I remember as a waiter at Dave Stewart's house, Annie and Dave played an acoustic version of " i Need A Man"! No Autotune, No effects, no mic's, no lip sync... We all fell apart! What a voice. Dave took us up a little winding path to his studio and showed us around.. A day I will never forget.
Great song, cool story. When I got into radio broadcasting in the late 1980s, my first night there I walked into the production room and the lp Savage was playing. I sat down and as I thought about my exciting new career ahead of me, I Need A Man started rocking out. Never forgot that.
Had the pleasure of working with Annie on a corporate gig in Paris in 2003. I've never seen a star of her magnitude rehearse so hard and take notes and direction from her musical director so appreciatively - a true artist.
That must have been such an amazing experience’ she is such an incredible singer and has a voice that is one of a kind’ I grew up in the 80’s so eurythmics was on the radio quite a lot when I was growing up’ it was really good for me to help develop my musical appreciation to alot more of a well rounded understanding of different Harry Styles of music 😉 it helped me become the musician I am today’ as I love and appreciate so many different genres of music 💪
Before her pop career she was lead flautist in the Scottish National Youth Orchestra when she was in secondary school and studied music (flute, piano and harpsichord)at the Royal Academy of Music in London. That kind of training makes you serious about getting the music right, whatever kind of music it is, and means that you understand what the musical director is doing - probably a refreshing change and a pleasure for the md.
Yes, this pays off. The first thing I noticed was the printed music had the wrong diagram, A-minor. It said Am add 9. Well, just play the two dots on the middle strings! The open B string then would put in the 9th.
This is a congenial breakdown of a great and mesmerising song. I can't believe that it's been released already 40 years ago. Whenever I listen to it, it feels like it's been just yesterday.
@@AndrewSowerby True, we probably were spoiled in the 1980s by the variety and talent of so many wonderful artists both new and old (from the '60s and '70s). The '90s continued producing great music. Today there's still some very good music being made but you really have to look for it.
Bittersweet is a word that I'd use instead of melancholy. If you think about it, a minor 7th (at the very least) is made up of a major chord and a minor chord. When you combine the two, you get both happy and sad but strangely simultaneously neither happy or sad. That's what I love about so much 80s music, writers utilised minor 7ths and minor 9ths a lot. Emotionally, bittersweet sums up life generally, which is why I personally find those chords so powerful.
He’s not “underrated”. I’ve never heard anybody say “that Dave Stewart…he’s really not that great of a musician”. I think the words you might want to use would be “under-appreciated” or “under-recognized”. Sorry to be so nit-picky. I just hear people use that word too often in describing someone who is a great musician, but maybe not as frequently spoken about as somebody like Paul McCartney or Elvis or Lady Gaga.
@@zenlandzipline underrated doesn't mean he isn't that great of a musician. It literally means "not rated or valued highly enough". Dave Stewart is very clearly not rated or valued as high as he should be.
@@ghettostreamlabs5724 rating is a way to assign a skill level or quality or quantity of something/someone. Valued is how much something/someone means to another. You could say “Stewart’s value as a musician is underrated”. But to say “as a musician he is underrated” implies that he is a skilled musician, but not regarded by many as such. I am saying that most of his peers (other musicians) probably recognize him as a skilled musician, which means he would rate high as a musician. Non-musicians don’t use skill level as a barometer to judge artists. (Most of them don’t, anyway.) I still believe the correct way to put it would be “Dave Stewart is an undervalued musician”.
@@ghettostreamlabs5724 I also will add that I believe his contributions to the music world have been recognized (in the form of Grammy and other awards by his peers, in the form of record sales by the listening public) to a high degree, and therefore, he is neither underrated or undervalued.
Underrated??? Since when? You realise how many hits he wrote, how famous he is, how he is rated by his peers. Not underrated at all, maybe you meant hasn't had many hits recently, he's producing a lot these days so still very active and incredibly talented....... and still one of the coolest guys you'd ever meet.
This is my favotite Eurythmics song. Everything about it..words , music, arrangement and vocals are perfect. I love the mix of electronic and acoustic instruments.
I don't think Dave Stewart gets enough credit for his production. He has a brilliant ear and fills the sonic space with just the right notes and textures. His orchestration & arrangement is obviously something he knew he needed to learn well, and it shows. I often wonder where people like him learn that part of their craft. I like to think he just calls up someone like James Newton Howard for advice/tips etc!
Yesh! And if I recall correctly, at that time Duran Duran had just broken a record with 50+ tracks, while Stewart recorded this entire album on an 8track. 🧸💕🎶
Perhaps. But I am quite certain that all too many people have and continue to discount Annie Lennox's abilities because she is a woman. Her solo work is really fantastic in terms of melody, arrangement, and production and Dave Stewart had nothing to do with that work. Cheers, Alan Tomlinson
He just has the ear. After their first album, Dave focussed on using keyboards more than guitar. It always surprised me knowing he was a guitarist, but hearing the second album (Sweet Dreams) so dominated by synth. He knew the future sounds. I have heard it said that on hearing 'Blue Monday' by new order he changed the Eurythmic's sound to synth, but the time line doesn't match up, as Blue Monday was released on March 1983 and Sweet Dreams came out two months BEFORE in January.
@@ps91worshipdrumsrr yes he is ... and I recall Annie describing him decades ago as a hard working task master who demanded perfection and excellence, all with a double dose of hard effort
Love how Annie Lennox can do so much with her vocals. From breathy floating rich tones dripping with emotion, to gut bending belts with persuasive power, so dynamic.
Rick 🙌 you’re so right on with “Here Comes the Rain Again” and Annie’s voice! I saw her in concert with Sting some years ago. She blew the roof off the place and Sting was blown away by Annie’s singing that night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The intonation she has each time she says “talk to me” really is how conversations go. First chorus, it’s the speech tone of an invitation, then more plaintive Second chorus it’s more a tone of insistence, and then … command.
Her voice is so strong she could've overpowered the song but she showed a lot of restraint. Teasing us with a just a glimpse of where she could go. Leaving us wanting more.
Annie Lennox knew how to exude confidence when singing! The combination of her amazing singing and Dave’s amazing songwriting/producing skills was a once in a lifetime pairing.
Back in the day most songs had variations in the choruses, often with more intensity in the later ones and improvisation in the fade-out one. That kept the song "alive" througout and gave the listener a feeling of anticipation. Nowadays, as Rick says, Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V.
I was such a big fan of Annie Lennox solo work!! Diva is one of my favorite albums. She can hit notes that make me just cry. Seeing her perform "Why" live is just outstanding. Her cover of "No More I Love Yous" is just heartbreaking and light hearted at the same time. She is gorgeous.
Another great example of how sophisticated some of the songs of my childhood were! Thank you for explaining theoretically how the structure is responsible for this. That song still has that strange atmosphere for me. Love it
In the 1970s, Lennox won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied the flute, piano and harpsichord for three years. She lived on a student grant and worked at part-time jobs for extra money. Lennox was unhappy and doubted her own talent when compared to her student contemporaries[18] while at the Royal Academy and deliberated on what other direction she could take. Lennox's flute teacher's final report stated: "Ann has not always been sure of where to direct her efforts, though lately she has been more committed. She is very, very able, however." Two years later, Lennox reported to the academy: "I have had to work as a waitress, barmaid, and shop assistant to keep me when not in musical work." She also played and sang with a few bands, such as Windsong, during the period of her course. In 2006, the academy made her an honorary Fellow.
You talk about Lennox's flute training. Rick talks about her voice. Can we suppose that she learned the breath control she uses to sing by playing flute?
I love how you can talk about any pop song and really draw me in. You made me pick up my guitar and strike an open a minor with a pinkie ninth on the third string. What a beautiful chord!
Woa. This is trippy. I’ve been walking around singing this to myself the last couple of days and now this video pops up. Love this song. Love your channel too. Keep bringing the great content.
@@garyhauf5210 I’m not sure you understood what I was saying. I had been thinking about the song days before he made this video. And yes, I realize I am not the only person who watches his channel.
@@jasonh9335 I’m saying. Of all the people that watch his channel, there was bound to be at least one person who had been singing this song to themselves.
I love how this song perfectly describes longing and yearning both in lyrics and music. It's describing a melancholy state in the verses and a dream state in the chorus.
Was a big fan of Eurythmics as a teen in the 80's. Even have a couple of her solo albums. Their music made me want to listen intently, over and over, to hear the subtleties.
What a great surprise to see Rick Beato discuss Eurythmics! I love many things about this masterpiece song. One of them is the musical onomatopoeia: the arpeggiator and the pizzicato strings are the musical equivalent of rain drops (there are examples of this in Annie Lennox’s solo work, e.g., the tinkling piano intro on “Walking on Broken Glass” as if someone were carefully tiptoeing around broken glass to avoid getting cut. Or the muted arpeggiated guitar intro in “Loneliness” on her album Bare, that seems to me like a ticking clock in the empty space of one’s head). The string arrangement - by Michael Kamen - in the first two-thirds of the track anticipates the storm when the song crescendoes at the end. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox are spectacularly brilliant, and Annie is a singing actress, as well as a great dramatic performer, as seen in the music video. I’d even call her the best actress in music video history.
"Right by your side", foreground additive rhythm, shared descending melody , branching canons...framed by a background, range limited, swinging vocal line, with a vocal version of the intro rhythm for the bridge...All connected, carried over, evolved, and passed on...outstanding polyphony!😲
Hey Rick, I love how you say that recordings today are cut and pasted and that it is the dissonances and variations in past recordings that keep us coming back to them, whether we realise it or not. It is so true! Whilst there are good songs in today's music, it seems like a lot more corners are cut to create a commercial product. In this sense there is less feel, making the songs good but not great or even extraordinary, such as this one is.
Rick: have been a musician since 1964. Listening to you take apart this song (which is one of my faves) brought so many smiles to my face. You get it when you talk about the nuances in each chorus and the sad “copy & paste” recordings we hear today. As a 73 year old guitarist and vocalist, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your “young guys” take on the state of music today. Rock On!
Consciously varying his word choice to describe dissonant notes to elicit a response while interviewing Sting shows Rick's amazing skill as an interviewer.🎯 I've been subscribed to this channel for quite a while. Rick's knowledge and skill continue to impress me again and again.
Thank you, Rick. This is one of the best songs ever written. I was about 10 years old when this came out. In the GDR back in the days, I had no idea what she sang about. But this special atmosphere of this song caught me right from the start. I didn't know that the couple argued through a rainy night in NYC and Dave began to play random chords where Annie began to sing "Here comes the rain again...". When you listen closer to the emotions that she brings out of this song, you thing: Oh yeah, she begs him to stop fighting and take her out of the sorrow. Together with the amazing chords, this is a perfect begging for forgiving. "Here comes the rain again" for me personally is everything the defines the Eurythmics. And by the way, it's a perfect example of the musical geniuses of the New Wave era. Thank you for discussing this amazing song.
Older musician/music teacher here...Thank you, sir, for always encouraging people to listen to ALL KINDS of music, no matter what their preferred genre may be! REAL, CREATIVE musicians don't worry about loyalty to their style or genre very much when they're not practicing! IT'S ALL MUSIC and they LISTEN and take it in.
I remember listening to this song and Thomas Dolby’s The Flat Earth album and marveling at them: they were both pieces of electronic pop that transcended the usual trappings of their genre. I enjoyed them both at 13, but it was a few years later that I really listened to the bridge in “Here Comes the Rain” and was completely blown away by it as if I’d just heard it for the first time. Absolute perfection.
+1 for the mention of the Flat Earth album. So out of place in 1984, yet so perfect. On my desert island list. White City makes me laugh every time, and how about the best 5 second guitar solo ever? Dolby is a genius.
I saw them perform at Expo 86 in Vancouver….we were front row centre…when Dave went down on one knee I could smell the Scotch on his breath….Bryan Adams came out half way through…..what an amazing performance 👏👏👏👏I saw Annie 25 years later in a small charity event at the Mo Bar in Hong Kong….what a voice and such a great person…congratulations on your channel 😎👏👏👏👏🥂
Rick, you are a master and just an all-around musical genius! Oh, how I wish I knew you personally and could hang out and glean your knowledge and experience. So grateful for all you do and for sharing your skills and talents with us all. I finally purchased your bundle and look forward to improving my abilities and further my understanding of the musical universe. Music is the one thing in life that can transcend all the insanity, hurt, and pain that is in the world today. Again, thank you Rick!
Not a musician, but a music lover; while half of this goes right over my head, it still gives me a deeper understanding and even richer experience of some of my favorites, including Here Comes the Rain Again. Great stuff, Rick!
So many great songs from Eurythmics. I accidentally ran into one of their songs during the closing credits of an episode of The Sopranos. I fell in love with it and became addicted to it. I played it daily for weeks. It's called 'I Saved The World Today.' Perfection in a pop song, all the way. These two did amazing work.
Remember watching a concert by the Eurythmics on cable back in the day. It was captivating and I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed their performance. Two great artists on a small stage crushing it. Perfect musical performance. Fan lasers for days. Strong punk vibes. Haunting is a good word to use. Never going to forget it. Been a huge fan ever since. Respect.
Love love the talk about choruses being slightly different because no cut-and-paste. As just somebody who doesn’t want to play but do want to listen smarter -not be a “casual listener”! -this is what I love. But Rick has that rare gift of making everything interesting. His enthusiasm and body language!
Was certain you were going to pick “Love is a stranger”. Vocals are incredible. The controlled power of her voice is perfect. Both these songs are better than the wildly popular “Sweet dreams” in my opinion.
I agree with you 100%! I absolutely love that song. Annie Lennox is a powerhouse one of a kind vocalist. That song is so intense and the edgy video is the icing in the cake!
I can't say how many times I've went to certain parts of a song to listen to it over and over because of the particular way an artist sung a part differently, the different way an instrument was played on a part, or because there was some particular instrument or combination of instruments made me feel something special.
I love the Eurythmics and their arrangements. My parents had their greatest hits album which introduced me to their music when I was a teenager in the late 00s
Annie Lennox is 1 of the GOAT 🐐 female singers of the 1980s. David A. Stewart is a great songwriter. He wrote with late Tom Petty, Sir Mick Jagger, Alison Moyet, others. Desmond Child is another great songwriter. Good video 👍
The opening lyric sets the melancholy tone of the whole song as well as the notes. It's about a falling out, it's bleak, it's wonderful. 'Falling on my head like a memory' Genius .....
Brilliant breakdown of a wonderful song. Eurythmics created some of the most amazing songs in the 80’s and 90’s with Annie and David they complimented each other so well in all aspects of their writing and production.
Daryl Hall and David Stewart did a tremendous version of this song a few years ago on “Daryl’s House” UA-cam channel.with Daryl on piano and David on acoustic guitar. It’s well worth checking out - it’s stunning!
What I miss most in popular music today is musicanship, and while many of us that grow up in the 80's probably wouldn't have ever attributed that to our favorite artists, it is that quality that makes those songs resonant with people even to this day.
As a teen viewing the music video with the beautiful Annie Lennox singing on "Sweet Dreams" with "...hold your head up, movin' on..." I was like she got soul!
I was a teen when this song came out, and didn't like electronic and synth based music at all, but this one hit me differently. 40 years after, still love it.
Eurythmics are a great band, also live. Their Revenge tour 1987 was fantastic - there is a video from the Sydney concert here on YT, it blew me away. I was also stunned seeing Blondie drummer Clem Burke there, he really lit up the show. The guy looks like he has the time of his life every time he gets behind a drum kit.
Bonus: Back in the day showing my my mom the video to Sweet Dreams got MTV "Blocked" on cable. If you keyed the channel number in it would still come up thankfully.
Saw them in 89. Annie has amazing stage presence. You can’t take your eyes off her. Great band. So glad you chose this song instead of Dreams (love it too). They were so much more than that song.
Here Comes The Rain Again was the first song I heard on the radio which went straight to my inner core as a teenager and Touch was then the first album I ever bought. Eurythmics have been with me ever since.
Just ordered my bundle. When I teach music appreciation, I endeavor to make perceptive listeners of my students. This takes their enjoyment to another level and opens new musical soundscapes they wouldn’t otherwise discover.
This channel is making me appreciate music on a different level. This song in particular I’ve loved it since it came out but his analysis of it just blows my mind. ❤
Thank you again Rick my favorite music teacher ever! Love Annie and Dave. My fovorite songs of theirs are "It's Alright" And "For the Love of Big Brother"
Love the Eurythmics. So musically interesting, captivating, and emotionally resonant. And her wonderful voice! A good example of pop that truly is great music.
When you read about the Eurythmics the line between success and failure is as thin a rizzler. It is remarkable that they became so big, and it will never be repeated.
You are spot on with your explanation of the musical technique involved in this song. Psychophysiologists who work with the way sound affects the brain when we hear it speak in terms of consonance and dissonance. Our brain hears dissonance and we feel everything you are taliking about - the angst, the haunting feel, how it makes us feel unsettled. It's perfect in this song, and I am not just saying that as a die-hard Eurythmics fan from the time they first hit the scene. Excellent presentation!
The Eurythmics are such a tour de force in the music world not just a flash in the pan New Wave band. Saw a recent interview with Annie. What a fascinating & more importantly intelligent, thoughtful woman. Simply brilliant.
Just cannot agree more. "Sweet dreams" was the bigger hit, but this always seemed so much more haunting - I just can't get it out of my head once I hear it. Nice to have it broken down like this, so I get a hunch of why that is. Great video as always.
I remember as a waiter at Dave Stewart's house, Annie and Dave played an acoustic version of " i Need A Man"! No Autotune, No effects, no mic's, no lip sync... We all fell apart! What a voice. Dave took us up a little winding path to his studio and showed us around.. A day I will never forget.
What an Amazing Story!
Great song, cool story.
When I got into radio broadcasting in the late 1980s, my first night there I walked into the production room and the lp Savage was playing. I sat down and as I thought about my exciting new career ahead of me, I Need A Man started rocking out. Never forgot that.
There is an unplugged radio recording of " Here comes the rain again", on YT. They just put a "candeza" at the end.
Had the pleasure of working with Annie on a corporate gig in Paris in 2003. I've never seen a star of her magnitude rehearse so hard and take notes and direction from her musical director so appreciatively - a true artist.
Not really my kind of musik but what an amazing singer!
That must have been such an amazing experience’ she is such an incredible singer and has a voice that is one of a kind’ I grew up in the 80’s so eurythmics was on the radio quite a lot when I was growing up’ it was really good for me to help develop my musical appreciation to alot more of a well rounded understanding of different Harry Styles of music 😉 it helped me become the musician I am today’ as I love and appreciate so many different genres of music 💪
Before her pop career she was lead flautist in the Scottish National Youth Orchestra when she was in secondary school and studied music (flute, piano and harpsichord)at the Royal Academy of Music in London. That kind of training makes you serious about getting the music right, whatever kind of music it is, and means that you understand what the musical director is doing - probably a refreshing change and a pleasure for the md.
She's 100% pro
You're a gem Rick.
We are so lucky we have someone so selfless and talented to share their time and knowledge with us.
Yeah, I concur 👍
Yes, this pays off. The first thing I noticed was the printed music had the wrong diagram, A-minor. It said Am add 9. Well, just play the two dots on the middle strings! The open B string then would put in the 9th.
'Here Comes The Rain Again' has so much. The space. The pumping sound. Rhythm, lyrics, harmonies and incredible vocal control.
Michael Kamen made the String arrangement, a true master.
Her voice is incredible & hypnotic in ‘Love is a Stranger’. Always loved that one.
This is a congenial breakdown of a great and mesmerising song. I can't believe that it's been released already 40 years ago. Whenever I listen to it, it feels like it's been just yesterday.
i bought the 7" at the time... and now I feel really old!
To think how spoiled we were by this level of greatness in the 80s. This was pop music. Top 10 charting pop music on both sides of the Atlantic.
Mesmerising is a good word to describe the song
@@AndrewSowerby True, we probably were spoiled in the 1980s by the variety and talent of so many wonderful artists both new and old (from the '60s and '70s). The '90s continued producing great music. Today there's still some very good music being made but you really have to look for it.
@@AndrewSowerby spot on brother! We were swimming in amazing songs and had no idea what a brilliant and unique time we were living
Bittersweet is a word that I'd use instead of melancholy. If you think about it, a minor 7th (at the very least) is made up of a major chord and a minor chord. When you combine the two, you get both happy and sad but strangely simultaneously neither happy or sad. That's what I love about so much 80s music, writers utilised minor 7ths and minor 9ths a lot. Emotionally, bittersweet sums up life generally, which is why I personally find those chords so powerful.
Dave Stewart is criminally underrated as a musician. He and Annie really had a great vibe.
He’s not “underrated”. I’ve never heard anybody say “that Dave Stewart…he’s really not that great of a musician”.
I think the words you might want to use would be “under-appreciated” or “under-recognized”.
Sorry to be so nit-picky. I just hear people use that word too often in describing someone who is a great musician, but maybe not as frequently spoken about as somebody like Paul McCartney or Elvis or Lady Gaga.
@@zenlandzipline underrated doesn't mean he isn't that great of a musician. It literally means "not rated or valued highly enough". Dave Stewart is very clearly not rated or valued as high as he should be.
@@ghettostreamlabs5724 rating is a way to assign a skill level or quality or quantity of something/someone.
Valued is how much something/someone means to another.
You could say “Stewart’s value as a musician is underrated”. But to say “as a musician he is underrated” implies that he is a skilled musician, but not regarded by many as such.
I am saying that most of his peers (other musicians) probably recognize him as a skilled musician, which means he would rate high as a musician.
Non-musicians don’t use skill level as a barometer to judge artists. (Most of them don’t, anyway.)
I still believe the correct way to put it would be “Dave Stewart is an undervalued musician”.
@@ghettostreamlabs5724 I also will add that I believe his contributions to the music world have been recognized (in the form of Grammy and other awards by his peers, in the form of record sales by the listening public) to a high degree, and therefore, he is neither underrated or undervalued.
Underrated??? Since when? You realise how many hits he wrote, how famous he is, how he is rated by his peers. Not underrated at all, maybe you meant hasn't had many hits recently, he's producing a lot these days so still very active and incredibly talented....... and still one of the coolest guys you'd ever meet.
This is my favotite Eurythmics song. Everything about it..words , music, arrangement and vocals are perfect. I love the mix of electronic and acoustic instruments.
I don't think Dave Stewart gets enough credit for his production. He has a brilliant ear and fills the sonic space with just the right notes and textures. His orchestration & arrangement is obviously something he knew he needed to learn well, and it shows. I often wonder where people like him learn that part of their craft. I like to think he just calls up someone like James Newton Howard for advice/tips etc!
Yesh! And if I recall correctly, at that time Duran Duran had just broken a record with 50+ tracks, while Stewart recorded this entire album on an 8track. 🧸💕🎶
Perhaps. But I am quite certain that all too many people have and continue to discount Annie Lennox's abilities because she is a woman. Her solo work is really fantastic in terms of melody, arrangement, and production and Dave Stewart had nothing to do with that work.
Cheers,
Alan Tomlinson
He just has the ear. After their first album, Dave focussed on using keyboards more than guitar. It always surprised me knowing he was a guitarist, but hearing the second album (Sweet Dreams) so dominated by synth. He knew the future sounds. I have heard it said that on hearing 'Blue Monday' by new order he changed the Eurythmic's sound to synth, but the time line doesn't match up, as Blue Monday was released on March 1983 and Sweet Dreams came out two months BEFORE in January.
Dude is a genius, period.
@@ps91worshipdrumsrr yes he is ... and I recall Annie describing him decades ago as a hard working task master who demanded perfection and excellence, all with a double dose of hard effort
Love how Annie Lennox can do so much with her vocals. From breathy floating rich tones dripping with emotion, to gut bending belts with persuasive power, so dynamic.
Awesome description!
She really is the rarest of singers. Incredibly expressive and human
Rick 🙌 you’re so right on with “Here Comes the Rain Again” and Annie’s voice! I saw her in concert with Sting some years ago. She blew the roof off the place and Sting was blown away by Annie’s singing that night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
0:13 0:13
I was really hoping that his favorite would be Here Comes the Rain Again!
The intonation she has each time she says “talk to me” really is how conversations go.
First chorus, it’s the speech tone of an invitation, then more plaintive
Second chorus it’s more a tone of insistence, and then … command.
Very interesting observations...how so?
Yes, I agree 👍
Her voice is so strong she could've overpowered the song but she showed a lot of restraint. Teasing us with a just a glimpse of where she could go. Leaving us wanting more.
The "Talk to me" part is so full of desperate futility as though she knows her pleading is meaningless because the end is already behind them.
Annie Lennox knew how to exude confidence when singing! The combination of her amazing singing and Dave’s amazing songwriting/producing skills was a once in a lifetime pairing.
Back in the day most songs had variations in the choruses, often with more intensity in the later ones and improvisation in the fade-out one. That kept the song "alive" througout and gave the listener a feeling of anticipation.
Nowadays, as Rick says, Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V.
Nowadays choruses are not even harmonically different from the verse.
The video is fantastic. Filmed in Orkney, Scotland in mid winter. The spirit of place and song captured beautifully.
I clicked on this video specifically to make sure the song you were talking about was Here Comes the Rain Again. Absolute sonic masterpiece.
Same!
Annie and Sting are Queen and King of the 9th...how beautiful is this string arrangement? thank you sir for choosing so wonderful songs...
I was such a big fan of Annie Lennox solo work!! Diva is one of my favorite albums. She can hit notes that make me just cry. Seeing her perform "Why" live is just outstanding. Her cover of "No More I Love Yous" is just heartbreaking and light hearted at the same time. She is gorgeous.
Broken Glass is one of my all time favorites!
@danlc95 Yes!!! Talk about surprise notes!! I absolutely love the video, too ❤️
Another great example of how sophisticated some of the songs of my childhood were! Thank you for explaining theoretically how the structure is responsible for this. That song still has that strange atmosphere for me. Love it
In the 1970s, Lennox won a place at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where she studied the flute, piano and harpsichord for three years. She lived on a student grant and worked at part-time jobs for extra money. Lennox was unhappy and doubted her own talent when compared to her student contemporaries[18] while at the Royal Academy and deliberated on what other direction she could take.
Lennox's flute teacher's final report stated: "Ann has not always been sure of where to direct her efforts, though lately she has been more committed. She is very, very able, however." Two years later, Lennox reported to the academy: "I have had to work as a waitress, barmaid, and shop assistant to keep me when not in musical work." She also played and sang with a few bands, such as Windsong, during the period of her course. In 2006, the academy made her an honorary Fellow.
And she was from my home town in Aberdeen Scotland!
ANyone who doubted her was WRONG.
@@sebastionhawk5565 she doubted herself, but luckily for us, she was wrong about that too. Eurythmics wrote many timeless classic tunes.
Crouchender!
You talk about Lennox's flute training. Rick talks about her voice. Can we suppose that she learned the breath control she uses to sing by playing flute?
I love how you can talk about any pop song and really draw me in. You made me pick up my guitar and strike an open a minor with a pinkie ninth on the third string. What a beautiful chord!
Woa. This is trippy. I’ve been walking around singing this to myself the last couple of days and now this video pops up. Love this song. Love your channel too. Keep bringing the great content.
Bound to be more than just you with all those that watch his vids.
@@garyhauf5210 I’m not sure you understood what I was saying. I had been thinking about the song days before he made this video. And yes, I realize I am not the only person who watches his channel.
@@jasonh9335I got into this song about 2 weeks ago and it's been on my mind since as well.
@@jasonh9335 I’m saying. Of all the people that watch his channel, there was bound to be at least one person who had been singing this song to themselves.
Ah, I've had this song playing in my head - randomly, on different days - for the last 40 years.
It's just one of those songs.
I love how this song perfectly describes longing and yearning both in lyrics and music. It's describing a melancholy state in the verses and a dream state in the chorus.
She really can evoc different emotions at the same time with just her voice, amazing.
Was a big fan of Eurythmics as a teen in the 80's. Even have a couple of her solo albums. Their music made me want to listen intently, over and over, to hear the subtleties.
Probably the finest intro in eighties pop history.
What a great surprise to see Rick Beato discuss Eurythmics! I love many things about this masterpiece song. One of them is the musical onomatopoeia: the arpeggiator and the pizzicato strings are the musical equivalent of rain drops (there are examples of this in Annie Lennox’s solo work, e.g., the tinkling piano intro on “Walking on Broken Glass” as if someone were carefully tiptoeing around broken glass to avoid getting cut. Or the muted arpeggiated guitar intro in “Loneliness” on her album Bare, that seems to me like a ticking clock in the empty space of one’s head). The string arrangement - by Michael Kamen - in the first two-thirds of the track anticipates the storm when the song crescendoes at the end. Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox are spectacularly brilliant, and Annie is a singing actress, as well as a great dramatic performer, as seen in the music video. I’d even call her the best actress in music video history.
I guessed it right, also my favorite, stuck in my brain since 1984.
"Right by your side", foreground additive rhythm, shared descending melody , branching canons...framed by a background, range limited, swinging vocal line, with a vocal version of the intro rhythm for the bridge...All connected, carried over, evolved, and passed on...outstanding polyphony!😲
Hey Rick, I love how you say that recordings today are cut and pasted and that it is the dissonances and variations in past recordings that keep us coming back to them, whether we realise it or not. It is so true! Whilst there are good songs in today's music, it seems like a lot more corners are cut to create a commercial product. In this sense there is less feel, making the songs good but not great or even extraordinary, such as this one is.
Rick: have been a musician since 1964. Listening to you take apart this song (which is one of my faves) brought so many smiles to my face. You get it when you talk about the nuances in each chorus and the sad “copy & paste” recordings we hear today. As a 73 year old guitarist and vocalist, I wanted you to know how much I appreciate your “young guys” take on the state of music today. Rock On!
Congratulations on the success of the channel! Well deserved.
Grazie.
Masterpiece! Intro is out of this world and then when the vocal kicks in..it’s all over
Annie Lennox’s voice is out of this world
I LOVE AL but her background singers are ten times better than her, watch peace tour.
Mars to be more accurate. You're welcome. Elon Musk already knew it.
Annie is amazing and non related so is KD Lang
One of the most iconic voices. I love to hear her sing.
Yes. She had the most beautiful singing voice of any pop artist.
Consciously varying his word choice to describe dissonant notes to elicit a response while interviewing Sting shows Rick's amazing skill as an interviewer.🎯 I've been subscribed to this channel for quite a while. Rick's knowledge and skill continue to impress me again and again.
Thank you, Rick. This is one of the best songs ever written. I was about 10 years old when this came out. In the GDR back in the days, I had no idea what she sang about. But this special atmosphere of this song caught me right from the start.
I didn't know that the couple argued through a rainy night in NYC and Dave began to play random chords where Annie began to sing "Here comes the rain again...". When you listen closer to the emotions that she brings out of this song, you thing: Oh yeah, she begs him to stop fighting and take her out of the sorrow. Together with the amazing chords, this is a perfect begging for forgiving.
"Here comes the rain again" for me personally is everything the defines the Eurythmics. And by the way, it's a perfect example of the musical geniuses of the New Wave era. Thank you for discussing this amazing song.
Rick Beato - you changed my life with your UA-cam channel. Seriously. I’ve been with you since 2016. Thank you so much. - Andrew Colyer, New York.
Older musician/music teacher here...Thank you, sir, for always encouraging people to listen to ALL KINDS of music, no matter what their preferred genre may be! REAL, CREATIVE musicians don't worry about loyalty to their style or genre very much when they're not practicing! IT'S ALL MUSIC and they LISTEN and take it in.
I remember listening to this song and Thomas Dolby’s The Flat Earth album and marveling at them: they were both pieces of electronic pop that transcended the usual trappings of their genre. I enjoyed them both at 13, but it was a few years later that I really listened to the bridge in “Here Comes the Rain” and was completely blown away by it as if I’d just heard it for the first time. Absolute perfection.
+1 for the mention of the Flat Earth album. So out of place in 1984, yet so perfect. On my desert island list. White City makes me laugh every time, and how about the best 5 second guitar solo ever? Dolby is a genius.
I saw them perform at Expo 86 in Vancouver….we were front row centre…when Dave went down on one knee I could smell the Scotch on his breath….Bryan Adams came out half way through…..what an amazing performance 👏👏👏👏I saw Annie 25 years later in a small charity event at the Mo Bar in Hong Kong….what a voice and such a great person…congratulations on your channel 😎👏👏👏👏🥂
Rick, you are a master and just an all-around musical genius! Oh, how I wish I knew you personally and could hang out and glean your knowledge and experience. So grateful for all you do and for sharing your skills and talents with us all. I finally purchased your bundle and look forward to improving my abilities and further my understanding of the musical universe. Music is the one thing in life that can transcend all the insanity, hurt, and pain that is in the world today. Again, thank you Rick!
Not a musician, but a music lover; while half of this goes right over my head, it still gives me a deeper understanding and even richer experience of some of my favorites, including Here Comes the Rain Again. Great stuff, Rick!
So many great songs from Eurythmics. I accidentally ran into one of their songs during the closing credits of an episode of The Sopranos. I fell in love with it and became addicted to it. I played it daily for weeks. It's called 'I Saved The World Today.' Perfection in a pop song, all the way. These two did amazing work.
That's what I thought this video was going to be about. That's yet another brilliant song by The Eurythmics.
Always favored 'Would I Lie To You'.' That song absolutely smokes, and Annie is fantastic.
Lady Gaga dreams she could be half the singer Annie is.
Remember watching a concert by the Eurythmics on cable back in the day. It was captivating and I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed their performance. Two great artists on a small stage crushing it. Perfect musical performance. Fan lasers for days. Strong punk vibes. Haunting is a good word to use. Never going to forget it. Been a huge fan ever since. Respect.
It's just Eurythmics (Not THE Eurythmics.)
Love love the talk about choruses being slightly different because no cut-and-paste. As just somebody who doesn’t want to play but do want to listen smarter -not be a “casual listener”! -this is what I love. But Rick has that rare gift of making everything interesting. His enthusiasm and body language!
Was certain you were going to pick “Love is a stranger”. Vocals are incredible. The controlled power of her voice is perfect. Both these songs are better than the wildly popular “Sweet dreams” in my opinion.
That’s a killer tune. Mesmerizing, especially at the time, there was nothing else like it
I agree with you 100%! I absolutely love that song. Annie Lennox is a powerhouse one of a kind vocalist. That song is so intense and the edgy video is the icing in the cake!
In the US they seem mainly known for Sweet Dreams, but elsewhere I think it's more varied.
This song has always been my favourite of theirs. Her expressions in the video are amazing, too.
I had a massive crush on Annie Lennox as a kid. Everyone was all about Madonna and women like her, but I thought Annie was stunningly beautiful.
Rick Beato is the best musician. His music knowledge is beyond. Finally. Someone is talking about the Eurythmics!
She did a phenomenal job on the song “Into the West” from the Lord of the Rings soundtrack.
That is my favorite song of hers! ❤
Incredible RICK! You are now a celebrity! Congratulations!
I can't say how many times I've went to certain parts of a song to listen to it over and over because of the particular way an artist sung a part differently, the different way an instrument was played on a part, or because there was some particular instrument or combination of instruments made me feel something special.
I love how the strings hide in plain 'sight' in this song; blending so beautifully
i knew this song was essentially perfect in every way the very first time that i heard it. this is rare
Everytime it really boggles my mind, that this was pop music in the 80s. So complex and carefully arranged. Thank you Rick for efforts and knowledge!
Yes. Had my fingers crossed that it was this song. My favorite from Eurythmics. I love playing along on my guitar to her vocal.
I love the Eurythmics and their arrangements. My parents had their greatest hits album which introduced me to their music when I was a teenager in the late 00s
Annie’s performance on “Into the West” was absolutely mesmerizing…
Annie Lennox is 1 of the GOAT 🐐 female singers of the 1980s.
David A. Stewart is a great songwriter. He wrote with late Tom Petty, Sir Mick Jagger, Alison Moyet, others.
Desmond Child is another great songwriter.
Good video 👍
Just watched this live acoustic version. OMG can she sing!
The opening lyric sets the melancholy tone of the whole song as well as the notes.
It's about a falling out, it's bleak, it's wonderful.
'Falling on my head like a memory'
Genius .....
Annie is an Icon! Her voice was/is angelic!
Brilliant breakdown of a wonderful song. Eurythmics created some of the most amazing songs in the 80’s and 90’s with Annie and David they complimented each other so well in all aspects of their writing and production.
Annie's voice adds +2 points to any song from the get go. I really love it in Love is a Stranger.
The use if the violin piccatto in the prolonged intro is one of the most innovative use of stringed instruments in all of pop music
It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing the second I hear a single one of those plucks I KNOW immediately who it is.
Daryl Hall and David Stewart did a tremendous version of this song a few years ago on “Daryl’s House” UA-cam channel.with Daryl on piano and David on acoustic guitar. It’s well worth checking out - it’s stunning!
Daryl's House is great, full stop!
Daryl Hall and Dave Stewart played this song live at The Ryman Theater with the Daryl’s House Band. Wow, was it great!
So glad you picked this one. It's my favourite Eurythmics song.
I absolutely love this song the lyrics the music Annie Lennox's voice is both haunting and powerful. Also Daryl Hall does a brilliant cover as well
What I miss most in popular music today is musicanship, and while many of us that grow up in the 80's probably wouldn't have ever attributed that to our favorite artists, it is that quality that makes those songs resonant with people even to this day.
At last, someone said it: "Here comes the rain again" is the band's masterpiece.
When Tomorrow Comes would like a word..
Sweet dreams is
Finally! My favourite Eurythmics song gets the recognition it deserves. Thank you.
As a teen viewing the music video with the beautiful Annie Lennox singing on "Sweet Dreams" with "...hold your head up, movin' on..." I was like she got soul!
I was a teen when this song came out, and didn't like electronic and synth based music at all, but this one hit me differently.
40 years after, still love it.
Eurythmics are a great band, also live. Their Revenge tour 1987 was fantastic - there is a video from the Sydney concert here on YT, it blew me away. I was also stunned seeing Blondie drummer Clem Burke there, he really lit up the show. The guy looks like he has the time of his life every time he gets behind a drum kit.
Congrats to 7 years! Great breakdown, I'm not a musician but you help sharpen my appreciation.
Bonus: Back in the day showing my my mom the video to Sweet Dreams got MTV "Blocked" on cable. If you keyed the channel number in it would still come up thankfully.
Saw them in 89. Annie has amazing stage presence. You can’t take your eyes off her. Great band. So glad you chose this song instead of Dreams (love it too). They were so much more than that song.
Here Comes The Rain Again was the first song I heard on the radio which went straight to my inner core as a teenager and Touch was then the first album I ever bought. Eurythmics have been with me ever since.
One of my other all time favourite EURYTHMICS songs is "Love Is a Stranger". Love the synth track
Just ordered my bundle.
When I teach music appreciation, I endeavor to make perceptive listeners of my students. This takes their enjoyment to another level and opens new musical soundscapes they wouldn’t otherwise discover.
Fantastic song
This channel is making me appreciate music on a different level. This song in particular I’ve loved it since it came out but his analysis of it just blows my mind. ❤
Thank you again Rick my favorite music teacher ever! Love Annie and Dave. My fovorite songs of theirs are "It's Alright" And "For the Love of Big Brother"
Love the Eurythmics. So musically interesting, captivating, and emotionally resonant. And her wonderful voice! A good example of pop that truly is great music.
You make theory fun bro
Something my teacher could never
Rick a Desmond Child interview would be amazing. Cant imagine how much we can learn from him.
Love the show Rick! I have played piano and guitar for over 50 years and I learn something new with every video you make! Keep it up!
Cool story bro
One of my most favorite songs. The acoustic version they do of this is transcendent.
One of THE best songs ever written, performed and produced.
The synth intro is so, so good... I love the way it really evokes the sound of wind and raindrops without explicitly being "raindrop-noises"
Love this song... I'm really glad you did this one instead of sweet dreams
When you read about the Eurythmics the line between success and failure is as thin a rizzler. It is remarkable that they became so big, and it will never be repeated.
Yeah what Rick said Annie Lennox doesn't need autotune. Thank You Rick 😊 for making us appreciate music. music. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY 🎉!!!!!
You are spot on with your explanation of the musical technique involved in this song. Psychophysiologists who work with the way sound affects the brain when we hear it speak in terms of consonance and dissonance. Our brain hears dissonance and we feel everything you are taliking about - the angst, the haunting feel, how it makes us feel unsettled. It's perfect in this song, and I am not just saying that as a die-hard Eurythmics fan from the time they first hit the scene. Excellent presentation!
Yes absolutely have always loved this song, and Annie Lennox’s voice is amazing! She could’ve sang a phone book and it would be awesome!
The Eurythmics are such a tour de force in the music world not just a flash in the pan New Wave band. Saw a recent interview with Annie. What a fascinating & more importantly intelligent, thoughtful woman. Simply brilliant.
I always preferred “walking on broken glass” but this song is killer too.
Just cannot agree more. "Sweet dreams" was the bigger hit, but this always seemed so much more haunting - I just can't get it out of my head once I hear it. Nice to have it broken down like this, so I get a hunch of why that is. Great video as always.