60年代名歌手Lesley Gore 去世

女權主義者、歌手、作曲者Lesley Gore二月16日因癌症在紐約Manhattan的一所醫院中去世（68歲）。

Lesley Gore出生於Manhattan，1963年16歲時在Mercury唱片公司在一家飯店裡辦的活動中演唱，而被音樂指導Quincy Jones發掘和Mercury簽約，Quincy並擔任她的製作人。

Lesley Gore當年就推出的第一張唱片"It's My Party"登上排行榜獲得二週冠軍，贏了Phil Spector 替the Crystals製作的同一首歌，接著推出的"Judy's Turn To Cry" (#5-1963), "She's A Fool" (#5-1964) "You Don't Own Me" (#2-1964, "Maybe I Know" (#14-1964), "That's The Way Boys Are" (#12-1964) 及 "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows" (#13-1965)都獲得了很好的成績。

"Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows"是偶像歌手Frankie Avalon主演的電影"Ski Party"的插曲，而她唱的"California Nights" (#16-1967)是電視節目"Batman"的插曲。

Lesley Gore後來因去Sarah Lawrence College讀書而漸漸淡出歌壇，但她曾與弟弟Michael一同寫了"Out Here On My Own"，那是1980年知名電影"Fame"「名揚四海」的插曲，Irene Cara演唱曾獲得第19名。

1992年已是知名蕾絲邊的Lesley Gore曾主持美國公共電視非異性戀者話題系列節目"In the Life"，去世時正籌備與她一生相關舞台劇。

 Lesley Gore在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第271名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsYJyVEUaC4

IT'S MY PARTY

Lesley Gore

Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone

Judy left the same time

Why was he holding her hand

When he's supposed to be mine

  It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to

  Cry if I want to, cry if I want to

  You would cry too if it happened to you

Playin' my records, keep dancin' all night

Leave me alone for a while

'Till Johnny's dancin' with me

I've got no reason to smile

  It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to

  Cry if I want to, cry if I want to

  You would cry too if it happened to you

------ LEAD BREAK ------

Judy and Johnny just walked through the door

Like a queen with her king

Oh what a birthday surprise

Judy's wearin' his ring

  It's my party, and I'll cry if I want to

  Cry if I want to, cry if I want to

  You would cry too if it happened to you

白人藍調吉它手Sam Andrew去世

Big Brother & the Holding Company合唱團創團人與主吉它手Sam Andrew二月12日去世（73歲），他數週前因心臟病住院治療。

1968年Big Brother & the Holding Company錄製的"Piece Of My Heart"是他們的經典之作，但同年Sam隨主唱Janis Joplin離團而去，另組Kozmic Blues Band，1970年Janis Joplin因吸食海洛因過量猝死（27 歲），Sam Andrew又回到 Big Brother & the Holding Company，但近年來僅擔任該團的音樂指導工作。

Sam Andrew一直個人演唱，且參加了幾部電影的演出。

"Piece Of My Heart"曾獲熱門歌曲排行榜第12名，滾石500大歌曲榜則獲得第344名，並被收進Grammy與搖滾樂名人堂。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIHny7QEf7o

Piece of My Heart

Janis Joplin

Oh, come on, come on, come on, come on!

Didn I make you feel like you were the only man eah!

Didn I give you nearly everything that a woman possibly can ?

Honey, you know I did!

And each time I tell myself that I, well I think Ie had enough,

But I gonna show you, baby, that a woman can be tough.

I want you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,

Take it!

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!

Oh, oh, break it!

Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, oh, have a!

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,

You know you got it if it makes you feel good,

Oh, yes indeed.

Youe out on the streets looking good,

And baby deep down in your heart I guess you know that it ain right,

Never, never, never, never, never, never hear me when I cry at night,

Babe, I cry all the time!

And each time I tell myself that I, well I can stand the pain,

But when you hold me in your arms, Il sing it once again.

Il say come on, come on, come on, come on and take it!

Take it!

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby.

Oh, oh, break it!

Break another little bit of my heart now, darling, yeah,

Oh, oh, have a!

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby,

You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good.

I need you to come on, come on, come on, come on and take it,

Take it!

Take another little piece of my heart now, baby!

oh, oh, break it!

Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, con now.

oh, oh, have a

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby.

You know you got it hoahhhhh!!

Take it!

Take it! Take another little piece of my heart now, baby,

Oh, oh, break it!

Break another little bit of my heart, now darling, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

Oh, oh, have a

Have another little piece of my heart now, baby, hey,

You know you got it, child, if it makes you feel good.

Glen Campbell歌曲獲獎

2015 年Grammy獎二月八日於洛衫磯舉行，Glen Campbell是以他患阿茲海默症的記錄片"I'll Be Me"的插曲"I'm Not Gonna Miss You"獲得最佳鄉村歌曲獎，其實挺傷感的，因阿茲海默症日益惡化，Glen Campbell將如這首歌所說的「我不會想念親友與喜愛他歌曲的歌迷們」，因為他終將完全失憶。

Carole King的音樂劇"Beautiful: The Carole King Musical"則獲劇院音樂專輯獎。

而由 Darlene Love, Merry Clayton主演，眾多知名歌手出現的 "20 Feet From Stardom" 「伴唱人生聚光燈外20呎」 則獲尊為最佳音樂電影。

Darlene Love曾在The Crystals唱過主唱，Merry Clayton則擔任過Ray Charles的伴唱，"20 Feet From Stardom"這部流行音樂記錄片值得歌迷們的期待。

資深爵士歌手Tony Bennett與Lady Gaga合作的"Cheek To Cheek"獲得傳統流行歌曲專輯獎。

Yesterday When I Was Young是Roy Clark 1969年第19名的名曲，今天聽Glen Campbell唱來令人不勝欷虛。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og8dVo2WY1U&index=9&list=PLKYx4pBPq3FQI4IqoSeu5EzSz4OU4m73L

 

"Yesterday When I Was Young"

written by Herbert Kretzmer, Charles Aznavour.

 

Yesterday when I was young

 The taste of life was sweet as rain upon my tongue

 I teased at life as if it were a foolish game

 The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame

 The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned

 I always built, alas, on weak and shifting sand

 I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day

 And only now I see how the years ran away

 Yesterday when I was young

 So many drinking songs were waiting to be sung

 So many wayward pleasures lay in store for me

 And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see

 I ran so fast that time and youth at last ran out

 I never stopped to think what life was all about

 And every conversation I can now recall

 Concerned itself with me, me and nothing else at all

 Yesterday the moon was blue

 And every crazy day brought something new to do

 I used my magic age as if it were a wand

 And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond

 The game of love I played with arrogance and pride

 And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died

 The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away

 And only I am left on stage to end the play

 There are so many songs in me that won't be sung

 I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue

 The time has come for me to pay for yesterday when I was young

詩人歌者Rod McKuen去世

有詩人背景的作曲人、歌手及演員Rod McKuen元月29日因肺炎感染在比佛利山一家養老院去世（81歲）。

Rod McKuen 1933年出生於加州Oakland，他錄過的詩歌專輯有九張進過排行榜，單曲"Oliver Twist"則於1962年獲得過第76名，是他唯一的進排行榜歌曲，1959年他用"Rod"倒過來寫的名字"Dor"與Bob McFadden曾合作推出一首單曲"The Mummy"則獲得過第39名。

1960年代早期McKuen搬到巴黎去，因而認識了比利時籍法國香頌歌手Jacques Brel，他按Brel的作品"Ne me quitte pas"改寫成英語的"If You Go Away"，而1974年由Terry Jacks唱紅的冠軍曲"Seasons In The Sun"則改寫自Brel的作品"Le Moribond" ，Rod McKuen亦改寫了不少法籍作曲人如Gilbert Bécaud、Pierre Delanoé、Michel Sardou等人的作品。

1978年Jacques Brel去世的消息傳到McKuen的耳中，讓他感到非常難過的把自己關在臥房一個星期，他最後只能把悲傷回饋到像他們子女一般的歌中，並反復在他們從前未完成的歌曲中去回想。

除了"Seasons In The Sun" 之外，1969 年由 Frank Sinatra 演唱的"Love's Been Good To Me" 曾獲得第75名，而1969年由Oliver推出獲得過第二名的歌"Jean"，是電影"The Pride Of Miss Jean Brodie"「春風不化雨」的插曲，此曲替Rod McKuen獲得奧斯卡電影歌曲獎提名，也讓他獲得一座金球獎。

"Jean"當年是輸給電影「虎豹小霸王」的插曲"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"。

Rod McKuen寫過1500首以上的歌曲，銷售量超過一億張，表演者包括自Barbra Streisand至倫敦交響樂團等無數知名歌星與樂團。

 

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

 

If You Go Away

(J.Brel, R.McKuen)

 

If you go away on this summer day,

Then you might as well take the sun away;

All the birds that flew in the summer sky,

When our love was new and our hearts were high;

When the day was young and the night was long,

And the moon stood still for the night bird's song.

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.

But if you stay, I'll make you a day

Like no day has been, or will be again;

We'll sail the sun, we'll ride on the rain,

We'll talk to the trees and worship the wind.

Then if you go, I'll understand,

Leave me just enough love to fill up my hand,

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.

If you go, as I know you will, you must tell the world to stop turning

Till you return again, if you ever do, for what good is love without loving you,

Can I tell you now, as you turn to go, I'll be dying slowly till the next hello,

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.

But if you stay, I'll make you a night

Like no night has been, or will be again.

I'll sail on your smile, I'll ride on your touch,

I'll talk to your eyes that I love so much.

But if you go, go, I won't cry,

Though the good is gone from the word goodbye,

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.

If you go away, as I know you must,

There'll be nothing left in the world to trust,

Just an empty room, full of empty space,

Like the empty look I see on your face.

I'd have been the shadow of your shadow

If I thought it might have kept me by your side.

If you go away, if you go away, if you go away.