Carole King的前夫Gerry Goffin去世

Carole King的前夫Gerry Goffin，六月19日不幸於洛杉磯家中去世了（75歲），他們倆人和Gerry與其他人曾寫了不少暢銷曲。

Gerry Goffin是紐約布魯克林區人，1958年他與Carole King在紐約Queens學院讀書時認識一年後結婚（1968年離婚），當年Don Kirshner開了一家Aldon音樂出版社，這家公司在Brill大樓的工作室培養了不少流行音樂詞曲工作者，而Carole King與Gerry Goffin即其中佼佼者。

他們一起創作的暢銷曲包括"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Shirelles 1961#1 ), "Take Good Care Of My Baby" (Bobby Vee 1961#1), "Up On The Roof" (Drifters  1962 #5) "One Fine Day" (Chiffons 1963 #5) 及 "Pleasant Valley Sunday" (Monkees 1967#3)，另外還有兩首歌得過二次排行榜冠軍，即"Go Away Little Girl" (Steve Lawrence 1963 與 Donny Osmond 1971) 與 "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eva 1962與 Grand Funk 1974)。

Gerry Goffin還有和別人合作的名曲如與Barry Mann合寫的 ("Who Put The Bomp" 1961#7)與 Michael Masser合寫的 ("Theme From Mahogany" 1976  Diana Ross #1) 及與 Jack Keller 合寫的("Run To Him" 1961 Bobby Vee #2)。

最近推出的百老匯音樂劇"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical，因為等於介紹Carole King的音樂生涯，其中自然亦少不了Gerry Goffin的部份。

Carole King與Gerry Goffin於1999年獲選進搖滾樂名人堂，他們倆是非演唱組合獲選的特例，而1987年他倆即入選作曲家名人堂。

兩度奪冠的"Go Away Little Girl"先由Steve Lawrence 於1963年推出獲二週冠軍，之後於1971年由Donny Osmond重唱獲三週冠軍，是一首懷念的旋律。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLUuWl8oMFE

 

Go Away, Little Girl

 

Go away, little girl.    Go away, little girl.

I'm not supposed to be alone with you.

I know that your lips are sweet,

But our lips must never meet.

I belong to someone else, and I must be true.

 

Oh, go away, little girl.  Go away, little girl.

It's hurtin' me more each minute that you delay.

When you are near me like this,

You're much too hard to resist.

So, go away, little girl, before I beg you to stay."

 

(instr)    Go away.

(instr)    Please don't stay.

(instr)    It'll never work out.

 

When you are near me like this,

You're much too hard to resist.

So, go away, little girl.

Call it a day, little girl.

Oh, please, go away, little girl,

Before I beg you to stay.

Go away.

 

名主持人Casey Kasem去世

以"American Top 40"這個熱門音樂排行榜節目知名的美國廣播節目主持人Casey Kasem不幸於六月15日去世（82歲）。

Casey Kasem本名Kemal Amin Kasem，1932年出生於底特律，韓戰時他在戰地的美軍電台當播音員，回美國後曾在很多電台工作過，其中包括舊金山KYA和洛衫磯KRLA，除了廣播之外Casey Kasem也在電視節目和小成本電影演出，Casey還幫卡通影片配音，這也是他最喜歡的工作之一。

1970年的七月四日週末，也是美國國慶日，Casey Kasem和幾個朋友開始製作"American Top 40"節目播出，這個節目根據Billboard音樂雜誌每週100名排行榜的前40名統計資料介紹美國流行歌曲，節目從每週三小時一直延長到四小時，剛開始時只有七家電台播出這個節目，後來全美有二百多家電台播出"American Top 40"。

"American Top 40"當年還有電視版，其中混合adult contemporary這種成人較接受的抒情排行榜歌曲資料，同業有人吃味的說那節目是"Casey's Top 40."。

Casey Kasem在1985年被選入the National Association of Broadcasters美國播音員協會名人堂，Casey的節目結束語"Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars"當年曾是全美有名的流行用語。

四、五年級的朋友們在台北還有美軍電台時，應該都聽過"American Top 40"節目，現在國外的電台播1970年代的歌曲，有人直接買"American Top 40"播出，其實再權威不過了。

我懷念Casey Kasem，也難忘他與"American Top 40"節目帶給我那美好時光，RIP Casey。

 

如果想聽"American Top 40"，在Reel Top 40 Radio Repository網站可以找到。

Mickey Gilley與Stand By Me

   在唱片錄製過程中常常有些誤會或不同意見而發生爭執，這都發生於藝人與製作人或音樂指導間，1980年時Mickey Gilley的冠軍曲"Stand By Me"有類似的故事。

錄音時Mickey Gilley在與製作人Jim Ed Norman一同忙了二天後衝出錄音室，Gilley曾經只花三小時就錄好三首歌，此次因和製作人有意見花太長時間而氣得衝了出，製作人Jim Ed Norman後來讓步對後面的錄音甚少干涉，而讓Mickey Gilley完成了Stand By Me"這一首冠軍曲的錄製。

"Stand By Me"這首歌在1980年五月31日進鄉村歌曲排行榜，八月九日獲得冠軍，是Mickey Gilley第22首進鄉村歌曲排行榜的暢銷曲，而這首歌後來也成了John Travolta主演的電影Urban Cowboy「都市牛仔」的插曲，在流行歌曲排行榜獲得22名。

Mickey Gilley 1936年出生於密西西比州Natchez，是著名的搖滾樂手Jerry Lee Lewis的表兄弟，自1968-1989年Mickey Gilley共有46首暢銷曲進鄉村歌曲排行榜，其中17首歌獲得排行榜冠軍，他於德州Pasadena投資的酒店，也在電影「都市牛仔」當中成了主要的場景。

"Stand By Me"最早於19661年由Ben E King推出，獲得過流行歌曲排行榜第四名。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ugy7pVOn4

 

STAND BY ME

(Ben E. King/Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)

 

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 

  And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me

  Stand by me, stand by me

 

If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

And the mountains should crumble to the sea

I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

 

  And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me

  Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah

 

  Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me

  Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

 

  Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me

  Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

Marvin Gaye 音樂劇公演

已故傳奇R＆B歌手Marvin Gaye 的兒子Marvin Gaye III上週在洛杉磯進行了換腎手術之後在家休養。

同時一齣描述Marvin Gaye音樂生涯的音樂劇"Let's Get It On: The Life & Music of Marvin Gaye"，五月13日在澳洲墨爾本首演，預訂要演出二週，專業人士一般看好這齣劇，有二位評論員給它三顆半星70分的評價。

Marvin Gaye 1939年四月二日出生於華盛頓特區，在他45歲生日的前一天，即1984年四月一日因和父親吵架意外的被生父槍殺。

極具音樂才華的Marvin Gaye名曲極多，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第15名，1987年獲選進入搖滾樂名人堂，1996年獲得Grammy終生成就獎。

Marvin Gaye共有17首歌獲得排行榜前十名的佳績，其中I Heard It Through The Grapevine、Let's Get It On、Got To Get It On（Pt.1）曾獲得冠軍，而另一首知名的What's Going On則獲得过第二名。

1968年獲得過七週冠軍的I Heard It Through The Grapevine是Marvin Gaye成績最好的歌，這首歌1967年曾由Gladys Knight and the Pips推出得過第二名，在1960年代搖滾樂排行榜排名第六。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPnZZTVp_2A

 

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

-Words and Music by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong

 

Ooh, I bet you're wond'rin' how I knew

'bout your plans to make me blue

With some other guy you knew before

Between the two of us guys you know I love you more

It took me by surprise I must say

When I found out yesterday

Dontcha know that I

 

Heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine

Oh I heard it through the grapevine

Oh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

(Heard it through the grapevine)

(Not much longer would you be my baby, ooh, ooh, ooh)

 

I know a man ain't supposed to cry

But these tears I can't hold inside

Losin' you would end my life you see

'cause you mean that much to me

You could have told me yourself

That you love someone else

Instead I

 

Heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine

Oh I heard it through the grapevine

And I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

(Heard it through the grapevine)

(Not much longer would you be my baby, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh)

 

 

People say believe half of what you see

Son, and none of what you hear

But I can't help bein' confused

If it's true please tell me dear

Do you plan to let me go

For the other guy you loved before?

Dontcha know I

 

Heard it through the grapevine

Not much longer would you be mine

Baby I heard it through the grapevine

Ooh I'm just about to lose my mind

Honey, honey yeah

(Heard it through the grapevine)

(Not much longer would you be my baby, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah)

 

 

Honey, honey, I know

That you're lettin' me go

Said I heard it through the grapevine

 

FADE

Heard it through the grapevine