Friday Art and Music

Camille Pissarro, Quay in Rouen Sunset, 1896

Eduoard Cortes, Flower Market at La Madeleine, year unknown

Explore more artworks at wikiart.org 

Sometimes a song you’ve heard hundreds of times grabs you and compels you to listen closer and deeper than ever before. Recently “Get Closer” by Seals and Crofts did that to me. 

The verse repeats the same basic line 4 times varying only the last few words each time, connected by nice piano fills. Where this song really shines is the pre-chorus and chorus, starting at 1:00, and especially the guest vocals by Carolyn Willis, who completely transforms the song.

Here is that section, about 45 seconds long.

They repeat everything again, but when a song is great, that’s exactly what you want. 

Simple music, great arrangement, even better execution. That’s a winning formula.

Take it from the top.

Carolyn Willis was in the vocal group Honey Cone which had a big hit in 1971 with Want Ads.

Always liked that song too. Here’s their wikipedia entry.