EARTH, WIND & FIRE - SEPTEMBER

Publicació: 18 de novembre de 1978

Llistat: EUA: #8 Regne Unit: #3

"September" és una cançó de la banda nord-americana Earth, Wind & Fire publicada com a senzill l'any 1978 Inicialment inclosa com a tema de "The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1”. Juntament amb la seva versió de "Got to get you into my life", va ser una de les dues noves cançons incloses al disc, que es va convertir en el seu àlbum més venut i va ajudar a la banda a passar a un públic més ampli. "September" ha estat un dels majors èxits comercials i de crítica de la carrera d'Earth, Wind & Fire, i el vocalista Philip Bailey la considera una de les millors cançons del grup. El 2018 es va afegir a la llista del Registre Nacional d'enregistraments de la Biblioteca del Congrés dels EUA d'enregistraments sonors importants culturalment, històricament o estèticament.

Aquesta cançó té tendència a fer feliç la gent quan la escolta. Allee Willis, que va escriure la cançó amb Maurice White i Al McKay de Earth, Wind & Fire, la descriu com "Joyful Music". Va ser la primera cançó que Willis va escriure amb la banda i una experiència d'aprenentatge. Va comentar: "Escriure "September" va ser fantàstic i emocionant. Ja havien començat la introducció quan vaig entrar a l'estudi per conèixer tothom. Just quan vaig obrir la porta i vaig sentir aquella petita introducció a la guitarra, vaig pensar: Oh Déu, si us plau, deixa que això sigui el que volen treballar amb mi. Perquè, evidentment, serà un èxit". A Willis li va molestar inicialment la lletra de "ba-dee-ya" que va fer servir White a la cançó, i li va suplicar que la reescrigués: "Acabo de dir: 'Què carai vol dir 'ba-dee-ya'?' I bàsicament va dir: "A qui carai li importa?" Vaig aprendre d'ell la meva millor lliçó per escriure cançons, mai s’ha de deixar que la lletra s'interposi en el camí del ritme". Willis va co-escriure la majoria de les cançons del següent àlbum de Earth, Wind & Fire "I Am", inclòs l'èxit ". Boogie Wonderland".

Hi ha moltes teories sobre la importància de la "nit del 21 de setembre" de l’inici de la cançó,  i fins al 2018, fins i tot la co-autora de la cançó, Allee Willis, estava a les fosques: Maurice White li va dir que no tenia cap significat real i que només ho va escollir perquè sonava bé fonèticament. White va morir el 2016; dos anys més tard, Willis estava dinant amb la seva vídua, Marilyn, quan li va explicar que el 21 de setembre era la data que complia en l’embaràs del seu fill, Kahbran, i que Maurice va posar aquesta data específica a la cançó com a missatge secret. Kahbran va acabar naixent abans d'hora l'1 d'agost, cosa que definitivament ja no tindria cap significat rellevant a la lletra”.

Taylor Swift va llançar una versió de banjo i guitarra acústica d'aquesta cançó el 13 d'abril de 2018 que va provocar ira a les xarxes socials. La seva gravació formava part d'una promoció d’Spotify; va explicar que ho va fer per "motius sentimentals" i perquè el mes de setembre és quan es va tenir un dels seus primers grans èxits. Philip Bailey d'EW&F la va defensar i va tuitejar: "La música és gratis així que... No sento res més que amor per tu". Jo dic que aquesta versió és una merda. Això no té res a veure amb el fet que després va fer bona música i que és una bona cantant, però aquesta versió no ho és.

EARTH, WIND & FIRE - SEPTEMBER

Released: November 18, 1978

Charted:  US: #8   UK: #3 

“September” is a song by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire released as a single in 1978 Initially included as a track for  “The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire Vol. 1”. Along with their cover of "Got to get you into my life", it was one of two new songs included on the set, which became their best-selling album and helped the band cross over to a broader audience. "September" has been one of the biggest commercial and critical successes of Earth, Wind & Fire's career, and vocalist Philip Bailey considers it one of the group's best songs. It was added to the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry list of sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important in 2018.

This song has a tendency to make people happy when they hear it. Allee Willis, who wrote the song with Maurice White and Al McKay from Earth, Wind & Fire, describes it as "Joyful Music."  It was the first song Willis wrote with the band, and quite a learning experience. She said: "'September' was fantastic and thrilling, and they had started the intro of it by the time I had walked into the studio to meet everyone. Just as I opened the door and I heard that little guitar intro, I thought, Oh God, please let this be what they want to work with me on. Because it was so obviously a hit." Willis was initially bothered by the gibberish "ba-dee-ya" lyric White used through the song, and begged him to rewrite it: "I just said, 'What the fuck does 'ba-dee-ya' mean?' And he essentially said, 'Who the fuck cares?' I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him, which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove”. Willis co-wrote most of the songs on Earth, Wind & Fire's next album “I Am” including the hit "Boogie Wonderland".

There are many theories as to the significance of the "21st night of September" in the opening lyrics, and until 2018, even the song's co-writer, Allee Willis, was in the dark - Maurice White told her it had no real significance and was chosen because it sang well phonetically. White died in 2016; two years later, Willis was having lunch with his widow, Marilyn, who told her that September 21 was the due date for their son, Kahbran, and that Maurice put that specific date into the song as a secret message. Kahbran ended up being born early on August 1, which definitely wouldn't have the same ring to it as a lyric”. 

Taylor Swift released an airy, banjo-and-acoustic-guitar version of this song on April 13, 2018 that provoked ire on social media. Her recording was part of a Spotify promotion; she explained that she covered it for "sentimental reasons" and because the month of September is when one of her memorable breakups occurred. Philip Bailey of EW&F came to her defense, tweeting, "Music is free like that... Ain't Got Nothing But Love for Ya." And I say; this is a shitty cover. That has nothing to do with the fact that she later made good music and that she’s a good singer, but this version does not. 

 

QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

Aquest va ser el primer Top 10 de Queen als EUA, aconseguint el número 9 el 24 d'abril de 1976. Al Regne Unit, on Queen ja tenia un cert reconeixement, va arribar al número 1 el 29 de novembre de 1975 i es va convertir en el Christmas number One del 1975 ocupant la primera posició durant nou setmanes. "Bohemian Rhapsody" va ser la primera cançó que va arribar al número 1 al Regne Unit dues vegades en la mateixa versió i també és l'únic single que ha sigut Christmas number One dues vegades amb la mateixa versió de la cançó. La segona va ser a la seva reedició el 1991, després de la mort de Freddy, quan es va mantenir al número 1 durant cinc setmanes, fent un total de catorze setmanes al capdamunt de la llista.

Quan la banda va voler llançar el senzill l'any 1975, diversos executius els van suggerir que, a causa de la seva durada de 5 minuts i 55 segons, era massa llarga i mai seria un èxit. La cançó es va interpretar a altres músics que van comentar que la banda no tenia cap esperança que es reproduís a la ràdio. La banda va passar per alt aquesta avaluació corporativa tocant la cançó per al popular DJ Everett: "teníem una còpia de bobina a bobina, però li vam dir que només la podria tenir si prometia que no la radiaria. "No la posaré", va dir fent l'ullet..."

Everett va provar als seus oients fent tastets de només parts de la cançó. La demanda del públic es va intensificar quan Everett va posar la cançó sencera al seu programa catorze vegades en dos dies. Hordes de fans van intentar comprar el senzill el dilluns següent, però les botigues de discos els van dir que encara no s'havia publicat. El mateix cap de setmana, Paul Drew va escoltar la cançó al programa d'Everett a Londres, va aconseguir una còpia de la cinta i va començar a reproduir-la als Estats Units. En una entrevista va dir que "va ser una situació estranya en què la ràdio a banda i banda de la Atlantic estava batent la teoria de que les companyies discogràfiques deien que mai no es transmetria!

Freddie Mercury va escriure la lletra, i ha hagut moltes especulacions sobre el seu significat. Moltes de les paraules apareixen a l'Alcorà. "Bismillah" és una d'aquestes, literalment significa "En nom d'Al·là". La paraula "Scaramouch" significa "Un personatge normal que apareix com un covard fanfarró". "Beelzebub" és un dels molts noms donats al dimoni. És possible que Mercury hagués escrit "Galileo" a la lletra com una picada d’ull a Brian May, que és un aficionat a l'astronomia i el 2007 es va doctorar en astrofísica.

De totes maneres, Lesley-Ann Jones, autora de la biografia de Mercury, pensa que Freddie Mercury es descobreix com a gai en aquesta cançó. Jones diu que quan va plantejar la pregunta a Mercury el 1986, el cantant no va donar una resposta directa, i que sempre va ser molt vague sobre el significat de la cançó, admetent només que es tractava de "relacions". (La religió familiar de Mercuri, el zoroastrisme, no accepta l'homosexualitat, i va fer esforços per ocultar la seva orientació sexual, possiblement per no ofendre la seva família.) Després de la mort de Mercury, Jones diu que va passar temps amb el seu amant, Jim Hutton, que li va dir que la cançó era, de fet, la confessió de Mercury que era gai. El bon amic de Mercury, Tim Rice, va estar d'acord i va oferir una anàlisi lírica per donar suport a la teoria:

"Mama, I just killed a man" (Mama, acabo de matar a l’home) - Ha matat el vell Freddie que intentava ser. La seva imatge anterior.

"Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead" (he posat una pistola contra el seu cap i vaig prémer el gallet, ara es mort) - Ha mort, la persona heterosexual que era originalment. Ha destruït l'home que volia ser, i ara aquest és ell, intentant viure amb el nou Freddie.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man" (Veig una petita silueta d'home) - Aquest és ell, encara perseguit pel que ha fet i el que és.

Sigui quin sigui el significat, potser mai ho sabrem: el mateix Mercury va mantenir el secret i la banda va acceptar no revelar res sobre el significat. El mateix Mercury va declarar: "És una d'aquelles cançons que té una sensació tan fantàstica. Crec que la gent hauria d'escoltar-la, pensar-hi i després decidir-se sobre el que els diu". També va afirmar que la lletra no era més que "Tonteries amb rima a l'atzar".

QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

This was Queen's first Top 10 hit in the US, peaking at #9 on April 24, 1976. In the UK, where Queen was already established, it went to #1 on November 29, 1975 and became the 1975 UK Christmas #1 holding the top position for nine weeks. "Bohemian Rhapsody" was the first song ever to get to #1 in the UK twice with the same version and is also the only single to have been Christmas #1 twice with the same version. The second was upon its re-release in 1991, following Freddy’s death staying at #1 for five weeks, making a total of fourteen weeks at the top of the chart. 

When the band wanted to release the single in 1975, various executives suggested to them that due to its length of 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was too long and would never be a hit. The song was played to other musicians who commented the band had no hope of it ever being played on radio. The band bypassed this corporate assessment by playing the song for Everett:

"we had a reel-to-reel copy but we told him he could only have it if he promised not to play it. 'I won't play it,' he said, winking ..."

Everett teased his listeners by playing only parts of the song. Audience demand intensified when Everett played the full song on his show 14 times in 2 days. Hordes of fans attempted to buy the single the following Monday, only to be told by record stores that it had not yet been released. The same weekend, Paul Drew heard the track on Everett's show in London and managed to get a copy of the tape and started to play it in the U.S. In an interview observed that "it was a strange situation where radio on both sides of the Atlantic was breaking a record that the record companies said would never get airplay! 

Freddie Mercury wrote the lyrics, and there has been a lot of speculation as to their meaning. Many of the words appear in the Qu'ran. "Bismillah" is one of these - it literally means "In the name of Allah." The word "Scaramouch" means "A stock character that appears as a boastful coward." "Beelzebub" is one of the many names given to The Devil. Mercury may have written "Galileo" into the lyrics for the benefit of Brian May, who is an astronomy buff and in 2007 earned a PhD in astrophysics.

Anyway, Lesley-Ann Jones, author of the biography Mercury, thinks that Freddie Mercury coming out as gay in this song. Jones says that when she posed the question to Mercury in 1986, the singer didn't give a straight answer, and that he was always very vague about the song's meaning, admitting only that it was "about relationships." (Mercury's family religion, Zoroastrianism, doesn't accept homosexuality, and he made efforts to conceal his sexual orientation, possibly so as not to offend his family.) After Mercury's death, Jones says she spent time with his lover, Jim Hutton, who told her that the song was, in fact, Mercury's confession that he was gay. Mercury's good friend Tim Rice agreed, and offered some lyrical analysis to support the theory:

"Mama, I just killed a man" - He's killed the old Freddie he was trying to be. The former image.

"Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead" - He's dead, the straight person he was originally. He's destroyed the man he was trying to be, and now this is him, trying to live with the new Freddie.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man" - That's him, still being haunted by what he's done and what he is.

Whatever the meaning is, we may never know - Mercury himself remained tight-lipped, and the band agreed not to reveal anything about the meaning. Mercury himself stated, "It's one of those songs which has such a fantasy feel about it. I think people should just listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them." He also claimed that the lyrics were nothing more than "Random rhyming nonsense".

 FLEETWOOD MAC - DON’T STOP

Un dels èxits més perdurables de la banda, "Don't Stop", escrit per la vocalista i lletrista Christine McVie, va ser llançada com el tercer senzill de Rumors l'1 d'abril de 1977, i va assolir el tercer lloc del Billboard Hot 100 dels EUA l'octubre de 1977. Al Regne Unit, "Don't Stop" va ser el segon senzill de l'àlbum que va assolir el número 32. Al Regne Unit la cara B era “Gold dust woman”, als EUA “Never going back again”, i en altres països, com Espanya, es va estrenar amb “Dreams” a la cara B.

Christine McVie va escriure aquesta cançó que parla sobre deixar enrere el passat. Ella i John McVie es van separar, cosa que va inspirar la lletra. Lindsey Buckingham i Stevie Nicks també estaven passant per una ruptura i escrivint cançons l'un sobre l'altre, i Mick Fleetwood estava passant per un divorci. Tota la tensió a l'estudi no semblava fer mal. John McVie no es va adonar durant molt de temps que Chrissie McVie va escriure la cançó sobre ell. El 2015 va dir: "Mai ho vaig lligar. He estat tocant la cançó durant anys i no va ser fins que algú em va dir:" Chris la va escriure sobre tu. Oh de debò?"

Possiblement sigui l'èxit més gran de Fleetwood Mac en la seva reencarnació dels anys 70; "Don't Stop" va ser un gran èxit mundial i va consolidar la seva reputació com a fabricants de discos super vendes. La cançó en si és enganyosament senzilla. Basada en un senzill patró de blues de dos acords, és un gran exemple del talent de Christine McVie per a l'estlvi de la composició de cançons. La melodia és elegant i accessible, però el ganxo principal és el ritme, especialment la gran bateria de Mick Fleetwood. Les harmonies a l'estil dels Beach Boys estan casades amb una lletra positiva que reafirma les ganes de viure la vida, cantada a duet per McVie i Lindsay Buckingham. Les parts vocals similars, però de gènere diferent, de Lindsey i Christine tenen una química interessant. Un dels grans moments de la cançó és el canvi de parada i reinici que es produeix prop del final de la cançó. És una genialitat de l'arranjament que absorbeix l'oient en la tornada que es va esvaint fins al final.

L'àlbum s'havia d’anomenar "Yesterday's Gone", per una frase d'aquesta cançó. Posteriorment John McVie va suggerir "Rumors" perquè semblava que tothom al sud de Califòrnia només parlava sobre el drama personal pel que estava passant Fleetwood Mac.

FLEETWOOD MAC - DON’T STOP

One of the band's most enduring hits, "Don't Stop" written by vocalist and keywoard player Christine McVie, was released as the third single from Rumours on 1st April 1977, peaking at #3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in October 1977. In the UK, "Don't Stop" was the second single of the album peaked at #32. In the UK the B side was “Gold dust woman”, in the US was “Never going back again”, and in other countries, such as Spain, it was released with “Dreams” on the B side.

Christine McVie wrote this song about leaving the past behind. She and John McVie were splitting up, which inspired the lyrics. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks were also going through a breakup and writing songs about each other, and Mick Fleetwood was going through a divorce. All the tension in the studio didn't seem to hurt. John McVie didn't twig for a long time that Chrissie McVie wrote the song about him. He told in 2015: "I never put that together. I've been playing it for years and it wasn't until somebody told me, 'Chris wrote that about you.' Oh really?"

Possibly Fleetwood Mac's crowning achievement of their 1970s incarnation, "Don't Stop" was a huge worldwide hit and solidified their reputations as record makers. The song itself is deceptively simple. Based on a simple, two-chord blues pattern, it's a great example of Christine McVie's talent for songwriting economy. The melody is elegant and accessible, but the main hook is the groove, particularly Mick Fleetwood's great drumming. Beach Boys-style harmonies are married with a positive, life-affirming lyric, which is sung as a duet by McVie and Lindsay Buckingham. Lindsey and Christine's similar but still different-gender vocal parts on the song have an interesting chemistry. One of the great moments of the song is the great stop-start turnaround that occurs near the end of the song. This is true arranging genius and sucks the listener into a final, beautifully long chorus fadeout.

The album was going to be called "Yesterday's Gone," after a line in this song. John McVie suggested "Rumours" because it seemed like everyone in Southern California was talking about the personal drama Fleetwood Mac was going through.

 CANNONS - DESIRE

Publicat: 4 d'agost de 2023

La banda de pop elèctric i alternatiu de Los Angeles CANNONS ha llançat recentment el seu sensual nou senzill "Desire" abans del llançament del seu darrer projecte "Heartbeat Highway". La cançó està escrita i produïda pel grup.

La música nebulosa encapsula realment la lletra sensual que descriu el poder del desig i els aspectes físics i emocionals de la pena per algú que està gairebé fora de l'abast. La veu de la cantant Michelle Joy transporta els oients a un estat de somni. La cançó expressa un intens enyorament i enamorament per algú. La lletra descriu una profunda afecció per una persona que la cantant no pot i no vol deixar anar. La frase repetida "I can't stop thinking about you" (No puc deixar de pensar en tu) posa de relleu la naturalesa devoradora del seu desig. La cançó està plena de referències a les fortes emocions que experimenta la cantant. La frase "I'm hooked on you, honey, never letting you go" (Estic enganxada a tu, carinyo, no et deixaré marxar mai), suggereix una forta dependència emocional de la persona, incapaç d'alliberar-se de la seva presència captivadora. La lletra també esmenta estar "bathing inside your glow" (banyant-me dins del teu resplendor), cosa que indica que estar amb aquesta persona aporta una sensació de calidesa, felicitat i realització.

La tornada emfatitza repetidament els pensaments obsessius de la cantant, comparant el seu anhel amb la intensitat de les estrelles blaves. Aquesta línia suggereix un desig que la connexió i la passió que senten duri indefinidament. Després la lletra expressa una súplica desesperada per tornar  als pensaments i al cor de la persona. La cantant confessa que ha estat constantment pensant en l'objecte del seu desig i es deixa portar completament per la seva presència. La frase "You spark a fire and I just can't deny" (Tu encenes un foc i jo no em puc negar) destaca l'atracció innegable i aclaparadora que sent cap a aquesta persona.

Parlant de la cançó, la banda va comentar: "'Desire' és una cançó infecciosament sexy sobre algú o alguna cosa fora del teu abast que encén la teva ànima i evoca un sentiment tan fort que no et pots contenir".

CANNONS - DESIRE

Released: August 4, 2023

Los Angeles-based alternative and electric pop band CANNONS recently released their sensual new single “Desire” ahead of the release of their latest project “Heartbeat Highway”. The track is written and produced by CANNONS and made its first debut during their Coachella set earlier this year. The band released an 80s-themed visualizer to pair with the new single and represents the band’s overall vibe for the single and the latest era of music. 

The hazy instrumentals really encapsulate the sensual lyrics that describe desire’s power. The mesmerizing vocals of lead singer Michelle Joy transports listeners to a dream-like state. The song expresses an intense longing and infatuation for someone. The lyrics depict a deep attachment to a person that the singer is unable and unwilling to let go of. The repeated phrase "I can't stop thinking about you" highlights the all-consuming nature of their desire. The song is filled with references to the strong emotions the singer experiences. The line "I'm hooked on you, honey, never letting you go" suggests a strong emotional dependency on the person, unable to break free from their captivating presence. The lyrics also mention being "bathing inside your glow," indicating that being with this person brings a sense of warmth, happiness, and fulfillment.

The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the singer's obsessive thoughts, comparing their longing to the intensity of the stars burning blue. This line suggests a desire for the connection and passion they feel to last indefinitely. In the bridge, the lyrics express a desperate plea to be let back into the person's thoughts and heart. The singer confesses that they have been constantly thinking about the object of their desire and are completely carried away by their presence. The line "You spark a fire and I just can't deny" highlights the undeniable and overwhelming attraction they feel towards this person.

Speaking about the track, the band said, “‘Desire’ is an infectiously sexy song about someone or something out of your reach that sets your soul on fire and evokes a feeling so strong it cannot be contained.”