Tag: USA

William Bell | Tryin’ to Love Two

“William Bell was born in Memphis in 1939, and began singing as a child in church,” (ArtsATL). “By the time he was 14, he was performing in clubs and soon joined the blues band helmed by Phineas Newborn Sr. that included future jazz and R&B legends Phineas Newborn Jr. (piano) and saxophonists Charles Lloyd and Hank Crawford … Bell was one of the first artists signed to the Memphis label Stax Records and his debut single, ‘You Don’t Miss Your Water’ in 1961, became a soul classic. He never reached the heights of other Stax artists — namely Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and The Staple Singers — but he was one of the label’s foundational figures as a vocalist and songwriter and guiding light.

Bell co-wrote ‘Born Under a Bad Sign,’ the signature tune of blues guitarist Albert King and one of the greatest blues songs in history. There is irony in the lines, ‘I can’t read, didn’t learn how to write’ because King could neither read nor write. In the studio for the recording, Bell stood behind King as he sang the vocals and whispered each lyric to him. ‘He just nailed it,’ says Bell. ‘And it came to life when he put his guitar on it. I was going, Wow! It became Albert’s song instead of mine.’ Bell’s songs have also been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Warren Haynes, Bruce Springsteen and The Byrds. And his music has been sampled in recent years by Ludacris, Jaheim and Kanye West.

Bell moved to Atlanta in 1969 and continued to record, including the #1 R&B single ‘Tryin’ To Love Two’ in 1976.” The tune unexpectedly shifts up a half-step toward the end of a phrase, rather than between sections of the tune, at 1:51.

Dentist! (from “Little Shop of Horrors”)

“… Even if you aren’t a fan of musicals, please don’t instantly dismiss Little Shop. There’s so much more to it than people describing the minutia of their lives through song,” (The Guardian). “With nods to sci-fi and B-movies, as well as its effective self-mockery, it’s an easy way to get acquainted with the musical comedy genre. Directed by Frank Oz, the 1986 film is based on the 1982 off-Broadway stage show of the same name, which in turn is based on a 1960 Roger Corman film, which it largely honours in terms of story.

… Howard Ashman and Alan Menken are to be thanked for the lyrics and music respectively, with Ashman also writing the screenplay – though their names are probably more associated with late 80s and early 90s Disney films such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin … (the show) draws on 60s rock’n’roll, doo-wop and swing, and I think there might even be a bit of calypso in there. Little Shop is a love story. It’s also a story about conquering your demons and discovering the best you can be – even if it takes a blood-guzzling talking plant to get you there.”

The uptempo tune “Dentist!” is immortalized in the film version of the musical by comedian Steve Martin, whose strong musicality has never gotten enough notice — perhaps because his comedic skills are even better. A textbook whole-step key change hits exactly where you’re hoping to hear it — about 60% of the way through the tune (1:34).

The Cars | Panorama

“Fans were expecting more upbeat new-wave hits on The Cars’ 1980 LP Panorama. What they got was something far darker and more exciting,” (Goldmine). “After achieving commercial success with their first two albums, The Cars (1978) and Candy-O (1979), American new wave/pop combo The Cars decided to take a left turn when it came time to begin work on their third album, 1980’s Panorama … while the music still had its inherent pop-iness, it was much darker in sound and lyrical matter … the band won the ears of both fans and critics alike with their first two albums … but fans and critics were left scratching their heads, particularly with the more avant-garde sounds on Panorama that were unlike anything heard on the band’s previous outings.

… Around the same time as the band began working on the album … synth pop was in its infancy and would soon come to dominate the early 1980s climate, with bands such as Ultravox, Devo, and Gary Numan all leading the charge in experimenting with the new sounds of synthesizers. The Cars were tapping into the zeitgeist; Panorama would see Easton’s previously upfront guitar take a back seat to the keyboard and synthesizer sounds of The Cars’ Greg Hawkes … Panorama was released August 15, 1980 … and reached #5 on the Billboard chart in September of that year … it was systematically panned by critics … (But as guitarist) Elliot Easton affirmed, ‘I look at it as our third album. Honestly, we just made this stuff up as we went along. There was no grand plan beyond making the best music we could.'”

Right out of the gate, the title track’s harmonies teeter between Bb major (with an emphasis on the flatted seventh degree of the chord, Ab, in the guitar line) and a colorless G chord during the intro — with no clues as to which chord should predominate. The verse then falls down into F# minor at 0:27. The brief chorus arrives at 1:11 in B mixolydian, followed by the next verse (1:22) in F# minor. The pattern continues from there. A long outro starts at 3:24 with a few shifts back and forth between B major and Bb major. The track ends by dropping off a cliff with a colorless E chord at 5:39. But these key changes, low in traditional harmonic progressions, speed by without much impact. Instead, the relentless groove, angular melody, and uniquely American slice of New Wave’s sonic palette and visual style were clearly the stars of this show.

Bo Cooper (Ron Dante) | Don’t Call It Love

Ron Dante, a native of NYC’s Staten Island, isn’t quite a household name — but you’ve almost certainly heard his work at some point. “Ron Dante has had a long and distinguished career in the music industry as a singer, songwriter, and producer,” (Medium.com). “In 1969, his vocals helped catapult The Archies’ hit, ‘Sugar, Sugar,’ to the top of the charts where it became the #1 single of the year. In addition to writing songs for a variety of artists, Dante came to prominence as a record producer, most notably with Barry Manilow.”

Along the way, Dante sang the “You Deserve a Break Today” McDonald’s jingle; provided backup vocals for Barry Manilow’s first hit, “Mandy” (and other Manilow tunes); worked with John Denver, Cher, Dionne Warwick, and Ray Charles; and more recently toured with The Turtles, filling in for an ailing Howard Kaylan.

Using the assumed name Bo Cooper, Dante released “Don’t Call It Love” in 1975. Very little information is available about this track, but it could have been a hit! Mixing elements of pop and R&B, Dante’s bubblegum “Archies” vocal timbre is barely detectable on this track. Built in a slightly up-tuned Ab major initially, the tune shifts to A major at 2:42.

Many thanks to our longtime Brazilian contributor Julianna A. for sending in this find!

The Blackbyrds | Walking In Rhythm

“In the early ’70s, the legendary jazz trumpeter Donald Byrd was teaching at Howard University in Washington,” (Popdose). “In 1974 he decided to assemble a group made up of top student players from the university’s music program. With Byrd as their inspiration, and a deal with Fantasy Records, the Blackbyrds would record and tour for nearly ten years, finding a good deal of success along the way. Although the group would record eight albums for Fantasy, there is no doubt that the high point of their career was the release of the single “Walking In Rhythm” in 1975. The song, written by guitarist Barney Perry … was produced by Donald Byrd, who gave it a smooth, jazz-inflected sound with plenty of soul in the mix.

“Walking In Rhythm” was recorded at The Sound Factory in Los Angeles in September, 1974; by March of the following year, it was on the charts. There it would eventually make it all the way to #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, selling a million copies, and winning a gold disc award. The record was also nominated for a Grammy that year, and the track was on the band’s second album, Flying Start, which was released in 1975. There would be other hits in the years to come. Most of them would climb the R&B chart, but a few crossed over to the Pop chart as well. The most successful Blackbyrds singles included “Flyin’ High” (1975), “Happy Music” (1976), and “Rock Creek Park” (1976). The latter song, which appeared on the City Life album, has been sampled numerous times by hip-hop artists like De La Soul, NWA, Eric B. & Rakim, and Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.”

The tune’s structure is a bit unusual, starting with its short chorus in Bb major. The group must have really loved that chorus, because it’s repeated until 1:15, when the first verse (in G minor) begins; at 1:50, the verse ends with a false upward half-step key change but falls back into the G minor at 1:53. An instrumental chorus hits at 1:54. This section arguably includes one of the best flute features in all of 1970s pop or R&B — an era which featured plenty of flutists who sound like they first picked up the instrument a few weeks prior. 2:28 brings another vocal verse, which ends at 3:02 with a half-step shift upward to B major — but this time the key change sticks.

Little Steven + The Disciples of Soul | Gravity

“The vintage Born To Run wall of sound towers like the Empire State Building over Steve Van Zandt’s first album of original material since 1999,” (2019’s Summer of Sorcery), with New York City’s beleaguered multi-racial spirit crackling under its foundations,” (LouderSound).

“Of course, Van Zandt’s been busy these past 20 years – as Bruce’s E Street Band lieutenant, Tony Soprano’s consigliere, and star of Lilyhammer, in between activities as DJ, producer and larger-than-life rock’n’roll activist. Back in the saddle as bandleader, his tangible labour of love defiantly captures old-school New York’s cross-pollinating melting pot … “

The sixth track of the album’s collection of twelve, “Gravity” begins in C major. The tune is full of short sidesteps into other keys (first heard at 1:03 and 1:12), but C major’s gravitational pull always seems to win out (first heard at 1:21).

Brent Jones | Praise in the Choir Stand

“Recorded live at Friendship Baptist in Yorba Linda, California, Brent Jones and the Best Life Choir’s rafter-raising ‘Praise in the Choir Stand’ (2025) offers Sunday morning gospel chock full of R&B influences,” (Journal of Gospel Music). “There’s a swaggering confidence in Jones’s voice, a gospel impresario on the best of terms with the musicians, singers, and the congregation. The full-throated Best Life Choir—which is so good, it should have received co-billing on the album cover—thunders its support like an ‘80s mass choir, especially on the title track … Like Jones’ previous release Live Your Best Life, Praise in the Choir Stand offers the spiritual and physical thrill of a live gospel program.”

After a start in Bb minor, there’s a shift to C# minor at 1:28 which persists to the end — through a grand pause and a huge sonic buildup by the ensemble.

Olivia Newton-John | A Little More Love

“In a recording career that spanned over five decades, Olivia Newton-John, the singer, actress, environmentalist, and animal rights activist, won four Grammy Awards, had five #1 hit singles, and several platinum-selling singles and albums.” After her initial singles in the mid-70s, Newton-John’s 1978 star turn in Grease also produced three Top 5 hits: “You’re the One That I Want” (with John Travolta), “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” and “Summer Nights.” Newton-John followed Grease with Xanadu, “whose soundtrack went double platinum. With Totally Hot, released in November 1978, Newton-John had … a top-ten album and a #4 hit, ‘A Little More Love.’

‘A Little More Love’ is a song recorded and released as a single in October 1978 … (it) became a worldwide top-ten hit single in 1979,” (JohnPWalshBlog). “Both the new album and single were another wildly successful collaboration for Olivia Newton-John and John Farrar, her record producer and songwriter in the 1970s and 1980s.” The track ranked #17 in 1979’s year-end singles rankings.

The tune starts in G minor, cycles through some uneven harmonic ground during its pre-chorus (heard for the first time at 0:32), and arrives at its chorus in Ab major. At 1:20, the return of the verse brings a drop back into G minor. The pattern continues from there. Two years before the advent of MTV and a million miles away from any chill New Wave energy, the band mugs shamelessly for the camera. Newton-John seems to happily be in on the joke, too — or perhaps she was simply happy to leave both her early country/pop ballad tracks and her famous 1950s movie persona in the rear view.

Frank Sinatra | After You’re Gone (feat. Quincy Jones)

“Frank Sinatra didn’t appear troubled by superstition when he arrived at New York’s A&R Studios on Friday the 13th, in April 1984 to begin work on his 57th album, L.A. Is My Lady,” (UDiscoverMusic). “The project reunited him with record producer Quincy Jones, then basking in acclaim for his work on Thriller, Michael Jackson’s history-making blockbuster album. ‘The Voice’ and ‘The Dude’ had worked together in the studio before, on the 1964 LP It Might As Well Be Swing. After that, the pair’s schedules took them in different directions … (but) joined forces for a new venture, L.A. Is My Lady.

… Sinatra disliked overdubbing and preferred making his records by singing live with his musicians in real-time. That approach required meticulous preparation, as Jones recalled in Sinatra – Portrait of an Album … ‘We came in three hours early to get all the notes straightened out and everything,’ he revealed. ‘I learned 20 years ago when working with Frank and Count Basie that it’s a good idea to really have your homework done and have everything well-planned … Frank doesn’t like to linger,’ explained Jones. ‘He condenses his energy and puts it all together, and as a perfectionist, he goes for it in the moment. You might not get more than one or two takes, so it’s good if everybody’s ready.'”

The album featured a staggering list of legendary players, including Lionel Hampton (vibes), Ray Brown (bass), George Benson (guitar), Bob James (keyboards), Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone), Randy Brecker (trumpet), Marcus Miller (bass) and Steve Gadd (drums). “After You’ve Gone,” a chestnut dating back to 1918, was written by Turner Layton, with lyrics by Henry Creamer. Sinatra’s 1984 version is built around a classic big-band sound. Starting in D major, the track shifts up to Eb major at 0:56, then again to E major at 1:36 for a blazing solo by Benson. At 2:15, another half-step jump to F major heralds a feature for Hampton — and the key sticks, finally!

The Chuck-a-Lucks | Dingbat Diller

“The Chuck-A-Lucks … first started singing together at Amarillo College immediately after World War II, and then moved to Denton, TX, where the three of them enrolled in North Texas State College,” (AllMusic). “They were known as the Dipsy Doodlers for a time, and turned semi-professional after becoming popular on the North Texas State campus.

… By 1953, the trio were forced to give up the name Dipsy Doodlers, owing to the large number of other acts using it by then. They chose the Chuck-A-Lucks, and they began working around Texas and building a following for their mix of vocalizing and comedy, which made them very popular. The trio was working the area around Ft. Worth when they were discovered by Joe Leonard and signed to his Lin Records label out of Gainesville, TX. The Chuck-A-Lucks eventually evolved into a duo … and kept working a very lucrative string of gigs in clubs throughout the United States right up through 1972. Their act was much more oriented toward comedy than music, especially as time went by, being a kind of a country/right-wing version of the Smothers Brothers as satirists — their 1967 live album, cut for Shannon Records, the label owned by Mary Reeves, the widow of Jim Reeves, is notable today for its jokes at the expense of hippies, homosexuals, and others considered ‘alien’ to the southern/western audience they appealed to. The group reunited in 1996 for a 50th anniversary show in Texas.”

Their 1963 track, “Dingbat Diller,” was released on Motown Records. The tune shifts up a half step at 1:19 and 1:33, but the fast swing feel and the tight vocal harmonies are the main features.