Here's a clue for you all
In the old days, if you wanted to play along with a song, you had to have both an acoustic guitar (it meant that you were a protest singer) and a steady hand - Raymond Baxter in his latter days of presenting Tomorrow's World would never have been able to drop the stylus right on the salient bit of the solo to Hotel California again and again over time, for instance. Strikes me that Laughing Len is inordinately helpful in Halleluah. Here's what he says -
I heard there was a secret chord
that david played and it pleased the lord
but you don't really care for music, do you
well it goes like this the fourth, the fifth
the minor fall and the major lift
the baffled king composing hallelujah.
Not since "How strange the change, from major to minor" has there been more helpful songwriterly advice as to what's coming next. The Buzzcock's "Tricky guitar solo!" doesn't count.
Has anyone else left clues in a "how to do it" fashion within their songs? Apart from The Damned and their "this is a 'G'" insert sleeve on that elbun that had New Rose on it.
Yes, it is a bit of a quiet evening, why do you ask....?
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I'm reluctant in the extreme...
..to admit I know this, but that fascinating Genesis hit ABACAB
is the arrangement key to the song A/ verse B/Chorus C/Middle Eight (or "other bit" as we technical types call it)
So that's how "can't be arsed, mate" they were.
Ben Vaughn
The much underrated and criminally ignored Ben Vaughn shouts out the chords in the chorus of Rhythm Guitar from the classic "Mood Swings".
Tubular bells
Dont know whether it counts but an obvious one is the finale of Tubular Bells where every conceivable instrument is introduced and then plays the melody - everyone: 'two slightly distorted guitars'
Hot Poop
Andy Fairweather Low must surely win this one hands down with his song Hot Poop which consists of him singing the chord structure of the song.
And I quote - D, 2 of them, A 2 of them, E minor to A, G back to D and on to the end where we have - D there's even more of them, D a whole bunch of them, D my god there's more of them, Hot Poop I think there's more of them - for 3 and a half minutes.
It's a pity I don't have a guitar any more, this is better then my Bert Weedon Play In A Day book.
Danny Wilson...
Changed their key - from minor to major - in 'Pleasure to Pleasure' in rather obvious homage to Mr Porter, but a nice little song nonetheless.