Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

In the case of For Once in My Life, Stevie didn't play piano (at least not onstage, and there are several video clips floating around on YouTube). He sang the tune in F, then, when the solo came, the key was notched up a semitone to F#. It sounds to me like this was done purely for reasons of musical arrangement - to keep listeners interested by changing keys, and not for reasons to do with the harmonica, the piano, or blindness. This raise-the-key-a-semitone-after-a-few-verses was a standard arranging ploy of Stevie's; some tunes end with several of them in quick succession during a fade.

In the case of I Feel for You, the key wasn't his call; it was probably Chaka Khan's as she was the singer. He chose to deal with it by slowing down the tape (he could probably have come up with something great in F# but perhaps just didn't feel like it).

Winslow



--- On Fri, 5/9/08, G. E. Popenoe <gpopenoe@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: G. E. Popenoe <gpopenoe@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You
> To: "Rob Paparozzi" <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc: "Joe and Cass Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx>, "<winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>" <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>, "harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: Friday, May 9, 2008, 4:52 PM
> One thing that may shed some light on this. I am given to
> understand  
> that blind piano players tend to favor the black keys.
> Maybe there us  
> a connection.
> 
> Gary Popenoe
> 
> On May 9, 2008, at 12:30 PM, "Rob Paparozzi"
> <Chromboy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>  
> wrote:
> 
> > Smo-Joe,
> >
> > This is an interesting Thread...Us Chrom players often
> wonder such  
> > questions ???
> >
> > But  what about his Classic Solo's in E
> "Isn't she Lovely" and  F#  
> > "For Once in my Life"...to my ears these
> sound like the original  
> > keys??
> >
> > My Fav solo is his Creepin' in Ebm starting on
> that funky bent down  
> > "A" note..
> > we'll have to hear from the transcription
> mavens!!! Winslow and  
> > Hunter,-)
> >
> > Another one I've often wondered about was
> Toots' solo on Ralph  
> > MacDonalds "Smoke Rings and Wine" on his THE
> PATH LP...I always  
> > forget to ask Toots about this when I see him on
> occassion....The  
> > song is in E and what a smooth Jazzy solo which leads
> me to be he  
> > used another key 270 at the time.......
> >
> > all the best,
> >
> > Rob P
> > www.myspace.com/hudsonriverrats
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe and Cass
> Leone" <leone@xxxxxxxx 
> > >
> > To: <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Friday, May 09, 2008 2:52 PM
> > Subject: Re: [Harp-L] Chaka Khan I Feel for You
> >
> >
> >>
> >> On May 9, 2008, at 2:01 PM, Winslow Yerxa wrote:
> >>
> >>> It's definitely a chromatic harmonica
> (Stevie Wonder), with a   
> >>> little sound processing.
> >>
> >> Yes, it is definitely 'Millionized' (for
> lack of a better term)
> >>
> >>> By the way, there's an extended version of
> this record that came   
> >>> out on a 12" single with a longer harp
> solo.
> >>>
> >>> While the tune comes out in F#, Stevie
> didn't play it in F#.
> >>
> >> This is correct. While everyone seems to feel that
> Stevie is this   
> >> super human player who can play in any odd key and
> STILL sound   
> >> marvelous, the truth is that he picks normal keys
> just like  
> >> everyone  else and the recordings or HIS tracks
> are either sped up  
> >> or slowed  down to give the impression that he is
> in F#, Gb, B,  E,  
> >> and other  not so easy keys. I always suspected
> that is was to  
> >> disssuade other  players from trying to copy him.
> AND I don't think  
> >> it's coming from  HIM. I have to admit though
> that it is less  
> >> common these days. I have  had recordings which
> were BETWEEN  the  
> >> keys. I thought it was my  player, but after
> checking several other  
> >> players, I wound up with the  same deal.
> >>
> >>> The tape was either sped up or slowed down and
> he played it in   
> >>> either F or G (I'm not where I can check
> which it was).
> >>
> >> Because of the 'Chipmunks' timbre to the
> edges of the notes (which  
> >> he  is VERY good at to begin with), I believe the
> track is a sped  
> >> up F. Something about the combinations of notes
> and the way they  
> >> are  'chipped', leads me to believe he is
> in a DRAW key. G isn't as  
> >> fluid  as F.
> >>
> >> p.s. just my opinion       smokey-joe
> >>>
> >>
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> >
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