靈魂歌手Fontella Bass 去世

1965年以熱門排行榜第4名暢銷曲Rescue Me成名的黑人靈魂女歌手Fontella Bass12月26日不幸因心臟病去世（72歲），Fontella 12月2日就在聖路易心臟病發。

Fontella Bass 童年時就跟母親一同在Clara Ward聖歌合唱團演唱，少女時代他因在俱樂部演出而獲經紀人Oliver Sain 青睞，並邀他去幫藍調歌手Little Milton伴唱，後來她抓住機會從代班歌手變成成了正牌歌手。

1965年Fontella Bass前去芝加哥，經過Chess唱片公司的測試，他開始與Bobby McClure搭檔出唱片，他們的Don't Mess Up A Good Thing得到熱門排行榜第33名，在靈魂歌曲排行榜則得到第5名，她在這家公司一共出了八張唱片，後六首歌都是他個人的作品，但因 Rescue Me這首歌版稅的問題，Fontella對唱片事業一度很失望，他與先生喇叭手Lester Bowie搬到巴黎，在那兒還出了二張專輯，1972 年開始半退休。

1990年Fontella Bass又告American Express未經同意在電視廣告用了Rescue Me，要求五萬美元的賠償。

Rescue Me這首歌在靈魂歌曲排行榜得過4週冠軍，也是電影「修女也瘋狂」的插曲之一，歌迷們應該還有印象。

 

Rescue Me

Fontenella Bass

(C. Smith - R. Miner)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwt3kr0_l6I

Verse 1:

Rescue me

Take me in your arms

Rescue me

I want your tender charm

'Cause I'm lonely

And I'm blue

I need you

And your love too

Come on and rescue me

Chorus 1:

Come on, baby, and rescue me

Come on, baby, and rescue me

'Cause I need you by my side

Can't you see that I'm lonely

Verse 2:

Rescue me

Come on and take my heart

Take your love and conquer every part

'Cause I'm lonely

And I'm blue

I need you

And your love too

Come on and rescue me

[repeat chorus 1]

[repeat intro]

[repeat verse 1]

Chorus 2:

(Come on baby)

Take me baby (take me baby)

Hold me baby (hold me baby)

Love me baby (love me baby)

Can't you see I need you baby

Can't you see that I'm lonely

Chorus 3:

Rescue me

Come on and take my hand

C'mon, baby and be my man

'Cause I love you

'Cause I want you

Can't you see that I'm lonely

Chorus 4:

Mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm)

Mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm)

Take me baby (take me baby)

Love me baby (love me baby)

Need me baby (need me baby)

Mmm-hmm (mmm-hmm)

Can't you see that I'm lonely

 

鄉村歌唱界的盲歌星Ronnie Milsap

很多暢銷歌曲的創作構想與啟發來自教堂，作曲人Archie Jordan替Ronnie Milsap所寫的1978年冠軍曲What A Difference You've Made In My Life就是一個例子。

Archie表示：在一次聖經研討課結束後，一位學員站起來做見證，那人說他感覺上帝如陽光般日夜照亮他，給了他很不平凡的生命…，這個想法刺激Archie想去探討有多少人有相同的看法。

Archie覺得其實不需要直接談上帝，談談夫妻與小孩也不錯，而且這個構想到第二天早上起床時還在他腦海中，於是他決定開始寫這首歌。

當Ronnie Milsap開始錄這首歌之前，他只要Archie Jordan改了一點歌詞，為了求好，Ronnie與Archie 還有志一同的在錄音的時候擔任鍵琴伴奏。

Ronnie Milsap於1977年11月19日推出What A Difference You've Made In My Life，二個月後在鄉村歌曲排行榜獲得冠軍，那是他第九首鄉村歌曲排行榜冠軍曲。

Ronnie Milsap1943年出生於北卡羅萊納州Robbinsville，天生即雙眼失明，但極具音樂天份的他12歲即能玩多種樂器 ，自1973至2000年，Ronnie Milsap在鄉村歌曲排行榜一共有63首暢銷曲，其中有35首獲得過冠軍。

Ronnie Milsap在鄉村歌唱界的成績，就如同流行歌唱界的黑人盲歌星Stevie Wonder一般受歡迎。

 

What A Difference You've Made In My Life

Ronnie Milsap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSVy5HrFGbs

What a difference you've made in my life,
What a difference you've made in my life
You're my sunshine day and night.
Oh, what a difference you've made
In my life.

[Orchestral Interlude]

What a change you have made in my heart,
What a change you have made in my heart,
You've replaced all the broken parts.
Oh, what a change you have made...

In my heart.

Love to me was just a word in a song
That had been way over-used.
But now I've joined in the singing
Cause you've showed me love's true meanin'
That's why I want to spread the news.

What a difference you've made in my life,
What a difference you've made in my life,
You're my sunshine day and night
Oh, what a difference you've made...

In my life.

[Orchestral Interlude]

What a difference you've made in my life
)Listen to me)
What a differencer you've made in my life,
You're my sunshine day and night
Oh, what a difference you've made
Yeah.

What a difference you've made in my life,
What a difference you've made in my life
You're my sunshine day and night...
Oh, what a difference you've made....

Yeah.... yeah,
Yeah, yeah -h - h

What a difference you've made in my life
What a differnce you've made in my - y - y life
You're my sunshine day and night
Oh, what a difference you've made
Oh what a difference you've made

In my life - e - e

 

席塔琴大師Ravi Shankar去世

對歐美流行歌壇很有影響的印度樂手Ravi Shankar於12月11日在聖地牙哥去世（92歲），Ravi Shankar  1960年代因席塔琴藝在歐美流行歌壇走紅，甚至當年二場歷史性流行音樂盛會蒙特婁與伍茲塔克音樂節都有他的演出，Ravi Shankar 有二個女兒Anoushka Shankar 與 Norah Jones都在流行音樂圈，其中Norah Jones於2002年獲Grammy最佳新人獎，在歌唱與影視界很受歡迎。

Ravi Shankar成名與前披頭合唱團團員George Harrison很有關係，1965年經由The Byrds合唱團團員David Crosby介紹，George Harrison認識席塔琴大師Ravi Shankar，並且在披頭合唱團的電影Help的配樂裡開始用席塔琴，後來還在專輯唱片Rober Soul裡的Norwegian Woo d（This Bird Has Flown）用席塔琴伴奏，讓西方音樂界開始注意到席塔琴與Ravi Shankar。

1968年當披頭合唱團還未解散前，George Harrison 還出了一張個人的專輯唱片Wonderful Music，這張以演奏為主的專輯融合印度與西洋音樂，在吉它大行其道的1960年代後期讓歌迷們耳目一新 。

Norwegian Woo d（This Bird Has Flown）在1966年錄製後並未推出單曲，但於滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第83名，是一首在搖滾樂歷史中很重要的歌。

 

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

The Beatles

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvTnX-KzmTY

 

I once had a girl Or should I say she once had me

She showed me her room Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay And she told me to sit anywhere

So I looked around And I noticed there wasn't a chair
I sat on the rug biding my time Drinking her wine

We talked until two and then she said "It's time for bed"

She told me she worked In the morning and started to laugh

I told her I didn't And crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke I was alone This bird had flown

So I lit a fireIsn't it good Norwegian wood?

Southern Nights的故事

許多歌手會唱別人的歌，例如Glen Campbell 1977年的冠軍曲Southern Nights就是一個例子。

Glen Campbell回憶：我在Jimmy Webb家裡找歌，我當時問他有沒有別人唱的而他很喜歡的歌，Jimmy Webb就在唱機上放一首Allen Toussaint的Southern Nights給我聽…。（Jimmy Webb是一位知名作曲家，Glen Campbell的名曲By The Time I Get To Phoenix、Wichta Lineman與Galveston都是他的作品）

Glen Campbell後來寄了一個拷貝給他的製作人Gary Klein，Gary說他也喜歡這首歌但不懂歌詞的含意。

Gary Klein 最後替Glen Campbell版的Southern Nights做了一段很好聽的開場，這小小的改變讓Southern Nights這首歌登峰造極。

Glen Campbell的Southern Nights在1977年元月底進入鄉村歌曲排行榜，在3月19日獲得冠軍，這是Glen Campbell第39首鄉村歌曲排行榜暢銷曲，也是第5首冠軍曲，這首歌同時也獲得流行歌曲排行榜軍曲。

Glen Campbell是四座Grammy獎的得主，但去年宣佈患了阿茲海默症，以致記憶漸漸喪失，令歌迷們不勝唏噓。

GLEN CAMPBELL
"Southern Nights"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wOUFo4Lwf8Southern nights


Have you ever felt a southern night
Free as a breeze
Not to mention the trees
Whistling tunes that you know and love so
Southern nights
Just as good even when closed your eyes
I apologize
To any one who can truly say
That he's found a better way

Southern skies
Have you ever noticed
Southersn skies
It's precious beauty
Lies just beyone the eye
It goes running through the soul
Like the stories told of old

Old man
He and his dog that walk the old land
Every flower touched his cold hand
As he slowly walked by
Weeping willows would cry for joy

Joy

Feels so good
Feels so good it's frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
La-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da

Mystery
Like this and many others
In the trees
Blow in the night
In the southern skies

Southern nights
They feel so good it's frightening
Wish I could
Stop this world from fighting
La-da-da-da-da, da-la-da-da-da
Da-da-da-da, da-da-da, da-da

 

George Harrison紀念音樂會上網

2002年的11月29日，一個由披頭合唱團團員George Harrison知名的朋友和合作夥伴們所組成的團體，聚集在倫敦皇家亞伯廳做一次特別演出，以紀念一年前去世的披頭合唱團吉他手George Harrison。

George Harrison紀念演唱會由他的太太Olivia協辦，領銜演出的有Eric Clapton、Paul McCartney、Ringo Starr、Tom Petty＆the Heartbreakers、Jeff Lynn、Billy Preston等。

為了紀念十年前的那個活動，當年全程拍攝的紀錄片11月29日已經在George Harrison YouTube官網播出，片中有特別來賓演唱George Harrison於the Beatles時代經典歌曲和他個人的暢銷曲，還有他最後在the Traveling Wilburys合唱團時的名曲Handle with Care。

The Traveling Wilburys是1980年代晚期的一個超級合唱團， 歌並不紅 但噱頭十足，巨星們以兄弟樂隊形態出面，即Nelson（George Harrison）、Lucky（Bob Dylan）、Otis（ELO合唱團的Jeff Lynn）、Lefty（Roy Orbison）與Charlie T Junior（Tom Petty）Wilbury，其中Roy Orbison亦於1988年去世。

29日當天在披頭合唱團發跡的英格蘭利物浦的利物浦博物館也有George Harrison的影片播放，這部片子將是該博物館新電影廳的第一個活動，這個電影廳明年才將正式開幕。

George Harrison 1973年成立the Material World Charitable Foundation慈善基金會，相關活動都由該基金會安排。

George Harrison 在the Beatles時代的抒情曲Something， 1969年曾獲得第3名，是BMI全美最常播出歌曲榜第17名的歌。

 

Something

The Beatles

Harrison

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzkhOmKVW08

Something in the way she moves

Attracts me like no other lover

Something in the way she woos me

I don't want to leave her now

You know I believe and how

Somewhere in her smile she knows

That I don't need no other lover

Something in her style that shows me

I don't want to leave her now

You know I believe and how

You're asking me will my love grow

I don't know, I don't know

You stick around and it may show

I don't know, I don't know

Something in the way she knows

And all I have to do is think of her

Something in the things she shows me

I don't want to leave her now

You know I believe and how

 

Paul McCartney、John Fogerty在億萬富翁壽宴演出

金錢也許不能買到愛情，但卻能邀請來搖滾巨星在生日宴中演出，上週末Paul McCartney與John Fogerty應邀在拉斯維加的一所度假飯店，為億萬富翁David Bonderman七十大壽宴演出。

紐約時報報導Paul McCartney這位前披頭合唱團傳奇歌手在台上唱了二個多小時，曲目包括the Beatles的經典歌曲如Revolution與The Long and Winding Road，而John Fogerty則唱了Credence Clearwter Revival時代的暢銷曲如Proud Mary與Bad Moon Rising等，John Fogerty這位當年也很紅的搖滾樂手，之後還把他和Paul McCartney一同表演的照片放到Facebook裡，讓歌迷們對他倆一同分享的那張酬勞支票有了很大的想像空間。

據報導這場派對有約七百位David Bonderman的朋友和事業夥伴參加，還請來諧星Robin Willams表演，這並非這位大亨初次辦如此盛大的巨星生日派對，當年Bonderman六十歲時也請到滾石合唱團The Rolling Stones與John Mellencamp在拉斯維加有名的硬石賭場飯店演出。

Paul McCartney的這場演出酬勞估計超過一百萬美元，但別擔心，David Bonderman當然付得起，因為富比士雜誌估計Bonderman的財產值26億美元，他是the Capital私募基金公司的共同創辦人。

The Long and Winding Road是the Beatles 1970年解散前的最後一首暢銷曲，曾獲二週排行榜冠軍。

 

The Long And Winding Road

 (Lennon/McCartney)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Pssp50noA&feature=related

 
The long and winding road that leads to your door
Will never disappear
I've seen that road before it always leads me here
Leads me to your door
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/beatles/the+long+and+winding+road_10026544.html ]
The wild and windy night that the rain washed away
Has left a pool of tears crying for the day
Why leave me standing here, let me know the way
Many times I've been alone and many times I've cried
Anyway you'll never know the many ways I've tried
And still they lead me back to the long and winding road
You left me standing here a long, long time ago
Don't leave me waiting here, lead me to you door

But still they lead me back to the long and winding road
You left me standing here a long, long time ago
Don't keep me waiting here (Don't keep me wait), lead me to you door
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

 

Stevie Wonder將於全美音樂獎演出

黑人盲歌星Stevie Wonder本周日將在全美音樂獎40周年晚會中演出，向今年四月去世的Dick Clark致敬，Dick Clark於1973年開創了這個音樂界的盛會（Dick Clark外號「世界最老的青少年」，是一位知名的廣播電視節目製作、主持人，他的American Bandstand節目培植了不少歌壇新秀。

）。

身為這項音樂獎11度獲獎人，Stevie Wonder曾二度參與AMA現場領獎，他的名曲Superstition曾獲得最佳節奏與藍調歌曲獎，他個人也曾獲得最佳節奏與藍調歌曲男歌星獎，1982年他又得過美國信息科學與技術協會頒發的貢獻獎，這個榮耀也頒發給貓王Elvis Presley、Paul McCartney、The Beach Boys、Chuck Berry、Johnny Cash、Michael Jackson 、Neil Diamond與James Brown。

今年全美音樂獎參加演出的歌星們包括Christina Aquilera、小賈斯汀Jastin Bieber、Kelly Clarkson、Carrie Underwood、Ke＄ha、Linkin Park、Nicki Minaj、No Doubt、Taylor Swift與Asher。

出生即失明的Stevie Wonder，1963年13歲時即以Fingertips-Pt2獲得三周排行榜冠軍，是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第6名的歌壇巨星。

 

Superstition- Stevie Wonder

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDZFf0pm0SE 

 

Very superstitious, writing's on the wall,
Very superstitious, ladders bout' to fall,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass
Seven years of bad luck, the good things in your past.

oo When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way

Very superstitious, wash your face and hands,
Rid me of the problem, do all that you can,
Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin' strong,
You don't wanna save me, sad is my song.

When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way, yeh, yeh.

Very superstitious, nothin' more to say,
Very superstitious, the devil's on his way,
Thirteen month old baby, broke the lookin' glass,
Seven years of bad luck, good things in your past

When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way, no, no, no

  

Major Harris去世

一度參加過the Delfonics合唱團，後來在歌壇成名的靈魂歌手Major Harris，11月9日在故鄉維吉尼亞州Richmond去世了（65歲），青少年時的他就在Frankie Lymon's Teenagers與 the Jarmels合唱團唱過，1971年他應邀加入費城的the Delfonics合唱團，頂替Randy Cain的位子， Major Harris在the Delfonics時推出的Tell Me This Is A Dream，雖然只得到86名，但他的歌唱才華讓他被Atlantic唱片公司挖角，1975年終於以Love Won't Let Me Wait獲得熱門排行榜第5名而一曲成名，這首歌在黑人靈魂歌曲排行榜則獲得冠軍。

the Delfonics以La La Means I Love You、Didn’ t（I Blow Youy Mind This Time）二首top 10的歌在歌壇知名。

 

LOVE WON'T LET ME WAIT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Fo5ObyKGOM&feature=related

The time is right
You hold me tight
And love is got me high
Please tell me, yes
And don't say no, honey not tonight
I need to have you next to me
In more ways than one
And I refuse to leave
'Till I see the morning sun
Creep through your window pane
'Cause love won't let me wait
(Not one more minute, baby)
The time is right
Turned down the lights and take my hand
We will take a flight
And spend the night in a wonderland
Now move a little close to me
You owe it to yourself
And I will selfishly
Take a little for myself
And it's because of you
That love won't let me wait
(No, listen girl)
I need your love so desperately
And only you can set me free
When I make love to you
We will explode in ecstacy
And I won't take the blame
'Cause love won't let me wait, no
Love won't let me wait (my temperature's rising)
Love won't let me wait (cause your so tantalizing)
(Oh, listen girl)
Love won't let me wait

 

前Wings吉它手病危

曾在Wings合唱團擔任過吉它手的Henry McCullough，11月5日心臟病發，有消息說他正在北愛爾蘭Coleraine的醫院中與死神搏鬥，也有報導說他已去世。

Wings是前Beatles合唱團團員Paul McCartney 1971年在Beatles解散後所組合唱團，1981年正式解散。

Paul McCartney個人的演唱事業相當成功，從1971年到1980年代後期在歌壇一直相當活躍，今夏倫敦奧運還請他唱Beatles的名曲Hey Jude，Paul個人在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第16名（Beatles獲第2名），其功力可以想見。

由Paul McCartney領銜的Wings合唱團在排行榜上有5首冠軍曲（My Love、Band On The Run、Listen To What The Man Said、Silly Love Songs與With Little Luck），1973年3週第2名的Live And Let Die是007電影「生死關頭」的主題曲。

早年007電影的主題曲在排行榜上都有好成績，好歌搭配有創意的片頭影片設計，讓影迷們百看不厭，是電影受歡迎的原因之一。

 

Live And Let Die

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn8alMYSu44

 

When you were young
and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
you know you did
you know you did
you know you did
But if this ever changin
in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die
What does it matter to ya
When ya got a job to do
Ya got to do it well

You got to give the other fella hell

You used to say live and let live
you know you did
you know you did
you know you did
But if this ever changin
in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
Live and let die

Michael Jackson收入仍高

Michael Jackson在最近出版的富比士雜誌已故高收入名流排行榜掉到第二名，雖然他去年收入高達一億四千五百萬美元，但伊莉沙白泰勒以二億一千萬美元得到第一名，得到第三名的是貓王Elvis Presley，他雖然去世多年去年仍然有五千五百萬美元的收入。

這個排行榜上其他藝人包括前Beatles披頭合唱團的John Lennon以一千二百萬美元獲得第六名，另一位已故披頭合唱團團員George Harrison則以五百五十萬美元獲得第13名。

Michael Jackson 1958年出生於美國印第安納州的Gary，2009年6月25日去世，來過台灣二次的Michael，是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第8名的巨星，受歡迎的程度至今不衰，他個人第一首冠軍曲是1972年他14歲時推出的Ben ，這首令人懷念的老歌是一部叫「金鼠王」的電影插曲。

 

Ben

Writer(s): SCHARF, WALTER/BLACK, DON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj_8yT0XkyU&feature=related

Ben the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own I'll never be alone
And you my friend will see you've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)

Ben you're always running here and there
(here and there)
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
(anywhere)
If you ever look behind and don't like what you find
There's something you should know you've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)

I used to say "I and me"
Now it's us now it's we
(I used to say "I is me")
(now it's us now it's we)

Ben most people would turn you away
(turn you away)
I don't listen to a word they say
(a word they say)
They don't see you as I do I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again if they had a friend like Ben

Like Ben
Like Ben
Like Ben