Here's That Rainy Day - a chord analysis

[christianm77]

Frank, Vic and Nat have a major chord as the first chord.

[christianm77]

Wes, too

[christianm77]

TBH I'm having trouble finding a recording with the minor chord - any ideas?

[destinytot]

TBH I'm having trouble finding a recording with the minor chord - any ideas?

[christianm77]

I think there are misperceptions about this tune that have been passed along. I believe the first chord to be G Minor, not major. Couldn't swear to it, but I think that may have been what Van Heusen wrote. It's in keeping with the lyric, anyway, which is kind of sad. Try 2 beats apiece of Gmin, D/F#, FMin 13, Bb 13/E---if that's not too fancy.

I definitely would lose that AbMaj7. I don't care how many people play it. I think it's vanilla, and I am going to go with Van Heusen going to an Eb7 instead. Myself, I use that Eb13 (4 beats) to set up Ab Maj7#11 (4 beats) in the next bar, delaying the A min7 and creating some tension---but that's me.

Same principle could apply to the C minor part (bar 8, I think): Bb Maj7 to Bb13 (4 beats apiece) before AbMaj7 (4 beats) in the next bar, AMin7-D7b9 (2 beats apiece) in the next.

Just some thoughts. You don't have to agree...

I wonder if anyone has tracked down the original sheet music?

[PMB]

I wonder if anyone has tracked down the original sheet music?

I remember seeing the original sheet music sometime ago (from the short-lived musical, Carnival in Flanders - strange how often the best remembered standards come from shows that bombed!). It's definitely in G major. However, the change up a 4th in bars 4 and 12 that Joel points to was added later (bar 4 of Autumn Leaves received similar treatment).

[PMB]

Just found these pics on eBay:

[ragman1]

I wonder if anyone has tracked down the original sheet music?

Dunno, but here's this:

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Here's That Rainy Day)

Quite interesting, but confusing. It says:

'Van Heusen’s original harmonic progression over section “A” corresponds to what jazz musicians often call a “Lady Bird” or “Half Nelson” progression -I -bIIIma7 -bVIma7 (in the original, Fmaj7 - Ab maj7 -Dbmaj7)'

Are they saying VH's original is the Lady Bird? Or the FM7 - AbM7 - DbM7 is the original?

[ragman1]

There's also this:

https://www.allaboutjazz.com/heres-t...ney.php?page=1

Look under the Harmony section.

[christianm77]

Dunno, but here's this:

Jazz Standards Songs and Instrumentals (Here's That Rainy Day)

Quite interesting, but confusing. It says:

'Van Heusen’s original harmonic progression over section “A” corresponds to what jazz musicians often call a “Lady Bird” or “Half Nelson” progression -I -bIIIma7 -bVIma7 (in the original, Fmaj7 - Ab maj7 -Dbmaj7)'

Are they saying VH's original is the Lady Bird? Or the FM7 - AbM7 - DbM7 is the original?

They are talking about a Tadd Dameron Turnaround.... I-bIII7-bVI-bII, which is the first few bars of the song.

So would say, they mean that the G Bb7 Eb Ab is the original progression.

[Chuck]

TBH I'm having trouble finding a recording with the minor chord - any ideas?

No, but there's this ........

[ragman1]

They are talking about a Tadd Dameron Turnaround.... I-bIII7-bVI-bII, which is the first few bars of the song.

So would say, they mean that the G Bb7 Eb Ab is the original progression.

I'd say, just by looking at it, that's highly doubtful. Looks all wrong to me, too simple. In any case I wouldn't speculate; you'd never know if you were right or not!

[christianm77]

I'd say, just by looking at it, that's highly doubtful. Looks all wrong to me, too simple. In any case I wouldn't speculate; you'd never know if you were right or not!

You lost me there bro

[ragman1]

I mean we can't look at VH's original score. UCLA have it, I believe.

http://www.oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark...%20day#hitNum2

[ragman1]

I remember seeing the original sheet music sometime ago (from the short-lived musical, Carnival in Flanders - strange how often the best remembered standards come from shows that bombed!). It's definitely in G major. However, the change up a 4th in bars 4 and 12 that Joel points to was added later (bar 4 of Autumn Leaves received similar treatment).

I missed this post! But did it start with a minor or a major???? We need to know this!

(There are several vids of Dolores Gray singing it on TV shows etc. On this one the piano player's a bit clunky but there's no doubt what he's playing)

[ragman1]

Do be careful about the correct melody, though (B natural, not B flat on the lyric 'LeftovER dreams')

Thanks for the comments. To be honest, after playing it such a lot I just threw the head out fairly loosely. Very likely it's not as originally written. At that speed with that backing it's no longer a sad, introspective ballad so I'm not sure it matters that much. But I hear what you say.

I tried playing it very slowly but, of course, you can't get the sustain like a sax can, and after a while putting in lots of fills gets a bit predictable and samey.

I always use an acoustic for these vids because I don't have a nice audio interface etc. It's just Audacity (I know). On the tracks without a backing track the bass line is achieved by changing the pitch down an octave. Crude but effective. In any case my jazz guitar's in storage having just moved house.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

(Incidentally, any critics are definitely welcome with my stuff. I don't need to be told I'm wonderful)

If it's you

By the way, what did you mean by that?!!

[fasstrack]

I missed this post! But did it start with a minor or a major???? We need to know this!

(There are several vids of Dolores Gray singing it on TV shows etc. On this one the piano player's a bit clunky but there's no doubt what he's playing)

Dolores Gray? I knew not! A very emotional rendition. She got choked up at the end. What else did she sing?

I like the fact that she really brought out that 'IS....here' with the minor 3rd. A lot of people, including---sorry to say---Wes Montgomery, play it major. To me, I would even go so far as to say that's an insult to the song. Why? That minor note is the wrapup, the 'punchline' of the lyric's story.

Dolores Gray is good people...

[ragman1]

You mean the final 'IS here' at the end? Nice minor plagal cadence, great for sung ballads. But Wes was playing up-tempo rather than ballad-style.

In any case, if you look at 5.25 in the vid on the previous page here he does, very quickly, put in that minor sound.