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Song Stories

“Take It In”

Hot Chip | 2009

Frontman Alexis Taylor told Rolling Stone that "there can be records that have great warmth with house rhythms," which was Hot Chip's mantra on "Take It In." "It does reference a lot of Eighties house music," bandmate Joe Goddard said. "In my mind, melodically, it's inspired by a few different things: 'Promised Land,' by Joe Smooth. There was this song 'Set It Off' also that inspired us. But we wanted this song to sound like a church choir -- no distinctive vocals but merge them all together so that it would sound classic." To get that classic tone, the band used Fleetwood Mac's "Everywhere" as a reference point.

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“Blind”
Hercules & Love Affair | 2008
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“Lights”
Interpol | 2010

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Song Stories

“He Will Break Your Heart”

Jerry Butler | 1960

A lightly swinging Latin-influenced, almost cha-cha groove and close harmonies decorated Jerry Butler's early soul hit "He Will Break Your Heart," delivering a stately warning that his rival would never love his girl like he did. The melody came to Butler as he was driving on the highway from Atlantic City, New Jersey, to Philadelphia with Curtis Mayfield, and as Butler told Rolling Stone, "I just sang the melody and Curtis put the chords to it." The song's premise, Butler added, "was something that I'd lived ...The lyric was an experience rather than a revelation. Whereas music is usually a revelation."

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