Music Review
"Just For The Pop Of It!"

Just what is "pop" music? How do we define it to the members of our chorus? It covers many areas such as Broadway, movies, old singers (Perry Como) and new singers (Prince/Garth Brooks, etc.). Pop can include spiritual or gospel tunes as well as some folk songs. (Do we include "rap" as well?) It's appeal is usually rhythmic but can also be from the text, i.e. the ballad or the country-western. The melodic line, not so much the parts, also attract the listener. Plus, all the singers want to sing the meldoy. I'm sure that each singer, and director, have a different idea of what is really "pop" music and just what type we should present to our audience.

Included on this review list of songs is just a bit of as much of every style that I could find that is recently published, or re-released, for male voices. (Remember that the primary source of "pop" music for male voices comes from barbershop harmony. However, I didn't include any of this style.) When you look at these titles, check the publication dates--this can be a real eye-opener.

DWCrouch, 7 June 2000

Bound For Jubilee - Joyce Eilers

TTBB a cappella Studio/PR SV7904 (1979) $1.30

Positive:
--spiritual with good, easy rhythms that make it move quickly
--if you have not tried a cappella, this is the best start for it
--text makes it usable in many performance situations
--easy individual section parts make it easy to learn
--great tune to learn dynamics

Negative:
--when they give you the small alternate notes, use them
--baritone part is kind of a bore
--descending chord building at the end of each section could cause pitch problems

Comment: A really great piece. Easy, yet very effective on any program.

Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson & Mort Dixon arr. Greg Gilpin

TTBB Warner Brothers, Inc. CH9916 (1926) $1.40

Positive:
--great arrangement of an old tune for men's voices
--very nice accompaniment
--good part writing
--solo parts for bass or tenor one

Negatives:
--needs more of a blues rhythm
--"oo" chording hard to put together
--some divisi parts
--some dissonance; not hard but could be a problem

Comment: I really like this arrangement and I hope to do this with my chorus this year.

Can You Feel The Love Tonight - Elton John & Tim Rice, arr. Mac Huff

TTBB a cappella Hal Leonard 08281227 (1994/2000) $1.50

Positive:
--one of the best melodies from "The Lion King"
--great arrangement, which includes some solo parts
--good vocal parts supporting the solo line
--great audience appeal
--one of the best of the new movie songs

Some not so positive:
--a cappella: this arrangement will be difficult because of this
--some of the chording, without piano support, will be very difficult to learn-- and keep on pitch

Comment: It is worth the effort if your chorus can sing major a cappella songs.

Cotton Fields - Huddie Ledbetter arr. Donald Moore

TTB Belwin/CPP Studio/PR SV9129 (1962) $1.25

Positive:
--very familiar, fun piece
--possible solo part
--great rhythms
--good accompaniment: interesting for the accompanist
--I put some baritones on the Tenor two part which made the balance a little more even
--just plain fun

Negatives:
--a couple of the rhythmic patters are tricky
--TTB
--bass part is really a baritone part (again, for a younger group)

Georgia On My Mind - Stuart Gorrell & Hoagy Carmichael arr. Ed Lojeski

TTBB a cappella Hal Leonard 08742130 ((1930/2000) $1.50

Positive:
--an old, old song whose appeal will never die
--the arrangement includes a bit of jazz and barbershop
--nice tenor solo
--good parts supporting the soloist

Not so positive:
--a cappella
--some of the contemporary chording will mean some extra work
--descending scales could cause pitch problems
--a lot of "oo's" and "oh's"

Comment: This is such a good tune, with strong appeal, that you need to give it a close look.

Grumble Too Much - Caribbean Folk Song arr. Rosephanye Powell

TTBB Hal Leonard 08742346 (2000) $1.50

Great positives:
--a fun, goofy, humorous nonsense song
--has Latin percussion rhythms included
--text is great
--easy to learn
--when you need a really light, corny song, this is it!

Any negatives?
--wives/mistresses/girlfriends might not like it

Heart Of My Heart - Ben Ryan arr. Teena Chinn

TTBB Studio/PR SV9813 (1926)

Positive:
--great old melody
--optional guitar, bass and drums
--straight forward 4 part arrangement: much like barbershop
--strong appeal for both audience and singer
--interesting parts: but you need to watch accidentals
--nice key change

Negative:
--accompaniment limited, but supportive
--some dissonance, but once you learn it, it's repetiitive, and not too hard
--rhythm a little straight: would like a little more jazz style

Comment: Looks easier than it is. Well worth the time.

I Get Around - Brian Wilson arr. Jeff Funk

TB Warner Brothers 20131C4X (1964/1994) $1.25

Positive:
--a fun piece
--possible solo parts
--accompaniment very good in spots -- but does become thin at times

Negative:
--2 part
--high bass part
--kind of thin scoring: could use an added part
--may be more for a younger group

I Only Have Eyes For You - Al Dubin & Harry Warren arr. Mac Huff

TTB Warner Brothers 08721237 (1934/1990) $1.25

Positive:
--great tune which makes an easy, lazy ballad
--a great melody line which is passed around
--good arrangement of vocal parts

Some negatives:
--the accompaniment part could get bogged down with triplets
--several places where triplets of two are against triplets of three
--accompaniment does not help the voice parts
--TTB (I would like to have 4 part in spots)
--some real tricky rhythmic patterns with nonsense syllable

Comment: This is such a great piece, but be prepared for the difficulty it will present in learning.

Kokomo - Mike Love, Terry Melcher, John Phillips & Scott McKenzie, arr. Mark Brymer

TTBB Hal Leonard 08638265 (1988) $.95

Positive:
--a fun piece
--great appeal for both singer and audience
--the unison rhythmic sections of the melody are really fun to sing--they swing
--does have an instrumental pack to go with it

Very negative:
--both tenor 1 & 2 and baritone parts are extremely high--and stay there--for an extended period of time
--there are small sections of the melody which are very different from what we are used to--could be a problem

(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Kal Mann & Bernie Lowe arr. Roger Emerson

TBB Hal Leonard 40326239 ((1957/1993) $1.40

Positive:
--all Elvis fans will sing along
--great reminder of the good music from the '50's
--nice accompaniment: easy variations, but it keeps it moving

Negatives:
--listed TBB, but does go 4 part at the end (and a couple of measures in the middle)
--some melody lines a little strange: not like we remember
--four part all the way through would have been a little nicer

Lil' Red Riding Hood - Ronald Blackwell, arr. Alan Billingsley

TTB Hal Leonard 08201218 (1966/2000) $1.50

Positive:
--familiar melody from the 60's (nostalgia)
--easy parts to learn: if you need something fast
--optional solo part
--originally recorded by "Sam and the Pharaohs" (Whoever they were.)

Negative:
--spoken parts
--TTB (again this was probably ment for a younger group)
--bass part really a baritone part
--accompaniment triplets (a little too much)

Comment: This one is a little strange. I wasn't sure if I should include it, but I thought that it is nostalgia from the '60's so it is worth a look.

My Prayer - George Boulanger, adaptation by Jimm Kennedy arr. by Ed Lojeski

TTBB Hal Leonard 08201152 (1939/2000) $1.50

Positive:
--very familiar melody recorded by THE PLATTERS
--an easy arrangement which stays close to the original
--great text
--can be used in many different settings

Some negatives:
--a lot of triplets: three against two in voice versus piano
--the accompaniment can be a little problem when the tempo picks up with the number of triplets (it's constant)
--nice melody for the baritone, but a very high part

Comment: This is really a great piece but your chorus had better be able to handle the two types of triplets.

Poison Ivy - Jerrry Leiber & Mike Stoller arr. Kirby Shaw

TBB Hal Leonard 08200823 (1959/1997) $1.40

Positives:
--great reminder of the music from the late '50's and early '60's
--three part a plus on this
--baritone part has lots of melody-- unusual for their part
--nice rhythmic accompaniment

Negatives:
--accompaniment doesn't help parts very much
--high baritone part
--some crossing parts a slight problem

Comment: Check the parts carefully. The guys will really like this, but make sure they can handle the tessitura.

Polka Dots And Moonbeams - Johnny Burke & James Van Heusen arr. David Lantz III

TB, TBB, or TTBB Shawnee Press C 0289 (1939/1997) $1.35

Positive:
--great nastolgic tune from the '30's
--nice as a ballad
--multiple voicings
--similar to "A White Sport Coat"

Not so nice:
--"...pug - nosed dream" ??? in the text

Shake, Rattle And Roll - Charles Calhoun arr. Kirby Shaw

TTB Hal Leonard 08201245 (1954/2000) $1.50

Positive:
--good, familiar melody which has a lot of movement
--pretty simple, so could be learned quickly
--nice gliss and slides--will be fun for the singers
--the accompanist can have fun with this one

Negatives:
--the bass part is really a baritone part
--probably ment for a younger group
--a couple of places have tricky rhythms, but once learned will not be a problem
--you need to produce some "party sounds" (???)

Stouthearted Men - Sigmund Romberg & Oscar Hammerstein II arr. John Leavitt

TTBB Studio/PR SV9731 (1927/1997) $1.25

Positive:
--new arrangement by John Leavitt
--has some interesting choreography suggestions (if you are into this type of movement)
--features bass/baritone together, then the tenors together
--new accompaniment which is more interesting than the earlier versions (John is a fantastic pianist)
--always an audience pleaser
--the men love the "robust" feel and style of this song
--this new arrangement will give you a feeling that you are doing a new song

Negative:
--most of us already have it in our libraries
--tenor one gets a little high
--much of it is arranged in 2 part or 3 part

Comment: I would like to have this for my chorus this year. Don't know if we can really afford a second set of the same song. I'm sure many choruses have the same problem

Streets Of Laredo - American Folk Tune arr. Merrilee Webb

TBB Santa Barbara Music SBMP77 (1994) $1.35

Positive:
--a great new, refreshing arrangement (all in a minor key) of an old tune
--unison beginning, which could be a solo
--three parts seem adequate, and there is some tenor divisi
--the third section is in canon (round) form, and it is very well arranged
--unison "ooing" at the end give it a real haunting, closing melody line
--great accompaniment: simple, yet very rhythmic in its support of the parts

Any negatives?
--one possible problem is that it is in a minor key all the way through: you keep waiting for a major chord at the end, but it's not there (gives the song a whole new feeling)
--it seems so short (it really isn't)
--"oos" may slide around: put a very light "d" on each note, but make sure that the air flow continues: the "d" is like touching a guitar string

Comment: I would also like to use this piece this year.

Strike Up The Band - George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin, arr. John Leavitt

2 Part Studio PR/Warner Music SV9847 (1927/1998) $1.40

Positives:
--great tune
--can have solo drums
--2 part very easy to learn
--drum imitation in the voice part

Negatives:
--strange intro, but still singable
--both parts are in treble clef
--2 part

Comment: Look at closely. A good addition of a familiar tune, with a great rhythmic feel to it.

Unchained Melody - arr. by Mark Brymer

I've reviewed this before. Worth a second look.

When I Was A Lad - from "H.M.S. Pinafore" W. S. Gilbert & Sir Arthur Sullivan arr. John Leavitt

TTB Shawnee Press C 0306 (1878/2000) $1.40

Positive:
--familiar melody and great fun
--opening could be done as a soloist
--would be an audience pleaser
--this arrangement is much easier than any other that I've seen

Negative:
--opens ( and closes) with whistling
--has marching sketched in (I wouldn't--but do you own thing)
--TTB (usually means for a younger group)
--check the left hand of the accompaniment-- a lot of 4 note chords

Workin' On A Groovy Thing - Neil Sedaka & Roger Atkins arr. Mac Huff

TTBB divisi Hal Leonard 08200901 (1968/1998) $1.40

Positive:
--good melody originally recorded by THE 5th DIMENSION
--good feeling of the '60's
--optional solo parts

Some real negatives:
--a cappella
--divisi parts means that you need a fairly large group to divide sections
--rhythmically very difficult to put together
--very high tenor parts (high C above the staff)
--a lot of "do's", "doom's" and "ah's"

Comment: This is a toughie. Very well arranged if you have the group that can handle this difficulty.

from THE NYLONS

 Here are three arrangements from The Nylons which are all great songs, but with some real problems when it comes to learning them. Each of the three seem to fit into the same problem categories. The songs are:

Happy Together - Garry Bonner & Alan Gordon, arr. Ed Lojeski

TTBB Hal Leonard 08222405 (1966/1987) $.95

Kiss Him Goodbye (na na hey hey) - Gary DeCarlo, Paul Leka & Dale Frashuer arr. Ed Lojeski

TTBB Hal Leonard 08244105 ((1969/1987) $1.25

Silhouettes - Frank C. Slay, Jr. & Bob Crewe arr. Ed Lojeski

TTBB A cappella Hal Leonard 08258305 (1957/1988) $.95

Positives:
--all three are great tunes and very recognizable
--two are accompanied which is not true of the originals
--melody lines are passed around to all sections
--all fun rhythmically
--great audience appeal

Negatives:
--a lot of "oo's"
--rhythms are difficult to put together (not so much in each line alone)
--high tenor one (remember that they sing "counter-tenor" which is really an alto line)
--high baritone parts
--awkward to put all four parts together
--a lot of triplets
--accompanist parts not easy

Comment: These tunes are great "listening" songs, but are difficult to learn. You need to check parts carefully.

Check the following spiritual/gospel titles from the On Your Way To Church..... list. They make great selections for a pop type setting.

Dry Bones - arr. Mark Hayes

I Hear A Voice A-Prayin' - Houston Bright

Wade In The Water - arr. Mark Hayes

Walk Them Bones - arr. Saundra Musser

DWCrouch, June 2001

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Since 8 Jun 2001