Twelve-bar blues minus the blues
November 17, 2012 12:56 PM Subscribe
I am looking for songs, or sections of songs, that use a twelve-bar blues structure without sounding bluesy.
That is, I want songs where the harmony can be reduced to something like one of these, but there are no seventh chords, or blue notes, or walking basslines, or any of the usual trappings of blues and blues-rock songs.
The two best examples I've thought of so far: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (if you take the right 12 bars), and "Black or White" by Michael Jackson.
That is, I want songs where the harmony can be reduced to something like one of these, but there are no seventh chords, or blue notes, or walking basslines, or any of the usual trappings of blues and blues-rock songs.
The two best examples I've thought of so far: "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2 (if you take the right 12 bars), and "Black or White" by Michael Jackson.
Maybe Peg by Steely Dan meets your needs?
posted by jmcmurry at 1:33 PM on November 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by jmcmurry at 1:33 PM on November 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
"Flying" by the Beatles?
posted by dfan at 2:26 PM on November 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by dfan at 2:26 PM on November 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Maybe take a look at Blues for Alice, which is based on blues changes with so much chord substitution that they're barely recognizable anymore.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:04 PM on November 17, 2012
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:04 PM on November 17, 2012
Right, reading again I see you're looking for the traditional changes with non-jazz/blues arrangements. So:
U Got The Look. (And Kiss is a near-miss — blues changes stretched out to fill sixteen bars rather than twelve.)
Dancing in the Dark.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:30 PM on November 17, 2012
U Got The Look. (And Kiss is a near-miss — blues changes stretched out to fill sixteen bars rather than twelve.)
Dancing in the Dark.
posted by nebulawindphone at 3:30 PM on November 17, 2012
T-Rex, Hot Love.
posted by PussKillian at 8:15 PM on June 15, 2013
posted by PussKillian at 8:15 PM on June 15, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
That's Enough For Me by Fleetwood Mac, from Tusk.
My guess would be that there are at least thousands of rock and folk songs that use a 12 bar blues form and of the ones that don't follow a strict 12 bar blues a considerably large percentage use what could be clearly seen to be a modified blues form.
Could you give a little context about why you're asking? The question casts a pretty vast net, and maybe if we knew a little more about what your hypothesis is or if some specific music or a specific discussion about music was what inspired you we could offer more targeted answers.
posted by TheRedArmy at 1:17 PM on November 17, 2012