2015年4月30日 星期四

流行樂界悲喜交集

流行音樂作曲人Sid Tepper四月24日在佛羅里達州Miami Beach附近家中去世,高齡96歲,他最有名的作品是the Ames Brothers 所唱的"The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane" (#3-1954 )Georgia Gibbs所唱的"Kiss Of Fire" (#1-1952 )Vic Dana所唱的"Red Roses For A Blue Lady" (#10-1965 )
Sid Tepper是紐約的Brooklyn人,經常與Roy Bennett合作寫歌,他曾經替貓王寫過45首歌,包括"G.I. Blues" "Puppet On A String" "The Lady Loves Me

搖滾樂團Heart的女主唱Ann Wilson四月25日在經紀人位於加州Topanga的莊園後院結婚,新郎和她1980年代就認識,倆人都64歲,Ann還有二個和前夫生的小孩。

在電視影集"Partridge Family"「歡樂滿人間」當中飾演小女兒的演員Suzanne Crough,四月27 日在內華達州家中猝逝(52歲),當年她因為年紀還小並沒有在the Partridge Family樂團中表演,成年後的她後來還是放棄了演藝工作在一家供應商當經理。
Partridge Family劇集中的David CassidySusan Dey這一對俊男美女,後來在娛樂界都很受歡迎,紅過一段時間,但近年David Cassidy數度酒駕出事對他形象很傷。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3nPARJa3Aw

I'll Meet You Halfway
The Partridge Family

Will there come a day, when you and I can say
We can fin'lly see each other?
Well there come a time, when we can find the time
To reach out for one another?

We've been trav'lin in circles such a long, long time
Try'n to say hello, oh
And we can just let it ride, but you're someone that I'd
Like to get to know.

I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way
There must be some way to get it together
And if there's some way, I know that some day
We just might work it out forever.

Will there come a day, when you and I can say
We can fin'lly see each other?
Well there come a time, when we can find the time
To reach out for one another?

We've been trav'lin in circles such a long, long time
Try'n to say hello, oh
And we can just let it ride, but you're someone that I'd
Like to get to know.

I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way
There must be some way to get it together
And if there's some way, I know that some day
We just might work it out forever.

I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way.
I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way.

I'll meet you halfway, that's better than no way.

2015年4月23日 星期四

Billy Joel又要當爸爸了

65歲高齡的Billy Joel又要當爸爸了,Billy和他33歲的女友希望生個女兒,Billy 1980年代的超級名模及女星前妻Christie Brinkley已經有個29歲的女兒。
Billy Joel出生於紐約Bronx1950年代是the Hassles合唱團的團員,作品很多,於歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第34名,1991年獲得Grammy傳奇歌星獎,1994年入選Billboard雜誌世紀歌星,1999年進入搖滾樂名人堂。
Billy Joel曾跨界獲得舞台劇最佳音樂東尼獎,因為他所寫反映中下階層生活的歌-1977 專輯唱片The Stranger中的 Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)替同名百老匯舞台劇增色不少,這首歌於1978年曾獲熱門排行榜第17名。


Movin Out  
written by Joel, Billy.

Anthony works in the grocery store
Savin' his pennies for some day
Mama Leone left a note on the door
She said "Sonny move out to the country"
Ah but working too hard can give you
A heart attack, ack, ack, ack, ack, ack
You ought-a know by now
Who needs a house out in Hackensack?
Is that all you get for your money?

And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out
Mm I' movin' out, mm oo oo uh huh mm hm

Sergeant O'Leary is walkin the beat
At night he becomes a bartender
He works at Mister Cacciatores
Down on Sullivan Street
Across from the medical center
And he's tradin' in his Chevy for
A Cadillac ack ack ack ack ack
You ought-a know by now
If he can't drive with a broken back
At least he can polish the fenders

And it seems such a waste of time
If that's what it's all about
Mama if that's movin' up then I'm movin' out
Mm I' movin' out, mm oo oo uh huh mm hm
You should never argue with a crazy mi mi mi mi mi mind
You ought-a know by now
You can pay Uncle Sam with the overtime
Is that all you get for your money
And if that's what you have in mind
Then that's what you're all about
Good luck movin' up cause I'm movin' out
Mm I'm movin out Mm oo oo uh huh mm hm


2015年4月16日 星期四

Percy Sledge去世

以一首膾炙人口的情歌"When A Man Loves A Woman" (#1 Pop, #1 R&B-1966)成名的黑人男歌星Percy Sledge,四月14日於路易斯安那州Baton Rouge去世(73歲),除了這首冠軍歌曲之外,Percy Sledge還有13首歌在九年內進入流行歌曲排行榜。
Percy Sledge出生於阿拉巴馬州Leighton,起初在家鄉參加Esquires Combo樂團在醫院演唱,當時Percy 和另二位團員寫了 "When A Man Loves A Woman",但他不居功而把成就歸於他人,他們在阿拉巴馬州的 Muscle Shoals錄音室錄好這首歌,而被Atlantic唱片公司挑選上,也使Percy Sledge成了獨唱歌手。
Percy Sledge後來錄的"Take Time To Know Her" (#11 Pop, #6 R&B-1968), "Warm And Tender Love" (#17 Pop, #5 R&B-1966) "It Tears Me Up" (#20 Pop #7 R&B-1966)都有不錯的成績,1990Michael Bolton 重唱"When A Man Loves A Woman"還在次年再獲排行榜冠軍。
Percy Sledge 2005年被選入搖滾樂名人堂,而1989年時他即獲頒節奏與藍調音樂先鋒獎,他也獲選進入阿拉巴馬州、卡洛萊那州及路易斯安那州的榮譽音樂廳。
"When A Man Loves A Woman"這首歌在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第54名,在BMI全美百名最常播出歌曲榜則獲得第14名,可見此曲受歡迎的程度。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lp7FtJXp7k

When a Man Loves a Woman
Percy Sledge

When a man loves a woman
Can't keep his mind on nothing else
He'll trade the world
For the good thing he's found
If she's bad he can't see it
She can do no wrong
Turn his back on his best friend
If he put her down

When a man loves a woman
Spend his very last dime
Tryin' to hold on to what he needs
He'd give up all his comfort
Sleep out in the rain
If she said that's the way it ought to be

Well, this man loves a woman
I gave you everything I had
Tryin' to hold on to your precious love
Baby, please don't treat me bad

When a man loves a woman
Down deep in his soul
She can bring him such misery
If she plays him for a fool
He's the last one to know
Lovin' eyes can't ever see

When a man loves a woman
He can do no wrong
He can never own some other girl
Yes when a man loves a woman
I know exactly how he feels
'Cause baby, baby, baby, you're my world


When a man loves a woman.....

2015年4月9日 星期四

另一位Ray Charles

The Ray Charles Singers and orchestra的領隊,和節奏與藍調音樂大師用相同藝名的Ray Charles四月六日96歲高齡在加州去世了,本名Charles Raymond Offenberg的他,1950年代即率the Ray Charles Singers and orchestraPerry Como的電視節目演出。
1918年出生於芝加哥的此Ray Charles,也於"The Muppet Show"節目演出過,而著名的"Three's Company"三人行電視劇的主題歌的男聲部份就是他唱的。
Ray Charles還曾在the "Glen Campbell Good time Hour""Sha Na Na" TV show二個電視節目擔任樂團領隊,他給人印象最深的是"Love Me With Al Your Heart" (#3-1964) 及電影'花蕊戀春風'插曲 "Al Di La" (#29-1964)這二首排行榜名次不錯的歌,
Ray Charles曾獲二座電視艾美獎,及因傑出電視工作五次獲得提名。
曾獲得過排行榜第三名的Love Me With Al Your Heart改編自墨西哥流行歌Cuanto Calienta El Sol,是一首動聽的混聲合唱情歌。



Love Me With All Your Heart 
Ray Charles Singers

(Aaaah, Aaaah)
Love me with all of your heart, that's all I want dear.
Love me with all of your heart or not at all.
Just promise me this: that you'll give me all your kisses every
Winter, every summer, every fall.

When we are far apart or when you're near me
Love me with all of your heart as I love you.
Don't give me your love for a moment or an hour,
Love me always as you loved me from the start:
With every beat of your heart.
(Aaaah, Aaaah)

When we are far apart or when you're near me
Love me with all your heart as I love you.
Don't give me your love for a moment or an hour,
Love me always as you loved me from the start:
With every beat of your heart,
With every beat of your heart
With every beat of your heaaarrrt.

(Aaaaaaaah)

2015年4月2日 星期四

過去的春夢

1956年第六名的演奏曲"The Happy Whistler"成名的Don Robertson,三月16日以92歲高齡病逝於加州Santa MonicaDon出生於北京,在芝加哥長大,他年輕時就放棄芝加哥大學的學業去當地WGN電台當音樂編輯。
第二次世界大戰期間服役退伍後,Don搬到洛衫磯,後來他寫了不少名曲,包括由Les Paul & Mary FordEddy Arnold、貓王Elvis Presley Tommy Edwards 唱紅的"I Really Don't Want To Know",由Hank Locklin 演唱1960年獲得過第八名的"Please Help Me, I'm Falling"Lorne Greene唱紅的1964年冠軍曲"Ringo",以及"I Love You More And More Every Day" (#9-1964 for Al Martino) "Anything That's Part Of You" (a #31 tune for Elvis in 1962)
"I Really Don't Want To Know"有不少歌手唱過,名次最好的是Tommy Edwards版本,1960年曾得過第18名,貓王Elvis Presley 1971年重唱獲得過第21名,這首歌在當年的台北也很受歡迎,還曾改編為「過去的春夢」以國語演唱。


I Really Don't Want to Know
Elvis Presley
(Words & music by Howard Barnes - Don Robertson)

Oh how many arms have held you
And hated to let you go
How many, oh how many, I wonder
But I really don't want, I don't wanna know
Oh how many lips have kissed you
And set, set your soul aglow, yes they did
How many, oh how many, I wonder, yes I do
But I really don't want to know
So always make, make me wonder
And always make, make me guess
And even, you know even if I ask you
Oh darling oh don't you, don't confess
Just let it, let it remain your secret
Oh for darling, darling I love you so
No wonder, yeah no wonder, I wonder
Mmm, 'cause I really don't want, I don't wanna know


Sergio Mendes -Never Gonna Let You Go

巴西音樂傳奇人物Sergio Mendes 去世,享年 83 歲     他的家人 證實,格萊美獎得主巴西音樂家 Sergio Mendes 去世,他 以 Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66 合唱團名 在美國 的流行音樂市場闖出了知名度 。   ...