Here we go with another round of “name this tune”.
I banged out what I believe to be a recognizable chunk of it in a MIDI editor (the tempo is slightly off in places):
It’s done in close harmony with a fairly standard backbeat behind it. Can’t get enough of the lyrics to google it but something, at some point, about “wanna change the world”, I think?
Sufficiently popular to provoke some astonishment that I don’t “just know” the name of it. Pop music, standard fare.
That would be Waiting On the World to Change by John Mayer. As far as I know it’s the 1st single from his latest album (Continuum - a pretty good one) and ABC has been using in promos for Brothers and Sisters I think (the Sally Field ; Ally McBeal show on Sundays).
Amazon has a sample, somewhere on this page (World to Change )
Nope, not it.
The thing I’m talking about is more in the “smooth jazz” / “supermarket pop” genre, and the chords you hear in my MIDI rendition are sung in close harmony by male vocalists.
And it’s been around for a few years although I couldn’t tell you how many.
It bears some vague resemblance to Free Bird. (Skynard) Could that be it?
I may be culturally deprived, but I’m not quite so culturally deprived that I don’t know Free Bird when I hear it. And I wouldn’t describe Free Bird as close harmony, all things considered.
I’m talking harmony like you’d get from Crosby Stills and Nash (it ain’t them though).
OK, I put a bit more effort into the MIDI. Please listen again. C’mon, folks. I’ve seen people post in here describing a tune as “you know, it starts off diddle deely da loo da loo” and get nailed on that basis. I’m sure someone ought to be able to give me some auditory recognition here.
I have no idea, but you might get more people willing to guess if you’re not snarky to those who you think are guessing wrong.
Oh, I suppose.
Here’s Free Bird. Here’s the song I’m trying to get identified. You hear any similarities?
Hmm…oddly enough, now that I’m listening to them both, I’m thinking I do owe Liberal an apology. OK, there’s more resemblance than I’d originally thought. Actually a lot more. (oops).
Sorry, Liberal. No, that ain’t it.
I got Free Bird too, but there’s something else vaguely familiar about this tune, too. Damned if I can place it. I hauled my daughter out here to listen (she being the pop music queen around here) and she said it didn’t sound familiar to her.
Sorry. We tried.
I think I know it!!!
“Just Another Day” by Jon Secada
It’s track uno on this album, but it doesn’t play the chorus part. The link here doesn’t either. Neither does the Barnes & Noble clip. Neither does the iTunes preview. Dammit! I’m still convinced this is the song though. Check the links and see if any of the parts that do play are recognizable, at least.
And the lyrics can be found here, if the words can ring any bells. The chorus is the part that starts “I … I don’t want to say it/I don’t want to find another way/Make it through the day without you.”
Thanks for trying.
Here’s the portion of the MIDI that I think had words “La la la la change the world”. “I don’t want to change the world” or something like that.
Don’t forget: harmony. At least 3 dudes singing in harmony. Male singers. Not Crosby Stills and Nash but that kind of harmony.
Yes!!!
That’s it!
Thank you!
Ha, I thought your previous comment was referring to my post. I was thinking, “Well, if it isn’t ‘Just Another Day,’ Jon Secada should totally sue.”
Glad to be of help. I’ve never correctly guessed one of these before!
Nevermind 
(That wasn’t my guess anyway)
Your first link (above-quoted), in the RealPlayer version only (the Windows Media Player link is of a different selection), contained enough of the chorus to confirm it 
And the “close harmony” is via background vocalists, not multiple primary vocalists.
Well, dangit, it’s not like I had the damn CD to play and listen to at my leisure, just heard fragments in the damn grocery store. “Hey, what’s that song?”
And by God, I get “perfect pitch” credits, dammit! I’m in the same freaking key as the actual song! (by pure accident of course, but still)
Of course, if I had been thinking properly, I could have just posted a link to the video.
A quick excursion to the iTunes Music Store later and…
What I constructed in MIDI as a facsimile of what I remembered hearing.
Many many appreciative kudos to Lisa-go-Blind for knowing what she knows when she hears it.