CONDUCTOR: Heather Waid
PIANIST: Chris Shlagel
BASS: Nathan Chung
PERCUSSION: Andrew Enberg
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: Heather Waid
MANAGING DIRECTOR: Emily Pérez
CONCERT PRODUCER: Jessilee Windhaus
SOUND ENGINEER: John Bologni
HOUSE MANAGER: Sadie Jeffries
Pop Stars
Alana Pinsler
Ali Charlesworth
Alyssa Al-Jamea
Anita Singha
Bianca Fernandez y Garcia
Brianna Loughlin
Camille Alcala
Carolyn McCarthy
Denise Delmatier Theisen
Genevieve Carreon
Kimaya Gokhale
Laura Streeper
Lisa Epstein
Marybeth Bizjak
Peter Hansell
Regina Funk-Nelson
Sara Sturtevant
Sarah Scott
Sally Evey
Stephanie Hoekman
Teresa Koro
Tresa Edmunds
Traci Hukill
Vedrana Novosel
Yolanda Cuesta
Artistic Director’s Note
Two years ago, almost to the day, we had just completed an exciting rehearsal for our Anthems concert here in this same venue, and I remember standing around afterward with our managing director, Emily Perez, and our concert producer, Jessilee Windhaus, discussing the looming COVID-19 situation and what our contingency plans for the concert would be. By the next morning, it no longer mattered as all large gatherings were immediately prohibited, and we had to deal with the disappointment of not getting to perform our show that we’d all worked so hard on with our largest choir to date. Two LONG years later, we’re back at the Clunie Center for One Hit Wonders, and I think it’s safe to say all our pent-up energy of wanting to sing has come through with this fun concert we’ve put together for you. Being able to sing together was one of the things I missed most during these last couple of years, and though it’s been a long road to get here, I’m so grateful that we are finally able to make music together again, and for our choir members’ willingness to follow safety protocols that enabled us to resume our rehearsals. If you’ve missed singing, or have thought about trying your shower-singing skills out in front of an audience, I hope you’ll consider joining us for our Golden State session beginning at the end of this month. Besides having a great time singing, the community of the group is one of the most rewarding aspects of belonging to Empire Pop Choir, which I know is something a lot of us have yearned for during this time. We’re so excited to present One Hit Wonders to you tonight. Enjoy the show!
Heather Waid
Pop Choir Artistic Director
PROGRAM NOTES
“Rhythm of the Night”
Written by: Diane Warren
Arranged by: Kirby Shaw
“Rhythm of the Night” launched the career of songwriting powerhouse Diane Warren in 1985. The song was released by the Motown label in conjunction with the Motown film The Last Dragon which helped boost its popularity. Shaking with 80s pop synth DeBarge’s big hit continues to be the antidote you need to dance off the craziness of the world.
“Sh-Boom”
Written by: James Keyes, Carl Feaster, Floyd McRae, Claude Feaster, and James W. Edwards
Arranged by: Patsy Ford Simms
"Sh-Boom" (sometimes referred to as "Life Could Be a Dream") is an early doo-wop song by the R&B vocal group The Chords. It is sometimes considered the first doo-wop or rock 'n' roll record to reach the top ten on the pop charts (as opposed to the R&B charts), as it was a top-10 hit in 1954! The song has been covered multiple times including German-language covers, a ham commercial and a spoof poking fun of Marlon Brando.
“Nothing Compares 2 U”
Written by: Prince
Arranged by: Heather Waid
"Nothing Compares 2 U" is a song written and composed by Prince for his side project, The Family; the song featured on their eponymous 1985 debut album. The song's lyrics explore feelings of longing from the point of view of an abandoned lover. In 1989, Irish singer Sinéad O'Connor recorded a version of the song for her second studio album, I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got. It was released as the album's second single in early 1990 and became a worldwide hit. The song also received critical acclaim. Bill Lamb wrote that O'Connor's "emotional, gutsy performance made it a classic. Painful loss meets stunning vocal beauty with a perfectly understated instrumental arrangement.” Our a capella version pays homage to the spare beauty of heartbreak.
“No Rain”
Written by: Blind Melon
Arranged by: Heather Waid
“No Rain” was written predominantly by Blind Melon bassist Brad Smith who was inspired by a girlfriend who struggled with depression. The music video for “No Rain” featured a little girl dressed in a bee costume wandering through Los Angeles feeling isolated and lonely. At the end of the video she finds a group of “bee people” and joins that dancing joyfully in a green field. This song is for the weirdo in all of us, longing to find our place in the world.
“I’m Gonna be” (500 Miles)
Written by: Craig Morris Reid and Charles Stobo Reid
Arranged by: Heather Waid
Soloists: Peter Hansell and Alana Pinsler
Originally recorded and released in 1988, the song's success was initially limited mostly to the United Kingdom and Australia. Later in 1993, it was included as one of the main themes of the 1993 American romantic comedy film Benny & Joon starring Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson; subsequently, it rocketed to the Billboard Top 100. Other notable pop culture moments for the song include Matthew's flash mob proposal to April in "Readiness Is All", the ninth season episode of ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy and the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother's Season 2 Episode 17, "Arrivederci, Fiero". The song was established as Marshall Eriksen's favorite song and his choice for road trips. If it was good enough for Marshall, it’s good enough for us!
INTERMISSION
“It’s Raining Men”
Written by: Paul Shaffer and Paul Jabara
Arranged by: Greg Gilpin
Soloists: Denise Delmaltier Theisen and Tresa Edmunds
Fun fact: “It’s Raining Men'' was co-written by Late Show with David Letterman bandleader Paul Shaffer. The song was originally written for Donna Summer who rejected it as “blasphemous” and the first in a line of singers who rejected it, including Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand and Cher. It was eventually performed by a group originally named “Two Tons”. They subsequently changed their name to “The Weather Girls” after the press and fans continually got confused about the intro section of the song. This one hit wonder has proven its staying power as a gay anthem and has racked up multiple rankings as a LGQTIA Pride essential from Billboard and Rolling Stone Magazine.
“Bad Day”
Written by: Daniel Powter
Arranged by: Alan Billingsley
Daniel Powter’s “Bad Day” became a very good one when his song rocketed to success after American Idol decided to use it as the “goodbye song” for departing contestants. Oh, how bittersweet to have your number one hit as the soundtrack to young singers’ crushed dreams! “Bad Day” is also notable as being part of the shift away from CDs to digital downloads; it was downloaded over 3 million times! And last but not least, this distinguished song has been on the Billboard Hot 100 not once but twice! In 2008 the Chipmunks did a cover of this song, pushing it back on the charts.
“Take on Me” as recorded by Pentatonix
Written by: Pal Waaktaar, Magne Furuholmne and Morton Harket
Arranged by: Roger Emerson
Soloist: Camille Alcala
What exactly “Take on Me” means remains a mystery for the ages, but it’s no secret that this song is only getting more popular! The innovative and bizarre animated music video (synopsis: boy-meets-girl-and-is-chased-by-men-with-wrenches) for the song averages 480,000 views per day and is one of a handful of songs from the 20th century to approach the 1 billion views mark. With musical references as diverse as synth pop and “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” “Take on Me” is truly a wonder to hear. For more information on this song's bonkers history, check out this 2019 article from the L.A. Times.
“MMMBop”
Written by: Jordan Hanson, Zachary Walker Hanson and Clarke Hanson
Arranged by: Stephen DeCesare
"MMMBop" is a song written and performed by the American pop rock band Hanson. It was released on April 15, 1997, as the lead single from their debut full-length studio album, Middle of Nowhere (1997). The song was nominated for two Grammys at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
Zac Hanson was 11 years old when MMMBop was released and described the song's inspiration thusly at the advanced age of 18; “What that song talks about is, you've got to hold on to the things that really matter. "MMMbop" represents a frame of time or the futility of life. Things are going to be gone, whether it's your age and your youth, or maybe the money you have, or whatever it is, and all that's going to be left are the people you've nurtured and have really built to be your backbone and your support system.” Enjoy the song while we’re singing it ‘cause in an MMMBop it’s gone!
“Closing Time”
Written by: Dan Wilson
Arranged by: Heather Waid
"Closing Time" is a song by American rock band Semisonic. It was released on March 10, 1998, as the lead single from their second studio album, Feeling Strangely Fine, and began to receive mainstream radio airplay on April 27, 1998. The ballad was written by Dan Wilson and produced by Nick Launay. While the song is about people leaving a bar at closing time, and widely interpreted as such, drummer Jacob Slichter has also indicated that the song was written by Wilson "in anticipation of fatherhood" and that it is about "being sent forth from the womb as if by a bouncer clearing out a bar”. With this song we send you forth from the womb of our concert; you don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here!
COME SING WITH US NEXT TERM!
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