In the 32nd edition of Music Lifts (2023), weโre uplifted by iconic Philly soul collective, The Stylistics, performing, โThe Miracle.โ
Welcome to Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐, a column that seeks to highlight songs that encourage, inspire, and uplift the spirit; songs that exude fortitude, positivity, and resolve, even in the face of adversity.ย Featured songs arenโt genre-specific; songs may or may not be faith-based. The goal is for these songs to make you feel better โ be LIFTED to new heights!ย So, for the 32nd edition of Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐ (2023), we highlight ๐ต โThe Miracleโ as performed by ๐ The Stylistics.
โThank God for the miracle / You belong to me.โ ๐ ๐ต โThe Miracleโ is one of many stunning songs by the iconic soul collective, ๐ The Stylistics. ย Underrated compared to the Philly soul groupโs more renowned hits, โThe Miracleโ is a gem, nonetheless. It graces the final album where ๐ Russell Thompkins, Jr. and company collaborated with the late, great ๐ผ โ ๐ Thom Bell. Thematically, ย The Stylistics, once skeptical of the miraculous happenings of life, become believers, thanks to finding that special somebody in their lives ๐.ย โI used to think that time was just a thing to pass away / Love was just the game that children play / God was just another word to say,โ the second verse goes, later confirming the paradigm shift, โNow I believe, I believe / Miracles can be / And in my song, I thank God / You belong to me.โย
It is the belief in miracles, and the positive vibes that earns โThe Miracleโ a spot on Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐.ย Besides the theme, the singing, the musical underpinnings, and the arrangement and production make โThe Miracleโ triumphant too.ย Harmonically, there are some marvelous chord changes that go beyond simple, standard chords.ย This adventurous, innovative approach helps The Stylistics navigate numerous modulations (key changes) seamlessly.ย Beginning in the key of E, the collective serves up modulations to A, C, F, Db, Gb, G, and Ab in that sequence ๐ค. Ear-catching is an understatement regarding โThe Miracleโ. So, how did I arrive at this gem from The Stylisticsโ 1974 album, ๐ฟ Heavy? Thanks to ๐ Shareefa, who samples the classic on her 2006 R&B gem, ๐ต โCry No Moreโ, a vibe in its own right. Be lifted by the miraculous vibes of ๐ต โThe Miracleโ!
๐ The Stylistics โข ๐ฟ Heavy โข ๐ท Amherst โข ๐ 1974
The Stylistics, โThe Miracleโ: Music Lifts ๐ถ ๐ No. 32 (2023) [๐ท: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Amherst; cottonbro studio, Itzel Sandoval, Neeraj Nagdeve via Pexels]
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