Rock History -- Analyzing Songs
Since I Don't Have You -- the Skyliners
The arrangement by the Skyliners is very effective and fairly typical of 1950s music, in that there is an strong orchestra opening -- dramatically powering the listener into the mood of the song -- for a few seconds. And suddenly the group's harmony comes blasting in, joining the orchestra, and musically informing listeners that this is a slow dance tune. This is Do-Wop dance music from heaven, for lovers that don't want to dance fast but love clinging on to each other in a slow dance. The beat is strong but slow, and as the lead voice reaches high for emotional impact, other members of the group join in harmony by "Ahhhhh-ing" wordlessly along with the lead singer.
The arrangement is extremely friendly to the listener. As the lead singer Jimmy Beaumont rockets high notes, going into falsetto in the third stanza, the song reaches its most dramatic and lofty point. At the close of the song Beaumont's passionate calling out, "Since I don't have…. You-oh, You-oh, You-oh, You-oh…" is joined by Janet Vogel, soaring even higher than Beaumont to a very high C, giving Beaumont's interpretation of the song even more energy and power.
This song was a hit, but before it had a chance, 13 major record labels turned the group down. Luckily Capitol Records had the good judgment to record this tune. It was the first rock tune to be accompanied by a full orchestra. It was a hit partly because of the strong melody and the Do-Wop arrangement and orchestration. But it was also a hit because the group -- Caucasian -- sounded to many listeners like they had the soul of African-American musicians. They in fact were the first Caucasian group to reach the top of the R&B charts on Cashbox.
Marvin Gaye -- What's Going On
The first thing that needs to be said about this song is that it was recorded in 1970-71, during the grueling, bloody, hated Vietnam War. The entire album...
In fact Gaye's brother had returned from the war and related his experienced in depth to his musical icon brother Marvin. Gaye's wonderfully soulful voice was sweeter by far than most protest songs in that era. Part of the appeal of this song was the wonderfully poignant message Gaye's once-in-a-million golden voice projected. That he could take a topic like the repugnance of war, the violence visited upon protesters who saw the war as an evil misadventure, the injustice dished out to people of color in the inner city, and turn it into a hit record that mesmerized listeners, was remarkable. The, up-tempo beat, the background voices that seem to instantly echo Gaye's words, the percussion charging forward (Congo drums and snare drums) pushed the arrangement into uncharted territory in the music world.
As Gaye sings, "Father, father, we don't need to escalate, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate," the background singing isn't in precise sync with Gaye's enunciation of the lyrics. But that imperfection adds a sense of immediacy and spontaneity to the arrangement. Gaye was of course a big star for Motown, he already had a string of pop records that hit the charts, and he was revered by his fans and praised by critics. But for Gaye, a Motown star, to come out with a protest song -- so creatively produced and hauntingly repetitive with the question "what's going on?" sung over and over -- was extraordinary for that time period.
Gaye used his great voice to sing "ohhhh… ohhhh…" on the high notes. He chose background vocals that soared and cried at the same time. And interestingly he brought his two National Football League friends from the Detroit Lions (Lem Barney and Mel Farr) to chime in with the spoken words, "Right on! Right on!" And with "Hey what's happening man…!" This was a hit and will remain an iconic song, not because it will help music lovers to…
