Thursday, May 31, 2018

Ivor Novello Awards: Song Winners Ranked

Originally posted 5/31/2018.

image from nme.com

The 63rd Ivor Novello Awards (also known as the Ivors) were presented on May 31, 2018. As stated on their website, they “celebrate, honour and reward excellence in songwriting and composing. Created by BASCA in 1956, they are named in honour of Ivor Novello, Britain’s most successful and distinguished theatrical composer at the time, and represent the pinnacle of musical achievement and peer recognition in the music industry.”

The awards are given to performers, albums, and songs in a variety of categories. Below is a list of the top 100 songs (according to Dave’s Music Database) which have received Ivor Norvello awards from 1956 to 2018.

1. The Beatles “Hey Jude” (1968)
2. Queen “Bohemian Rhapsody” (1975)
3. Elton John “Candle in the Wind 1997 (Goodbye England’s Rose)” (1997)
4. The Beatles “Yesterday” (1965)
5. Derek & the Dominos “Layla” (1970)
6. Procol Harum “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967)
7. Adele “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
8. Ed Sheeran “Shape of You” (2017)
9. The Beatles “She Loves You” (1963)
10. George Harrison “My Sweet Lord” (1970)

11. George Michael “Careless Whisper” (1984)
12. Spice Girls “Wannabe” (1996)
13. Cher “Believe” (1998)
14. Roberta Flack “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” (1970)
15. Coldplay “Viva La Vida” (200v8)
16. The Beatles with Billy Preston “Get Back” (1969)
17. Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” (2001)
18. David Bowie “Space Oddity” (1969)
19. Harry Nisson “Without You” (1971)
20. The Beatles “Something” (1969)

21. The Beatles “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964)
22. James Blunt “You’re Beautiful” (2004)
23. Franz Ferdinand “Take Me Out” (2004)
24. Eric Clapton “Tears in Heaven” (1992)
25. Amy Winehouse “Rehab” (2006)
26. George Michael “Faith” (1987)
27. Rick Astley “Never Gonna Give You Up” (1987)
28. Passenger “Let Her Go” (2012)
29. Britney Spears “Toxic” (2003)
30. Pet Shop Boys “West End Girls” (1985)

31. Avril Lavigne “Complicated” (2002)
32. David Bowie “Let’s Dance” (1983)
33. Robbie Williams “Angels” (1997)
34. Hozier “Take Me to Church” (2013)
35. Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” (1981)
36. The Beatles “We Can Work It Out” (1965)
37. Phil Collins “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” (1984)
38. The Tornadoes “Telstar” (1962)
39. Radiohead “Paranoid Android” (1997)
40. U2 “Vertigo” (2004)

41. Bryan Adams “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?” (1995)
42. Clean Bandit with Jess Glynne “Rather Be” (2014)
43. Brotherhood of Man “Save Your Kisses for Me” (1976)
44. Take That “Back for Good” (1995)
45. Supertramp “The Logical Song” (1979)
46. Dido “White Flag” (2003)
47. Right Said Fred “I’m Too Sexy” (1991)
48. The Beatles “Michelle” (1965)
49. The Beatles “Yellow Submarine” (1966)
50. Ed Sheeran “The A Team” (2001)

51. Duran Duran “The Reflex” (1983)
52. Duffy “Mercy” (2008)
53. Duran Duran “Ordinary World” (1992)
54. Phil Collins “Two Heart” (1988)
55. Philip Bailey with Phil Collins “Easy Lover” (1984)
56. Kylie Minogue “I Should Be So Lucky” (1988)
57. Radiohead “Karma Police” (1997)
58. Olivia Newton-John with Electric Light Orchestra “Xanadu” (1980)
59. Madonna “Who’s That Girl?” (1987)
60. Madonna “Beautiful Stranger” (1999)

61. U2 “Walk On” (2000)
62. Celine Dion “Think Twice” (1993)
63. Emeli Sandé “Next to Me” (2012)
64. Engelbert Humperdinck “The Last Waltz” (1967)
65. Edison Lighthouse “Love Grows Where My Rosemary Goes” (1970)
66. George Michael “Fastlove” (1996)
67. Tom Jones “Delilah” (1968)
68. Lana Del Rey “Video Games’ (2011)
69. Beyoncé with Shakira “Beautiful Liar” (2007)
70. KT Tunstall “Suddenly I See” (2004)

71. The Beatles “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da” (1968)
72. Adam & the Ants “Stand and Deliver” (1981)
73. Scissor Sisters “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” (2006)
74. Annie Lennox “Why” (1992)
75. All Saints “Pure Shores” (2000)
76. Lily Allen “The Fear” (2009)
77. Madonna “Sorry” (2005)
78. Craig David “7 Days” (2000)
79. Tinie Tempah “Pass Out” (2009)
80. Michael Andrews with Gary Jules “Mad World” (2002)

81. Peter Sarstedt “Where Do You Go to My Lovely?” (1969)
82. James Bay “Hold Back the River” (2014)
83. Bat for Lashes “Daniel” (2009)
84. Will Young “Anything Is Possible” (2002)
85. The Sundays “Here’s Where the Story Ends” (1990)
86. The Waterboys “The Whole of the Moon” (1985)
87. Gary Glitter “I Love You Love Me Love” (1973)
88. Ralph McTell “Streets of London” (1969)
89. The Beatles “She’s Leaving Home” (1967)
90. Travis “Why Does It Always Rain on Me?” (1999)

91. Queen “These Are the Days of Our Lives” (1991)
92. Cliff Richard “The Millennium Prayer” (1999)
93. Eurythmics “It’s Alright (Baby’s Coming Back)” (1985)
94. Matt Monro “My Kind of Girl” (1961)
95. Take That “Pray” (1993)
96. Sandie Shaw “Puppet on a String” (1967)
97. Shayne Ward “That’s My Goal” (2005)
98. Robbie Williams “Strong” (1998)
99. Hear’Say “Pure and Simple” (2001)
100. Olive “You’re Not Alone” (1996)

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Tuesday, May 29, 2018

May 29, 1913: Stravinsky's Rite of Spring premiered

Last updated August 31, 2018.

Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring)

Igor Stravinsky (composer)

Composed: 1911-13

First Performance: May 29, 1913

Sales: --

Peak: --

Quotable: --

Genre: classical > ballet

Parts/Movements:

    Part I – Adoration of the Earth

  1. No. 1a, "Introduction"
  2. No. 1b, "The Augurs of Spring" – "Dance of the Adolescents"
  3. No. 1c, "Ritual Abduction"
  4. No. 1d, "Spring Round Dances"
  5. No. 1e, "Games of the Rival Tribes"
  6. No. 1f, "Procession of the Wise Elder"
  7. No. 1g, "Adoration of the Earth" – "The Wise Elder"
  8. No. 1h, "Dance of the Earth"

    Part II – The Sacrifice

  9. No. 2a, "Introduction"
  10. No. 2b, "Mystic Circles of the Young Girls"
  11. No. 2c, "Glorification of the Chosen Victim"
  12. No. 2d, "Evocation of the Ancestors"
  13. No. 2e, "Ritual of the Ancestors"
  14. No. 2f, "Sacrificial Dance"

Average Duration: 33:50

Review:

Initially, The Rite of Spring was not well received by critics. “In understanding early reactions…, it is worth considering that while Stravinsky was at a relatively early stage in his career, a cadre of older, well-known, more traditionally aligned composers – Strauss, Saint-Saëns, Sibelius, Elgar, and yes, Rachmaninov – remained active and retained a good deal of currency with audiences. At the same time, the scenario adopted by the Rite collaborators – Stravinsky, folklorist and artist Roerich, choreographer Nijinsky, impresario Diaghilev – was far from the usual genteel, sentimental, and romantic themes that had theretofore dominated ballet. This collection of ‘Scenes from Pagan Russia’ (the work’s subtitle) concerns itself with an exploration of nature, both human and that of the earth itself, through the rituals of renewal – ultimately, human sacrifice – of an earlier, ‘primitive’ society.” MR

“The titles of the ballet’s two main sections, A Kiss of the Earth and The Exalted Sacrifice, as well as those of their internal divisions, make clear both the ritualistic, sacred, and inviolable progression of events reenacted via music and choreography, and the elements of that progression. Stravinsky skillfully sustains and continually heightens a sense of brutal inevitability over the span of the whole work while encapsulating more specific elements in individual scenes. The Introduction raises the curtain on the earth itself, the distinctive bassoon solo plaintively establishing a hushed, reverent mood. More complex colors – which Stravinsky achieves through extreme instrumental ranges (as in the above instance), special playing techniques, and endlessly changing combinations drawn from his greatly expanded orchestra – gradually emerge and expand, only to be cut off subito by a remnant of the original bassoon theme. The Augurs of Spring begins with one of the most famous chords in music history, a crunching bitonal sonority hammered relentlessly in a constant 2/4 meter metrically undermined by unpredictably shifting accents.” MR

“Comparable instances of such rhythmic and harmonic harshness abound throughout the work, these elements assuming, along with instrumental color, both individual and collective roles in a manner analogous to those of the characters. Like the musical elements Stravinsky uses in their portrayal, the girls, youths, and elders function together within the identity of their society, at the same time assuming and asserting individual roles in relation to one another. The action forges ahead in an increasingly frenzied trajectory, finding culmination – in a sort of primal equivalent of cold logic – in the charged, uncompromising sacrifical dance which ends both the ballet and the cycle of its ritual.” MR

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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

May 22, 1874: Verdi's Requiem Mass performed for first time

Last updated August 30, 2018.

Requiem Mass, for soloists, chorus & orchestra (Manzoni Requiem)

Giuseppe Verdi (composer)

Composed: 1874

First Performed: May 22, 1874

Sales: --

Peak: --

Quotable: --

Genre: classical > choral

Parts/Movements:

  1. Requiem
  2. Dies Irae
  3. Tuba mirum
  4. Liber scriptus
  5. Quid sum miser
  6. Rex tremendae
  7. Recordare
  8. Ingemisco
  9. Confutatis
  10. Lacrymosa
  11. Offertorio
  12. Sanctus
  13. Agnus Dei
  14. Lux aeterna
  15. Libera me

Average Duration: 83:10

Review:

“That Verdi's Messa da Requiem should be infused with the dramatic power of the his operas is no surprise. The text of the requiem is the most dramatic Verdi ever set, allowing him to explore his new ability to compose large sections of music on a ‘symphonic’ scale with powerful passages for chorus and orchestra” (Palmer).

“As much as Verdi lamented the death of Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), he was more moved by the death of novelist Alessandro Manzoni in 1873. When Rossini died, Verdi felt that only Manzoni remained of Italy's great tradition. After Manzoni died, Verdi wrote to Contessa Maffei, ‘Now all is over! And with him ends...the greatest of our glories.’ When Verdi and Manzoni met in 1848, Verdi described the experience as one of being in the presence ‘of a saint.’ It was for Manzoni that Verdi composed his requiem.” JP

“From the very beginning, Verdi's Requiem was intended for the concert hall, not the church. This gave the composer some freedom when setting the text, although he remained much more faithful to the standard liturgy than did Berlioz in his setting. Verdi's Requiem was first performed on May 22, 1874, in Milan, on the first anniversary of Manzoni's death.” JP

“Verdi conveys the solemnity of the Requiem Mass through the opening cello line, a muted, descending phrase. The orchestra has the thematic material in the first part of the Introit, Requiem aeternam, as the chorus sings the text in snatches. To balance this, the central part of the movement, Te decet hymnus, is for unaccompanied chorus. After the return of the Requiem aeternam the Kyrie begins, introducing the soloists.” JP

“The Dies irae, opening the Sequence, is the most famous part of Verdi's Requiem. Brass and bass drum make their first appearance in this tumultuous outburst depicting the ‘day of wrath.’ Distant trumpets sound and are joined by the rest of the brass before the Tuba mirum. Quietly, the solo bass begins the Mors stupebit (Death is struck), accompanied by pizzicato basses and bass drum. After the solo mezzo-soprano delivers the ‘liber scriptus proferetur,’ the chorus bursts in with a reprise of the ‘Dies irae,’ an event dictated by musical considerations that has nothing to do with the requiem mass text. For the Lacrimosa, Verdi extended and rewrote a duet for Don Carlos and King Philip he had cut from Don Carlos before its premiere. Like Cherubini, Verdi unites the Sanctus and Benedictus.” JP

“Verdi composed the concluding Libera me, for soprano, chorus, and orchestra in 1868-1869 as his part of a collaborative requiem for Rossini, the remaining sections of which were to be set by other Italian composers. The project came to nothing, but Verdi kept his ‘Libera me’ and eagerly seized the opportunity to use it as part of a complete requiem. After the solo soprano begins the movement, the chorus again intercedes with the ‘Dies irae,’ which is followed by a beautiful reprise of the ‘Requiem aeternam’ and a closing, fugal setting of the ‘Libera me.’” JP

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Saturday, May 12, 2018

Happy 90th Birthday, Burt Bacharach! His Top 50 Songs

Burt Bacharach

Top 50 Songs

Burt Bacharach is a pianist, composer, and producer born May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, MO. Frequently partnered with lyricist Hal David. Through 2006, Bacharach had written 70 Top 40 hits in the U.S. and 52 Top 40 hits in the U.K. For a complete list of this act’s DMDB honors, check out the DMDB Music Maker Encyclopedia entry.

Click here to see other acts’ best-of lists.

Awards:

Top 50 Songs

Dave’s Music Database lists are determined by song’s appearances on best-of lists, appearances on compilations and live albums by the featured act, and songs’ chart success, sales, radio airplay, streaming, and awards. Songs which hit #1 on various charts are noted. (Click for codes to singles charts.)

DMDB Top 1%:

1. That's What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick with Elton John, Gladys Knight, & Stevie Wonder, 1985) #1 US, AC, RB, CN, AU
2. Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head (B.J. Thomas, 1969) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN
3. They Long to Be Close to You (Carpenters, 1970) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU

DMDB Top 5%:

4. Walk on By (Dionne Warwick, 1964)
5. Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (Christopher Cross, 1981) #1 US, CB, HR, RR, AC
6. On My Own (Patti LaBelle with Michael McDonald, 1986) #1 US, CB, RR, RB, CN
7. I Say a Little Prayer (Aretha Franklin, 1968)
8. This Guy’s in Love with You (Herb Alpert, 1968) #1 US, CB, HR, AC, CN, AU
9. Always Something There to Remind Me (Naked Eyes, 1983)

DMDB Top 10%:

10. What the World Needs Now Is Love (Jackie DeShannon, 1965) #1 CN
11. Magic Moments (Perry Como, 1957) #1 UK
12. Heartlight (Neil Diamond, 1982) 31 AC

DMDB Top 20%:

13. I’ll Never Fall in Love Again (Dionne Warwick, 1969) #1 AC
14. Baby It’s You (The Shirelles, 1961)
15. Any Day Now (Ronnie Milsap, 1982) #1 AC, CW
16. Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa (Gene Pitney, 1963)
17. Wives and Lovers (Jack Jones, 1963)
18. Only Love Can Break a Heart (Gene Pitney, 1962) #1 AC
19. Do You Know the Way to San Jose? (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
20. One Less Bell to Answer (The 5th Dimension, 1970) #1 AC

21. Trains and Boats and Planes (Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas, 1965)
22. The Look of Love (Dusty Springfield, 1967)
23. Don’t Make Me Over (Dionne Warwick, 1962)
24. Love Power (Dionne Warwick with Jeffrey Osborne, 1987) #1 AC
25. Anyone Who Had a Heart (Dionne Warwick, 1963)
26. Wishin’ and Hopin’ (Dusty Springfield, 1964)
27. Blue on Blue (Bobby Vinton, 1963) #1 HR
28. A House Is Not a Home (Brook Benton, 1964)
29. Casino Royale (Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, 1967) #1 AC
30. Make It Easy on You (Jerry Butler, 1962)
31. I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself (Gary Puckett, 1970

Beyond the DMDB Top 20%:

32. My Little Red Book (Love, 1966)
33. Please Stay (The Drifters, 1961)
34. Making Love (Roberta Flack, 1982)
35. Alfie (Stevie Wonder as Eivets Rednow, 1968)
36. What’s New Pussycat? (Tom Jones, 1965) #1 CN
37. To Wait for Love (Herb Alpert, 1968)
38. Tower of Strength (Gene McDaniels, 1961)
39. You’ll Never Get to Heaven if You Break My Heart (Dionne Warwick, 1964)
40. The Story of My Life (Marty Robbins, 1957) #1 CW

41. Blue Guitar (Richard Chamberlina, 1963)
42. Who Is Gonna Love Me? (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
43. True Love Never Runs Smooth (Gene Pitney, 1963)
44. Saturday Sunshine (Burt Bacharach, 1963)
45. Reach Out for Me (Dionne Warwick, 1964) #1 RB
46. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (Gene Pitney, 1962)
47. Promises, Promises (Dionne Warwick, 1968)
48. The Windows of the World (Dionne Warwick, 1967)
49. I’m a Better Man for Having Loved You (Engelbert Humperdinck, 1969)
50. The April Fools (Dionne Warwick, 1969)

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First posted 12/15/2019; last updated 6/5/2022.
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