來自加拿大的早期搖滾樂團

1950年代後期的搖滾樂團the Diamonds的主唱David Somerville，七月14日在加州Santa Barbara因攝護腺癌去世 （81歲），出生於加拿大安大略Guelph的David早年在CBC加拿大廣播電台當工程師時開始學音樂，當時認識一個四人合唱團並當了該團的歌唱指導，沒想到因為原主唱離去，David Somerville就趁機接手，the Diamonds也正式成立，後來他們因去紐約參加Arthur Godfrey's "Talent Scouts"才藝比賽節目得獎，獲得Mercury唱片公司合約，從此開始了成功的歌唱生涯。

剛開始的the Diamonds總是翻唱黑人的R&B知名歌曲，如"Why Do Fools Fall In Love" (#12-1956)、 "Church Bells May Ring" (#14-1956)、 "The Stroll" (#4-1958) 及 "Little Darlin'" (#2-1957)等，但後來他們也唱過原創的歌而且成績也不錯，如"Kathy-O" (#16-1958) 及 "She Say" (#18-1959)。David Somerville於1962年離開the Diamonds，他改以David Troy藝名從事歌人的歌唱生涯，接著加入the Four Preps的巡迴演唱，還與該團的Bruce Belland以二重唱的方式搭擋演出。

Dave and the Diamonds於1984年被選入加拿大音樂名人堂，亦進了演唱團体名人堂 (2004) 與Doo-Wop名人堂(2006)。

The Diamonds排行榜名次最好的歌是1957年第二名的"Little Darlin'"，這首歌原由The Gladiolas演唱，在R&B節奏與藍調排行榜獲得過50名，而the Diamonds翻唱的Little Darling反而在R&B排行榜則獲得過5名。The Gladiolas後來改名Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs，他們有一首"Stay"於1960年獲得熱門排行榜冠軍。

The Diamonds作品很多，在歷年暢銷歌星與合唱團排行榜獲得274名。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCrpUsLd5kE

 

Little Darling

The Diamonds

 

 

Eye, yi-eye-eye-eye

Yi-eye-eye-eye

Ya-ya-ya-ahh

 

Little darlin', oh, little darlin'

Oh-oh-oh where a-are you?

My love-a, I was wrong-a (la-la-la-la-la-la)

To-oo try to lo-ove two

A-hoopa, a-hoopa, hoopa

Kno-ow well-a that my love-a (la-la-la-la-la-la)

Wa-as just fo-or you, oh only-ee-ee-ee you

 

SPOKEN:  My darlin', I NEED you (la-la-la-la-la-la) to call my own and NEVER do wrong.  To

hold in mine your little hand (la-la-la-la-la-la).  I'll know too soon that ALL is so grand.  Please,

hold my hand

 

My dear-a I-I was wrong-a

To-oo try to lo-ove two

A-hoopa, a-hoopa, hoopa

Know well that my love-a (la-la-la-la-la-la)

Wa-as just for you, oh only-ee-ee-ee you

 

懷舊的情歌"Traces"

最近有二位作曲人去世，他們在流行歌壇都留下了許多膾炙人口的好歌。

出生於丹佛的Wayne Carson七月20日於納許維爾去世（72歲），Wayne Carson於1997年被即被選入納許維爾作曲家名人堂，他寫的"The Letter"於1967年由the Box Tops推出獲得排行榜冠軍，1970年Joe Cocker重唱亦獲得第七名佳績，the Box Tops演唱另一首Wayne Carson的作品"Neon Rainbow"則獲得24名，而他另一作品Willie Nelson的名曲"Always On My Mind"於1982得過第五名。

另一位作曲人、製作人及出版商Buddy Buie，則於七月18日因心臟病病逝阿拉巴馬州Eufaula，出生於該州Dothan的他，最令人印象深刻的是替the Classics IV及the Atlanta Rhythm Section合唱團寫的那些動聽的歌，如the Classics IV的"Spooky" (#3-1968), "Traces" (#2-1969) 及 "Everyday With You Girl" (#19-1969)，和 the Atlanta Rhythm Section的"So In To You" (#7-1977) 及 "Imaginary Lover" (#7-1978)，這些暢銷曲也都由他製作與發行。

The Classics IV合唱團來自佛羅里達州Jacksonville，主唱是Dennis Yost（他已於2008年去世，享年65歲），他們的歌搭配絕妙的薩克斯風伴奏，令人一曲難忘，他們1969年第二名的"Traces"更是BMI全美最常播出歌曲榜第32名的歌，是一首百聽不厭描述懷舊心境的情歌。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0r74rxvWxo

 

Traces

 

Faded photograph, covered now with lines and creases

Tickets torn in half, memories in bits and pieces

Traces of love, long ago that didn't work out right

Traces of love.

 

Things we used to share, souvenirs of days together

The ring he used to wear, pages from an old love letter

Traces of love, long ago that didn't work out right

Traces of love, with me tonight.

 

I close my eyes and say a prayer

That in his heart, he'll find a trace of love still there,

Somewhere

 

Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry

These traces of tears from my eyes.

 

Traces of hope in the night that he'll come back and dry

These traces of tears from my eyes.

作曲人Michael Masser去世

作曲人Michael Masser七月九日於加州Rancho Mirage去世 （74歲），他曾寫過Diana Ross的名曲"Touch Me In The Morning" (#1-1973)、 "Theme From 'Mahogany'" (#1-1976)、 "Last Time I Saw Him" (#14-1974) 及 "It's My Turn" (#9-1981)，2007年並獲選進入作曲家名人堂， 但三年前心肌梗塞後身体狀況即日益惡化。

Michael Masser其它作品還有"The Greatest Love Of All"，此曲於1977年由George Benson推出獲得第24名，1986年Whitney Houston重唱則獲得三週排行榜冠軍，另外"Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You"則由Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson合唱獲得過第16名。

Michael Masser曾因"Theme From 'Mahogany'"獲得1975年奧斯卡最佳原創歌曲提名，但敗給Keith Carradine所寫及演唱的電影 Nashville主題曲"I'm Easy" 。

"Theme From 'Mahogany'（Do You Know Where You，re Going To）"這首歌作曲是Michael Masser，作詞則是Gerry Goffin，是Diana Ross主演的電影'Mahogany'的插曲，1975年底曾獲得單週排行榜冠軍。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3uatcJqt54

The Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)

Diana Ross

Do you know where you're going to?

Do you like the things that life is showing you

Where are you going to?

Do you know?

Do you get

What you're hoping for

When you look behind you

There's no open door

What are you hoping for?

Do you know?

Once we were standing still in time

Chasing the fantasies

That filled our minds

You knew how I loved you

But my spirit was free

Laughin' at the questions

That you once asked of me

Do you know where you're going to?

Do you like the things that life is showing you

Where are you going to?

Do you know?

Now looking back at all we've planned

We let so many dreams

Just slip through our hands

Why must we wait so long

Before we'll see

How sad the answers

To those questions can be

Do you know where you're going to?

Do you like the things that life is showing you

Where are you going to?

Do you know?

Do you get

What you're hoping for

When you look behind you

There's no open door

What are you hoping for?

Do you know?

Ringo Starr生日

Ringo Starr七月七日以和平與愛慶祝75歲生日。

前Beatles披頭合唱團團員的他在加州好萊塢Capital唱片大樓現身，Ringo不大回答他生日的問題，他說生命就是為生活，我為生命注入越多和平、愛與冥想，我感覺越好。

幾位音樂界人士為他慶生，其中有Eagles的Joe Walsh，他認同Ringo的說法，他表示暴力、篇狹不寬容把我們搞得一團糟，和平、愛、同情與互相了解能讓大家走出去。

Ringo的粉絲也應邀參加這個活動，Janet Carper表示她喜歡Ringo的聰明、幽默、魅力…，和平、愛正是Beatles的象徵。

Ringo Starr 本名Richard Starkey ，1940年生於英格蘭利物浦Dingle，1962年加入披頭合唱團，1970年開始錄個人的唱片，除音樂之外他也演過一些電影，並一直與一些大牌歌手組The All Star Band巡迴演唱。

Ringo Starr最受歡迎的歌是Beatles時代他主唱的Yellow Submarine、Act Naturally 、With A Little Help From My Friend及Honey Don’t。

With A Little Help From My Friend沒有推出單曲，但於滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第304名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBDF04fQKtQ

 

With A Little Help From My Friends

 

What would you think if I sang out of tune,

Would you stand up and walk out on me?

Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song

And I'll try not to sing out of key.

 

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

 

What do I do when my love is away

(Does it worry you to be alone?)

How do I feel by the end of the day,

(Are you sad because you're on your own?)

 

No, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

 

Do you need anybody

I need somebody to love

Could it be anybody

I want somebody to love.

 

Would you believe in a love at first sight

Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time

What do you see when you turn out the light

I can't tell you but I know it's mine,

 

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends

Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends

 

Do you need anybody

I just need someone to love

Could it be anybody

I want somebody to love.

 

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

with a little help from my friends.

 

Mama Cass留名星光大道

2016年好萊塢星光大道的提名名單六月22日公佈，其中包括已故歌手"Mama" Cass Elliot。

"Mama" Cass Elliot  1941年九月19日出生於馬里蘭州巴爾的摩，本名Ellen Naomi Cohen，1974年七月29日因心肌梗塞去世，但也有流言說她因吃東西梗塞在喉嚨致死。

"Mama" Cass Elliot是曾唱紅California Dreamin’、Monday Monday等名曲，1960年代著名的名謠搖滾合唱團The Mamas ＆ The Papas團員，但是他們1968年就解散了，而 "Mama" Cass Elliot持續個人的歌唱生涯，旦不幸32歲即去世。

在The Mamas ＆ The Papas團中藝名Mama Cass的她，排行榜上名次最好的歌是1968年第12名的Dream A Little Dream Of Me，是一首動聽的情歌，原是Wayne King 1931年的一首受歡迎的歌。

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

 

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Words by Gus Kahn and Music by Wilbur Schwandt and Fabian Andree

 

Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"

Birds singing in the sycamore tree

Dream a little dream of me

 

Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me

While I'm alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me

 

Stars fading but I linger on, dear

Still craving your kiss

I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear

Just saying this

 

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be

Dream a little dream of me