BEE GEES - STAYIN’ ALIVE

Publicació: 15 de desembre de 1977

Llistes: Regne Unit: #4 EUA: #1

"Stayin' Alive" és una cançó de la banda sonora de "Saturday Night Fever". Va ser llançada com el segon senzill de l'àlbum doble. Aquest va ser el segon dels quatre èxits número 1 als EUA de la banda sonora de “Saturday Night Fever”, després de "How Deep Is Your Love", que es va editar abans de la pel·lícula, que va arribar als cinemes el 14 de desembre de 1977. "Stayin' Alive" es va publicar un dia abans de la pel·lícula, però molts espectadors ja havien escoltat la cançó als tràilers. En el seu llançament, "Stayin' Alive" va pujar a les llistes per aconseguir el primer lloc del Billboard Hot 100 la setmana del 4 de febrer de 1978, romanent-hi durant quatre setmanes consecutives i es va convertir en una de les cançons més reconeixibles de la pel·lícula. Als Estats Units, es convertiria en el segon dels sis senzills número u consecutius dels Bee Gees, empatant el rècord dels Beatles de números u consecutius al país en aquell moment.

"Stayin' Alive" s’escolta durant els crèdits inicials de la pel·lícula "Saturday Night Fever", mentre John Travolta es pavoneja pels carrers de la ciutat de Nova York. Aquesta escena inicial estableix Tony Manero com una mena d'ideal masculí ètnic blanc de Brooklyn. Les dues hores següents de la pel·lícula intentaran trencar aquesta imatge inicial que projecta. La pel·lícula va representar com cap altra l'era de la música disco i va fer de "Stayin' Alive" una de les cançons més associades a aquest estil. 

Els Bee Gees havien començat a imposar el falset alt a les seves cançons des del seu èxit de 1975 "Jive Talkin'", que també estava a la banda sonora, tot i que van ser molt populars com a grup d'harmonia vocal a finals dels anys 60 i principis dels 70. Les seves contribucions a "Saturday Night Fever" els va reportar un gran èxit, però els va marcar com a cantants de música disco. En una entrevista de 1989 van parlar d'aquest estigma i per què no el mereixien. "No érem disco", va dir Robin Gibb. "La gent que ens emulava eren disco. Tot el que escoltaves a la ràdio era aquell so de bombo sincronitzat que nosaltres no vam tenir mai en els nostres discos!" Els Bee Gees sovint van assenyalar que el ball no s'esmenta mai específicament a "Stayin' Alive", encara que diu que l'home va on hi ha "música alta i dones calentes", està clar que està preparat per ballar i el que calgui. Robin Gibb va dir que la lletra parla molt òbviament d’un “escenari de supervivència", i Barry va dir que estava influenciada per la ciutat de Nova York. "El nivell en aquell moment a finals dels anys 70 a la ciutat era realment això: supervivència".

Demostrant encara més el domini dels Bee Gees en les llistes nord-americanes l'any 1978, "Stayin' Alive" va ser substituïda al número u pel senzill del germà petit del grup, Andy Gibb, "Love is thicker than water", seguida per "Night Fever" dels Bee Gees on s’hi va estar vuit setmanes. Després "If i can't have you" d'Yvonne Elliman li va prendre el lloc. Barry Gibb va escriure les quatre cançons, convertint-se en l'única persona de la història a escriure quatre senzills successius número u als EUA.

"Stayin' Alive" va ser una petita part de la cursa dominant dels Bee Gees el 1978, però ha arribat a ser la peça fonamental del seu repertori marcant el seu llegat. La trajectoria dels Bee Gees va caure enormement després que el boom de la música disco va acabar, i l'omnipresència de "Stayin' Alive" probablement hi va tenir molt a veure. Se’n van ressentir. Havien estat un grup molt abans del disco, i ho serien també després, però aquesta cançó ha quedat com la que els representa i tothom coneix. 

"Stayin' Alive" és la melodia de ball perfecta i atemporal, que fa que els oients se sentin bé. El seu riff d'inici clarament impulsa la gent cap a les pistes de ball i gairebé és impossible no moure's amb el seu ritme captivador. 🎶Ah, ha, ha,ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive! 🎶

STAYIN’ ALIVE

Released: December 15, 1977

Charted:  UK: #4 US: #1

"Stayin' Alive" is a song from the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack. It was released as the second single from the double album. It is one of the Bee Gees signature songs. This was the second of four US #1 hits from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, following "How Deep Is Your Love" which was released ahead of the film, which hit theaters December 14, 1977. "Stayin' Alive" was released one day before the movie, but many theatergoers had already heard the song in trailers for the film. On its release, "Stayin' Alive" climbed the charts to hit the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of 4 February 1978, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. Consequently, it became one of the band's most recognisable tunes. In the United States, it would become the second of six consecutive number one singles, tying the record with The Beatles for most consecutive number ones in the United States at the time.

This plays over the opening credits of the movie “Saturday Night Fever” while John Travolta struts through the streets of New York City. That opening scene establishes Tony Manero as some kind of white ethnic masculine ideal, a peacocking prince of Brooklyn. The next two hours of the movie work overtime to break down that image, to burn it to cinders. The movie has come to represent the disco era, and has made "Stayin' Alive" one of the songs most associated with disco. The Bee Gees had been singing in a high-falsetto style since their 1975 hit "Jive Talkin’" which was also on the soundtrack, but they were very popular as a vocal harmony group in the late '60s and early '70s. Their contributions to “Saturday Night Fever” brought them huge success, but marked them as disco singers. In a 1989 interview they talked about this stigma and why they didn't deserve it. "We were not disco," Robin Gibb said. "People who emulated us were disco. All you heard on the radio was that dooo! dooo! syn-drum sound. We never had a syn-drum on one of our records!" The Bee Gees often pointed out that dancing is never specifically mentioned in "Stayin' Alive," although when this woman's man goes where there's "music loud and women warm," it's clear he's ready to boogie. Robin Gibb said the lyrics "very obviously state the scenario of survival," and Barry said it was influenced by New York City. "The energy level at that point in the late '70s was really that - it was survival," he said. 

Further demonstrating the Bee Gees' US chart domination in 1978, "Stayin' Alive" was replaced at number one with the group's younger brother Andy Gibb's single, "Love is thicker than water", followed by the Bee Gees' "Night Fever" for their longest run, eight weeks. This was then replaced by Yvonne Elliman's "If i can’t have you". Barry Gibb had a hand in writing all four of these songs, becoming the only person in history to write four successive US number-one singles. 

Beatles producer George Martin commented about this song saying: "The great thing about 'Stayin' Alive' is that it had a great guitar hook to start with which set up the theme, that pulsating beat. It's no coincidence, by the way, that the disco beat of 120 beats per minute coincides the heartbeat of your heart when you're excited. This was a key thing which underlined the whole tune, and when the vocals came in, the vocals were so designed that they pushed that beat further".

“Stayin’ Alive” was one small part of the Bee Gees’ dominant 1978 run, but it’s come to tower over the rest of their catalog and to dominate their legacy. The Bee Gees’ career took a tremendous nosedive after the disco boom ended, and the omnipresence of “Stayin’ Alive” probably had a lot to do with that. They resented it. They’d been a group long before disco, and they’d be a group long after, but this song was the one thing that everyone knew about them. “Stayin’ Alive” is the perfect and timeless dance tune, making listeners need to groove. An opening riff that will clearly propel people towards dance-floors, it’s almost possible not to move with the strutting rhythm and exciting horns. 🎶Ah, ha, ha,ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive! 🎶.

 

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)

Publicació: novembre de 1981

Llistes: EUA: #1 (1 setmana) Regne Unit: #8

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" és una cançó del duo nord-americà Daryl Hall i John Oates, escrita per tots dos amb Sara Allen, i va ser llançada com a segon senzill del seu àlbum de 1981 "Private Eyes". La cançó es va convertir en el quart senzill número u de la seva carrera al Billboard Hot 100.

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" va ser una frase que va utilitzar Daryl Hall quan se'l va pressionar perquè anés amb el que volia la gent en contra dels seus desitjos. Després d'una sessió de gravació de l'àlbum “Private Eyes” als Electric Lady Studios (Nova York), Hall, Oates i l'enginyer Neil Kernon van improvisar aquesta cançó. En una entrevista a Mix Magazine, Daryl Hall recorda: "Recordeu l'antiga caixa de ritmes Roland CompuRhythm? Vaig dirigir-me al estudi 1, em vaig asseure davant un orgue Korg que havia allà i vaig començar a tocar aquesta línia de baix que em ballava pel cap. És la vella història de l'estudi de gravació: l'enginyer va escoltar el que estava fent i va encendre la màquina de gravar. Ben fet, perquè sóc el tipus de persona que te una idea i se’n oblida. En uns 10 minuts van sorgir els acords, i després vaig escoltar un riff de guitarra, que vaig demanar a John, que estava assegut a la cabina, que toqués". John Oates continua en la mateixa entrevista: "Daryl va aportar aquesta gran línia de baix,i va tenir els acords deseguida. Després vaig connectar la meva Strat de 1958 directament a la taula i vam anar pel ritme". L'endemà Hall i la seva xicota Sara Allen van escriure la lletra. Hall recorda: "Vaig escriure la majoria de la lletra, però la Sara va aportar algunes idees. Vaig cantar i vam anar modelant la cançó, res tan simple com això!"

Michael Jackson va confessar que aquesta cançó va influir molt en la seva exitosa cançó "Billie Jean". Daryl Hall recorda que quan tots dos estaven gravant "We are the World", Jackson li va dir que esperava que no li molestés que li hgués copiat el ritme. Hall li va dir que va fer una bona feina en robar-li perquè ni tan sols se n'havia adonat.

John Oates (en una entrevista a Livedaily): "'I Can't Go for That' és una de les cançons més samplejades  del nostre catàleg, al menys pel que sabem. S'ha samplejat en moltes cançons. En puc citar cinc o sis versions en un moment. Simply Red va fer una cançó anomenada 'Sunrise', que era bàsicament 'I Can't Go for That', la cançó sencera. No era un sampler, era la bàsicament la cançó real. Només hi van escriure un vers diferent. Puff Daddy la va samplejar, De La Soul la va samplejar. M'agrada, quan es sampleja la nostra música. M'agrada quan la gent té una visió diferent del que fas. És un compliment".

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" va fer de pont entre les llistes en música blanca i negre, que és un assoliment rar per a un artista blanc. Va arribar al número 1 a les llistes de R&B així com al Hot 100, fet insòlit llavors. 

Aquesta va ser la cançó que va fer fora "Physical" d'Olivia Newton-John del número 1 als EUA després d’estar-hi 10 setmanes. 

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES - I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)

Released: November 1981

Charted: US: #1  (1 week) UK: #8

"I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" is a song by the American duo Daryl Hall & John Oates, written by both with Sara Allen, and was released as the second single from their 1981 album “Private Eyes”. The song became the fourth number one hit single of their career on the  Billboard Hot 100.

"I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" was a phrase Daryl Hall used when he was pressured to go along with the crowd against his wishes. After a recording session for the Private Eyes album in Electric Lady Studios (New York City), Hall, Oates and engineer Neil Kernon improvised this song. In an interview with Mix Magazine, Daryl Hall recalls: "Remember the old Roland CompuRhythm box? I turned to the Rock and Roll 1 preset, sat down at a Korg organ that happened to be lying there and started to play this bass line that was coming to me. It's the old recording studio story: The engineer heard what I was doing and turned on the tape machine. Good thing, because I'm the kind of person who will come up with an idea and forget it. The chords came together in about 10 minutes, and then I heard a guitar riff, which I asked John, who was sitting in the booth, to play." John Oates continues in the same interview: "Daryl came up with this great bass line, using whatever sound happened to be on the organ, and Neil miked it and the drum machine. Daryl came up with the 'B' section chords, and then I plugged my 1958 Strat directly into the board, which was either an early SSL or a Trident." The next day Hall and his girlfriend Sara Allen wrote the lyrics. Hall recalls: "I wrote most of the lyrics, but Sara contributed some ideas. I sang the lead vocal, and there's the song, can't get any simpler than that!"

Michael Jackson has confessed that this greatly influenced his hit song "Billie Jean". Daryl Hall recalls that when they were both recording "We are the World" Jackson told him he hoped Hall didn't mind that he copped the groove. Hall told him he did a good job of stealing it because he didn't even notice.

John Oates (from an interview with Livedaily): "'I Can't Go for That' is one of the most sampled songs from our catalogue, maybe ever for all we know. It's been sampled on so many songs. I can name five or six versions of it. Simply Red did a song called 'Sunrise,' which was basically 'I Can't Go for That.' The entire song. It wasn't a sample, it was the actual track. He just wrote a different verse over it. Puff Daddy sampled it, De La Soul sampled it. I like it, when our music is sampled. I like when people have a different take on what you do. That's quite a compliment."

This bridged the gap between the black and white charts, which is a rare achievement for a white act. It hit #1 on the R&B charts as well as the Hot 100.

This was the song that knocked Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" out of #1 in America after a 10 week stay at the top spot.

 

MICHAEL JACKSON - THRILLER

Publicació: novembre de 1983 (Regne Unit) 23 de gener de 1984 (EUA)

Llistes: Regne Unit: #10 EUA: #4

Rod Temperton va escriure la cançó per a Jackson, i també va escriure altres dues cançons per a l'àlbum: "The Lady in My Life" i "Baby be mine". Eren les dues úniques cançons que no es van publicar com a senzills.

La cançó "Thriller" és una cançó dance-pop de temàtica de terror que representa una situació horrorosa i de suspens. La lletra narra la història d'una persona que és perseguida per una criatura fantasmagòrica a la nit, que ha de lluitar per sobreviure contra ella i les seves cohorts fins al matí. La cançó anima els oients a acceptar les seves pors i a ballar amb el ritme com per desafiar la seva pròpia ansietat. Al final, el protagonista surt triomfant i demostra que “No mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller” (Cap mortal pot resistir el mal del thriller)”. El missatge de la cançó és vèncer la por afrontant-la de cara i ser valents.

Escrita originalment com una melodia optimista anomenada "Starlight", el contingut de la lletra es va canviar a instàncies de Jackson i Jones, que van considerar que la cançó hauria de tenir un to més fosc. Encarregat de la tasca, Temperton va tornar amb aquesta oda a l'horror schlock i Jackson el va fer fora del parc.

Vincent Price, un actor conegut pel seu treball en pel·lícules de terror, va fer la narració al final de la cançó, inclosa la rialla malvada. El rap de Price inclou la línia "Must stand and face the hounds of hell". Es va inspirar en una de les  novel·les  de Sherlock Holmes més populars, The Hound of the Baskervilles de Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

El vídeo va ser una fita cultural, introduint una elaborada coreografia, vestuari i diàleg en el format. També va introduir el concepte del vídeo musical de llarga durada, on es va fer una mini-pel·lícula per a una cançó i després es va editar per a la versió curta. La versió llarga de "Thriller" té una durada de gairebé 14 minuts, però va tenir una longevitat remarcable, i va aconseguir fàcilment més de 100 milions de visualitzacions quan va aparèixer a YouTube. MTV acostumava a publicar la versió curta, que durava una mica menys de cinc minuts, però encara contenia aproximadament un minut de contingut no relacionat amb la cançó en una història que omet la major part de la pel·lícula que la parella està veient al principi. Amb el seu famós ball al cementiri, el vídeo va popularitzar escenes de ball de grup en vídeos pop.

L’argument en diu que a la dècada de 1950, Michael i una dona jove (Ola Ray) es queden sense gas mentre conduïen per una zona boscosa. Entren al bosc i la dona accepta la invitació de Jackson per ser la seva xicota. Ell l'adverteix que "no és com els altres nois", es transforma en un home-llop i l'ataca. En el present, Jackson i la seva xicota estan veient la pel·lícula de l’home-llop en un cinema. La xicota se'n va, espantada per la pel·lícula. Caminant per un carrer de la ciutat a la nit, Jackson en fa burla interpretant els versos de "Thriller". Passen per davant d'un cementiri, on els zombis s'aixequen de les seves tombes i els envolten al carrer. Jackson es converteix ell mateix en un zombi i balla amb l'horda al ritme de la cançó. Torna a ser humà per cantar els cors. Jackson i els zombis persegueixen la seva xicota fins a una casa abandonada. Ella crida i es desperta, adonant-se que era un malson. Jackson l'abraça, però es gira cap a la càmera i somriu, revelant els seus ulls malèfics.

El vídeo és considerat el vídeo musical més famós de tots els temps, almenys per a la Biblioteca del Congrés dels EUA, que el va afegir al seu National Film Registry el 2009, el primer vídeo musical del seu registre. El senzill "Thriller" va rebre crítiques positives i es va convertir en el setè senzill top ten de l'àlbum al Billboard Hot 100.

MICHAEL JACKSON - THRILLER

Released : November 1983 (U.K.) January 23, 1984 (U.S.)

Charted:  UK: #10  US: #4

Rod Temperton wrote the song for Jackson, and also wrote two other songs for the album: "The Lady in My Life" and "Baby be mine". Those were the only songs that weren't released as singles.

The song "Thriller" is a horror-themed dance-pop song that depicts a horrifying and suspenseful situation. The lyrics tell a story of a person being stalked by a spooky creature at night, having to fight for survival against it and its cohorts until morning. The song encourages listeners to embrace their fears and dance along with the beat as if to challenge their own anxiety. The bridge of the song also builds in a sense of urgency as the protagonist realizes that “There’s no escaping the jaws of the alien this time”. In the end, the protagonist is triumphant and proves that “No mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller”. The message of the song is to overcome fear through facing it head on and to be brave.

Originally written as an optimistic tune called “Starlight,” the lyrical content was changed at the behest of Jackson and Jones who felt the song should have a darker edge to it. Charged with the task, Temperton came back with this ode to schlock horror and Jackson knocked it out of the park. 

Vincent Price, an actor known for his work on horror films, did the narration at the end of the song, including the evil laugh. Price's rap includes the line "Must stand and face the hounds of hell." This was inspired by the most popular Sherlock Holmes novel to date, The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The video was a cultural milestone, introducing elaborate choreography, costumes and dialogue into the format. It also introduced the concept of the long-form music video, where a mini-movie was made for a song, then edited down for the short version. The long version of "Thriller" runs nearly 14 minutes, but had remarkable longevity, easily racking up over 100 million views when it showed up on YouTube. MTV usually ran the short version, which ran a little under five minutes but still contained about a minute of non-song content in a storyline that omits most of the movie the couple is watching at the beginning. With its famous graveyard dance, the video popularized group dance scenes in pop videos.

In the 1950s, Michael and a young woman (Ola Ray) run out of gas while driving in a wooded area. They walk into the forest and the woman accepts Jackson's invitation to be his girlfriend. He warns her that he is "not like other guys", transforms into a werecat and attacks her. In the present, Jackson and his girlfriend are watching the werecat film in a theater. The girlfriend leaves, scared by the film. Walking down a city street at night, Jackson teases her by performing the verses of "Thriller". They pass a graveyard, where zombies rise from their graves and surround them in the street. Jackson becomes a zombie himself and dances with the horde to the song. He changes back into a human to sing the choruses. Jackson and the zombies chase his girlfriend into an abandoned house. She screams and wakes up, realizing it was a nightmare. Jackson embraces her, but turns to the camera and grins, revealing his werecat eyes.

The music video is considered the most famous music video of all time, at least by the Library of Congress, which added it to its National Film Registry in 2009, the first music video in their registry. The single “Thriller” received positive reviews and became the album's seventh top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100.