More Than a Feeling

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"More Than a Feeling"
Song

"More Than a Feeling" is a song by the rock band Boston, released in 1976. The song, an example of compound AABA form, is on the band's first self-titled album, Boston, and is also on its Greatest Hits CD release, as well as many various artist compilations of 1970s rock classics. The song peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is also a staple of worldwide classic rock radio. Its majestic sound blends acoustic and electric guitar work, catchy riffs, tightly arranged feedback-tinged guitar solos, soaring vocals and ethereal harmonies. It is the band's most popular song, though some of today's Boston fans have commented on the large portion of radio time the song receives, possibly overshadowing other Boston songs. "More Than a Feeling" took writer Tom Scholz 5 years to write [citation needed] and in the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, "More Than a Feeling" ranked #500.[1] Furthermore, in March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 76 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Song Information

The verses are in the key of D major, and the refrain is in the key of G major.

The Book of Rock Lists suggests that the chorus riff may itself be a subtle homage to the Kingsmen's classic, "Louie Louie". This riff is again referenced in the Nirvana single "Smells Like Teen Spirit". The descending verse riff is also similar to the hook from "Badge" by Cream.

According to a poll conducted by British music magazine Q, "More Than a Feeling" is #2 of pop songs that respondents were too embarrassed to admit that they liked. Oddly enough, this song did not appear on 8-track. Instead they opted for an 8 1/2-track for their "real" fans.

Scholz credits "Walk Away Renee" by The Left Banke as the main inspiration for "More Than a Feeling".[2]

Cover versions

  • Pop group *NSYNC covered the song on the international version of their European debut album, *NSYNC.
  • Australian DJs The Stafford Brothers recreated the song to turn it into a dance track with a number of remixes.
  • Ingram Hill, a rock band from Memphis, Tennessee, performed a cover of this song for the soundtrack of Herbie: Fully Loaded, a Walt Disney Pictures movie released in 2005.
  • Canadian singer Sylvain Cossette did a cover of this song on his album 70's
  • Pacific Northwest band Sleater-Kinney covered "More Than a Feeling" for 1996 compilation Move into the Villa Villakula (Villa Villakula Records).
  • "Weird Al" Yankovic parodied the song as "More Than a Filling", but this parody was unreleased.

Sampling, references in other songs, etc.

  • A dance track sampling the song, "Totally Hooked" was released in 2005 by DJ Peter Presta.
  • The song "Totally Hooked" by DJ Peter Presta contains a sample of "More Than A Feeling".
  • The Australian band Hunters & Collectors made heavy use of the riff from "More Than A Feeling" in their song "Holy Grail"[citation needed].

Use in popular culture

As "More Than a Feeling" is often recognized as an iconic song in the history of music it has been featured in a number of films and serials to date.

Film

  • When the single was originally released in 1976, a promotion performance video was filmed for the song. That video occasionally pops up on The VH1 Classic Network and can be found on YouTube.
  • A very brief snippet of the song can be heard early in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It is emanating from a car pulling up to a McDonald's as the UFO-caused power outage hits.
  • In John Hughes's 1988 film, She's Having a Baby, the song plays in the background during a ten-second flashback to when Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern met, evoking (along with the clothes depicted) the late 1970s.
  • In the outro to the 2007 film, Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters, the singer cites the song as being "the world's greatest song".

Television

  • The song appeared on the TV sitcom Scrubs on episode 9 of season 5 "My Half-Acre" with Turk and the Janitor's air-band called the Cool Cats performing it at the end of the episode.
  • On the HBO drama The Sopranos episode 24, "House Arrest", Tony suffers a panic attack at a trash hauler's gathering while the song plays. Also played on the last few minutes of the series finale as Tony picks this song from a diner booth jukebox as he waits for Carmela, Anthony Jr. and Meadow.
  • On Aqua Teen Hunger Force, "More Than a Feeling" was declared the "Ultimate Song" by Aqua Teen neighbor Carl Brutananadilewski.
  • On the first episode of the second series of the BBC Three show Nighty Night, it was played.
  • On the pilot episode of Knights of Prosperity, "More Than a Feeling" is the first thing heard on the alarm clock radio opening the episode.
  • An episode of Beavis and Butthead showed them watching the video for Silverchair's "Tomorrow". As soon as they heard the opening riff, which sounded like the intro for "More Than a Feeling", they started singing parts of the latter song, then concluded that it was stupid.
  • The song has appeared in TV commercials, including on a 1980's ad for Schlitz beer in the UK and a cover version on an Australian Just Jeans ad in 2007. Currently on Mediaset Premium pay tv.
  • In the Showtime series "Brotherhood"; "More Than A Feeling" is played at an important moment in the season 1 finale at the wedding reception.
  • "More than a Feeling" was also featured in an episode of Criminal Minds.
  • The Wire features the song in the second episode of the show's fifth season. After Police Det. Jimmy McNulty finds his car in a lot and starts it, the song begins. He then realizes one of the tires is flat and begins kicking the car, with the song continuing.

Music

  • Comparisons between the song have been made to Nirvana's 1991 hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit". Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain even noted the similarity. And during a live performance of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" at the Reading Festival in 1992, bassist Krist Novoselic sang the chorus of "More Than A Feeling" as a statement that the band were tired of playing it live.
  • The Foo Fighters almost covered it at the show recorded for their live DVD Skin and Bones but decided against it with the reason being 'This isn't a tribute band'. Dave Grohl said he was 'this close' to 'busting into "More Than a Feeling"' in the middle of their song "See You".
  • Funeral for a Friend placed the song on their compilation album Back to the Bus, with Matt citing it as a "benchmark... in regards to song writing".

Video games

Politics

In February 2008, Scholz wrote to Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, requesting him to stop performing the song at public appearances. Huckabee, an amateur bassist, was reported to have been regularly playing the song, sometimes with former Boston band member Barry Goudreau. In his letter, Scholz told Huckabee: "While I’m flattered that you are fond of my song, I’m shocked that you would use it and the name Boston to promote yourself without my consent. Your campaign’s use of "More Than a Feeling", coupled with the representation of one of your supporters as a member "of Boston", clearly implies that the band Boston, and specifically one of its members, has endorsed your candidacy, neither of which is true."[4]

References

  1. ^ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time : Rolling Stone
  2. ^ More Than a Feeling : Rolling Stone
  3. ^ Guitar Hero - Music
  4. ^ " 'More Than a Feeling'" Writer Says Mike Huckabee Has Caused Him 'Damage',", Rolling Stone website, February 14, 2008.
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