Joe Jackson - Steppin' out, analysis of a pop classic
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- An analysis of Joe Jackson's 1982 hit single , "Steppin' out". We discuss the various ways in which Joe performs this song live and how the brilliance of pop songs is often overlooked and underrated.
Related links:
Joe Jackson - "Steppin' out" (Official single 1982):
• Joe Jackson - Steppin'...
Joe Jackson - "Steppin' out" (Live in Tokyo 1986):
• Joe Jackson Stepp...
Joe Jackson - "Steppin' out" (Live in Sydney 1991):
• Joe Jackson - Steppin'...
Joe Jackson is so underrated, good choice - always thought he was awesome.
Thank you for your kind words!! V:-)
Joe Jackson is a singular talent in pop music. No one is quite like him. I wasn’t aware of those live versions. I’m checking them out right now. Thank you so much! Subscribed!
Joe is one of my ultimate heroes, being a piano player and songwriter. When Look Sharp came out with "Is She Really Going Out with Him?" as the lead-off single, I was about 11 years old and I was OBSESSED with the song. Later, when I lived in NYC as a teenager, Night and Day was one of the main components of my Walkman soundtrack. It's literally 80s New York as music. Sophisticated, emotive, and a little obtuse and confusing. Perfect album, IMO.
Literally...WoW!! The way you play... I was expecting to hear two notes..stacatto, is that it? Something like that anyway. WoW...I've never heard such beauty and depth in those chords. Flip..My ears... ;) I could listen to you all day and I think I will ;)
Bless you and thank you! Welcome to the channel! VG 🙂
That haunting bassline -unforgettable.
I went to Joe Jackson's concert in the UK on Saturday night (yes, 2 days ago). He and his 3 other band members gave us an exceptional evening and an incredible performance, in a huge venue (Symphony Hall, Birmingham) but still quite awe inspiring and totally impressive. He is still a brilliant musician and singer and his band members were true professionals, and the whole show was greatly entertaining. His first hit was actually "Is She Really Going Out With Him" in 1979, and "Steppin' Out" was also a hit for him, but in 1982. He performed both of these songs (besides many others) in the show, but ended with "Steppin' Out" in its original "ballad" version, rather than the released "disco" version of 1982, and rather like your more elaborate performance here. Well done for recognising that distinction, demonstrating it so well and sharing it with us here. Many thanks and please keep up the good work ...
Excellent. I was at a Ben Folds concert at the Beacon Theater, it had to be 20 years ago, and Joe Jackson came out as a guest. The two together were awesome.
Love your videos!
Thank you my friend and lots of love to you !!😎👍V
Steppin' Out isn't his first hit. The two albums he released in 1979, Look Sharp! and I'm The Man, had several hits. "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" was his first single and first top 20 hit in the UK.
doctypepublic thanks for clarifying this my friend and welcome to the channel!!😎👍V
On I'm the Man there is also a hit and masterpiece: "It's different for girls" : ruclips.net/video/KLDFG5vm5kA/видео.html ; nowadays he doest it only on piano and it's magic: ruclips.net/video/URcqJb8dM-k/видео.html ; this guy is a genious
Absolutely, a big star in the late 1970s. I think he played Madison Square Garden in 1980
Thanks for this. Steppin' Out is my favourite music track. I've listened to it umpteen times & still love it. Joe's a musical genius, no doubt about it.
“Don’t underestimate the power of pop music.”
You couldn’t be more right Mr. George. 😁
WOW! That was an awesome analysis and you are awesome too. I love Joe Jackson and he is timeless. I'm subscibing! THANKS!
Bless you sir and thank you !! VG
Been a fan of Joe Jackson since I first heard 'Is She Really Going Out With Him' in 1979, he's a great performer/songwriter. I'm a great fan of Graham Maby too, Joe's go to bass player who underpinned Joe's songs on his first 3 albums with the 4 piece band. As many comments mention, Joe is underrated mainly because of the diverse music the writes that don't get the airplay it deserves. I've seen Joe Jackson live from 1980 to present day, he never disappoints even when he rearranges some of his songs to how he now feels they should sound 30 years after they were recorded....
Steppin is actually pretty much electronic song: drums are from Korg drum machine, bass is programmed on synth. Only piano and clockenspiel are acoustic.
Correct
Actually drums were still acoustic.
@@marguskiis7711 Just the snare on the downbeats, I believe.
He played the Yamaha CP-70B electric grand
Nice to see someone knowing it's glockenspiel, rather than a xylophone xx
JJ is sadly under rated. I’ve been a huge fan since his 1st album, and have been following his extremely varied and phenomenal musical genius.
Saw him live just a couple years ago; such a great show. Every album is worth a listen. 🎶🎶🎶
I came to US in 1982 and heard steppin' out from television on my first week after I arrived in US. I think it was M TV. I could not understand any of the English language lyrics, however I was fascinated by the beautiful piano melody, chords, base sound, rhythm, and Joe's singing style. Thank you for detailing out his masterpiece.
Thanks alot - He`s underrated indeed! Your video just got me listening to the "Night & Day" album ovr & over again. :D
Btw, your improvisation of "Stepping Out" was tremendous that gave me goosebumps all the way!!!
Cl4rendon hello again my friend !! I’m glad you liked the video !! Thank you as always !!😎👍V
Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him" is a masterpiece
It is !! Thank you for your interest in the channel!! V:-)
I bet Elvis Costello still can't believe that he didn't write it!
Yes, and that was his first hit, ca. 1979.
His acapella version from his 1983 RockPalast concert is the best. My channel has playlist of this concert.
Thanks for this about JJ.
I have met him this year back stage in Zurich during his tour. He signed an album I have from him. Something he does almost never.
Great Artist. He goes almost to the end during his concerts, never seen an Artist who gives so much during an concert. My respect for him
Thanks for sharing your experience!! YES Joe does put a lot into his performances !! V:-)
this kind of artist has that talent to archive not just a song, if through the song make a game of sounds that never tire u, 80's had that magical envoirment,thanks SO much for describe us this classic.
Fernando you are welcome here my friend !! Cheers!! V:-)
I love the song stepping out by Joe Jackson. I was just watching the song before watching your video. I love the tuxedos in the video. Makes me remember when I was a kid in the early 80’s. Thanks for posting 😊.
john bowersox you’re welcome my friend and welcome to the channel! V 👍😎
Piano & Keyboard Artist Thanks man 😊
Thank you so much for this video. I grew up in the late 70's and through the 80's and Steppin' Out was one of my favorite songs of that era.
Dave S Cramer you are very welcome my friend !!😎👍V
Great video! I saw him live the first time a month ago! His new record is absolutely beautiful too.
Devin Gademan OFFICIAL I’m glad you enjoyed this video my friend and welcome to this community !! V😎👍
Joe Jackson is my favourite artist of all time, and in my opinion the most underrated musician that’s ever existed. Every album is completely unique, from Look Sharp!, I’m The Man and Beat Crazy’s new wave brilliance, to Night & Day’s synthesiser filled and Latin influence, Body & Soul and Big World were super 80s, Blaze of Glory is one of the best albums of all time, and Laughter & Lust is a pop masterpiece. And that’s only from 79-92. He still creates incredible music and is a genius.
Thanks for having an analysis of JJ, there’s way too few of them on the internet. (However ‘Is She Really’ was his first hit, back in 79!)
I also want to add, thanks for talking about these versions of Steppin Out. I love how Joe completely rearranges his songs to suit the tour he’s performing for. This ‘86 live version took so much influence (in my opinion) from the sound of the Big World album (very reminiscent of Shanghai Sky). And the 92 live version (the Laughter & Lust tour video from Sydney is truly special), is heaps like the version he did in like 2003 too.
Ah I could talk about JJ all day. Thanks again for this! 🙏
Elliot thank you so much for your kind words and I totally agree with Joe Jackson being completely underrated!! VG :-)
Vaughn George my brother and I were raised listening to JJ (we’re 32 and 35 now), and nobody our age would ever listen to him or understood why we liked his music. I can’t thank my parents enough for introducing us to his genius. And I still listen to all his albums to this day. Thanks again for being one of the only videos on the internet to analyse some of his work. Would love to see you tackle another one of his classics (or more niche stuff), something like Fools in Love would be perfect. Keep it up mate!
@@elliotporter7494 You should thank your parents as they obviously had good taste !! VG :-)
Not forgetting Symphony Number 1
Thank you so much for posting this. Now I’ve listened not only to your brilliant elucidation but to all the links, as well. Made a perfect and beautiful end to my Thanksgiving day. I’m so grateful.
Parts of that Tokyo piano accompaniment you played sounds so much like ‘Life’s What You Make It’, which isn’t a bad thing. I’ve always loved Joe Jackson and think he has been universally underrated.
Holy cow! I was just learning this song on piano yesterday and now you have a video on it! Great job man! 😃 I appreciate your work
Well I am a firm believer in synchronicity !! Glad you enjoyed the video my friend!! V:-)
A wonderful video on so many fronts.Thank you for this.
You are very welcome!! Thank you! VG :-)
Hey Vaughn! Thank you so much for this as it not only brought it back but inspired me to have a go at the song myself. I'm a Martin Gore inspired songwriter and musician from Victoria Canada and really love this content! Cheers!
Tom Pogson thank you for reaching out to me!! Welcome to the channel !! 👍😎
This song made quite an impression on me as a small child in the early 80s. I haven't heard this in forever. The musicality of this and bands like level 42 from around this time period are really impressive. You can tell there was a lot of formal training. Probably in jazz.
Rob hi !! Yes mate I do believe that both these artists had formal music training !! Thank you for your interest in the channel!! V:-)
i was in grammar school when i first heard this song and all of us kids thought it was a children's song. we could dance to it for hours and it was great theme music for being busy as a bee.
Actually Stepping was his second and last hit single hitting 6th in UK. First was "It's Different for Girls" which hit 5th 1979. BUT his last album Fool is a surprise hit in UK making no 13 and 25 in USA!
margus kiis yes you’re right I got it wrong 😊V
Great video! Glad you covered these alternative versions that many JJ fans will know from his tours. You'll probably get some traffic after Aimee Nolte’s recent video on Steppin' Out-seems some of her listeners hadn't heard the song (or didn't know who did it) and are probably searching out other YT videos on the topic. I've followed JJ since his first record, and Night and Day was remarkable for both the songs and his bold shift in direction, while still keeping Graham Maby from the original band. I also loved his Big World album. He always had great musicians.
Just watched all of the related link videos, too. Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo was the venue where I saw DM for the first time (Black Celebration tour). Lovely coincidence! Thanks for 'digging up this forgotten gem'. My friend who went to DM gig with me also went to see Joe Jackson gig. I guess I missed out...
Joe Jackson is sooooo underrated! I really like the album with this song on it, which is mostly not necessarily synthesizer related, but it is a trademark of new wave. I like his early work, especially the song “Is She Really Going Out With Him”
I’ve been a huge fan since the late 70s. Joe Jackson is one of the most eclectic artists out there!
Ked Eason cheers maybe I agree with that !! Eclectic is the word!! V😎👍
I just discovered your channel today - I've since watched 10 videos. 😎 I like that you mentioned 'Stripped' as one of your favorite DM songs - mine too. Maybe in the future you can do an in-depth breakdown of your personal faves from each DM album. I think it would be heavily discussed as it's a difficult process to choose just one.
Are you a fan of Jan Hammer's work by any chance? Like Alan Wilder, I feel that he never received his just due, not even for his sheer brilliance on 'Miami Vice.' Everyone should subscribe to his You Tube channel!
Anyhow, cheers to you and keep up the good work - much appreciated.
After more then 30 years "Stripped" still stands as a masterpiece in the world of music. Not just in the synth world. There are hardly any words who can describe this song. If you jump a few minutes in to the song and sort of ignore Daves voice you got almost a feeling of stepping inside an industrial building or something like that. It.s like a machine thats just go around around with all the banging, noices and synth sound. Especially the album version with the extended outro and ending of the song is giving me the chills.
I made a cover of this song my self but Im not realy satisfied with the result. And I now why. The original song is so complicated and well produced with all the sounds that its basicly impossible to make a fair cover that will stand.
This cant be for real...lol
Oh, haven't heard Joe Jackson in years! So good! Definitely a richness to it even if it's categorized as "pop". I just heard a song from way back (and much different from this) but it reminded me of a great singer, Edwyn Collins "A Girl Like You". Amazing voice. Was watching Lucifer on Netflix - that show has a great soundtrack! Down the rabbit hole I go!
I was about 10 when I first heard JJ. Been a fan since. Love his newer rearrangements too. Great video. 🙏
G P thanks so much to you !! More coming soon!! V😎👍
80s pop was completely different to pop music today. That's why, I believe, they will last longer than the new 1 5 6 4 stuff
We were listening to him in mid 79 as kids, so definitely not early 80s, and this masterpiece of his was late 82 in the UK.
I just saw Joe Jackson in February. A birthday gift to myself. Being quite a bit older than you ... Steppin' Out was not his first hit. You have to go back to 1979 and his Look Sharp album. Is She Really Going Out With Him was his first hit. This tour I saw him on was kind of a 40 anniversary of that first album. The cool thing was he played Steppin' Out using the original drum machine he recorded it with . They had to rig it into the modern sound system but it worked brilliantly.
Jeff that is a brilliant story thank you for sharing !! Yeo I raise I got it wrong, He'd beam going since the 70's!! Gad to have you onboard in this channel my friend!!! V:-)
I was a teen when this first came out and I was listening to more electronic stuff then so this stood out for me. But in recent years this song has grown on me even more
mono lith agreed!! I only started liking his music in recent years. I guess his music is rather “grown up”.v👍😎
Hey, the song sound perfectly a little more slowly for me, like you did in this video!! Well done.
You are welcome!! Thank you!! VG :-)
Joe Jackson is great. I love “Breaking Us In Two.”
I love Joe Jackson, this was actually my first introduction to Joe
The song has a bell like sound that always pulls my attention to stepping out .
David Z yes it does great observation there mate !!😎👍V
Absolutely fantastic playing.
Bless you!! VG :-)
Have you done a full cover of singing and playing this song? Not many people can recreate playing and singing live versions of songs like you can. I would love to see you sing and play other live versions of songs. Good luck, my friend. I'm a guitarist, by the way.
Brilliant song! Thanks for sharing this!
You are very welcome my friend!! :-)
@@VaughnGeorge I'm a DM fan from China for 20 years. Like your channel a lot~
Wu Jianjing greetings there to you my friend from China !! I believe you are the FIRST Chinese fan to reach out to me !! Wow I am so glad to meet you!! Please could you tell me , how popular is Depeche Mode In China? 😎👍V
@@VaughnGeorge Thanks for the greeting! DM never toured here, but we do have lots of devoted fans in China. I used to be in a synth pop group from Shanghai years ago, (you can find out our songs here: ruclips.net/user/results?search_query=IGO+synth+love) . As you could tell, we are deeply influenced by DM. My friends' band "Retros" also toured with DM in 2017 as their opening act in Europe. We did passed our record to Martin Gore through my friend. And yes, my friend also enjoyed Andy's clapping on stage a lot~
@@VaughnGeorge Oh, here is the link of a documentary about Re-Tros tour with DM: ruclips.net/video/j2zvtsuaIYk/видео.html
Bloody hell, get on with it😂😂. Thanks for the analysis.
You're welcome! VG
I loved Steppin' out! That bassline... It always stood out especially in '82.
mrglitch0 my favourite JJ song too!!😎👍V
This level of ability without classical training is much more impressive than knowing what a 5th flat with 7 diminished is.
I have always liked Steppin’ Out. There are some great remakes of this track: the Japanese group Fantastic Plastic Machine has remade Steppin’ Out with a Bossa Nova beat with smooth vocals for the French Hôtel Costes series of lounge music mixes. Ben Folds Five has also remade this song too. Nothing like the original though. Another great video!
Alan thank you for your kind words and also for those references which I will check out !! Cheers!! V:-)
Steppin' Out is one of my all-time favorite songs (among hundreds). Joe Jackson is a great songwriter, I owned the Night & Day album way back when it came out in the 80's. Joe also was quite a diverse talent, recording a jazz album - Jumpin' Jive. Then I found out later that he started in a punk band. Wow! And then I found out he was musically trained at music school. Explains a lot about his talent. Fantastic songwriter.
Joe Jackson was a star in the 70's New Wave his first hit was Sunday Papers
Great vid but just wondering if a yazoo video might be in the works. Really love to see a break down of upstairs at Eric’s or something like that!
Tangy Joe my friend you’ll be pleased to know that Yazoo is indeed on the cards !!V😎👍
3:08 there goes the classy Vaughn warm kindness. :) I always feel the utmost respect for piano players in bars and such. I actually admire them as I'm a rather poor player and I know the talent, discipline and hard work that takes to be a great player.
Nice comment 🙏
I enjoyed this clip, bu the Erasure mention and video pulled me in for the subscription. Well done indeed.
Want to hear and see something wild: Look for Joe Jackson and Todd Rundgren performing While My Guitar Gently Weeps with a string quartet.
Brilliant this tokyo live performance 👍very lovely, atmospheric, even creepy.. never heard this name before but now it's a real push to listen to his other tracks. I hope he's not a musician of one hit. Thanks for introducing, mate ✌
Vlad Enikeev hello my friend and good from you again!! I’m glad you found this video useful!! V😎👍
He had few hits this is his biggest one 1982
Another interesting artist is Alan Parsons
grafiek yes Alan Parsons is brilliant !!👍😎V
I always thought exactly the same, Joe Jackson is very underrated, even when there are great albums like the soundtrack of Tucker. As a teenager I used to think that Steppin´out and Photographic has a very similar rythm.
Thank you for the analysis. You're a brilliant keyboard artist and musician yourself. Joe Jackson is amazing. Watch the video Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (Live at the London Palladium 17/04/2019). I like when he moves his jaw side to side as he's singing, adding an extra touch to the great song. Steppin' Out has an infectious sound and beat which makes it terrific. The rhythm and melody are amazing.
Thank you Sir!! VG :-)
his other huge 80s tune "You can't get what you want" is worth revisiting as well, especially the extended version... made the US top 20 in 1984
I know it yes!! Thank you for your comment my friend!! V:-)
Night & Day was the first real music I fell in love with in 1982 when I was 8.
Thanks for the education on JJ, I love his songs but didn’t know who it was! I would still love a Goldfrapp Felt Mountain breakdown mate, then......Moloko! Cheers
Great video and analysis of Joe Jackson, a brilliant talent! 😂
Thank you James !! VG
Great to have this channel Vaughn. Haven't listened to Joe Jackson for ages, but did have one of his albums on vinyl back in the early 80's. I feel the live versions of this tune might well be the originally conceived version(s) of the song rather than the radio pop version (that I never really enjoyed). His 86 live version in particular is a treat and so much more engaging.
Btw I've been on an "Alan Wilder-fest" for a few months now, really discovering his contribution to Depeche Mode and his production brilliance. Thought someone out there must be discussing how Alan Wilder's departure affected the Mode's sound, typed into RUclips "Depeche Mode without Alan Wilder" and to my amazement you'd put up your video entitled with the same description only a couple of weeks prior! Have since watched all the others and now subscribed. I've got some thoughts about Alan I'd like to share but will put them in that video rather than this one, plus other comments on the other videos as I get the chance.
Andrew Neagle my friend thank you for your well written and detailed post !! I’m glad you are gaining value from these videos and I would like to welcome you to the community!!V😎👍
I think we're nearing a point where kids can appreciate Joe. ive been a rabid fan for years but his intricacies and sophisticated style caused my plight to fall on deaf ears. Joe is just fukn brilliant.
As already mentioned - I knew Jackson from his first two albums and this single was a change in style. I prefer listening to the 12 inch just because of the walking synth bass line intro that underpins the groove of the song.
Wow man,I agree completely, this song made me a fan of Joe, other than "is she really going out with him", Joe has an amazing pool of wonderful songs
Graham Sutherland hey Graham cheers mate I agree !!JJ was the best !!😎👍V
Somehow, the fact that this is a DANCE song is lost in the analysis. The arpeggiated bassline carries so much of the song's power and drive. Anyone listening to it on a decent stereo, let alone in a dance club, understands that immediately. Without the concise, insistent groove beneath, we see how quickly this pop masterpiece descends into rambling lounge music.
All of the albums are worth a listen… so eclectic so brilliantly written and performed. Big World was recorded in front of a live audience but you wouldn’t know it; the audience was warned of any noise and they’d be ejected!! He wanted the ambiance of the live forum and he got it!!! Genius!!!
One of my favorite songs. I usually create the baseline in a sequencer then play the piano part live.
You and me both bro!! V:-)
thanks for this video. i know about Joe Jackson. In that years i was heavy in HIGH ENERGY MUSIC. Bronski beat, erythmics, the flirts, man2man, Divine hazell dean, mike mareen, their was a lot artists. i have a son who lives in Bramley, UK. Wills Reygan. he can play any musical instrument. and he have about 13 songs recorded, at a studio, where he was working. he is a program engineer by career. he had doing everything by himself on that 13 songs. (covers of other artists)
lodie van staden thank you for reaching out and sharing your story !! Welcome to the channel !! V😎👍
One of my favourite songs of all time is Music by John Miles.
I can dig self taught musicians more than trained. They tend to be more from the heart. They arent just making a mathematical pattern. Their soul is bare. Not saying if you know what you are doing you have no soul, but feeling in music, to me, outshines a formula Any day.
Rico Bonifacio thank you brother !!
You are welcome my friend!
One of my favorite JJ songs is "You can't get what you want till you know what you want". Still though, I remember seeing "Steppin' Out" video on MTV's Greatest Hits quite often (one of the hosts was Paul King as far as I can remember) and I was totally hooked on his music, I truly liked the romantic atmosphere of this promo, a young couple dating in NYC... Excellent...
I think Vince Clarke is a genius.A Little Respect I think is a for me in the top ten pop of all time.
It is indeed!! I agree Robert!! V:-)
i remember when he was getting regular airplay on MTV back in the day.
I play a guitar a little bit, so piano always seemed to me like a "royal" instrument, the one for the elites (is it due to the size? I don't know). So, naturally, I am not familiar with many great pianists. So thank you for intoducing me to Joe Jackson, I might want to check out his discography. Those live versions of a song gave me goosebumps. It reminds me when rock bands do an acoustic version of their songs. In some cases acoustic version of a rock song can have the same impact, if not more, as a studio version. I guess it's like peeling of extra layers and getting to the core. If the core of a song is strong, it will work. Hell, even Megadeth did several their songs acoustic! Check it out here in RUclips, it's quite interesting.
Ok, I've wrote enough, thanks for the video!
P.S. Looking forward for more videos about piano greats!
Valery Boykov thank you for your kind reviews and I wish you all the best with your learning to play the piano !! Never stop learning !! It’s one of the most rewarding skills you will ever learn !! I’m glad you like the channel and please keep following because I will also be doing a lot of videos on piano tips for beginners !! V😎👍
@@VaughnGeorge I would love to learn a piano one day, I've heard it's easier if one already has some guitar skills, but at the moment I'm more interested in drums, honestly. Who knows, maybe someday, when living conditions and financial situation will allow it, I'll get into a piano also. There is always time to learn an instrument, piano, ukulele, whatever.
Valery Boykov it does not matter where you start, just start!! Learning one will make you more musical and make it easier to learn the next!!😎👍V
and thanks for your educated, tasteful reflection on Joe's thing.
if you have time and interest, will you give your thoughts on the aggressive , alternative synthetic rock of people like trent Reznor, prodigy and others that opened up the drab 90s-2000s.
Brilliant!
Thank you my friend! VG :-)
Sir, I think you are forgetting about "Is She Really Going Out With Him" which did garner a surprising amount of radio airplay at the time. It was the intersection of music videos and JJ that did introduce him to a far wider audience.
his first hit was "is she really going to out with him" from his 1at album "Look Sharp"
Steppin out used to play relentlessly in the early 80s....loved this song
Have you done any deep dives on Bruce Hornsby? Another beautiful piano player
From a JJ fanatic, Essential Albums:
Look Sharp
I'm The Man
Beat Crazy
Jumpin' Jive
Soundtrack to "Mike's Murder"
Night and Day
Big World
Body and Soul
Blaze of Glory
Laughter and Lust
Night Music
Heaven and Hell
Night and Day II
Rain
Fool
There's more greatness but these are the absolute must-haves. They represent a body of work unrivaled, in my opinion, by any living artist. Take time to savor each album. It is not hyperbolic to suggest that within this music are songs that rank amongst the finest ever written.
Great piano playing and vocals sir
Steppin out is just wonderful. I like it more and more each time I hear it. Really good choice for a song analysis. Have you heard Is she really going out with him? That's a really great song to play on piano and the middle 8 is incredible. I'm classically trained I did grade 5 up to grade 5 piano and theory and I still don't understand half of what the music theory is. You play a lot better then a some classically trained pianists I've seen. The thing is playing a song accurately is a skill but Ive found a lot of trained piano players struggle with the emotional weight that certain songs need.
Not quite sure that the fast version was for the industry and not intended by Joe Jackson. But it very well may be that the producer kind of did similar as George Martin on „Please, Please me“ where he had to persuade The Beatles to make a fast version in order to let it become a number one.
As in everything else, there is real music and then there is imitation, noise and just rubbish. Timeless music does not need fanatics and cults to outlive generations. It just is and one is immediately drawn to it, no matter the style. I suppose because art is true human heritage, some forms are just perfect and cannot be improved, no matter the age or technology. Its effect on us is often subliminal and innate but our recognition of beauty is there, even if at times we don't or don't want to acknowledge it. Millions of people flock each year to prominent historical landmarks, artefacts and classical performances of all genre, even though they may be centuries old.
And BTW, you are a gifted keyboard player. Academic papers can help but they are not a replacement for natural talent. Many, in spite of formal training, would kill to have that kind of confidence on a piano. Keep well.
Neon Light thank you so much for your kind words my friend and I am happy to have you in this community !!😎👍V
this probably isn't your cup of tea so no worries, but I feel like the new Rammstein record has a lot of nice electronic/synth parts. but I understand if that isn't something you'd want to touch upon on your channel. another interesting thing is Rammstein's cover of Stripped
Are u really a knight??
This Rammstein cover sucks, it's a total disgrace, I can't believe how DM allowed it
Hahahahaha yeah I did like their version of stripped !! Thank you for the suggestion!! V:-)
@@georgerobos6570 hahahaha you I also thought it was rather comical and I could mot take it seriously !! V-) Scooter also covered it!!
@@louisj2256 what do you mean?
Love me some Joe Jackson. So underrated. Did you hear Rain? That’s a great album.
Matthew Kelly hi mate I hope you’re well !! Yep I heard a few tracks and yeah very good !! His music has alway been very “grown up” to me.😎👍V
Yeah, he manages to be both fun and sophisticated at the same time. Also a real genre chameleon, he’s done a few albums that sound nothing like the previous one.
Matthew Kelly he is very Musical , almost to the point that his music goes over the average person’s head !! His music is certainly not for dumbasses !! Not to generalise but I’ve always found JJ fans are usually very bright and intelligent people !! I guess that includes YOU and I my friend !!😎👍V
Careful we’re getting dangerously close to /r/iamverysmart/ here ;) I thought that was the reserve of Dream Theater fans, lol.
Talking of "Rain" and being underrated just reminded me of the song of the same name by Martin Stephenson and the Daintees. A real shame that virtually nobody I know has ever even heard of them. There are a lot of other great songs by them too, including Nancy, Wholly humble heart, Boat to Bolivia, Crocodile cryer and There comes a time.
Thanks for making these videos. They're great. Would you consider making one about Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails?
It has been requested many times and I am studying it!! V:-)
Speaking of pop pianists.. any plans on doing an analysis on Ben Folds?
Great idea!! thank you!! V:-)
Steppin' out is a great song, but not really a representation of Joe Jackson's back catalog. It was more like Joe Jackson's new wavish one off. Almost how like "Money For Nothing" isn't a fair representation of Dire Straits. It was also a massive hit, way larger than chart performance would have you think. It was on heavy rotation and on many 80's mix tapes, like they used to make every year in the 80's. It was on way more main stream heavy rotation than DM ever had in the 80's, even People Are People (at least in North America). I guess only people who were listening to pop music back then understand that. Anyway, my point is while people your age "discovered" joe jackson years after his commercial peak, this song was so entirely ubiquitous that EVERYONE at least knew this song, if not really the name of the guy that made it. Kind of like the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star".
alexwestconsulting a great post !! Thank you for taking the time !! 😎👍V
What an exceptional video.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you ! VG :-)
Different for girls was a great track too
Peace ✌️ out people
It was indeed !! Thanks for your comment!! V;-)
Joe studied music at a high level (in London) and had vast knowledge of a wide range of music, including jazz, Latin and classical.