Andy Williams將獲Judy Garland終生成就獎

Andy Williams六月17日將在明尼蘇達州的Grand Rapids獲頒Judy Garland終生成就獎，Judy Garland出生於Grand Rapids，1969年意外因服安眠藥過量而去世（47歲），她1965年的時候曾上過Andy Williams主持的電視節目。


Judy Garland自1935-1954年是米高梅MGM電影公司的王牌歌舞片名星，其中最有名的是1939年的The Wizard Of Oz「綠野仙蹤」，她曾經嫁給導演Vincente Minnelli，他們的女兒就是繼承双親衣缽也相當有成就的Liza Minnelli。

Andy Williams是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第52名的1950-1960年代巨星，演唱過無數抒情歌曲，也主持過許多電視節目，他排行榜最後一首前10名的暢銷曲是1971年由Ryan O’Neal與Ali McGraw所主演的電影Love Story「愛的故事」的主題曲，曾獲得過第9名的（where do I begin）Love Story。



(Where Do I Begin) Love Story

Words by Carl Sigman, Music by Francis Lai



Where do I begin

To tell the story of how great a love can be

The sweet love story that is older than the sea

The simple truth about the love she brings to me

Where do I start



With her first hello

She gave new meaning to this empty world of mine

There never be another love, another time

She came into my life and made the living fine

She fills my heart



She fills my heart with very special things

With angels?songs , with wild imaginings

She fills my soul with so much love

That anywhere I go I never lonely

With her around, who could be lonely

I reach for her hand-it always there



How long does it last

Can love be measured by the hours in a day

I have no answers now but this much I can say

I know Il need her till the stars all burn away

And shel be there



How long does it last

Can love be measured by the hours in a day

I have no answers now but this much I can say

I know Il need her till the stars all burn away

And shel be there

由You Light Up My Life談起

電影製片與作曲人Joseph Brooks 1997年曾獲奧斯卡最佳電影歌曲與葛萊美年度歌曲二項獎，那都因他寫了You Light Up My Life這首歌，他於五月22日被發現死於紐約曼哈頓的家裡（73歲），Joseph曾陷入吸毒案，也被指控利用試鏡性侵13名女子，他兒子Nicholas去年12月也因與一位年輕女友的死有關而遭起訴。


拜DVD之賜，很多從前沒機會看的電影後來都很高興的搜集到了，尤其是裡頭有好歌的片子，You Light Up My Life「你照亮我生命」就是這樣一個例子，不過看完了只記得女主角Didi Conn是個小女生，她在錄音室由管弦樂隊伴奏試唱You Light Up My Life（不是Debbie Boone唱的）真是動聽，其它就毫無印象了。

Debbie Boone唱的You Light Up My Life在1977年曾連續10週獲得排行榜冠軍，她是鄉村歌星Red Foley的外孫女，父親是1950年代的巨星Pat Boone，當年她走紅之後曾與父親一同到台北演唱過，Debbie 1979年嫁給演員荷西法拉與另一位1950年代的名歌星Rosemary Clooney的兒子Gabriel Ferrer，Rosemary Clooney的姪子就是近年很紅的名演員喬治克隆尼。



You Light Up My Life

-Artist: Debby Boone

-Words and Music by Joe Brooks





So many nights I'd sit by my window

Waiting for someone to sing me his song

So many dreams I kept deep inside me

Alone in the dark but now you've come along



CHORUS

And you light up my life

You give me hope to carry on

You light up my days and fill my nights with song



Rollin' at sea, adrift on the water

Could it be finally I'm turnin' for home?

Finally a chance to say "Hey, I love you"

Never again to be all alone



CHORUS



'cause you, you light up my life

You give me hope to carry on

You light up my days and fill my nights with song



It can't be wrong

When it feels so right

'cause you?.you light up my life

Tommy James政壇往事

1968年的時候Tommy James曾經參加韓福瑞參議員Hubert Humphrey的總統競選團隊，5月27日他將於明尼阿波利斯為這位已故前美國副總統舉行的百年誕辰紀念會上發表感言，韓福瑞還是明尼蘇達州參議員的時候，曾為Tommy James 1969年的專輯唱片Crimson And Clover寫過推薦文。


Tommy James 1947年出生於俄亥俄州Dayton，12歲時就組了The Shondells合唱團，他們最早錄的Hanky Panky後來在匹茲堡走紅，James於是把當地的一個The Racoteurs合唱團改名為The Shondells一起合作，Tommy James And The Shondells成功的推出了不少暢銷曲，其中Crimson And Clover在1968年底曾經獲得2週冠軍，是一首唱來很特殊且很好聽的歌，在歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜，他們是第97名的一個1960年代知名團体，Tommy James 與The Shondells於1970年分手，James個人獨唱成績還可以，但The Shondells改名Hog Heaven只有一首Happy得過98名。



CRIMSON AND CLOVER

Tommy James & The Shondells

- written by Tommy James and Peter Lucia



Now I don't hardly know her

But I think I could love her

Crimson and clover



Ah

Well if she come walkin' over

Now I been waitin' to show her

Crimson and clover

Over and over



------ instrumental break ------



Yeah

My mind's such a sweet thing

I wanna do everything

What a beautiful feeling

Crimson and clover

Over and over



------ instrumental break ------



Crimson and clover, over and over (repeat to fade)

鄉村歌后Tammy Wynette的名曲

1975年的今天，結過五次婚的鄉村歌星Tammy Wynette的單曲Stand By Your Man在英國排行榜獲得冠軍，這首歌1968年即在美國推出，當年在鄉村歌曲排行榜得到過第3名，在流行歌曲排行榜則得到過第19名，是一首後來收進葛萊美鄉村歌曲名人堂的歌，1970年的電影Five Easy Pieces「浪蕩子」，曾經為傑克尼科遜首次贏得了奧斯卡獎最佳男演員提名，片中將Tammy Wynette的這首Stand By Your Man與D-I-V-O-R-C-E都收進去做插曲，其實這部電影的劇情環繞古典音樂世家，片名原文來自「Five easy piano pieces」這句子，Tammy Wynette唱來有點悲調的幾首鄉村歌曲的穿插，倒挺能描寫傑克尼科遜在劇中那所扮演那個角色的無奈 。




Tammy Wynette 1998年已因血癌去世（55歲），她從1967年至1976年共有20首歌在鄉村歌曲排行榜得到過第1名，外號The First Lady Of Country Music的她，名副其實是鄉村歌曲的第一夫人，我很喜歡她的歌。




Stand by Your Man    

Tammy Wynette

Sometimes its hard to be a woman

Giving all your love to just one man

You'll have bad times

And he'll have good times

Doing things that you don't understand

But if you love him you'll forgive him

Even though he's hard to understand

And if you love him

Oh be proud of him

'Cause after all he's just a man

Stand by your man

Give him two arms to cling to

And something warm to come to

When nights are cold and lonely

Stand by your man

And tell the world you love him

Keep giving all the love you can

Stand by your man

Stand by your man

And show the world you love him

Keep giving all the love you can

Stand by your man

資深R＆B 女歌手Etta James住院

黑人女歌星Etta James五月13 日宣告住院，她因為尿道感染引發敗血症而住進南加州醫院，去年年初她已經因類似問題住過院，現年73歲的她還患有白血病和老年癡呆症。


Etta James1938年出生於洛杉磯，是黑人R＆B 歌曲的開拓者之一，綽號Miss Peaches，想見當年是個小美人兒，她曾與1950年代著名的The Moonglows合唱團的主唱Harvey Fuqua合作，組了二重唱Etta＆Harvey，Etta James後來染上毒癮，一直到1970年代底才戒除。

Etta James作品很多，是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第305名的歌星，但她在黑人歌唱界更受歡迎，在黑人R＆B 歌曲歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第112名，直到1990年代她仍在歌壇演唱，她的一首曾在流行榜獲得第23名的歌Tell Mama，後來被收進搖滾樂名人堂，是她最受肯定的歌，2003年她並獲得葛萊美終身成就獎。



Tell Mama

Etta James



Your dogs ain't found a good girl,

One that love you and give you warning

Now you find that you been misused,

Well how many girls can think all right



She'd embarrass you anywhere,

She'd make her friends think that she didn't care

Give me the chance and I'd been begging

And I just want to take care of you and I want you to



Tell Mama, all about it, tell Mama, what you need

Tell Mama, what you want and how that girl does things all right

Let me hear you say "Yash"



The girl you had didn't have no sense,

she wasn't worth all the time you spent

Had another man kick you out the door,

now that same dude is wearing your clothes



Tell your Mama, what you want, tell your Mama, what you need

Tell your Mama, what you got to have

一首60年代尾的代表性歌曲

Spanky & Our Gang的創始成員、吉他手、主唱Nigel Pickering五月五日在佛羅里達州聖奧古斯丁因肝癌病逝（81歲），1929年在密西根州龐帝亞克出生的Nigel，1950年代就在密爾爾基組了一個 Westernaires合唱團，後來演變成三重唱Folksters，最後在芝加哥組成了Spanky & Our Gang，並與Mercury唱片公司簽了約，這個合唱團1967年的第一張專輯有三首top 40的暢銷曲，像Sunday Will Never Be The Same(#9), Making Every Minute Count (#31) 與Lazy Day(#14)都是很好聽的歌，1968年第二張專輯則有Sunday Mornin'(#30) 與Like To Get To Know You (#17)二首暢銷曲，但其中的一首叫Give A Damn的歌儘管被紐約城市聯盟用來促進種族和諧，但因被認為使用褻瀆之語言而遭到許多電台封殺，他們後來第三張專輯推出三張單曲都無法再超過85名，1968年底吉它手Malcolm Hale猝死，接著主唱Elaine Spanky McFarlane結婚、懷孕，終於使這個合唱團宣佈解散，Spanky於1980年代還當過The Mamas And Papas合唱團的主唱，而Nigel Pickering則繼續出唱片、演低成本電影、開餐廳，還結了五次婚，在他81歲的生日聚會，他還最後一次與Spanky合唱。
我很喜歡這個合唱團，他們具民謠風味的歌路，很能代表1960年代後期的流行歌曲。




SUNDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME

Spanky & Our Gang



Intro: singing la-da-da-da-da la-da-da-da-da-da la-da-da



I remember Sunday morning

I would meet him at the park

We'd walk toghether hand in hand

Till it was almost dark

Now I wake up Sunday morning

Walk along the lane to find

Nobody waiting for me

Sunday's just another day



REFRAIN



Sunday will never be the same

(Sunday will never be the same)

I lost my baby's heart

I must be back again (??)



Sunny afternoons that made me feel so warm inside

Have turned as cold and gray as ashes

As I feel the embers die

No longer can I walk these paths for they have changed

I must be home the sun is gone and I think it's gonna rain



REFRAIN



I remember children

Feeding flocks of pigeons

I remember sunshine and you were mine

But a-la-da-da-da-da la-da-da-da-da-da-dahhhh



REFRAIN



Fade while repeating "Sunday will never be the same"

母親節的歌

Paul McCartney和他交往四年的女朋友Nancy Shevell五月4日訂婚了，這將是McCartney第三次結婚，Nancy的第二次。


Marie Osmond五月4日則與前夫在拉斯維加斯的摩門教堂再婚，他們倆1982到1985曾在一起三年，後來因為“精神虐待”而離婚，Marie Osmond這一回跟29年前穿同樣牌子的結婚禮服參加婚禮。Marie的前夫Stephen Craig現年54歲，是一位前職籃球員，Marie與他有一個兒子Stephen已經28歲，51歲的Marie選擇五月4日與前夫復合，主要因為當天是她已故母親的生日，也是他養子Michael Bryan的忌日，Michael去年今日自殺身亡。

今天是母親節，推薦一首應景的歌，貓王Elvis Presley 1970年的現場演唱版The Wonder Of You當年獲得排行榜第9名，這張小唱片反面的歌Mama Liked The Roses是一首懷念已故母親的歌，我特別喜歡其中穿插的鐘聲，感覺使此曲聽來頗為不凡，有畫龍點睛的效果。



Mama Liked The Roses

Elvis Presley



Oh, mama liked the roses she grew them in the yard

But Winter always came around and made the growing way too hard

Oh, mama liked the roses and when she had the time

She'd decorate the living room, for all us kids to see

When I hear the Sunday bells ringing in the morning

I remember crying when she used to sing

Oh, mama liked the roses but most of all she cared

About the way we learned to live

And if we said our prayers



You know I kept the family bible

With a rose that she saved inside

It was pressed between the pages

Like it had found a place to hide



Oh, mama liked the roses in such a special way

We bring them every Mother's Day

And put them on her grave

Oh, mama liked the roses Mmmm

Mama liked the roses

Stevie Nicks有新專輯推出

前Fleetwood Mac合唱團的女主唱Stevie Nicks最近因流感和肺炎被醫生下令留在床上休養不准搭飛機，她因而取消了五月4日的一場在紐約為她所辦的餐會，也婉拒了“今天”和“早安美國”兩個電視節目的通告，她十年來推出的第一張專輯In Your Dreams也於本週二公開發行。


Stevie Nicks出生於美國亞利桑那州，在加州成長，她與吉它手Lindesy Buckingham於1975年初加入Fleetwood Mac，但直到1993年正式離團，她都同時出個人的唱片，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜上她是獲得292名的一位成績不錯的女歌手。

Stevie Nicks在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1981年7月底獲得6週第3名的Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around，這首歌是她與Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers合唱團所合唱的，而當時擋在這首歌前面讓它升不上去的歌是一首9週冠軍曲kim Carnes的Bette Davis Eyes。



Stop Draggin' My Heart Around



Baby you come knocking on my front door

Same old line you used to use before

I said, 'yeah, well what am i supposed to do?'

I didn't know what i was getting into



So you've had a little trouble in town

Now you're keeping some demon down

Stop draggin' my, stop draggin' my

Stop draggin' my heart around



It's hard to think about what you've wanted

It's hard to think about what you've lost

This doesn't have to be the big get even

This doesn't have to be anything at all



I know you really want to tell me good-bye

I know you really want to be your own girl



Baby, you could never look me in the eye

Yeah, you buckle with the weight of the words

Stop draggin' my, stop draggin' my

Stop draggin' my heart around



There's people running 'round loose in the world

Ain't got nothin' better to do

Than make a meal of some bright-eyed kid

You need someone looking after you

I know you really want to tell me good-bye

I know you really want to be your own girl



Baby, you could never look me in the eye

Yeah, you buckle with the weight of the words

Stop draggin' my, stop draggin' my

Stop draggin' my heart around

Stop draggin' my heart around

Lady Gaga將做Elton John之子的教母

1979年的今天(5/1)Elton John是第一個在以色列開唱的西洋流行歌手，三個星期後，他也是第一個在前蘇聯巡迴演唱的個人歌手。


Elton John最近表示：他計劃做兒子的親子鑑定，以確定他或他的同性伴侶大衛誰是孩子的親生父親，他還透露，嬰兒的母親每天以母乳餵小孩，Lady Gaga將當男孩的教母。

Elton John與David都參加了四月29日英國威廉王子與凱蒂的世紀婚禮。

Elton John是歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜第3名的超級巨星，在唱片銷售記錄統計出的這個排行成績僅次於貓王Elvis Presley與The Beatles合唱團，當年威廉王子的母親戴安娜王妃因車禍去世，Elton John在喪禮中重唱1973年老歌Candle In The Wind，現場版後來在排行榜上獲得14週冠軍。

Candle In The Wind原是紀念瑪麗蓮夢露的老歌，1973年錄音室版在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜穫得第347名，1987年重新推出曾獲得過第6名。



Candle In The Wind

Elton John



Goodbye Norma Jean

Though I never knew you at all

You had the grace to hold yourself

While those around you crawled

They crawled out of the woodwork

And they whispered into your brain

They set you on the treadmill

And they made you change your name



And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never knowing who to cling to

When the rain set in

And I would have liked to have known you

But I was just a kid

Your candle burned out long before

Your legend ever did



Loneliness was tough

The toughest role you ever played

Hollywood created a superstar

And pain was the price you paid

Even when you died

Oh the press still hounded you

All the papers had to say

Was that Marilyn was found in the nude



Goodbye Norma Jean

From the young man in the 22nd row

Who sees you as something as more than sexual

More than just our Marilyn Monroe





Candle In The Wind 1997

Elton John

Music by Elton John/Lyrics by Bernie Taupin



Performed at Princess Diana's funeral, Saturday September 6, 1997.



Goodbye England's rose

May you ever grow in our hearts

You were the grace that placed itself

Where lives were torn apart

You called out to our country

And you whispered to those in pain

Now you belong to heaven

And the stars spell out your name



And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in

And your footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills

Your candle's burned out long before

Your legend ever will



Loveliness we've lost

These empty days without your smile

This torch we'll always carry

For our nation's golden child

And even though we try

The truth brings us to tears

All our words cannot express

The joy you brought us through the years





And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in

And your footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills

Your candle's burned our long before

Your legend ever will





Goodbye England's rose

May you ever grow in our hearts

You were the grace that placed itself

Where lives were torn apart

Goodbye England's rose

From a country lost without your soul

Who'll miss the wings of your compassion

More than you'll ever know





And it seems to me you lived your life

Like a candle in the wind

Never fading with the sunset

When the rain set in

And you footsteps will always fall here

Along England's greenest hills

Your candle's burned out long before

Your legend ever will