By DJ Bear
Get On Down To 3/4 On The Floor
A rock fan pal of mine once remarked upon subjecting him to CD of Johann Strauss Jr. waltzes, “How can you tolerate this? All his songs sound the same.”
“True,” I replied, “like AC/DC he did stay in one lane for the majority of his career.
I mention this because I went in with one idea about this whole waltz theme but as the nominations started coming in I realized there was a lot more going on than just a once scandalous and eternally elegant dance in 3/4(sometimes 6/8).
Also I did not expect the topic to raise questions in my own head like, “Can you really waltz to Funkadelic’s, ‘Maggot Brain’?” or “With the waltz’s prevalence in music to this day, why do so few people of my generation and younger not know how to waltz or know even know what a waltz is?”
The circular carousel movement around the floor, whether in box-step or line of dance is one of life’s great dancing pleasures. When you get on the good foot, the REALLY good foot, you can enter a kind of dance zen where you are floating like Rogers and Astaire even if your footwork says otherwise.
Arguably, the most famous “pop” waltz of all time (at least in the US) is the Tennessee Waltz, a country waltz standard. And though nobody ever refereed to them as R’n'B waltzes, R‘n’B in the 50s and 60s took to the 3/4 as well.This is evident by the many northern soul nominations this week but Never Loved A Man wears its waltz on it’s sleeve not under rapid fire piano notes. As the 20th century “waltzed” on, it became more than just a slow-quick-quick, slow-quick-quick social dance. With the right tone it could be social commentary. For as the waltz rhythm clearly states in the Dylan classic, “Times may be changing but everything stays the same”, the 3/4 guitar soldiers on.
Then you have a sugary pop synth tune like Maid Of New Orleans, which McCluskey calls his, “Mull Of Kintyre”. You don’t really think, “Hey, it’s a bloomin’ waltz”, but the militant rhythm is there as a perfect accompaniment to a song about Joan Of Arc. And Juana Molina takes milonga-style percussiveness and bathes it in indie-pop, freeing it from the cages of ballroom traditions.
Jazz in the 50s and 60s certainly employed waltzes (sometimes to a fault), pushing it to the outer limits or stripping it down to its rhythmic essence, as with the incomparable Max Roach on The Drum Also Waltzes. 40 Years Young by Mall Muzak Orchestra distorts the waltz to vintage blasé 70s perfection; a soundtrack to your mind-numbing parade through the concrete junkshop jungle seeking discounts while slurping soda.
While the waltz is not as mainstream in form or dance anymore it’s always there like some callback musical bridge linking us to the spinning hustle of the cosmos. Three is, after all, a holy number in just about every culture on Earth. I was told by a Chinese tour guide once the Chinese like the waltz because it is very precise and orderly (everything in its place) and you can see that in stiff ballroom competitions but I’ve also seen it wild and free at gay clubs wearing neon tank tops. One could argue no single dance in human history has travelled as far and wide as the waltz and adopted as many stylistic variations brought in by local communities. From spritely to anxious, from Spain to Africa to Australia, from the wood floored barns of Kentucky to the decadent palaces of Vienna the waltz is a dance for every kind of man and a rhythm for every kind of story.
Some people say they can’t get their heads around it, but as was noted in the comments, “The rhythm is not in the head it’s in the feet”, and I add the pulse of the heart and swirl of the molecules that make us all.
Peace, Love, Happiness, Music, Waltzing,
Bear
PS: I tried to compose an A-list that covers some basics but mostly showcases many of the realms the waltz has twirled its way into. And to lighten things up and reward those who stayed for the afterparty, the B-list is pure top-of-the-pops sugar presented (mostly) in chronological order. If you couldn’t recognise the waltz before... you will likely be a 3/4/, 6/8 meter master going forward.
Radio Mix:
As always I mix all the songs together with love, should you want it all in one go here:
Anything Goes Art-House A-List Playlist:
1. Beethoven – Moonlight Sonata (played by Lee Ashley)
2. Patsy Cline – Tennessee Waltz
3. Bob Dylan – The Times They Are A Changin’
4. Amadou & Mariam – Bozos
5. Estrella Morente – Alcazaba
6. Mall Muzak Orchestra – 40 Years Young
7. Max Roach – The Drum Also Waltzes
8. Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
9. Queen – Millionaire Waltz
10. OMD – Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)
11. Juana Molina – Lo Decidi Yo
12. Aretha Franklin – I Never Loved A Man
13. Eric Bogle – And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda
14. Maddy Prior and the Girls – I Need You To Turn To
Bubblegum Bop 40 B-List Playlist:
1. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins – I Put A Spell On You
2. Françoise Hardy – Tous Les Garçons Et Les Filles
3. Grethe & Jørgen Ingman – Dansevise
4. Jackie Deshannon – What The World Needs Now Is Love
5. Tom Jones – What’s New Pussycat?
6. The Rascals – How Can I Be Sure?
7. Etta James – I’d Rather Go Blind
8. Joe Cocker – With A Little Help From My Friends
9. Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes – If You Don’t Know Me By Now
10. The Eagles – Take It To The Limit
11. Billy Joel – She’s Always a Woman To Me
12. Waylon & Willie – Mamas Don’t Let Your Baby’s Grow Up To Be Cowboys
13. Paul McCartney and Wings – Mull Of Kintyre
14. Cocteau Twins – Pearly Dewdrops
15. George Michael – Cowboys And Angels
16. Metallica – Nothing Else Matters
17. Seal – Kiss From A Rose
18. Deanna Carter – Strawberry Wine
19. Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
20. D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel)
21. Alicia Keys – Fallin’
22. Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
23. Audrey Hepburn – Moon River
Guru’s Wildcard Picks:
I was shocked to discover my most favourite of all waltzes was not only not nominated but NOT zedded – Rainbow Connection!!! But for this particular set I chose to go with some other lesser known gems starting with Dale Watson because, well, he’s Dale Watson, and his Slow Quick Quick where he tells you how to count the waltz and dance. With country covered we have the pop sphere of ABBA with the decadent I Have A Dream. And we end tipping my hat to my Irish roots with a particularly fine sing-a-long chorus from Irish-American band The Prodigals playing The Morning After where waltz-time represents the dizzying headache we all feel after a grand night of jovial hi-jinks.
Dale Watson – Slow Quick Quick
ABBA – I Have A Dream
The Prodigals – The Morning After
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Waltz this way: songs and music in three-four time signatures. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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