner, slick and composed. But as the song builds and unfurls, he comes more and more unhinged before jumping into a wild Frankie Valli falsetto on the chorus.

… Christie, born Lugee Sacco in Pittsburgh, was a gifted classical musician and singer when he was a teenager. When he was 15, he met the 37-year-old classical concert pianist Twyla Herbert, and the two of them started a long and presumably pretty unconventional songwriting partnership. Just out of high school, Christie recorded a few singles that he’d written with Herbert, and one of them, 1963’s ‘Two Faces Have I,’ made it to #6 in 1963. Soon afterward, he was drafted into the Army. After being discharged, he signed with MGM Records, but the label didn’t like ‘Lightnin’ Strikes,’ so Christie paid out of his pocket to get radio DJs to play it. The scheme worked out, and ‘Lightnin’ Strikes,’ another Christie/Herbert collaboration, made it to #1 a couple of months after it came out.

… The producer, Four Seasons member Charles Callelo, used New York session musicians to chase the Phil Spector sound. It’s full of pounding pianos and stabbing guitars and howling backing singers, and there’s a wild and borderline avant-garde bass solo in there, too.”

After the gentle verse starts in Eb major, the tune shifts to C major for the first pre-chorus section at 0:22, intensifies through another pre-chorus section at 0:36, and then opens into the huge chorus in F minor at 0:44. After all of that, the second cycle through the form starts at only 0:58! The pattern continues from there. The lyrics were bordering on NSFW for the era, but the novelty of the wildly contrasting sections seemed to carry the day.

Pretenders | Message of Love

“Over their 44-year career, the Pretenders have never chased trends or followed fashions to stay relevant,” (The Guardian). “But they didn’t need to. Their influential jangling sound – helpfully described on their T-shirts as ‘two guitar, bass and drums’ – has become timeless. It’s also still the perfect vehicle for (Chrissie) Hynde’s voice, an instantly recognisable mix of sand and honey, attitude and yearning … “

Seeing this singular band in its prime reveals what a huge blast they were having. Little wonder that Pretenders benefited — more than most bands — from a nascent MTV, accelerating their career via video.

“Message of Love,” from Pretenders’ sophomore release Pretenders II (1981), is built in an up-tuned A major overall, its gears rotating around clanging syncopated guitar chords. A profoundly different extended bridge starts at 1:22; the bassline has shifted to a smooth walking line and the key shifts to C mixolydian and then D mixolydian at 1:55. At 2:09, we’ve fallen back into line for the next verse in the original key. 2:45 brings a mostly instrumental outro in F major.

Counting Crows | Bulldog (demo)

“Counting Crows have enchanted listeners worldwide for more than two decades with their intensely soulful and intricate take on timeless rock and roll,” (BendConcerts.com). Exploding onto the music scene in 1993 with their multi-platinum breakout album, August and Everything After, the band has gone on to release seven studio albums, selling more than 20 million records worldwide, and is revered as one of the world’s most pre-eminent live touring rock bands.

… Over the last 30 years, the masterful songwriting from frontman Adam Duritz put the band at #8 on Billboard‘s 2021 “Greatest Of All Time: Adult Alternative 25th Anniversary Chart.” After nearly seven years, the award-winning rockers announce their highly anticipated new project, Butter Miracle, Suite One. Produced by Brian Deck, the four-track, 19-minute suite is set for worldwide release this spring.”

Starting in E minor, the unreleased demo track “Bulldog,” featuring an insistent energy throughout, shifts at 0:55 to a chorus that shifts to an alternating B major and B minor. At 1:23, verse 2 returns to E minor. The pattern continues from there until the tune’s end, which features an unresolved F major chord at the end of a chorus — an unsettling tri-tone away from the tonic of the key.

for Kelli

Rusty Kershaw | Fisherman’s Luck

“Musician Russell Lee ‘Rusty’ Kershaw, brother of fiddler Doug Kershaw and former member of the Rusty & Doug, passed away in 2001 at the age of 63,” (CMT.com). “Kershaw, who was born in Louisiana Feb. 2, 1938, joined his brothers Doug and Nelson (“Pee Wee”) in 1948 to form the Cajun band Pee Wee Kershaw & The Continental Playboys.” They later appeared on KPLC-TV in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Louisiana Hayride, and the Wheeling Jamboree on radio station WWVA in Wheeling, WV.” As a duo, Rusty & Doug released several top 20 Country singles. “Rusty & Doug joined the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. Over the next three years, the Kershaws charted three more singles … ‘Louisiana Man’ went to #10. The duo signed to RCA Records in 1963. The next year, however, Rusty left the duo.

Continuing to record and perform on his own, Rusty Kershaw released the album Cajun in the Blues Country (1970). He figured prominently in Neil Young’s 1974 album, On the Beach, playing fiddle and slide guitar and also providing the liner notes. Young later returned the favor by performing on eight tracks of Kershaw’s … 1992 album, Now and Then.”

One of the tunes from Cajun in Blues Country, featuring Charlie Daniels on fiddle, was “Fisherman’s Luck.” After the tune begins in D major, there’s a shift up to A major for the chorus (0:56), then a fall back to the original key for the next verse. The pattern continues from there.

Christopher Cross | Think of Laura

“‘Think of Laura‘ is a popular song by the American Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross,” (SessionDays). “Released as a single in late 1983 from Cross’ second studio album, Another Page, ‘Think of Laura’ became the singer’s fourth (and, to date, final) single to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where it peaked at #9 in early 1984. The song spent eleven weeks in the Top 40. In addition, the song became Cross’ third single to hit #1 on the adult contemporary chart, following ‘Never Be the Same’ and ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).’ It remained at #1 on this chart for four weeks. The song was written by Cross and produced by Michael Omartian.

The song became popularized when the American television network ABC began playing ‘Think of Laura’ in reference to a character on the soap opera General Hospital … Cross allowed ABC to use his song in this context; however, he has stated that he wrote ‘Think of Laura’ … to mourn the death of Denison University college student Laura Carter, who was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet during an altercation among four men over a block away. Cross had come to meet Laura through her college roommate Paige, whom Cross was dating at the time … he wrote the song as a way of offering comfort to Paige and honoring Carter’s memory … The lyrics express the sorrow felt by those who knew the woman, but ask that she be remembered with happiness.”

The tune begins with a verse in D major; at 0:29, with the help of a common tone in the vocal melody, the key shifts to B major. The pattern continues from there. The focus throughout is on the heartfelt lyrics and Cross’ instantaneously recognizable (counter?)tenor and distinctive phrasing. Many thanks to regular contributor Rob P. for yet another wonderful addition to MotD!

The Lemon Twigs | Any Time of Day

“The Lemon Twigs recorded Everything Harmony in New York and San Francisco in 2021, and they produced the LP themselves,” (Stereogum). “In a press release, (band member) Brian D’Addario names Arthur Russell and Moondog as big influences on this record, and he has this to say about the new songs:

Their arrangements entered my head when we were arranging the strings on the album, and we worked for a long time on our vocal blend. On previous records, whoever wrote the song might do most, if not all, of the harmonies on their track, but not so much on this one. Our blend is a strength that we tried to exploit as much as possible.

You can hear that blend at work on ‘Any Time of Day,’ which has a real ’70s easy-listening vibe, combined with a bit of psychedelic seasickness.”

Starting in F major, the tune pivots into E major for the chorus (0:20 – 0:38). But F major is back for the next verse, then E major for the second chorus. The harmonically dynamic bridge (1:18 – 1:51), expansive in comparison with all that came before, leads to some final choruses — a saturated wall of sound in F# major.

Lawrence | Hip Replacement

“As NPR writes, ‘siblings Clyde and Gracie Lawrence are not your typical pair.’ Clyde Lawrence and Gracie Lawrence have been writing songs and listening to countless Stevie Wonder, Randy Newman, and Aretha Franklin records in their family’s New York City apartment since they were little kids,” (GroundUp Management). “After years of playing together, they officially created Lawrence, an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has since gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals … In 2024, Lawrence entered a new era with the release of their fourth studio album, Family Business. The album’s opening track, ‘Whatcha Want’, broke into the Top 40 on the US Pop chart.

… In addition to creating music, in December 2022, Clyde Lawrence wrote an article published by the New York Times regarding the unfair dynamics that artists face in the live music industry as a result of the merging of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. In January 2023, Clyde Lawrence and Jordan Cohen were invited to testify at a U.S. Senate Judiciary hearing in Washington, D.C., on the topic of live event ticketing … Lawrence and Cohen continue to spread the word about the challenges in the live event promotion and ticketing space in conversations with outlets like NBC News, Vice News, Politico, and more.”

“Hip Replacement,” from the band’s 2024 release Family Business, has all of the hallmark funk of a powerhouse Tower of Power track — until Lawrence’s trademark tag team and octave unison vocals hit. Starting in F# major, the track jumps up to G# at 0:37 and then A for the chorus at 0:46. At 1:04, we’re back to F# for the next verse. The pattern repeats until 2:01, when the track shifts into an extended instrumental bridge in F. The chorus later returns, but the tune remains in F as it tumbles all the way to the end.

Many thanks to Joya M. for this perfect Friday night mod — her third contribution to MotD!