S2E3 - Morning Train - Sheena Easton - Music Production Analysis 

SHOW NOTES:
 

Instrument List to Listen out for:

Drums-

Kick, snare, claps (chorus), closed hat, open hat, tambourine, toms, crash, cymbals/ ride

Bass-

Synth bass, electric bass guitar

Synths-

Synth arp

Synth chords in bridge

Synth riser FX
Entrance hit synth?

Organic instruments-

Saxophone

Piano

Guitar chord hits on 2 and 4?
Electric piano

Vocals-

Lead vocal

Background pack vocal pads (male and female mixed)

KEY NOTES:

1-Harmonically, the verses are Dm, G, Bb, Am, Dmajor with D7 on the build

Chorus is, G, Em, Am, D - very common in Motown style doo wop hence why the genre of this track sounds like a doo wop track inspired even though its the 80s. So they were taking inspiration from the 50s in the 80s like we take inspiration from the 80s in the 2020s.

-Prolonged harmonic build with all instruments rising with it before choruses in pre choruses

2- 80s version of a build transition in modern day includes: (there are other things than white noise)

vocal pad swell, snare hits on the off beats, synth arp, sped up bass line to match the snare hits

harmonically it sustains on the DOMINANT note to build prolonged tension. Beatles trick similar to in twist in shout ahhhhh.
-actually a white noisey/ synth riser before the bridge. Like an 80s version of the modern style.

-entrance hit on the chorus start after the synth arp rises in the build

3- Featured instruments. Withholding claps until the chorus for extra impact. LOVE these claps

-Sax playing in the chorus second half as a hidden hook an octave higher.

4- Key changes 3 times at the end with fade out

5- -Dance beat throughout the whole song without rest at all

6--Mixed background vocals doing vocal pads through the whole track. AHHH in intro.

In verse 1 0:31 they come in temporarily as a teaser (think Olivia Rodrigo no 1 recently)

Pads are lighter energetically, but can also swell like they do in pre chorus

-Mixed background vocals stacked tightly with the lead vocal in chorus energy intensity higher. Vocals sound like they are lower than the lead, lead dancing on top

7-end of bridge rhythm follows vocal line rhythmically. Flow instrumental with vocal melody trick.
crashes to accentuate all the accents of the melody with toms added in final snare build to finale. Interdependence principle

8-Instrumental version of lead motif in the introduction by sax 0:00-0:17

To note:

-Bass has a unique core rhythm, also includes many passing notes in the lines especially in the pre-choruses and bridge, stays quite simplistic in the chorus though.

-interesting synth arp playing through the majority of the track
-piano playing the core rhythmic driver, while the bass accentuates parts of the core rhythm

-quite a high based synth chord section in bridge mixed with synth arp that takes over the rhythmic driver temporarily

-drum fills at the end of each section