What people said about leejohnson’s jam Owner Of A Lonely Heart

21 Comments (since 4 May 2015)

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

Bobby Owsinski runs a website called "Bobby Owsinski's Big Picture Music Production Blog", at "BobbyOwsinski.Blogspot.co.uk". He offers to carry out an in-depth look into the background behind any songs submitted to him by his readers. One such was for "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", the 1983 hit for the prog rock band 'Yes'. The single only got to No. 28 in the UK in that year, but shot into the US Billboard Hot 100, ending up at No. 1 after 7 weeks in the chart:

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The song is still the biggest selling single ever by 'Yes' and was off their extremely successful comeback album '90125'. This was the first album with guitarist/singer/writer Trevor Rabin in the band and continued an amazing string of hits by producer Trevor Horn. As with all song analysis, we'll look at the song form, the arrangement, the sound, and the production.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The Song 'Owner Of A Lonely Heart' is a rather simple song that's made interesting more by the arrangement and performances than anything else. The interludes, verses and choruses all revolve around the same rhythm section pattern with only the bridges using different chord changes. The form looks like this: Intro, Verse, Chorus, Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Interlude, Solo, Interlude, Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, Fade

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The Arrangement The coolest thing about this song is the way it's arranged. Every time a section repeats, there's something a little different that happens, usually because of the fills between the vocal phrases. The interludes are comprised of song parts that are featured just a little differently from when they were used in the verse or chorus.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"* The Foundation: The bass and drums. The bass is doubled with a normal or baritone guitar. The snare is doubled with a tambourine in the bridge. * The Rhythm: Mostly comes from the high-hat as there are no dedicated rhythm instrument parts. * The Pad: Synths and strings in the choruses and bridges

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"* The Lead: The vocal and guitar solo * The Fills: Electric and acoustic guitars, bass, synths, samples, background vocals. If there's a spot open, there's a fill. As most hits do, 'Lonely Heart' develops as it goes along. The second verse gets bigger with a distorted guitar doubling the bass line, and a series of stereo fills between the vocal phrases.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The 3rd guitar solo verse goes back to sparse then builds to a bigger out-chorus and bridge. It's all tension and release, and development. The Sound Trevor Horn-produced records are always state of the art sound-wise, more because of the sonic layering of the mix than anything else. In 'Lonely Heart', the layers really show.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The drums are rather small and mixed in mono (!) with a very light gated reverb on the snare. The vocals have a very long time-delayed reverb that give it that sense of space. The guitars are pretty much up front and in your face with only a very short room reverb. The guitar solo is interesting in that it sounds like a guitar synth but is just a regular electric guitar compresses very heavily, according to Trevor Rabin. Interesting sound nonetheless.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"The Production Like all of Trevor Horn's records, the production is outstanding. The big things count, but it's the little things that really make it. Listen to the second verse and note the fills between the vocal phrases. They're all in stereo in some way so there's always some movement from right to left. The way parts are layered, like the fill line in the chorus with a guitar and keyboard, is also very cool.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

"Perhaps my favorite part from the first time I ever heard this song is one of the smallest. The bass part never changes in the verse or chorus of the song except for one time. That's in between the first and second outro chorus where the second half of the phrase is changed only slightly, and is then answered with a distant bell-like synth. Then in the outro, a note is intentionally left out of the bass and kick drum part leaving a very obvious, but musical, hole. Very cool!"

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

Very cool indeed. If only I knew half of what he is going on about. That's the trouble with only being a layman music lover such as I, and not an artist/player like my brother! Oh well............. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owner_of_a_Lonely_Heart

5 years, 8 months ago

florencevibert

Absolutely my # EternalJam YES!!!

5 years, 8 months ago

Marlboroman_Mat

Bloody hell, this was a hit back when I was 13. Still hits the right notes now.

5 years, 8 months ago

Marlboroman_Mat

@leejohnson Hey, you mention Trevor Horn in the blurb, and I'm sure he had a bit to do with Frankie Goes To Hollywood. But maybe my memory's playing tricks on me.

5 years, 8 months ago

roamin

Bobby Owsinski is the man, always an interesting read. Thanks for posting, Lee.

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

@Marlboroman_Mat Trevor produced Frankie's 1984 album "Welcome to the Pleasuredome", and all the singles contained therein ("Relax", "Two Tribes", "The Power of Love" and the title track when issued). He also provided some backing vocals and bass work to it. He also was executive producer for their follow-up long player "Liverpool", and its single "Rage Hard". Your memory does not desert you! @roamin Hopefully, both layman and musician get something from my efforts! :)

5 years, 8 months ago

21schizoid

Curiously, for a proggist, Yes were never high on my listen list. I should really sort that out. This, though a later example, I love, love, love...

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

@21schizoid I have to say that, 'Yes' circa 1983 were not prog at all, what with Trev at the reins. A man who tells us "Video killed the radio star" is no proggist!. Now - 'Yes' circa early Seventies, THAT'S more my personal taste, with the original line-up and all. And THAT'S prog!

5 years, 8 months ago

21schizoid

100% Lee. This Yes, as you say, is about as far removed from prog as you could get...and that's why I have to jump in the old time machine & get ma' prog hat on... ;-D

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

Yep. Revisit "The Yes Album" first, if you would. Head and shoulders above anything else they did, IMO. Good listening!

5 years, 8 months ago

leejohnson

[Small footnote: I think I can fathom why Anderson eventually bailed out, given the difference between this production and the braver and more experimental nature of the origins of 'Yes'.]