"This Will Be Our Year"

Backdated, archival post

[link to original on tumblr]

---&---

Last night it struck me that I hadn't tried figuring out the trombone parts in "This Will Be Our Year" for a long time (I think I tried maybe two or three years ago but didn't get anywhere).  I've been practicing trombone everyday for almost two months now, so I've gotten better (although I'm still pretty bad), and I thought I'd give it a go.

This is only the part during the first bridge (although I did play through the first verse with piano and bass), but the longer it goes on, the more unsure I am about it.  I don't know how many trombones are in the original (the 40th anniversary concert would suggest three), but I have four - two for each part.

I find it interesting though that the first part is chromatic (D#, D, C#), and - if I have it correct - it splits into thirds for the quotation in the lyrics, the "'Darling, I love you' / You gave me faith to go on."

According to the Zombie Heaven liner notes, this was arranged by Ken Jones, the Zombies' producer during their Decca days.  I'm wondering how much involvement the Zombies themselves had because that three-note chromatic phrase is typical of their writing.  Did they stick it in themselves, or was that Jones' emulating their style?  Also, since it was arranged by Jones and played by session players, I'm assuming that somewhere there exists the written arrangements, which I would love to see.