民歌手Melanie先生去世

1970年代的民歌手Melanie的先生Peter Schekeryk10月27日因心臟病不幸去世，當時他們倆是在麻薩諸塞州的Framingam購物，Melanie與Peter Schekeryk已經結縭44年，Melanie是四天後和兒子Beau-Jarred於Framingam一同演出時向現場聽眾宣佈這個消息的。
Melanie出生於紐約的Queens，是一位流行民歌作曲與歌手，曾經幫The New Seekers寫過一首動聽的Look What They’ve Done To My Song Ma，她自己則有Lay Down(Candles In The Rain)和Brand New Key二首排榜前十名的歌，後者並於1971年得到三週排行榜冠軍。

BRAND NEW KEY
Melanie

I rode my bicycle past your window last night
I roller-skated to your door at daylight
It almost seems like you're avoiding me
I'm okay alone, but you got something I need

Well, I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key
I think that we should get together and try them out you see
I been looking around awhile
You got something for me
Oh! I got a brand new pair of roller skates
You got a brand new key

I ride my bike, I roller skate don't drive no care
Don't go too fast, but I go pretty far
For somebody who don't drive
I been all around the world
Some people say, I done all right for a girl

Oh, yea yea, oh, yea yea yea, oh yea yea yea yea yea yea

I asked your mother if you were at home

Joan Baez與We Shall Overcome

11月中有二位昔日歌壇巨星的消息，先是11月17日Joan Baez因為從她加州Woodside家中的樹屋摔下地而被送進史丹佛大學附屬醫院，好在狀況不嚴重已回家休養，Joan Baez住了一個夏天的這樹屋因而要拆了。
另外11月18日Smokey Robinson也因病住院，本來20日要在芝加哥舉行的一場演唱會亦不得不取消，11月19日是芝加哥市與伊里諾州的「Smokey Robinson日」。
Joan Baez現年已69歲，是一位傑出的民歌作曲家與歌者，她出生於紐約的Staten島，母親是墨西哥人，1950年代晚期她就讀波士頓大學的時候，就積極參與政治運動，1959年她於新港音樂節首次公開演出，後來就漸漸從傳統民歌轉而唱流行民歌，她是對Bob Dylan歌唱生涯影響最大的人。
Joan Baez在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1971年獲第3名的The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down，但是1963年的現場演唱版We Shall Overcome雖然只得過第90名，但卻是一首全世界最有名的抗議歌曲。

WE SHALL OVERCOME

Words and Music by Zilphia Hart., Frank Hamilton, Guy Carawan and Pete Seeger

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand,
We’ll walk hand in hand, some day.
Oh, deep in my heart,I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We are not afraid,
We are not afraid, We are not afraid, today

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

We shall overcome,
We shall overcome,
We shall overcome, some day.

Oh, deep in my heart,
I do believe
We shall overcome, some day.

我高中同學 孫大偉

前一陣子從報紙上看到孫大偉心臟病發住院的消息，心想人邁入中年後工作之外也要注意身体保養，直到最近他去世後，陸續看到更多的媒体報導，心想他是不是我的同學呀？因為先發現介紹他的書『該生素質太差：孫大偉的成績單』有講到是他羅東高中的英文老師當年給他的評語，後來又看到他出生屏東的資料，我才確定他就是我的高中同學，而且倆人生日只差五天，都是射手座。高中畢業之後各人走不同的路，雖然我也先在廣告圈工作過，才轉節目製作、有線電視…，但因他退伍後才讀大學，出社會較晚，倆人從沒碰到過，沒想到他走了才想起，人生真是奇妙。
根據報載資料孫大偉在羅東高中寄讀很短一段時間，太久了，真的想不起來他是那年、那學期和我們同學過？但還清楚記得他能說善道，他可以把在屏東眷村和學校的事講得精彩絕倫，後來他能在廣告界佔有一席之地，我回憶起來也不意外了。
我們高中三年有三位英文老師，包括一位女老師，二位男老師，年紀較大的男老師還兼導師，年輕一些的就是我九月26日介紹電影「吾愛吾師」插曲To Sir With Love的時候提到的那位林老師Paul Lin，不曉得是那位老師給他該生素質太差的評語？不過那都不重要了，因為孫大偉後來在人生的旅程上所呈現出的成績證明他的素質不差，只是高中時期還沒想通而已。
講死亡的搖滾樂最經典的是Blood Sweat And Tears所唱的And When I Die，這首歌說：「雖然我走了，但會有一個小孩再生，在這個世上繼續我的…」，Blood Sweat And Tears是由Al Kooper所領銜組團的著名爵士搖滾樂團，在1960年代後期到1970年代中期與Chicago合唱團齊名，但他們的歌更有爵士味，在排行榜的成就自然與Chicago比較商業的走向無法相比，And When I Die是Blood Sweat And Tears在1969年曾獲得第二名的歌，就以此曲送給廣告才子---我高中同學孫大偉！這也正是我們在羅東高中同學時期流行的西洋歌曲。

And When I Die

I'm not scared of dying,
And I don't really care.
If it's peace you find in dying,
Well then let the time be near.
If it's peace you find in dying,
And if dying time is here,
Just bundle up my coffin'
Cause it's cold way down there.
I hear that its cold way down their.
Yeah, crazy cold way down their.

Chorus:
And when I die, and when I'm gone,
There'll be one child born
In this world to carry on,
to carry on.

Now troubles are many, they're as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell.
Swear there ain't no heaven and I pray there ain't no hell,
But I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell.
Yes only my dying will tell.
Yeah, only my dying will tell.

Chorus

Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me,
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally.
Oh I want to go naturally.

Here I go,
Hey Hey!
Here comes the devil,
Right Behind.
Look out children,
Here he comes!
Here he comes! Hey...

Don't want to go by the devil.
Don't want to go by demon.
Don't want to go by Satan,
Don't want to die uneasy.
Just let me go naturally.

and when I die,
When I'm dead, dead and gone,
There'll be one child born in our world to carry on,
To carry on.
Yeah, yeah...

另外一首經典torch song

說起torch song還有另外一首由Lenny Welch所唱紅的Since I Fell For You，Lenny Welch是一位來自紐澤西州的黑人抒情歌手，他所唱的這首Since I Fell For You在1963年曾獲得過排行榜第3名，並且在1967年重新發行過，Since I Fell For You與上次介紹由Aaron Neville所唱的Tell It Like It Is是詮釋unrequited or lost love即單相思或逝去的戀情的torch song『傷心情歌』最經典的二首歌，這首歌最早由Harptones（1954）唱過，後來還有Laura Lee（1972）、Charlie Rich（1976）與Hodges,James＆Smith（1977）重唱，但以Lenny Welch所唱的這一版最有韻味。

Since I Fell For You

When you just give love, and never get love,
you'd better let love depart.

I know it's so, and yet I know,
I can't get you out of my heart.

You made me leave my happy home.
You took my love, and now you've gone,
since I fell for you ...

Love brings such misery and pain.
I guess I'll never be the same,
since I fell for you ...

Well it's too bad, and it's too sad,
but I'm in love with you ...

You love me, then you snub me.
But what can I do, I'm still in love with you.

Well, I guess I'll never see the light.
I get the blues most every night,
since I fell for you ...

Since I fell for you.

Aaron Neville的經典 torch song

11月12日有一則流行歌壇喜訊，那就是男歌手Aaron Neville與女攝影師Sarah Friedman結婚了，Aaron的前妻於2007年去世，他們在一起生活了48年。
Aaron Neville來自紐奧良，是The Neville Brothers這個節奏與藍調家族合唱團的主唱歌手，Aaron Neville在1990年與Linda Ronstdat合作的Don’t Know Much與All My Life是二首令人難忘的動聽情歌，但Aaron Neville早在1966年就有一首收進Grammy名人堂的歌Tell It Like It Is，是他最成功的作品，英文講一段單相思或逝去的戀情的情歌，有用torch song來形容的，那來自習慣用語carry a torch for someone，而Aaron Neville所唱的Tell It Like It Is就是其中公認最經典的一首torch song，這首歌獲得滾石雜誌500大歌曲排行第381名。
Aaron Neville原係一位碼頭工人，他的這首有點紐奧良爵士風的R＆B情歌推出後，常有人告訴他：「我和我老婆因這首歌而結婚」、「我和我老婆因這首歌而破鏡重圓」...，Tell It Like It Is於1981年由搖滾樂團Heart重新翻唱曾獲排行第8名。

Tell It Like It Is

Words and Music by George Davis and Lee Diamond

If you want something to play with
Go and find yourself a toy
Baby, my time is too expensive
And I'm not a little boy

If you are serious
Don't play with my heart, it makes me furious
But if want me to love you
Then, baby, I will, girl, you know I will

Tell it like it is
Don't be ashamed to let your conscience be your guide
But I-I-I-I-I know deep down inside of me
I believe you love me, forget your foolish pride

Life is too short to have sorrow
You may be here today and gone tomorrow
You might as well get what you want
So go on and live, baby, go on and live

Tell it like it is
I'm nothin' to play with, go and find yourself a toy
But I-I-I-I-ITell it like it is
My time is too expensive
And I'm not your little boy

FADEMm mm,
tell it like it is

David Cassidy酒駕被逮

民國六十年代曾經以「歡樂滿人間」之名在中視播出過的電視影集The Partridge Family TV Series，是很多四、五年級朋友們的很美好的回憶，這個The Partridge Family合唱團的主要人物David Cassidy，11月3日在佛羅里達州的聖露西郡被逮捕，他住在該州的羅德岱堡（當年中華青少棒隊常去比賽的地方），David辯稱他只在午餐時喝了一杯酒，然後因背痛就離去，但酒測結果超過標準值很多，他甚至無法直線行走，在他車內還找到喝了半瓶的波本酒，David Cassidy第二天早晨被罰了350塊錢後被釋放。
The Partridge Family TV Series是1970至1974 年在美國及全世界都極受歡迎的電視影集，劇情介紹一個家庭合唱團的巡迴演出生涯，主唱David Cassidy是男演員Jack Cassidy的兒子，而其繼母Shirley Jones也在劇集中與David同台演出，因為電視影集的大受歡迎，The Partridge Family在那幾年也有I Think I Love You、Doesn’t Somebody Want To Be Wanted、I’ll Meet You Half Way等這些排行榜TOP 10的歌，其中名次最好的是他們的成名曲：1970年連續三週獲得過排行榜冠軍的I Think I Love You。

I Think I Love You
The Partridge Family

I'm sleeping
And right in the middle of a good dream
like all at onceI wake up
>From something that keeps knocking at my brain
Before I go insane
I hold my pillow to my head
And spring up in my bed
Screaming out the words I dread:
"I think I love you!" (I think I love you)

This morning, I woke up with this feeling
I didn't know how to deal with
And so I just decided to myself
I'd hide it to myself
And never talk about it
And didn't I go and shout it
When you walked into my room.
"I think I love you!" (I think I love you)

I think I love you
So what am I so afraid of?
I'm afraid that I'm not sure of
A love there is no cure for
I think I love you
Isn't that what life is made of?
Though it worries me to say
I've never felt this way

Believe me
You really don't have to worry
I only want to make you happy
And if you say,
hey, go away, I will
But I think better still
I ought to stay around and love you
Do you think I have a case?
Let me ask you to your face:
Do you think you love me?
I think I love you!

搖滾樂手John Hall眾議員連任失利

11月2日的美國期中選舉，共和黨在眾議院獲得大勝，而在民主黨落選名單裡有一位競選連任的前搖滾樂團Orleans的主唱John Hall，他在2006年當選紐約州眾議員，沒想到連任失利，可見他的從政之路不如當年在流行音樂圈順遂。
Orleans是於紐約組團的一個Pop-rock合唱團，從1975到1982年有四首排行榜Top40的歌，其中Dance With Me在1975年得過第6名，Still The One在1976年得過第5名。
John Hall是Orleans創團時的主唱歌手與吉它手，但他於1977年即離團而去。

Still The One

Orleans
words and music by John Joseph Hall and Johanna D. Hall

We've been together since way back when
Sometimes I never want to see you again
But I want you to know, after all these years
You're still the one I want whisperin' in my ear

You're still the one -- I want to talk to in bed
Still the one -- that turns my head
We're still having fun, and you're still the one

I looked at your face every day
But I never saw it 'til I went away
When winter came, I just wanted to go (wanted to go)
Deep in the desert, I longed for the snow

You're still the one -- that makes me laugh
Still the one -- that's my better half
We're still having fun, and you're still the one
You're still the one -- that makes me strong
Still the one -- I want to take along
We're still having fun, and you're still the one (yes you are)

Changing, our love is going gold
Even though we grow old, it grows new

Unchained Melody的故事

1990年11月3日，The Righteous Brothers的Unchained Melody這首歌，在錄製完成25年後，終於在英國獲得了排行榜冠軍，Unchained Melody這首歌由詞曲搭擋Alex North 和 Hy Zaret所作，是已故的男演員Patrick Swayze主演的電影Ghost「第六感生死戀」當中的插曲，這首歌最早在1955年由Les Baxter推出，也曾是一部由美式足球名將Elroy”Crazy Legs”Hirsch所主演的電影Unchained當中的插曲，曾經獲得二週排行榜冠軍，後來有不同語言的五百多種版本灌唱過，是二十世紀最多歌星灌唱過的歌之一，The Righteous Brothers的這版，雖然因「第六感生死戀」在1990年再度走紅，但在美國的排行榜上最高得只過第4名（1965）。
Les Baxter是一位樂團領隊與編曲者，也寫過超過250首的廣播、電視與電影歌曲，如1953年得過第2名的April In Portugal就是最有名的一首演奏曲，他與他的樂團在1956年推出的The Poor People Of Paris曾獲得六週排行榜冠軍，Les Baxter於1996年一月15日因心臟病去世（73歲）。

Unchained Melody

Oh, my love, my darling,
I've hungered for your touch a long, lonely time,
Time goes by so slowly and time can do so much.
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love, God speed your love to me.

Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea
To the open arms of the sea
Lonely rivers sigh, "Wait for me, wait for me"
"I'll be coming home, wait for me!

Are you still mine?I need your love,
I need your love, God speed your love to me