製作人走了

唱片製作人Thomas “Snuff” Garrett 12月17日於亞利桑那州Tucson因癌症病逝 (76歲)。

出生於達拉斯的他曾經在Lubbock及Wichita Falls的電台主持節目，在Lubbock時還與搖滾史上知名歌手Buddy Holly結為好友，後來他搬到好萊塢和 Liberty唱片公司簽約，成為一位成功的唱片製作人。

Snuff Garrett於1960-1970年代製作了不少知名的歌曲，如Bobby Vee的Take Good Care Of My Baby，Gary Lewis & the Playboys的This Diamond Ring ，Johnny Burnette的 You’re 16，Vicki Lawrence的The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia，Cher的Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves、Half Breed及Dark Lady，在1983年退休之前他還開了Snuff Garrett 及Viva Records兩家唱片公司。

Snuff Garrett今年11月14日被推薦進入德州廣播名人堂 。

1978年Snuff Garrett替Clint Eastwood的電影Every Which Way but Loose製作了同名的主題曲，Eddie Rabbitt推出後獲得鄉村排行榜第三名(熱門榜第30名)，後來也成為Viva Records的收藏唱片。

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

Every Which Way but Loose

Eddie Rabbitt

(Dorff/Brown/Garrett)

I've always been the kind of man who doesn't believe in strings

Long term obligations are just unnecessary things

But girl you've got me thinkin', while I'm drinking one more beer

If I'm headed for a heartache, then why the hell am I still here

I'm testin' my resistance and its wearin' mighty thin

I got the feelin' I should leave before the roof caves in

My mind tells me to move along but my body begs me stay

And now I feel the need to hold you close and love the night away

Chorus:

While you're turnin' me

Every which way but loose

You turn me every which way but loose

Inside the fire's burnin' me

In mind you just keep turnin' me

Every which way but loose

Baby there's no excuse

To turn me every which way but loose

When the sun comes up in the mornin' it should find me someplace new

But right this minute all I want is to lay here next to you

Those memories still keep callin' me from somewhere in my past

Better hurry if they want me cause I can feel me fading fast

(Chorus)

你一定要認識的鄉村歌星

鄉村歌星Merle Haggard 12月2 日因肺炎住院，他取消了四個城市的巡迴演唱，但是希望下週能恢復巡迴演出。

Merle Haggard 1937年出生於加州，1967-1970年曾因偷竊罪在著名的San Quentin監獄坐過牢，但早在1965年他即和Capital唱片公司簽了約，還組了伴唱樂隊The Strangers。

Merle Haggard是鄉村歌壇頂尖的男歌星，1963-2005年有105首單曲進過鄉村歌曲排行榜，其中有38首歌獲得排行榜冠軍。他在熱門歌曲排行榜也有一些暢銷曲，但最高只有1973年的If We Made It Through December，獲得過第28名，但這首歌是鄉村榜的冠軍曲。

Merle Haggard 1970年獲CMA鄉村音樂協會頒發最佳男歌星與最佳藝人獎，1983年與Willie Nelson同獲最佳二重唱獎，1994年進鄉村音樂名人堂，2006年獲得Grammy終生成就獎。

Merle Haggard在熱門歌曲排行榜的第一首進榜歌曲是1969年的Okie From Muskogee，曾獲第41名，也是CMA鄉村音樂協會當年的年度歌曲，2009年他與Willie Nelson的現場合唱仍獲得滿堂彩。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4AgZST_TG8

Okie From Muskogee

Songwriters

     HAGGARD, MERLE / BURRIS, ROY

We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee

 We don't take our trips on LSD

 We don't burn our draft cards down on Main Street

 We like livin' right, and bein' free

We don't make a party out of lovin'

 We like holdin' hands and pitchin' woo

 We don't let our hair grow long and shaggy

 Like the hippies out in San Francisco do

I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee,

 A place where even squares can have a ball

 We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse,

 And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all

Leather boots are still in style for manly footwear

 Beads and Roman sandals won't be seen

 Football's still the roughest thing on campus

 And the kids here still respect the college dean

WAnd I'm proud to be an Okie from Muskogee

 A place where even squares can have a ball.

 We still wave Old Glory down at the courthouse

 And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all

And white lightnin's still the biggest thrill of all

 In Muskogee, Oklahoma, USA.

貝斯手先生

1963年一首由Johnny Cymbal推出，獲得過16名的歌"Mr. Bass Man"，讓歌迷們對唱低音的Ronnie Bright留下深刻的印象，Ronnie不幸於11月26日感恩節當天去世 (77歲)。

Ronald David "Ronnie" Bright 1938年出生於紐約，是一位R&B 與doo wop歌手，曾經在The Valentines, The Cadillacs, The Deep River Boys, 與The Coasters這些合唱團唱過，都是唱低音部分，他最出名的就是Johnny Cymbal 1963年暢銷曲"Mr. Bass Man"裡的低音演唱。

Ronnie Bright 也曾參加過Barry Mann, Jackie Wilson, Peter Gabriel與Johnny Cymbal這些歌壇名人的錄音工作。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMWdFykX_R8

MR. BASS MAN

Johnny Cymbal

(Bop-bop-bop singing by bass voice)

Mr. Bass Man, you've got that certain somethin'

Mr. Bass Man, you set that music thumpin'

To you it's easy when you go 1-2-3, d-d-b-bop-a-bop

(Bass voice: You mean b-b-BOP-p-p-bop bop bop...)

Yeah!

Mr. Bass Man, you're on all the songs

B-did-did-a-boom-boom, B-dit-dit-a-boom-boom-bom

Hey Mr. Bass Man, you're the hidden King of Rock 'n' Roll, d-d-b-bop-a-bop

(Bass voice: No no, b-b-BOP-p-p-bop bop bop...)

It don't mean a thing when the lead is singin'

Or when he goes "Hi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yah"

Hey Mr. Bass Man, I'm askin' just one thing:

Will you teach me?  Yeah, will you sing?

'Cause Mr. Bass Man, I wanna be a bass man too, d-d-b-bop-a-bop

(Bass voice: Try this, b-b-BOP-p-p-bop bop bop...)

Hey Mr. Bass Man, I think I'm really with it

B-did-did-a-boom-boom, a-boom-boom-b-dit-dit-dit-dit

C'mon, Mr. Bass Man, now I'm a bass man too, d-d-b-bop-a-bop

(Bass voice: That's it, b-b-BOP-p-p-bop bop bop...)

(Scat bass duet between Johnny & bass voice)

(repeat "It don't mean a thing", etc.)

(scat duet, fading out)

白潘小手術

唱紅you light up my life成名的Debby Boone說:他父親Pat Boone 11月9日膝蓋動手術，早在2007年他已動過一次類似的手術。

you light up my life原係同名的電影插曲，Debby Boone所唱的版本在1977年曾獲得十周排行榜冠軍，當年是一個排行榜冠軍紀錄，Debby Boone當紅的時候曾來台北在中華體育館演出過，Pat Boone也一同前來，他在台灣也有很多歌迷，名字一般 翻作白潘。

Pat Boone是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第12名的巨星，1950年代最紅，是當年第二名的紅牌，僅次於貓王Elvis Presley，他是十八世紀美國歷史上名探險家Daniel Boone的直系後人，太太Shirley則是鄉村名歌手Red Foley的女兒。

Pat Boone 1958年畢業於紐約哥倫比亞大學，1957-1960年主持電視節目The Pat Boone Chevy Show，還曾經演過15部電影，他的招牌形象是穿白色鹿皮鞋上節目。1960年代他與四個女兒巡迴演出，也在電台主持基督教節目，演唱福音歌曲，而最終也獲選入福音歌曲名人堂。

在搖滾樂開始發展初期的1950年代，Pat Boone是白人歌迷的偶像歌星，他的暢銷曲有些是翻唱自黑人歌手的R&B流行歌，縱然有些爭議，但不能否認他在歌迷們心目中留有完美的形象。

Pat Boone 有38首排行榜前四十名的暢銷曲，其中成績最好的是1957年獲得過七周冠軍的Love Letters In The Sand。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ENzT9k1LRs

Love Letters In The Sand

Pat Boone

Words by Nick and Charles Kenny and Music by J. Fred Coots

On a day like today

We passed the time away

Writing love letters in the sand

How you laughed when I cried

Each time I saw the tide

Take our love letters from the sand

CHORUS

You made a vow that you would ever be true

But somehow that vow meant nothing to you

Now my broken heart aches

With every wave that breaks

Over love letters in the sand

Now my broken heart aches

With every wave that breaks

Over love letters in the sand

「迷幻靈魂」樂團

曾經在Sly and the Family Stone合唱團擔任演唱及吹奏樂器手的Cynthia Robinson，11月23日因癌症去世（69歲），出生於加州聖克里門的她，也曾於1993年與the Family Stone合唱團一同進入搖滾樂名人堂。

Sly and the Family Stone有很多歌進入排行榜前四十名，其中包括冠軍歌曲"Everyday People" (1969)，"Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin"(1970)與"Family Affair" (1971)。另一首1968年第八名的歌"Dance To The Music"則獲選入Grammy搖滾樂名人堂，其中有Cynthia Robinson年輕時的精采演出，也是滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜第223名的歌。

Sly and the Family Stone是歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜第214名的知名團體，他們跨種族的團員組合，創造出psychedelic soul「迷幻靈魂」歌曲的樂風，在流行歌曲的歷史中留下了不可磨滅的一頁。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4URogrXiKsI

Dance to the Music

Sly & The Family Stone

Cynthia:   Get up and dance to the music!

                Get on up and dance to the fonky music!

All:           Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music

Freddie:   Hey Greg!

Greg:               What?

Freddie:   All we need is a drummer,

                for people who only need a beat

                I'm gonna add a little guitar

                and make it easy to move your feet

Larry:               I'm gonna add some bottom,

                so that the dancers just won't hide

Sly:           You might like to hear my organ

                playing "Ride Sally Ride"

                You might like to hear the horns blowin',

                Cynthia on the throne, yeah!

                Cynthia & Jerry got a message they're sayin':

Cynthia:   All the squares, go home!

All:           Dance to the Music, Dance to the Music

Green, Green Grass of Home 與Tom Jones

Green, Green Grass of Home   作者 Claude "Curly" Putman, Jr. 於1965年推出, 1966年由湯姆瓊斯Tom Jones 唱紅成為當年英國排行榜冠軍暢銷歌曲.
我們四五年級生一般的印象大概都歸功於當年柯達在台灣的密集廣告, “一位軍人 他回到故鄉 看到他年邁的雙親 還有他那金色長髮飄逸的女友 每個人手都拿著相機 雙手高舉 雙腳踏著碧綠草地歡迎他回家 搭配優美背景音樂雄厚磁性男聲…” 是一個相當溫馨的廣告.

事實上關於這首歌敘述的故事內容有2種說法， 
1.four gray walls 四面灰色的牆壁，意指"棺木"。歌曲中的主角戰死沙場，被裝在棺木中運回家鄉，卻仍以為自己光榮返鄉，最終才意識到是一場夢，聽來令人悲傷莫名。
2.是死刑犯在槍決前一天晚上夢回故鄉的故事，因為最後一段敘述夢醒之後，牧師為他做最後禱告，警衛則準備押著他上刑場，整首歌完全沒有提到和軍隊相關的字眼

不管是那一個情節版本 每每聽到
And at last I'll touch the green green grass of home 最後能夠再觸摸(或葬於)綠草如茵的家園 總令人熱淚盈眶 感嘆淒涼夢幻.
同樣的當年廣告主軟片業巨擘，也是最早推出專業用數位相機行銷全世界的柯達，也已於2012/ 1/ 19走完74年的歲月後宣佈破產黯然停業。

至於原唱湯姆瓊斯Tom Jones (生於1940) 自1965年出道以來售出超過一億張唱片, 2006年更因對音樂長期的貢獻受封爵士. 從他26歲初初唱紅這歌開始到兩年前他73歲時前前後後留下許多演唱版本, 你是否可以感受他因歲月洗鍊帶來的不同的韻味?

https://youtu.be/O-yKq-FsFyk   
1967  27歲
https://youtu.be/wnGPmlXDJNI 
1989  49歲
https://youtu.be/WN3ME-rgpws 
2001  61歲  有歌詞字幕
https://youtu.be/nYjBpgz2lus   
2009  69歲
https://youtu.be/O1suiNZ-IlU   
2013  73歲 with Mike Duet

作曲Allen Toussaint去世

流行歌唱界有影響力的歌手、製作人、作曲、編曲 Allen Toussaint  11月9日於西班牙病逝（77歲），他寫過很多首令人懷念的歌曲，如："Mother-In-Law" (#1-1961 由Ernie K-Doe演唱—他也是製作人)，"Southern Nights" (#1-1977由Glen Campbell演唱)，"Working In The Coal Mine" (#8-1966 由Lee Dorsey演唱)， "Java" (#4-1964由 Al Hirt吹奏)，"Whipped Cream" (#68 1965 由Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass樂團錄製，名次不高但因電視約會節目用它當主題曲而出名）。

Allen Toussaint也替很多藝人單任製作人，如：B.J. Thomas， Dr. John,，the Meters 還有Labelle  1975 年的冠軍曲"Lady Marmalade" 。他也參與Paul McCartney and Wings  1975年專輯唱片 "Venus And Mars"錄音工作。

Allen Toussaint於2011年被推薦進入作曲家名人堂及藍調名人堂，2009年則進入路易斯安那音樂名人堂，更早於1998年就進入搖滾樂名人堂。

Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass 的Whipped Cream & Other Delights是1965年的專輯排行榜冠軍唱片，一共賣了六百萬張，唱片封面請當時已懷孕三個月的名模Dolores Erickson穿綢緞禮服灑刮鬍膏拍攝，其中的A Taste of Honey曾獲得Grammy年度單曲唱片獎，是一張值得珍藏的經典專輯唱片。
 在Billboard雜誌本週新公佈的Greatest of All Time/Billboard 200 Albums中，這一張專輯獲得第13名，比15名 Fleetwood Mac的Rumours名次還高。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u68NMAI_Js

Johnny Mathis豪宅焚毀

Johnny Mathis好萊塢的豪宅十一月二日毀於一場大火，消防隊員救火時保存了一些紀念品，但是Johnny說家裡什麼都沒了，這房子他已買了56年，失火時Johnny Mathis在克里夫蘭開演唱會，他表示他很好，也沒人受傷，他有信心很快恢復正常。

Johnny Mathis是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第64名的名歌星，1935年於德州Gilmer出生，後來在舊金山長大，13歲時就開始學歌劇，後來雖然拿到舊金山州立大學田徑獎學金，還曾入選奧林匹克世運會選拔賽，但最終他選擇了歌唱當職業。

1956年Johnny Mathis在Columbia唱片公司George Avakian的引薦之下前往紐約踏入歌壇，當時被視為一位爵士歌手，他在公司的藝人與節目指導，也是知名樂團領隊Mitch Miller的安排下，專門演唱流行歌謠，後來成績斐然，在搖滾樂紀元裡他曾經有超過七十張唱片進過Billboard雜誌專輯唱片排行榜。

Johnny Mathis的名曲很多，1978年的冠軍曲，與Deniece Williams合唱的Too Much， Too Little ，Too Late是他排行榜上較晚期的一首暢銷曲。

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

Too Much, Too Little, Too Late

-Artists: Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams from "Night Songs":

-Warner Special Products OPCD 4557

-peak Billboard position # 1 for 1 week in 1978

-Words and Music by Nat Kipner and John McIntyre Vallins

JOHNNY:

Guess it's over, call it a day

Sorry that it had to end this way

No reason to pretend

We knew it had to end some day, this way

DENIECE:

Yes, it's over, the kids are gone

What's the use of tryin' to hang on?

Somewhere we lost the key

So little left for you and me and it's clear to see

BOTH: Too much, too little, too late to lie again with you

Too much, too little, too late to try again with you

Wee in the middle of ending something that we knew

JOHNNY: It's over

DENIECE: Oh, it was over

BOTH: Too much, too little, too late to ever try again

Too much, too little, too late, let's end it being friends

Too much, too little, too late, we knew it had to end

DENIECE; Ah, it's over

JOHNNY: It's over

DENIECE:

Yes, it's over, the chips are down (whoa)

Nearly all our bridges tumbled down

JOHNNY:

Whatever chance we try, let's face it widened-eye

It's over (It's over)

It's over < DENIECE shrieks>

BOTH: Too much, too little, too late to ever try again

Too much, too little, too late, let's end it being friends

Too much, too little, too late, we knew it had to end

JOHNNY: And it's over

DENIECE: And it's over

JOHNNY: And it's over

FADE

BOTH: Too much, too little, too late to ever try again

Too much, too little, too late, let's end it being friends

Michael Jackson又得冠軍

  

富比士雜誌公布年度已故藝人收入排行榜，Michael Jackson以去年一億1500萬美元收入，輕易地超過貓王Elvis Presley的五千五百萬奪得冠軍，漫畫『花生』的作者Charles Schultz以四千萬美元得到第三名，接著是雷鬼音樂歌手Bob Marley的二千一百萬，影后 Elizabeth Taylor則有二千萬，其他在排行榜前十五名的知名藝人還有前批頭合唱團的John Lennon，豔星 Marilyn Monroe，性格男演員James Dean與電視節目主持人Joan Rivers。

Michael Jackson以專輯唱片Thriller當中的多首暢銷單曲，搭配主打歌Thriller的MV轉型成功，成為流行歌壇巨星，不過老歌迷特別懷念他童年的可愛模樣，像1972年的冠軍曲，電影「金鼠王」的插曲Ben，就是一首百聽不厭的好歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj_8yT0XkyU

Ben

Michael Jackson

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" and "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

(A friend)

Like Ben

(Like Ben)

Like Ben

Three Dog Night的娃娃歌

Three Dog Night合唱團主唱歌手之一的Cory Wells十月20日於紐約去世（74 歲）。

Cory Wells本名Emil Lewandowski，出生於紐約州Buffalo，在空軍服役的時候曾組過一個樂隊，退伍後到美西發展，他的樂團the Enemys在俱樂部唱了一段時間，後來在好萊塢的Whisky a Go-Go-他遇到歌手兼製作人Danny Hutton，俩人應邀參加Sonny and Cher的巡迴演唱。

1968年他倆加上Chuck Negron組了一個合唱團Redwood，Beach Boys的老大Brian Wilson製作了他們早期的作品，Redwood同時改名Three Dog Night，因為聽說澳洲土人天冷的時候會抱三條狗取暖。

Three Dog Night在1969 到1975年間有21首排行榜前四十名的暢銷曲，包括"Mama Told Me (Not To Come)" (#1-1970  Cory 主唱)， "Joy To The World" (#1-1971) 及"Black & White" (#1-1972)，其他由Cory 主唱的歌還有"Shambala" (#3-1973) 與 "Eli's Coming" (#10-1969)。

Three Dog Night合唱團因創意枯竭，於1976年宣告解散，但五年不到又重組過，Cory Wells持續演唱，直到上個月病倒為止。

Three Dog Night是1971年的冠軍合唱團，在歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜獲得第100名，老歌迷們一定忘不了他們那些動聽的名曲。

Three Dog Night在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1971年獲得六週冠軍的Joy To The World，這一首歌以開場白Jeremiah was a bullfrog出名，被很多人笑稱是一首騙小孩的娃娃歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf-d-Ka30EY

JOY TO THE WORLD

- written by Hoyt Axton

- lyrics as recorded by Three Dog Night (#1 for 6 weeks in 1971)

Jeremiah was a bullfrog

Was a good friend of mine

I never understood a single word he said

But I helped him a-drink his wine

And he always had some mighty fine wine

Singin'...

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls now

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

If I were the king of the world

Tell you what I'd do

I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the war

Make sweet love to you

Sing it now...

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

------ electric piano ------

You know I love the ladies

Love to have my fun

I'm a high life flyer and a rainbow rider

A straight shootin' son-of-a-gun

I said a straight shootin' son-of-a-gun

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

     Joy to the world

     All the boys and girls

     Joy to the world

     Joy to you and me

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls now

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

   I wanna tell you

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls

   Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea

   Joy to you and me

(fading)

   Joy to the world

   All the boys and girls