Episode 3 - 'Everything Must Change'
This weeks episode features a great track by singer/ songwriter Beth Hart; 'Everything Must Change' from her 'Bang Bang Boom Boom' album, released in 2012.
The prevailing and memorable verse progression featured here, I to bVII with a pedalled tonic, is highly evocative and certainly has the 'goose bump' factor. The same progression is also heavily rotated in R. Kelly's mega-hit, 'I Believe I Can Fly', which is also in the same key, C. However, Hart's vocal melody clearly differentiates the two songs by using a descending motif (3 - 2 - 1 - b6 - 5) in direct comparison to Kelly's ascension ( 1 - 2 - 3 - 1 - 2). The descending motifs are a primary feature here and always shape the song in its most important moments. The excursion to chord IV maybe a common one but the conclusion of the verse, via a killer chromatic descent with two tritones, via a 2/4 bar, (I, Ib, bVI7, V7sus, bII, I) to the lyrical hook, is effortless and hauntingly beautiful. The bridge offers more parallel colour with a brief shift to bIII (Eb) but the pull of the verse is never far away. Great song.
Here is the songscheme. Alternatively, download a hi-res PDF here.
Here is an abridged version of the track featuring all the sections.
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Next episode will feature a track by Dana Glover.
Steve