Jessy Dixon與Phoebe Snow

一個演唱福音歌曲的合唱團Jessy Dixon Singers的領隊Jessy Dixon，9月26日在故鄉芝加哥去世（73歲），他曾與Paul Simon合作過二張專輯唱片，一度也受雇擔任過象棋唱片公司的主奏吉它手，Jessy Dixon Singers的歌聲在Paul Simon 與 Phoebe Snow合唱的1975年暢銷曲Gone At Last當中可以聽到，這首歌是Paul Simon的專輯唱片Still Crazy After All Thess Years當中的一首單曲，曾獲得第23名。


Phoebe Snow 1952年出生於紐約，是一位民歌手，她的Poetry Man曾獲排行榜第5名，是她的成名曲。

（Phoebe Snow已於4月底因腦溢血併發症去世，請參考4月23日我在本布落格寫的稿）



Gone At Last



The night was black, the roads were icy

Snow was fallin', drifts were high

And I was weary, from my driving

And I stopped to rest for awhile

I sat down at a truck stop

I was thinking about my past

I've had a long streak of that bad luck

But I'm praying it's gone at last



[CHORUS:]

Gone at last, gone at last

Gone at last, gone at last

I had a long streak of bad luck

But I pray it's gone at last

Oo,oo,oo...



I ain't dumb

I kicked around some

I don't fall too easily

But that boy looked so dejected

He just grabbed my sympathy

Sweet little soul now, what's your problem?

Tell me why you're so downcast

I've had a long streak of bad luck

But I pray it's gone at last



[CHORUS]

The Ides of March的喇叭手去世

The Ides of March的喇叭手John Larson 9月22日因癌症引起的併發症，不幸於印地安納州的Warsaw去世（61歲），他於1960年代後期加入The Ides of March，他喇叭的吹奏在Vehicle這首歌當中可以明顯聽到，紀念John Larson的活動預訂11月舉辦。


The Ides of March是來自芝加哥的搖滾樂團，團名摘自沙莎士比亞的作品Julius Caesar，他們唯一Top 40的暢銷曲就是這首Vehicle，這首歌1970年獲得過第2名。



VEHICLE

THE IDES OF MARCH



Hey well

I'm a friendly stranger in a black sedan

Won't you hop inside my car.

I got pictures, got candy

I'm a loveable man

And I can take you to the nearest star.

I'm your vehicle baby

I'll take you anywhere you wanna go.

I'm your vehicle woman

But I'm not sure you know

that I love ya

I need ya

I want ya,

got to have you child,

Great God in heaven you know I love you.

Well if you want to be a movie star

I'll get a ticket to Hollywood.

But if you want to stayjust the way you are

You know I think you really should.

I'm your vehicle baby

I'll take you anywhere you wanna go.

I'm your vehicle woman

But I'm not sure you know

that I love ya

I need ya

I want ya,

got to have you child,

Great God in heaven you know I love you.

Hey well

I'm a friendly stranger in a black sedan

Won't you hop inside my car.

I got pictures, got candy

I'm a loveable man

And I can take you to the nearest star.

I'm your vehicle baby

I'll take you anywhere you wanna go.

I'm your vehicle woman

But I'm not sure you know

that I love ya

I need ya

I want ya,

got to have you child,

Great God in heaven you know I love you.

And I'm your vehicle babe.

you know

I love ya

I need ya

I want ya,

got to have you child,

Great God in heaven you know I love you.

Barry Manilow國會遊說

Barry Manilow九月十五日在美國眾議院進行遊說，希望能增加心臟病研究的基金，Barry Manilow九月十三日說他因心房纖維顫動有問題導致心律不整，他希望他的聲音能成為為加強認識這種病的醫療而進行的活動方案的一部份。


Barry Manilow 1943年出生於紐約布魯克林，是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜排第75名的巨星，除演唱外也擅長鋼琴及作曲，他曾在著名的紐約茱莉亞音樂學院就讀，1972年擔任Bette Midler伴奏，後來還當Bette前二張專輯唱片的製作人，他因替百事可樂、State Farm保險公司、麥當勞等大客戶寫廣告歌及客串演唱而知名，後來唱了不少動聽的歌，是流行歌壇頂尖的抒情歌手。

Barry Manilow有Mandy、I Write The Songs、Looks Like We Made It三首排行榜冠軍曲，但是我最喜歡他1978 年第11名的歌Ready To Take A Chance Again，這首歌是Goldie Hawn歌蒂韓與Chevy Chase西維蔡斯聯合主演的喜劇片Foul Play「小迷糊闖七關」的插曲，全劇開始不久，歌蒂韓在舊金山郊區參加朋友的派對後遶著山路開車回市區，背景就是配上這首歌，然後開始令人笑破肚皮的劇情，當年看過後始終回味無窮，也特別喜歡這首歌，推薦這首歌給你，也推薦給你這部很棒的老片。



Ready To Take A Chance Again



Words by Norman Gimbel and Music by Charles Fox



You remind me I live in a shell

Safe from the past and doin' okay but not very well

No jolts, no surprises, no crisis arises

My life goes along as it should

It's all very nice, not very good





CHORUS

And I'm ready to take a chance again

Ready to put my love on the line with you

Been livin' with nothing for show for it

You get what you get when you go for it

And I'm ready to take a chance again with you





When she left me, in all my despair

I just held on, my hopes were all gone

Then I found you there



CHORUS



CHORUS



And I'm ready to take a chance again

Ready to take a chance again with you

With you

Archie Bell告老東家

R＆B合唱團 Archie Bell＆The Drells的主唱歌手Archie Bell ， 9月6日在休士頓控告費城國際唱片公司和它們的老闆-唱片製作人Kenny Gamble與Leon Huff，指控他們未付1970與1980年代他所錄製的唱片的版稅。


Archie Bell＆The Drells是以1968年的連續二週冠軍曲Tighten Up成名的R＆B合唱團，原屬Atlantic唱片公司旗下，1977年轉Philadelphia International Records費城國際唱片公司，但歌唱事業已走下坡。

Archie Bell 1944年出生於德州Henderson，他與The Drells合唱團在R＆B歌曲的歷年暢銷歌星合唱團排行榜名列第263名，成名曲Tighten Up被收進搖滾樂名人堂，在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得265名。

Tighten Up

Archie Bell and the Drells



Hi everybody. I'm Archie Drell and the Drells from Houston, Texas. We don't

only sing but we dance just as good as we walk. In Houston we just started a

new dance called the Tighten Up. This is the music we tighten up to.



First tighten up on the drums. Come on now drummer. I want you to tighten

it up for me now. oh yeah

Tighten up on that bass now. Tighten it up. ha ha Yeah

Now let that guitar fall in. Oh yeah

Tighten up on that organ now.



Ya, do the tighten up. Yeah now.

I said if you can do it now,

It sure would be tough.



Now look here. Come on now. Make it mellow.



Let's tighten up now. Do the tighten up.

Everybody can do it now. So let's do it.

We're gonna tighten up. Let's do the tighten up.

You can do it now. So baby get to it.



Let's do your left now. Let's do your right.

You can do it. But don'tcha just do it light.

Come on and tighten up. Tighten it up now.



Come on now drum. Tighten it up.

Tighten up that bass. Oh yeah

Now look here. I want that guitar to fall in on that.

Tighten it up now. Oh yeah

Now tighten it up organ.

There everybody, tighten it up.



Now look here. We gonna make it mellow for ya now.

We gonna make it mellow now.

Tighten up. You can tighten up.

桃樂絲黛年近90還有新專輯問世

現年已80多歲的影歌雙棲巨星Doris Day桃樂絲黛最近創一新記錄，她是英國專輯唱片排行榜能以新作品進入前10名的最老的藝人，Doris Day的新專輯My Heart最近進入英國排行榜獲得第9名。


Doris Day本名Doris Kappelhoff ，1922年出生於俄亥俄州的辛辛那提，她以「鄰家女孩」的受歡迎形象演過39部電影，出過29張專輯唱片，她主演的電影Pillow Talk「枕邊細語」曾獲奧斯卡金像獎提名，後來得到金球獎，2008年她也獲葛萊美終生成就獎，在搖滾樂流行之前的1948-1954年, Doris Day有32首排行榜暢銷曲，其中有Love Somebody、A Guy Is A Guy、Secret Love三首冠軍曲。

Doris Day在搖滾樂流行的1955年之後的排行榜中名次最好的歌是1956年連續三週第2名的Whatever Will Be ，Will Be（Que Sera，Sera），這首歌是Doris Day桃樂絲黛與James Stewart詹姆士史都華主演的電影The Man Who Knew Too Much「擒兇記」插曲，也是當年奧斯卡金像獎最佳電影歌曲，希區考克的這部片子是電影中的經典，桃樂絲黛的這首插曲更是令當代的影迷永難忘懷。



QUE SERA, SERA

 Jay Livingston and Ray Evans


When I was just a little girl,

I asked my mother, "What will I be?

Will I be pretty?

Will I be rich?"

Here's what she said to me:



"Que sera, sera,

Whatever will be, will be;

The future's not ours to see.

Que sera, sera,

What will be, will be."



When I was just a child in school,

I asked my teacher, "What will I try?

Should I paint pictures"

Should I sing songs?"

This was her wise reply:



"Que sera, sera,

Whatever will be, will be;

The future's not ours to see.

Que sera, sera,

What will be, will be."



When I grew up and fell in love.

I asked my sweetheart, "What lies ahead?

Will we have rainbows

Day after day?"

Here's what my sweetheart said:



"Que sera, sera,

Whatever will be, will be;

The future's not ours to see.

Que sera, sera,

What will be, will be."



Now I have Children of my own.

They ask their mother, "What will I be?"

Will I be handsome?

Will I be rich?"

I tell them tenderly:



"Que sera, sera,

Whatever will be, will be;

The future's not ours to see.

Que sera, sera,

What will be, will be.

Que Sera, Sera!"

Neil Diamond將三度結婚

Neil Diamond9月7日和他的經紀人Katie McNeil宣佈訂婚，Neil希望歌迷們給他祝福，Neil Diamond現年70歲，這將是他第三度結婚，Katie 幫Neil Diamond製作過2009年記錄片Neil Diamond: Hot August Night NYC，也幫Heart、 Public Enemy 與Motley Crue這些合唱團製作過記錄片。


Neil Diamond還有其他好消息，他9月7日同時宣布12月4號他將到甘迺迪中心與其他四人一同獲獎，在華盛頓的頒獎儀式之前，Neil Diamond將會與歐巴馬總統見面，活動錄影12月27日將於CBS電視網播出，而12月3日國務院將會先頒發獎章。

Neil Diamond 1941年出生於紐約，是一位Pop-rock歌手、吉它手與多產作曲人，1960年代中期他為The Monkees的電視影集寫歌而嶄露頭角，1980年他還主演過電影The Jazz Singer「吾父、吾愛、吾子」，表現還不錯，他是1966-1986年全美最受歡迎的男歌星，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第25名。

適逢中秋佳節，我們一同回憶Neil Diamond 1979年第17名的歌September Moon，也祝大家中秋節快樂。



SEPTEMBER MORN

Neil Diamond

Written by Neil Diamond and Gilbert Becaud



Stay for just a while

Stay, and let me look at you

It's been so long, I hardly knew you

Standing in the door

Stay with me a while

I only wanna talk to you

We've traveled halfway 'round the world

To find ourselves again



September morn

We danced until the night became a brand new day

Two lovers playing scenes from some romantic play

September morning still can make me feel that way



Look at what you've done

Why, you've become a grown-up girl

I still can hear you crying

In a corner of your room

And look how far we've come

So far from where we used to be

But not so far that we've forgotten

How it was before



September morn

Do you remember how we danced that night away

Two lovers playing scenes from some romantic play

September morning still can make me feel that way

Connie Stevens 於多倫多獲表揚

1960年代早期走紅的影、視、歌三棲女藝人Connie Stevens 與當年的加拿大籍偶像歌手Bobby Curtola，九月4日在多倫多學院街的義大利名人走道一共六人同獲表揚。


Connie Stevens 1938年於紐約布魯克林出生，因為在電視影集Hawaiian Eye「夏威夷之眼」中演一位歌星Cricket Blake而出名，也演過很多電影，在Debbie Reynolds與Elizabeth Taylor之後嫁給男歌星Eddie Fisher，以演戲為主的她，在流行歌壇也有幾首受歡迎的歌，如：Kookie Kookie（Lend Me Your Comb）、Sixteen Reasons及Mr.Songwriter，其中名次最好的歌是1960年第3名的Sixteen Reasons，這首歌非常好聽，是1960年代早期由女聲所唱出最具代表性的流行曲。



Sixteen Reasons



One)

The way you hold my hand

(Two)

Your laughing eyes

(Three)

The way you understand

(Four)

Your secret sighs

They're all part of sixteen reasons why I

(Why I)

Love you



(Five)

The way you comb your hair

(Six)

Your freckled nose

(Seven)

The way you say you care

(Eight)

Your crazy clothes

That's just half of sixteen reasons why I

(Why I)

Love you



(Nine)

Snuggling in the car

(Ten)

Your wish upon a star

(Eleven)

Whispering on the phone

(Twelve)

Your kiss when we're alone



(Thirteen)

The way you thrill my heart

(Fourteen)

Your voice so neat

(Fifteen)

You say we'll never part

(Sixteen)

Our love's complete

Those are all of sixteen reasons why I

(Why I)

Love you



(Sixteen reasons)

Why I

(Why I)

Love you

王子違約遭罰巨款

紐約地方法院的法官9月2日判處Prince要賠將近400萬美元給一家香水公司，這家公司以Prince的形象與音樂開發出一種古龍水，但Prince一直沒有配合當初承諾的促銷推廣。


Prince原名Prince Roger Nelson，1958年出生於明尼蘇達州的Minneapolis，父親是Prince Roger Trio三重唱的領隊，所以替兒子取了Prince Roger這名字，Prince 能唱歌、作曲、玩多種樂器，也擔任唱片製作人，他屬於天才型的音樂人，初中時代即組了Grand Central樂隊，1978年出第一張專輯唱片，後來還在Purple Rain「紫雨」、Under The Cherry Moon、Sign “O” The Times、Graffiti Bridge等幾部電影擔綱演出，他的合唱團叫The Revolution及The New Power Generation，他也培養出Wendy＆Lisa、Shelia E、Apollonia 6與Vanity等1980年代走紅歌手及團体。

Prince是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第17名的巨星，2004年獲選入搖滾樂名人堂，他一共有5首排行冠軍、3首第2名、3首第3名的歌，其中最有代表性的是1984年獲得5週冠軍的When Doves Cry，這首歌在滾石雜誌歷年最受歡迎的500首歌曲榜獲得第52名。



When Doves Cry

Prince



Dig if u will the picture

Of u and I engaged in a kiss

The sweat of your body covers me

Can u my darling

Can u picture this?



Dream if u can a courtyard

An ocean of violets in bloom

Animals strike curious poses

They feel the heat

The heat between me and u



How can u just leave me standing?

Alone in a world that's so cold? (So cold)

Maybe I'm just 2 demanding

Maybe I'm just like my father 2 bold

Maybe you're just like my mother

She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)

Why do we scream at each other

This is what it sounds like

When doves cry



Touch if u will my stomach

Feel how it trembles inside

You've got the butterflies all tied up

Don't make me chase u

Even doves have pride



How can u just leave me standing?

Alone in a world so cold? (World so cold)

Maybe I'm just 2 demanding

Maybe I'm just like my father 2 bold

Maybe you're just like my mother

She's never satisfied (She's never satisfied)

Why do we scream at each other

This is what it sounds like

When doves cry



How can u just leave me standing?

Alone in a world that's so cold? (A world that's so cold)

Maybe I'm just 2 demanding (Maybe, maybe I'm like my father)

Maybe I'm just like my father 2 bold (Ya know he's 2 bold)

Maybe you're just like my mother (Maybe you're just like my mother)

She's never satisfied (She's never, never satisfied)

Why do we scream at each other (Why do we scream, why)

This is what it sounds like



When doves cry

When doves cry (Doves cry, doves cry)

When doves cry (Doves cry, doves cry)



Don't Cry (Don't Cry)



When doves cry

When doves cry

When doves cry



When Doves cry (Doves cry, doves cry, doves cry

Don't cry

Darling don't cry

Don't cry

Don't cry

Don't don't cry

藝人第二代力爭上游

Sonny ＆ Cher變性的兒子Chaz Bono將在美國ABC電視網下一季的"Dancing With The Stars"「與明星共舞」節目中參加競賽，這個消息是8月30日公佈的，而the Mamas & the Papas合唱團的John Phillips 與Michelle Phillips的女兒Chynna Phillips也會參加這個節目的比賽，下一季的「與明星共舞」將在9月19日開始播出。


Sonny Bono於1988-1992年當過加州棕櫚泉市的市長，1994年還當選眾議員，可惜1988年滑雪失事喪生（62歲），不過已是好萊塢繼雷根、阿諾、克林伊斯威特等人之外又一藝人從政成功的例子。

John Phillips於2001年因心臟病去世（65歲），他女兒Chynna Phillips與the Beach Boys合唱團的主要團員Brian Wilson的兩個女兒Carnie及Wendy 1990年代初期曾合組Wilson Phillips女聲三重唱，在歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜還擠進前500名（472名）她們有3首排行榜冠軍曲：Hold On、Release Me及You’re In Love，其中Release Me成績最好（這首歌與Englebert Humperdink1967年第4名的Release Me並非同一首歌），在1990年曾連續二週獲第一名。



Release Me

Wilson Phillips



I know that it's time for a change

Mmm but when that change comes

Will you still feel the same?



How many times have I tried to turn this love around?

I don't want to give up

But baby it's time I had two feet on the ground

Can you release me

Can you release me

Now that you're gone I can't help myself from wondering

Oh, if you'd have come down from your high

Would we've been all right?

Release me

Can you release me


Chorus:

Come on baby, come on baby

You knew it was time to just let go

'cause we want to be free

But somehow it's just not that easy

Come on darlin', hear me darlin'

'cause you're a waste of time for me

I'm trying to make you see

That baby you've just got to release me

Release me

Release me

I'm not going back to you anymore

Finally my weakened heart is healing though very slow

So stop coming around my door

'cause you're not gonna find

What you're looking for



(chorus)



What is this power you've got on me

What is this power, oh

What is it,what is it



(chorus)



Release me

Will you release me

Ah...release me

Will you release me