Boz Scaggs Reviews 2019 We Re All Alone

Accept you ever heard a song that sounds vaguely familiar, only yous don't know when you heard it, or who it'south past? And then when it gets to the chorus, or a solo, or a particular line yous think, "Oh, information technology'south that song!" But yous still tin't place how you know it, or who sang information technology. And and then the song buzzes around in your head for days and y'all have to ask people what information technology is, or go hunt it down on the Net (people of my generation: exercise you remember the days before the Net when y'all had to put upward with not knowing, or hope to catch the song on the radio?).

That's what prompted this week'due south selection for Music Monday. "Nosotros're All Alone" was written by Boz Scaggs for his 1976 album "Silk Degrees." He never released information technology equally a single (aside from existence the "B" side of "Lido Shuffle," and as a double-"A" side release in Commonwealth of australia), but others picked up on it, notably Frankie Valli, and then in 1978 Rita Coolidge made it a elevation ten hit in the UK and the United states. So I probably heard it on the radio and on Television receiver growing up, but never gave it much thought. Yet sure parts of the song buried themselves in my subconscious–parts that appeal to the part of my brain that picks up on interesting chord changes and tunes. It's fascinating to me that even before I could play an instrument or knew anything about music (I just loved listening to it), I was fatigued to such things.

Anyway, fast forrard many years. Simply within the last year, actually, I was going through some old Great britain summit twenty charts when I came to this vocal, "We're All Lone" by Rita Coolidge. Rita's proper noun rang a bell, only the song title didn't. As before long as I played it, it was like seeing an former friend in the distance–y'all tin can't quite brand him out, but there'southward something familiar about that silhouette. And then the chorus began, and it was instant recognition: "Oh, it'southward that song!" So I institute out that while Rita'southward version was probably the most successful, information technology was by no ways the only ane. Probably the biggest surprise for me was learning that Boz Scaggs (of "Lido Shuffle" fame) wrote it. I didn't (and still don't) know much Boz Scaggs, but I would never accept expected him to have written this. I must say, I similar it when songwriters surprise me like that.

So I'g featuring "We're All Alone" this week because information technology's a nice song, and also for anyone who has had this vocal in their head for years and never known what it is, who sang information technology, or who wrote it. You can sleep piece of cake tonight.

At that place are some interesting differences between the Boz Scaggs and Rita Coolidge versions. It looks as if Boz wrote it for someone in particular ("Amie"–unless he means the French for a female friend, amie, which is possible), so Rita changed that line. She as well changed another line most the end, which may have been accidental ("owe it to the wind" versus "throw it to the wind"). Also the chords are not the aforementioned, with Boz's version beingness simpler. Personally, I adopt the arrangement Rita Coolidge uses (the F#m7 to B7 as opposed to simply a B7, and the Dm7 to G equally opposed to just a G, for example), though I prefer Boz's instrumentation, and pianoforte introduction and ending. I couldn't decide whose version to transcribe for you, so I'one thousand giving you both. First here's a crude idea of what the pianoforte's doing in Boz'due south introduction (with the caveat that I'thou non trained in writing notes, so please don't approximate!):

And here'south the pianoforte catastrophe:

Yous see that Gadd4 at the end? If you lot listen closely y'all can hear the C-note in the midst of the Thousand-chord. Information technology sounds weird, just it'southward there.

Here are atomic number 82 sheets for both versions (click to enlarge):

And finally, here are videos of the songs. Commencement Boz Scaggs's original:

And now the 1978 striking past Rita Coolidge:

We seem to have spent a lot of time in the 1970s these past few weeks. Any suggestions for 1980s songs you'd like me to feature?

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Source: https://www.colindsmith.com/blog/2015/02/09/music-monday-were-all-alone/