USA – Page 8

Styx | Too Much Time On My Hands

“Styx’s co-lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Tommy Shaw wrote ‘Too Much Time On My Hands’ from the image of a pub patron ‘sitting on this barstool, talking like a damn fool,’ and detailing the lack of any more attractive options,” (UDiscoverMusic). “The song turned out to be a good thematic fit for (1981’s) Paradise Theatre concept, which used the opening and closing of a classic Chicago theater to symbolize the rise and fall of the American dream, chronicling the lives of underdogs struggling for a better life.

Musically, ‘Too Much Time on My Hands’ was probably the most au courant track Styx had yet recorded. A Kraftwerk-worthy synth locks in with the bass line and lends the track a distinct synth-pop/New Wave vibe. And the fraternal rhythm section of Chuck and John Panozzo puts a dab of disco into the groove, making this the closest thing to a dance tune in the band’s repertoire at the time. All of the above helped ‘Too Much Time; climb into the Top 10, which didn’t hurt the album’s rise to triple-Platinum status. The endearingly goofy video boosted the cause too, alternating performance shots with images of the band camping it up at a funky gin joint.”

After starting in a slightly up-tuned A mixolydian for the intro, the first verse settles in at 0:36 in D mixolydian. At 1:39, the emphasis flips over into the relative B minor for the chorus, guitar solo, etc. There’s a return to D major for the next verse at 2:53; the pattern continues from there. And yes — as they rode the crest of the early-80s pop/rock wave that corresponded to the advent of MTV — the band consistently maintained a shamelessly hammy stage presence, as documented here …

Don Blackman | Since You Been Away So Long

“Pianist/singer/songwriter Don Blackman, born in 1953 in Queens, New York, grew up surrounded by jazz influences; a cousin was McCoy Tyner’s friend and saxophonist Charles McPherson — a Charlie Parker disciple — was Blackman’s neighbor,” (Qobuz). “Blackman played with McPherson’s group in 1968 alongside Sam Jones and Louis Hayes when he was 15 years old. He switched to electric piano and toured with Parliament/Funkadelic in the early ’70s. He later became an original member of Lenny White’s Twennynine (‘Peanut Butter’), a key piece in Jamaica Queens’ ’70s jazz-funk explosion.

A deal with GRP/Arista birthed the solo LP Don Blackman (1982), a good set saddled by poor promotion. His extensive résumé included Kurtis Blow sessions and singing ‘Haboglabotrin’ on Bernard Wright’s ‘Nard album. A fixture in New York studios, he worked on sessions for a long list of artists including Najee, David Sanborn, and Roy Ayers, and his composition ‘Live to Kick It’ graced 2Pac’s R U Still Down? (Remember Me) release. Don Blackman died on April 11, 2013 after battling cancer; he was 59 years old.”

A track from Blackman’s eponymous 1982 album, the ballad “Since You Been Away So Long” draws from R&B and jazz influences. The tune starts in Bb minor, shifts to A minor at 0:29, then B minor at 0:46. More shifts continue from there. Complex backing vocals, etherial instrumental countermelodies which seem to float down from the skies, and a flighty vocal/guitar duo feature are among a few of the intricate facets on offer with this sadly overlooked release.

Ohio Express | Yummy, Yummy, Yummy

“‘Yummy Yummy Yummy’ (YYY) is a song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968,” (Americana Highways). “Their version reached #4 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart in June and #5 on the UK Singles Chart. It has since been covered by many artists. Ohio Express was a studio concoction and none of the ‘official’ members appear on the record. Joey Levine sang lead vocals. Time Magazine included it in its 2011 list of songs with silly lyrics. It ranked #2 in Dave Barry’s Book of Bad Songs.

… YYY was a terrible song even in 1968, but great enduring music was also created in 1968. Paul Simon’s ‘Mrs Robinson,’ Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Hey Jude’ and others also hit the charts that year and have continued to be played and covered to this day … So ignore what the old folks say about all modern music sucking. A lot of old music sucked as well, especially old pop. There are still a lot of YYYs being released, but there is gold out there too. You just gotta dig a little.”

The moments without the lead vocal (the intro and the backup vocal features at 0:37 and 2:00) are actually rather promising! The nasality of the lead vocal and the unseriousness of the lyrics really scream “novelty song,” but the tune somehow became a major hit nonetheless! 1:28 brings an unprepared half-step key change. The shift in tonality allows the songwriters to largely recycle material from the first half of the tune — a bit laughable when the track’s diminutive run time of 2:20 is taken into consideration.

Sure Fire Soul Ensemble | Out on the Coast

“Sure Fire Soul Ensemble, from San Diego, is one of the most talented new bands on the West Coast. Mixing funk, soul, jazz, and Latin & African influences to create unique, exciting music… their ‘cinematic soul’ is like a cross between the music from Jim Jarmusch movies & Blacksploitation films of the 1970s,” (AllAboutJazz). “If you like Snarky Puppy, The Beastie Boys’ instrumentals, Quantic, The New Mastersounds, Karl Denson and Greyboy Allstars… then you’ll love Sure Fire Soul Ensemble.

The title track (of the band’s 2016 release), ‘Out on the Coast,’ is a cover version of a rare-groove classic by Larry Willis from 1973 — one of the very finest examples of electrifying jazz-funk from the ’70s. Sure Fire Soul Ensemble updates it to become a contemporary jazz funk jam you can’t resist. It’s a little meaner than the original—Peter “D” Williams attacks the drums & Tim Felten takes a brief, yet nasty organ solo on this one. The horn section plays the refrain spot-on and tremendous tone on the guitar all make this tune sound more modern and stimulating than the original.”

The track starts in C minor, but then the emphasis flips over to the parallel Eb major for the off-kilter chorus, first heard at 0:41-0:48. The contrast between the two sections is magnified further by a shift in groove from the verse’s gritty, syncopated funk to a sophisticated swing on the chorus.

Theme from “WKRP in Cincinnati”

“Today, TV shows feature all sorts of contemporary Rock and Pop songs. It has become a way to break new music,” (CityBeat). “But WKRP in Cincinnati (1978 – 1982) was one of the first shows to have the songs on its soundtrack (usually snippets of what the station’s DJs were playing) drawn primarily from current FM Rock hits … And it was always fun to spot some weird new band on the many posters decorating the fake radio station.

The quirky little sitcom that many outsiders still bring up any time ‘Cincinnati’ is mentioned … was on for three years before MTV debuted, but in many ways it reflected that cable channel’s spirit in its infancy, integrating Rock music with an entertaining visual component and whacky personalities (DJs/VJs) and helping to bring some relatively cutting edge sounds into America’s living rooms.

The show’s theme song, given the catchy title ‘WKRP In Cincinnati Main Theme,’ was a breezy Soft Rock ditty that earned a singer named Steve Carlisle one-hit wonder status (if you even consider peaking at No. 65 on Billboard a ‘hit’).” The FM single was quite a bit longer, with several key changes back and forth between D major and Eb major — until E major and F major make their appearances at 2:02 and 2:27, respectively. The shorter version that aired as the actual show intro featured only one upward shift in key (0:38). Both are posted below. Many thanks to regular contributor Rob P. for this submission!

The TV show’s intro/theme:

The single:

Frank Zappa | Dancin’ Fool

“The disco era that brought us Saturday Night Fever, spoons on chains, and satin everything spawned an unintentional subgenre: ‘disco sucks’ music,” (MixOnline). “Rockers laughed and cheered for Steve Dahl’s parody of Rod Stewart’s ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy’ (‘Do You Think I’m Disco?’ 1979), and for that brilliant iconoclast Frank Zappa’s first bonafide hit, the #45 song ‘Dancin’ Fool.’

‘Fool’ debuted in the artist’s live set in 1975 and was first captured as a concert recording, but the song didn’t appear on record until he reworked it in The Village Recorder with the help of his then-engineer, Joe Chiccarelli (1979). ‘The live basic tracks were recorded by Pete Henderson, who produced Breakfast in America for Supertramp—I think with the Record Plant Remote truck,’ Chiccarelli recalls. ‘Frank felt at the time that his band played great live, so he loved the feel of the drum tracks, but 80 to 90 percent of the work, including the mix, was done at The Village, mostly in Studio A.'”

Perhaps just as much as his one-of-a-kind compositions, blistering guitar work, and precision bandleading, Zappa is best known as having been an astute social commentator — and his editorial on the burgeoning disco scene of the late 70s was certainly no exception. The tune’s intro and verses are built in A major, but the choruses are in C# major (starting with the short pre-chorus, heard for the first time at 0:25; the chorus begins in earnest at 0:29). At 0:54, we return to the original key for the lead-in to the next verse via a boisterous unprepared modulation. The pattern continues from there. Zappa played a hilarious prank with this track: while the tune was moderately danceable overall, the “IMayBeTotallyWrongButI’mA” interjection (1:54 and 2:56) adds a full beat to each line of the chorus where it appears, providing more awkwardness than most dance floors ever asked for.

Rhythm of the Universe | Anthem for the World

In 2010, “a group of Berklee College of Music students set out to show just how powerful music can be,” (Berklee.edu). “The orginal spark came from Emir Cerman and he was joined in his quest by a group of fellow Berklee musicians. The result is Rhythm of the Universe, a musical collaboration project that brings together the voices and sounds of musicians from more than 90 different countries. ROTU was created to promote unity through music and further promote the value of music education … more than 300 Berklee students, from all walks of life, (were) involved in this project, creating ROTU’s “Anthem for the World”—a song written for the world, by the world.

ROTU has performed at (Boston’s) Symphony Hall alongside the Video Game Orchestra and Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor Alan Silvestri. More recently, the group performed as part of the 9/11 memorial event Massachusetts Remembers, on Boston’s Esplanade. It’s also used its influence, through a YouTube video, to raise awareness of the devastation following the October 2011 earthquake in Van, Turkey; that video received more than 80,000 views and was also picked up by more than 15 major news and music channels in Turkey, Germany, and France, reaching more than 50 million people. ‘We’re serving as a vehicle to show unity through music,’ said ROTU cofounder Gabriel Peguero. ‘To show that through this unity, collaboration is possible and together we can do great things,’ … As ROTU embodies this unity, by representing so many countries it is also an example of Berklee’s international reach.”

Starting in E minor, the ambitious track journeys through shifting textures and nods to multiple genres. At 2:03, a surprising whole-step downward key change brings a suddenly quieter accompaniment. At 3:10, the original key returns, then rises another half step to F minor at 4:56 leading up to the track’s closing. The final third of the video is devoted to the credits (along with some wonderful behind-the-scenes footage), which are as extensive as you’d expect for such a large project!

Many thanks to Julia B. for submitting this track — her first (and hopefully not last!) contribution to MotD!

Once and For All (from “Newsies”)

“Inspired by the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City, Newsies revolves around Jack Kelly, a newspaper delivery boy — aka “newsie” — who is living among a group of other young newsies, most of them homeless or orphaned,” (ArtsATL.org). “Jack dreams of being an artist and escaping to Santa Fe. Among his clan are disabled friend Crutchie, Davey, and Davey’s young brother Les, who have joined the group after their father becomes unable to work. When publisher Joseph Pulitzer decides to raise the cost of the newspapers to the boys by a dime, it causes the gang to protest and eventually strike.

The book is by Harvey Feirstein, music by Alan Menken, and lyrics by Jack Feldman. Nominated for eight Tony Awards in 2012, it won two, for choreography and music, losing the big prize to Once … Overall, Newsies is brisk and compact with a tight score, complete with some showstoppers.” The musical opened on Broadway in 2012.

After a gentle intro in G major, “Once and For All” jumps to its relative E minor for most of the track as it tumbles forward with a grim energy. Other minor keys are visited as the focus remains on the compelling lyrics, the straightforward repeated melody, and a relentless four-on-the-floor groove. The key of A minor happens to be in effect when the tonality explosively shifts to A major (3:08) and a less frenetic, more anthemic feel for a late bridge — just in time for the pivotal lyric “There’s change coming, once and for all.” But at 3:34, we’re back to the minor grind for the song’s closing moments.

Dan + Shay | Show You Off

“Just as the line between gospel and classic country was blurry in the Louvin Brothers’ heyday, it remains possible to pull off a certain Saturday night/Sunday morning thing in the modern country and Christian markets simultaneously,” (Stereogum). “There is no shortage of overlap within these worlds, demographically speaking. Sonically, too, both genres have gravitated toward arena rock grandiosity over the years, alienating traditionalists while still appealing to vaguely traditional notions of faith, family, the heartland, etc. Dan + Shay’s music feels targeted to this intersection. They give off big worship leader energy …

It’s working out well for them. The duo is one of country music’s biggest pop crossover success stories in recent memory. Not only did their 2018 self-titled album spin off three country #1 hits in ‘Tequila,’ the storybook-wedding ballad ‘Speechless,’ and ‘All to Myself’ … they also sent two of those songs to the top 10 at adult contemporary radio. They won awards at just about every ceremony within their reach: Grammys, Billboard Awards, Teen Choice Awards, CMAs, ACMs, you name it.”

The duo’s 2014 release “Show You Off,” performed here live with just the two singers and minus a lot of the contemporary Nashville shininess, shifts up a whole step (2:24) after a a brief bridge.

Connie Francis | Pretty Little Baby

“Connie Francis was one of the reigning queens of the Billboard Hot 100 in its early days,” (Billboard). “The late-’50s and early-’60s pop star scored a whopping 15 top 10 hits on the chart, including three #1s: ‘Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool,’ ‘My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own’ (both 1960) and ‘Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You’ (1962). And over six decades after her commercial peak, Francis is once again having a big pop culture moment – but it’s not with any of those charting singles.

‘Pretty Little Baby,’ a non-single (written by Don Stirling and Bill Nauman) from Francis’ 1962 album Connie Francis Sings Second Hand Love, has caught fire on TikTok in the past month. Users have been lip synching along to the ‘You can ask the flowers/ I sit for hours/ Telling all the bluebirds/ The bill and coo birds/ Pretty little baby, I’m so in love with you’ verse of the song, often while wearing cute retro outfits and/or singing to actual babies, with over a million videos being created to the song … the song has already begun to cross over from TikTok to streaming in massive numbers … a (recent) gain of over 7,000% … (and) could soon be threatening a Hot 100 debut, a mere 63 years after its initial release.”

At 1:19, a textbook half-step upward key change appears in the midst of the diminutive tune, which features a run time of only 2:22 in total.

EDIT: Connie Francis passed away at the age of 87 on July 16, 2025, one day after we posted this tune.