In appreciation of Marillion’s Kayleigh

viz · December 2020

I just think that modulation from chorus 1 to verse 2 is really bloody clever and very very organic and natural. Almost imperceptible, if you haven’t actually played the song or if you don’t have perfect pitch.

https://youtu.be/NumChJYENJk

John_P · December 2020

Brilliant.
One of the clever aspects of Marillions songwriting is the smooth ways they throw in key changes and interesting time signatures without being obvious or awkward. For a proggy type band they make the songs sound simpler than they often are. Having a song lift by a tone later in the tune is a common technique but it is rarely so subtle.

phil_b · December 2020

bluechargeboy · December 2020

That's amazing, I've been clicking back and forth in the video listening to the transition from verse to chorus in both cases. Both work so well; I'd never have noticed the verse key change. Music is weird/great!

Danny1969 · December 2020

It's very clever, similar trick to Kate's "Don't push your foot on the hearbrake

Van_Hayden · December 2020

One of the first solos I learnt that.

mart · December 2020

That key change is very slick, but what about the change from the 2nd verse into the chorus - to my mind, that's the bit they shouldn't have been able to pull off. It feels like that 2nd chorus shouldn't work in D and ought to be in E. And yet it does work!

Jalapeno · December 2020

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

axisus · December 2020

Jalapeno said:

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

er.... no he doesn't???

axisus · December 2020

I loved those first 4 Marillion albums, and I love Fish's lyrics.

sev112 · December 2020

I just play it in one key, otherwise my voice struggles
my next door neighbours haven’t complained yet

Jalapeno · December 2020

axisus said:

Jalapeno said:

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

er.... no he doesn't???

Sorry - old age - confused him with Steve Wilson (who is an occasional SH band member) - Steve Rothery did play on Hackett's Genesis Revisted albums though

viz · December 2020

mart said:

That key change is very slick, but what about the change from the 2nd verse into the chorus - to my mind, that's the bit they shouldn't have been able to pull off. It feels like that 2nd chorus shouldn't work in D and ought to be in E. And yet it does work!

Well exactly!

First verse is Bm, then it goes to the relative major (D) for the chorus, which is perfectly normal;

Then it’s the instrumental verse and chorus in Bm and D; so far, so good.

Then it has that clever invisible modulation to C# minor (which is achieved by the fact that the guitar solo in Bm started so strongly on that ii of B (the C#) anyway, so we’re already primed for it and don’t notice the key change)

Then yes, the 2nd chorus “should” be E, but they return to the original key of D, which is why it’s so difficult to sing that Kayleigh note accurately if you haven’t clocked the earlier key change!

koneguitarist · April 2021

One of the very few solos I ever worked out note for note from a guitarist feature on them.

Finally got it all sorted, then band decided not to play it! Great solo.

Stratavarious · April 2021

Van_Hayden said:

One of the first solos I learnt that.

Snap

axisus · April 2021

It's one of those solos that just works beautifully within the song. Rothery has written and played some superb guitar solos over the years (Although I MUCH prefer those first 4 albums to everything since with the band).

Easter was another killer solo

Del_Preston · April 2021

Same here, one of the first songs I learned as a nipper! That whole album is great.

Fuengi · April 2021

Anyone got a good tab they can share?

octatonic · April 2021

Fuengi said:

Anyone got a good tab they can share?

Not a tab but if you read notation then I can link you.

Bellycaster · April 2021

Great Band and great song and yes, I remember thinking I'd learned this song and the WTF moment when I went into the 2nd verse with the first verse chord.........................and then after the solo

digitalkettle · April 2021

octatonic said:

Fuengi said:

Anyone got a good tab they can share?

Not a tab but if you read notation then I can link you.

I got around to transcribing this a couple of years ago:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1up1iia4ZPk47-ipTfx4RbzN3_E-iczvU/view?usp=sharing
Should be close enough to get you started

Fuengi · April 2021

digitalkettle said:

octatonic said:

Fuengi said:

Anyone got a good tab they can share?

Not a tab but if you read notation then I can link you.

I got around to transcribing this a couple of years ago:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1up1iia4ZPk47-ipTfx4RbzN3_E-iczvU/view?usp=sharing
Should be close enough to get you started

That's brilliant, thank you!

Brize · April 2021

Ah, 80s women. The woman in the video - Tamara Nowy, Fish's first wife - is so beautiful. If that video was made today the love interest would have a trout pout and fake knockers.

proggy · April 2021

@viz Thanks for posting this. I can remember when this came out and I really didn't like it. Just found it a bit wet and mushy and didn't bother listening to it properly and have never been a fan of Marillion, probably because of this. Now I've just listened to it without prejudice and found it to be a really good song. I'm going to get over to YouTube and source out some of their other stuff as I might have been missing out.
I'm a lot older now, and a tiny bit wiser (I hope) Cheers.

digitalkettle · April 2021

proggy said:

@viz Thanks for posting this. I can remember when this came out and I really didn't like it. Just found it a bit wet and mushy and didn't bother listening to it properly and have never been a fan of Marillion, probably because of this. Now I've just listened to it without prejudice and found it to be a really good song. I'm going to get over to YouTube and source out some of their other stuff as I might have been missing out.
I'm a lot older now, and a tiny bit wiser (I hope) Cheers.

Judging by your forum name you can't be shy of a concept album or two?

My top 3 Fish-era albums:

Fugazi
Misplaced Childhood (especially track 4 onwards)
Clutching At Straws

My top 3 Hogarth-era albums:

Brave
FEAR
Seasons End

proggy · April 2021

digitalkettle said:

proggy said:

@viz Thanks for posting this. I can remember when this came out and I really didn't like it. Just found it a bit wet and mushy and didn't bother listening to it properly and have never been a fan of Marillion, probably because of this. Now I've just listened to it without prejudice and found it to be a really good song. I'm going to get over to YouTube and source out some of their other stuff as I might have been missing out.
I'm a lot older now, and a tiny bit wiser (I hope) Cheers.

Judging by your forum name you can't be shy of a concept album or two?

My top 3 Fish-era albums:
Fugazi
Misplaced Childhood (especially track 4 onwards)
Clutching At Straws
My top 3 Hogarth-era albums:
Brave
FEAR
Seasons End

You're dead right I'm not, I love them.
I think it was just something about that band at that time.
Thanks for the listening recommendations.

Fuengi · April 2021

Marbles is a stunning album at times.

axisus · April 2021

Brize said:

Ah, 80s women. The woman in the video - Tamara Nowy, Fish's first wife - is so beautiful. If that video was made today the love interest would have a trout pout and fake knockers.

Nah, 80s women looked absolutely terrible. hilarious hair and makeup and dreadful fashion.

proggy · April 2021

axisus said:

Brize said:

Ah, 80s women. The woman in the video - Tamara Nowy, Fish's first wife - is so beautiful. If that video was made today the love interest would have a trout pout and fake knockers.

Nah, 80s women looked absolutely terrible. hilarious hair and makeup and dreadful fashion.

But women nowadays have Groucho Marx eyebrows. I don't know how that's supposed to look attractive.

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In appreciation of Marillion’s Kayleigh

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