As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, actress Gal Godot recently convened a group of celebrities to cover John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The vocals, while heartfelt, are a cappella and all over the place in terms of key. Multi-instrumentalist Charles Cornell has devised an accompaniment which knocks some of the harsh edges off of the, um, transitions.
Many thanks to MotD contributor Alex Mosher for this submission!
UPDATE: a few days later, the YouTuber Charles Cornell uploaded this update, explaining how he approached smoothing out the modulations:
Originally written, recorded, and released by Eric Carmen in 1975, “All By Myself” has been covered by many artists, perhaps most notably Céline Dion. The verse of the tune is based on the second movement of Sergi Rachmaninov‘s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor. While Carmen’s original did not include a key change, most contemporary covers, including the 2007 version featured here by the pop male vocal group Il Divo, do (you can find it at 3:12.)
Many thanks to Jonathan “JHarms” Harms for submitting this knockout tune!
UK-born singer/songwriter Yola (Yolanda Quartey) has performed as a backup vocalist with a wide range of artists, including Massive Attack, James Brown, and The Stax Band. AllMusic.com states that as she pursued session and touring work, Yola fronted the country/soul band Phantom Limb and “began crafting a set of deeply personal songs that pulled stylistically from Muscle Shoals-era country-soul, old-school R&B, countrypolitan, and classic singer/songwriter.”
The album Walk Through Fire (2019) and its single “Faraway Look” garnered three Grammy Award nominations: Best Americana Album, Best American Roots Song, and Best American Roots Performance.
Previewed briefly during the verse, the shift from the B major of the verse to the C# major of the chorus at 0:59 pales in comparison with the sheer power of the vocal and wall of sound production. At 1:27, the next verse reverts to B major. The composition style, reminiscent of Bacharach’s writing for Dusty Springfield, is belied only by the 21st-century audio production. According to Songfacts.com, Yola explains that the track “makes me think of a time in my life where I was encouraged to stay in my lane and be thankful for my lot…In a world that questions a woman’s every objection as well as every ambition, the faraway look is king.”
“When You Say You Love Me” is from Josh Groban‘s 2003 album Closer, the top selling classical album in the US during the 2000s, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The key change is at 3:24.
Josh Groban‘s “So She Dances” was featured his 2006 album Awake. The verses and chorus subtly alternate between D major and G Major, but the big key change, to C major, comes at 3:29.
Written by W. Earl Brown and originally performed by Elvis Presley in 1968 just a few months after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, “If I Can Dream” frequently quotes Dr. King directly in its lyric.
The song marked the rebirth of Elvis’ career after he had spent most of the 1960s recording mainly soundtracks to the movies he was appearing in. This was the final song he sang on Elvis, his 1968 NBC comeback special in the USA which was his first live performance in seven years. Key change at 2:02.
This tune features more of a key-of-the-moment shift than a true modulation, but we hope we’ll be forgiven. ❤ Here are two top-drawer a capella ensembles, The Maccabeats and Naturally 7, collaborating on a gorgeous 2016 cover of James Taylor‘s “Shed a Little Light” (1991), honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. amid Washington, DC’s monuments.
Set overall in Bb major, the tune shifts to a v minor / bVII major / I major vamp as the bridge starts at 1:53, returning to a straightforward Bb major at 2:17.
Happy New Year’s Eve! Thank you all for making 2019 a memorable one at MotD, introducing new music to our libraries, with key changes brightening every day. We close out the year with “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” performed by Barbra Streisand from her 2001 album Christmas Memories. Key change at 2:47. See you in 2020!
Happy Thanksgiving to the MotD community! We on the admin team are grateful for your continued support of the page. Today, we feature Josh Groban‘s “Thankful” (2017), which features a key change at 3:42. Tomorrow we begin our holiday season at MotD, extending through December 25. If you come across any key changes as you listen to your favorite holiday albums, please share them!!
“Let Yourself Fall” was included on composer Jonathan Reid Gealt‘s 2015 album Whatever I Want It to Be and features vocalist Lilli Cooper. The tune begins in E Major and modulates up a step to F# at 3:06.
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