“Last Dance” Musical “Road Map” IIG OMNSLYRICS Chorus Verserepeatsinnewfasterdancetempo
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ga408c08.qxd 1/8/2007 8:48 AM Page 315 “Last Dance” Artist: Donna Summer In the slick, sophisticated sound-world of disco, the producer took on a role of primary importance. In “Last Dance,” we hear the winning combination of “Eurodisco” producers Giorgio Moroder and Music / Lyrics by Paul Jabara Pete Bellotte and the gospel-tinged vocals of Donna Summer. Summer, born in Boston, was al- ready enjoying considerable career success in Europe when her sensuous 1976 disco hit “Love to Label: Casablanca (1978), from the LP Love You Baby” became a huge hit in the United States. “Last Dance” was part of the soundtrack On the Radio and the soundtrack to the to the film Thank God It’s Friday (in which Summer also played the role of aspiring singer Nicole film Thank God It’s Friday Sims). The song won both a Grammy and the 1978 Academy Award for Best Original Song. Musical Style Notes The “slow-dance” beginning of “Last Dance,” with its shimmery, bell-like synth-percussion effects and tremolo strings, gives way after the first verse to the classic sound of disco: synthesized bass and drums, multiple keyboards, string-heavy orchestral textures, and a driving rhythm track with a steady, pounding emphasis on each beat. Summer’s strong, vibrant voice carries over this thick texture beautifully, demonstrating disco’s gospel and soul roots with her vocal improvisations and vocal melismas (multiple notes sung over one syllable). In the second repetition of the fast-tempo chorus to “Last Dance,” we can also hear an example of a musical technique called modula- tion, which is another term for “changing key.” The “key” of a piece refers to a specific set of notes (scale) and chords used to create the melody and harmony of a musical piece. This set of notes, or scale, has a particular “keynote.” If you were to sing the well-known do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do scale, the “do” would be the keynote. In the second chorus to “Last Dance,” the scale, keynote, and harmonies are all shifted up in pitch a half- tone. This technique is common in pop music, where it is used to create a sudden change to a “brighter” sound, which in turn gives the aural illusion of a spike in the energy and brilliance of a piece. Musical “Road Map” TIMINGS COMMENTS LYRICS 24 Guide Listening 0:00–0:15 Introduction; instrumental with melismatic vocal (Melisma: many notes sung over one syllable—in this case “hooo.”) Sonic “colors” added with bells and other synthesized percussion 0:15–1:15 Verse 1—slow ballad version of verse Last dance . last chance for love . 1:15–1:19 Pause on sustained chord 1:19–1:35 Chorus So let’s dance New faster dance tempo begins. The last dance . 1:35–2:05 Verse repeats in new faster dance tempo. Last dance-last dance for love. 2:05–2:12 Chorus So let’s dance The last dance . 2:12–2:24 Chorus “modulates” to a new, higher key. (See Style Notes above.) So let’s dance Chorus ends with long-held vocal note. The last dance . tonight 2:24–3:15 This section features the instrumental musical content of the first half of the verse, with vocalisation on syllable “hoo” sung over instrumental section, with vocal melisma added. Second half of verse with lyrics repeats in the new key. I need you by me Beside me, to guide me. 2:55–3:15 This section features the instrumental musical content of the chorus, with Come on, baby . vocal improvisations: “Come on, baby. Dance that dance,” etc. Dance that dance . let’s dance tonight . yeah-hah—eeah . 3:15 Final chord.