ETTA JAMES – AT LAST

Publicació: 15 de novembre de 1960

Llistes: Regne Unit: núm. 39 · EUA: núm. 47

Hi ha cançons que semblen haver estat escrites esperant la veu adequada. “At Last” va ser composada l’any 1941 pel poderós duet de compositors Mack Gordon (lletra) i Harry Warren (música) per a la pel·lícula Sun Valley Serenade. Inicialment interpretada per Glenn Miller and His Orchestra amb Ray Eberle a la veu, la peça va conèixer el seu primer èxit com a tema de big band a l’octubre de 1942. Gordon i Warren acabarien escrivint altres estàndards de Hollywood —com “Chattanooga Choo Choo” o “There Will Never Be Another You”— però “At Last” estava destinada a tenir una segona vida més enllà de les sales de ball swing.

Aquesta segona vida arribà el 1961, quan Etta James, amb tot just vint anys i acabada de fitxar per Chess Records, va enregistrar la cançó per al seu àlbum debut “At Last!”. Va ser idea del productor i cap del segell, Leonard Chess, envoltar la seva veu amb arranjaments de corda espectaculars, amb la intenció de presentar James no només com una cantant de blues, sinó també com una intèrpret refinada de balades amb potencial per conquerir el mercat pop. L’aposta va funcionar: la seva versió va arribar al núm. 2 de les llistes R&B i va creuar cap al món pop, assolint el núm. 47 del Billboard Hot 100.

La versió de James no s’assemblava gens a l’original de Miller. Mentre que la de la dècada del 1940 destil·lava un romanticisme polit i contingut, James hi va posar passió pura, allargant cada síl·laba com un crit de desig i alliberament. La seva veu tremolava, s’elevava i dominava, convertint la cançó en una declaració més que en una simple balada d’amor. Tot i el seu modest èxit comercial inicial, la versió d’Etta James es va anar consolidant amb el temps com un estàndard musical i, finalment, com la seva cançó més emblemàtica.

La trajectòria de “At Last” reflecteix les pròpies contradiccions de James. Nascuda Jamesetta Hawkins a Los Angeles el 1938, havia estat una nena prodigi —cantant gòspel a l’església amb només cinc anys—, però la seva carrera va estar sempre marcada per les addiccions i els turments personals. Quan va enregistrar “At Last”, ja estava immersa en l’heroïna, però la seva veu no transmetia fragilitat, sinó triomf: el so d’una dona que, finalment, semblava haver trobat allò que buscava.

La vida posterior de la cançó és tan extraordinària com la seva gravació. Es va convertir en una de les cançons de casament més populars de tots els temps, banda sonora del primer ball de milers de parelles. L’any 2009 va ser incorporada al National Recording Registry de la Library of Congress dels Estats Units.

El segle XXI va portar noves onades de reconeixement. Quan Avicii (“Levels”) i Flo Rida (“Good Feeling”) van samplejar la seva cançó “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” el 2011, l’interès pel seu catàleg va revifar, i “At Last” va entrar per primera vegada a les llistes britàniques —cinc dècades després de la seva publicació. Després de la mort de James, el gener del 2012, la cançó hi va tornar a entrar, escalant fins al Top 40 com a homenatge pòstum a la seva atemporalitat.

Avui, “At Last” és no només la gravació més reconeguda d’Etta James, sinó també una de les cançons d’amor més reconeixibles de la història de la música popular. És alhora típica i atípica de James: atípica perquè ella solia ser una cantant de blues intens i ple de dolor; típica perquè hi va abocar cada tros de la seva vida —dolor, triomf i desig— dins la seva veu.

Tot i que mai va gaudir del mateix reconeixement comercial que Aretha Franklin, James ha estat citada com a influència per generacions de cantants, de Christina Aguilera a Beyoncé. Inclosa al Rock and Roll Hall of Fame el 1993, va continuar actuant fins ben entrat el segle XXI, lluitant contra els seus dimonis però sense renunciar mai a la seva música.

ETTA JAMES - AT LAST

Released: November 15, 1960

Charts:  UK: #39  US: #47 

Some songs feel like they were waiting for the right voice. At Last was written in 1941 by the powerhouse songwriting team of Mack Gordon (lyrics) and Harry Warren (music) for the film “Sun Valley Serenade”. Sung originally by Glenn Miller and his Orchestra with Ray Eberle on vocals, the track found its first wave of success in October 1942 as a big band hit. Gordon and Warren would go on to write numerous other Hollywood standards—“Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “There Will Never Be Another You”—but “At Last” was destined for a second life beyond swing ballrooms.

That life arrived in 1961, when Etta James, barely in her twenties and newly signed to Chess Records, recorded the song for her debut album “At Last!”. It was label boss Leonard Chess’s idea to dress her vocals in sweeping string arrangements, hoping to show James not just as a blues belter but as a refined ballad singer with crossover potential. The gamble paid off: her version soared to #2 on the R&B charts and crossed over to the pop world, reaching #47 on the Billboard Hot 100.

James’s rendition was unlike the Miller original. Where the 1940s version had a polished, polite romanticism, James delivered raw passion, stretching every syllable into a cry of longing and release. Her voice trembled, soared, and commanded, making the song a statement as much as a love ballad. Despite its modest pop chart placement, James’s recording slowly became a musical standard, and over time, her signature song.

The journey of “At Last” mirrors James’s own contradictions. Born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles in 1938, she had been a prodigy—singing gospel in church at five years old—yet her career was constantly shadowed by struggles with addiction and personal turmoil. When she recorded “At Last”, she was already in the grip of heroin, yet her voice on the record conveyed not fragility but triumph: the sound of someone who had finally found what she’d been searching for.

The song’s afterlife is as remarkable as its recording. It became one of the most popular wedding songs of all time, played at countless ceremonies and receptions as the soundtrack to a couple’s first dance. In 2009, it was inducted into the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.

The 21st century brought new waves of recognition. When Avicii’s “Levels” and Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” sampled James’s “Something’s Got a Hold on Me” in 2011, interest in her catalog surged, and “At Last” entered the UK singles chart for the first time—five decades after its release. Following James’s death in January 2012, the song re-entered the charts again, climbing into the UK Top 40, a posthumous testament to its timelessness.

Today, At Last stands not only as Etta James’s most enduring recording but also as one of the most recognizable love songs in popular music history. It is both typical and atypical of James: atypical because she was more often a blues singer of grit and heartbreak; typical because she poured every ounce of her life—pain, triumph, and desire—into her voice.

Though she was never as commercially celebrated as Aretha Franklin, James has been hailed as an influence by generations of singers, from Christina Aguilera to Beyoncé. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, she continued to perform into the 2000s, battling her demons but never surrendering her music.

THE HOUSEMARTINS – FIVE GET OVER EXCITED

Publicada: 11 de maig de 1987

Llistes: Regne Unit: #11

Publicada el 1987 com el segon single de “The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death”, “Five Get Over Excited” captura The Housemartins en el seu estat més paradoxal: lluminosos, alegres i irresistiblement melòdics — però alhora llançant dards prou esmolats per tallar el revestiment més optimista de la Gran Bretanya de l’era Thatcher.

Des de les primeres línies de guitarra, l’espurna jangle-pop característica de la banda és inconfusible. La veu de Paul Heaton, alhora dolça i mordaç, balla sobre una secció rítmica que sembla córrer amb propòsit. Però sota la superfície jubilosa hi ha una navalla: la lletra de Heaton es burla de l’optimisme pop simplista i dels clixés animats que tapen la frustració política. “I am not alive if I’m not in your arms” (No estic viu si no estic als teus braços), canta, burxant la tendència del pop cap a les frases ensucrades abans de retorçar el sentiment per convertir-lo en alguna cosa més punyent.

Com gran part de la producció dels Housemartins, la cançó combina humor i ideologia amb una habilitat poc comuna. El títol, inspirat en Enid Blyton, és més que una broma — és una burla a la infantilització de la cultura, la idea que la gent ha de “mantenir la calma, estar feliç, no qüestionar”. En comptes d’això, la banda s’hi llança de cap per qüestionar-ho tot.

La peça és pura energia: instruments i harmonies insinuen l’obsessió del grup per l’a cappella. És una composició pop enganyosament simple, executada amb precisió, plena d’aquella exuberància que va convertir la banda en estrelles de les llistes de manera inesperada. Va arribar al número 11 de la llista de singles del Regne Unit el juny de 1987.

THE HOUSEMARTINS - FIVE GET OVER EXCITED

Released: May 11, 1987

Charts: UK: #11 

Released in 1987 as the second single from “The People Who Grinned Themselves to Death”, “Five Get Over Excited” captures The Housemartins at their most paradoxical: bright, buoyant, and irresistibly melodic — yet delivering barbs sharp enough to cut through the cheeriest gloss of Thatcher-era Britain.

From the first chiming guitar lines, the band’s trademark jangle-pop spark is unmistakable. Paul Heaton’s voice, both sweet and sly, dances across a rhythm section that feels like it’s sprinting with purpose. But beneath the jubilant surface lies a razor: Heaton’s lyrics poke fun at simplistic pop optimism and the upbeat clichés that paper over political frustration. “I am not alive if I’m not in your arms,” he sings, skewering pop’s tendency toward syrupy platitudes before twisting the sentiment back into something more pointed.

Like much of The Housemartins’ output, the song blends humour and ideology with uncommon deftness. Its Enid Blyton–inspired title is more than a joke — it’s a jab at the infantilisation of culture, the idea that people should “keep calm, stay happy, don’t question.” Instead, the band charges headfirst into questioning everything.

The track is pure energy: jangling guitars, skittering drums, and harmonies that hint at the group’s a cappella obsession. It’s deceptively simple pop songwriting executed with precision, bubbling with the sort of exuberance that made the band unlikely chart stars. It peaked at #11 on the UK Singles Chart in June 1987. 

JOHN MELLENCAMP feat BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - WASTED DAYS

Released: September 29, 2021

Album: Strictly a One-Eyed Jack

Released on September 2021, “Wasted Days” marks the first-ever duet between two pillars of American heartland rock: John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen. Serving as the lead single from Mellencamp’s 25th studio album, “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack”  the song is a quiet, reflective meditation on aging, mortality, and how best to spend the dwindling days that remain. “Wasted Days” is one of three Mellencamp tracks featuring Springsteen on the album, marking a historic joining of two artists whose paths have paralleled each other for decades but who had never sung together until now.

The opening question—“How many summers still remain?”—sets the tone immediately. Mellencamp guitarist Andy York famously noted: “Not many people would sing a song starting with that line. But I think it’s important… you need to squeeze every bit of happiness and life out of every day and not waste days. Mellencamp himself called “Wasted Days” “a very simple song with a very simple message.” That simplicity is exactly what gives the track its potency. 

The lyrical perspective comes from an older man deeply aware that his “days are numbered,” yet determined to live fully in whatever time remains. The song’s acoustic strum and quiet arrangement underscore this sense of resigned honesty and mature reflection. Springsteen’s weathered voice adds a point of gravitas, turning the duet into a conversation between two old friends—or two versions of the same man—reckoning with the ticking clock.

Mellencamp wrote and produced “Wasted Days” entirely on his own. Springsteen had no hand in its creation. Instead, he enters the song as a sympathetic equal—a fellow traveler from the same world of blue-collar narratives and American storytelling. The musicians on the track include Mellencamp’s longtime band, with Springsteen handling electric guitar. Accordionist Troye Kinnett and violinist Miriam Sturm give the song a warm, rustic palette.

The music video, shot in New Jersey by Thom Zimny—Springsteen’s longtime film collaborator—mirrors the song’s reflective spirit. It opens with Mellencamp and Springsteen sitting in a modest living room playing cards, an image of quiet companionship. Later, the two appear on an outdoor stage, trading lines as if playing a small-town porch concert for nobody but time itself.

JOHN MELLENCAMP - PAPER IN FIRE

Released: August 15, 1987

Charts:  US: #9   UK: #86 

Released on August 1987, “Paper in Fire” arrived as the lead single from John Mellencamp’s acclaimed ninth studio album, “The Lonesome Jubilee”. It quickly became one of the biggest hits of his career, climbing to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and dominating the Album Rock Tracks chart, where it reached No. 1. In Canada, it went even further, topping The Record’s singles chart and reaching No. 3 on the RPM 100. The song set the tone for an album that blended rock with folk instrumentation and delivered some of the strongest social commentary of Mellencamp’s catalogue.

“Paper in Fire” helped define the sonic ambition of “The Lonesome Jubilee”, an album that combined rock with Appalachian influences. The song features prominent fiddle by Lisa Germano and accordion by John Cascella. Like much of the album “Paper in Fire” explores economic struggle, social inequality, and the collapse of hope for many working-class Americans. The metaphor at the center of the song—the idea of “paper in fire”—represents dreams that burn up before they have a chance to materialize.

Despite Mellencamp’s success at the time, his worldview remained grounded in the hardships of ordinary people. He refused to romanticize fame or ignore the struggles around him, and his writing only sharpened with his own personal grief. Around this period he had lost both his uncle and his grandfather, and many close friends were navigating divorce. As Mellencamp put it: “It’s horrible to think you’ve gotta be a miserable son of a bitch to write a good song—but I guess that’s kind of the way it works sometimes.”

Mellencamp biographer David Masciotra called the track a “ferocious song… the aural equivalent of a wild beast breaking out of its cage,” and noted its libertarian undertones. Mellencamp has said the song was also partly about his uncle Joe Mellencamp, describing him as both harsh to others and his own worst enemy—an embodiment of the family’s inherited anger. A notable line—“We keep no check on our appetites”—is lifted from the 1963 film “Hud”, starring Paul Newman. Mellencamp admired the film so much that he later named one of his sons Hud.

Much of the album’s material was shaped while Mellencamp and his band were touring behind “Scarecrow”. Long hours on the road allowed them to experiment with arrangements and develop the hybrid Americana sound that would become one of Mellencamp’s creative breakthroughs. He later noted that the Appalachian style of “Paper in Fire” predicted a musical trend that would spread across mainstream rock and pop in the years that followed.

The music video was filmed in Savannah, Georgia, outside a run-down house on a dirt road. Mellencamp deliberately sought to portray rural poverty and racial tension in America. The extras featured throughout the video are Black residents of the area, underscoring Mellencamp’s intent to highlight inequality. He would return to Savannah for the video of his next single, “Hard Times for an Honest Man.”

MICHAEL JACKSON – BEAT IT

Publicació: 14 de febrer de 1983

Llistes: Regne Unit: núm. 3 · EUA: núm. 1 (3 setmanes)

Quan Michael Jackson va començar a treballar en el seu sisè àlbum d’estudi, “Thriller”, el productor Quincy Jones el va empenyer a escriure alguna cosa que pogués anar més enllà de la pista de ball. La música disco s’esvaïa ràpidament, i Quincy volia evitar ser engolit pel rebuig general. Va desafiar Jackson a crear una cançó de rock — alguna cosa amb l’esperit de “My Sharona” de The Knack. El resultat va ser “Beat It”, una peça que fusionava pop, rock i funk en una obra mestra que desafiava els gèneres.

Jackson va escriure i compondre “Beat It” ell mateix, mentre Jones en feia la coproducció. El ritme implacable, el riff de guitarra aspre i el tornada himnica van donar a “Thriller” una opció més dura, ampliant-ne l’atractiu entre el públic del rock. Però l’autèntic cop definitiu va arribar quan Eddie Van Halen va acceptar tocar el solo de guitarra — de franc.

La participació de Van Halen a “Beat It” s’ha convertit en llegenda. Presentat a Quincy Jones pel productor de Van Halen, Ted Templeman, Eddie va acceptar ajudar com a favor i es va presentar sol a l’estudi — els seus companys de banda eren fora de la ciutat, cosa que li estalviava problemes per fer feina al marge. Un cop dins, Eddie va fer més que enregistrar un solo: va reestructurar part de la cançó per adaptar-la al seu estil i després va deixar anar dues preses fulgurants. Jackson va arribar poc després i va quedar encantat amb el que havia escoltat. “Realment es va preocupar prou per la cançó com per fer-la millor”, diria més tard.

El solo d’Eddie durava amb prou feines 30 segons, però va redefinir com podia sonar una cançó pop. La seva tècnica innovadora de finger tapping — una marca de la casa Van Halen — va fer saltar espurnes al tema, literalment. El compositor Rod Temperton va recordar que durant la sessió, els altaveus de la sala de control es van incendiar mentre Eddie tocava. “Vam pensar: això ha de ser realment bo”, va riure. Els tècnics van córrer amb extintors per apagar el foc.

Irònicament, la guitarra rítmica no la tocava Eddie — era Steve Lukather, de Toto, que també va gravar la línia de baix. Els també membres de Toto Steve Porcaro i Jeff Porcaro van completar la banda de suport. Entre tots van crear el groove musculós i llest per a la ràdio que va convertir “Beat It” en una de les peces definidores de l’àlbum.

Lletrísticament, “Beat It” era l’himne contra la violència de Jackson disfressat de drama de carrer. Inspirat en les rivalitats de bandes de West Side Story, Jackson va escriure sobre un jove pressionat per barallar-se però instat a marxar. “No siguis un home dur”, suplica, capgirant la idea tradicional de la duresa.

Quan “Beat It” va arribar a la ràdio el 1983, no només va pujar a les llistes — va trencar barreres culturals. Va arribar al núm. 3 del Billboard Hot 100 i va guanyar dos Premis Grammy: Enregistrament de l’Any i Millor Interpretació Vocal de Rock. I, més important encara, va ajudar Jackson a convertir-se en el primer artista negre amb presència regular a MTV, portant-lo a ell — i al pop — a un escenari veritablement global.

Quan l’àlbum “1984” de Van Halen va assolir després el núm. 2 a les llistes dels EUA, l’únic disc que li impedia el primer lloc era “Thriller”. Una simetria poètica: Eddie Van Halen havia ajudat a definir el so de “Thriller”, i la peça mestra de Jackson havia, al seu torn, definit la dècada. Però el que és indubtable és que “Beat It” inclou probablement el solo de guitarra més famós d’Eddie Van Halen.

MICHAEL JACKSON - BEAT IT

Released : February 14, 1983

Charts:  UK: #3  US: #1 (3 wks)

When Michael Jackson began working on his sixth studio album, “Thriller” (1982), producer Quincy Jones pushed him to write something that could reach beyond the dancefloor. Disco was fading fast, and Quincy wanted to avoid being swept away in the backlash. He challenged Jackson to create a rock song — something in the spirit of The Knack’s “My Sharona.” The result was “Beat It,” a song that fused pop, rock, and funk into a genre-defying masterpiece.

Jackson wrote and composed “Beat It” himself, while Jones co-produced. The track’s driving rhythm, gritty guitar riff, and anthemic chorus gave “Thriller” a harder edge, broadening its appeal to rock audiences. But the song’s real lightning strike came when Eddie Van Halen agreed to play the guitar solo — for free.

Van Halen’s appearance on “Beat It” became the stuff of legend. Introduced to Quincy Jones by Van Halen’s producer Ted Templeman, Eddie agreed to help out as a favor and showed up at the studio alone — his bandmates were out of town, sparing him any grief for moonlighting. Once inside, Eddie did more than just record a solo: he restructured part of the song to fit his style, then unleashed two blistering takes. Jackson arrived soon after and was thrilled by what he heard. “He really cared enough about the song to make it better,” Jackson later said.

Eddie’s solo lasted barely 30 seconds, but it redefined what a pop song could sound like. His innovative finger-tapping technique — a Van Halen trademark — shot sparks through the track, quite literally. Songwriter Rod Temperton recalled that during the session, the control room speakers caught fire as Eddie played. “We thought, this must be really good,” he laughed. Technicians raced in with fire extinguishers to put it out.

Ironically, the chugging rhythm guitar wasn’t played by Eddie at all — that was Steve Lukather from Toto, who also handled the bass line. Fellow Toto members Steve Porcaro and Jeff Porcaro rounded out the backing band. Together, they crafted the muscular, radio-ready groove that made “Beat It” one of “Thriller”’s defining tracks.

Lyrically, “Beat It” was Jackson’s anti-violence anthem disguised as a street drama. Inspired by the gang rivalries of “West Side Story”, Jackson wrote about a young man pressured to fight but urged instead to walk away. “Don’t be a macho man,” he pleads, flipping the traditional idea of toughness on its head.

When “Beat It” hit radio in 1983, it didn’t just climb the charts — it shattered cultural barriers. It reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earned two Grammy Awards: Record of the Year and Best Rock Vocal Performance. More importantly, it helped Jackson become the first Black artist to gain regular airplay on MTV, bringing him — and pop music — to a truly global stage.

When Van Halen’s “1984” album later peaked at #2 on the US charts, the only record keeping it from the top was “Thriller”. It was poetic symmetry: Eddie Van Halen had helped define “Thriller”’s sound, and Jackson’s masterpiece had, in turn, defined the decade. But what is undoubted is that “Beat It” features what is probably Eddie Van Halen's most famous guitar solo.