Billy Paul一曲成名

來自費城，1972年以"Me And Mrs. Jones"成名的靈魂歌手Billy Paul，四月24日於家鄉去世 (81歲)，一週前他才診斷發現罹患胰臟癌，沒想到這麼快即過世。

Billy Paul 本名Paul Williams，他於11歲時即開始了演唱生涯，當時他是在廣播電台唱歌，從西費城音樂學校畢業後，他又去Granoff音樂學院進修，當時很多表演活動已經找他唱開場，而他也改名Billy Paul。

1952年他錄了第一張單曲唱片，但因被徵召入伍，演唱生由因而延後，Billy Paul和貓王Elvis Presley同時在西德當兵，退伍後他錄了一些爵士唱片，成績還差強人意，1968年他遇到製作人Kenny Gamble，並和一家新唱片公司簽約，他和 Kenny Gamble及Leon Huff製作搭檔合作錄唱片，但成績不是很好，直到製作人組了Philadelphia International唱片公司，Billy Paul的"Me And Mrs. Jones"透過CBS發行才獲得排行榜冠軍與金唱片，還得到Grammy最佳R&B男歌星演唱獎。

"Me And Mrs. Jones"是Billy Paul 唯一排行榜前三十名的暢銷曲，接著推出的"Am I Black Enough For You" 與 "Let's Make A Baby"都因內容有爭議名次不好。

Billy Paul在R&B排行榜有 12首暢銷曲, 但是"Thanks For Saving My Life" (#9-1974)是他唯一進前十名的歌。

Billy Paul於1989年宣布退休，但是他持續在演唱會裡演出，2000時還推出過一張現場演唱專輯。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWOTdt9Bovk

Me And Mrs. Jones

Billy Paul

Me and Mrs. Jones

we've got a thing going on.

We both know that it's wrong,

but it's much too strong

to let it go now.

We meet every day

at the same café

6:30 I know - I know she'll be there.

Holding hands, making all kinds of plans

while the jukebox play our favourite song.

(Chorus)

Me and – Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones...

we've got a thing going on.

We both know that it's wrong,

but it's much too strong

to let it go now.

We've gotta be extra careful

That we don't build our hopes up too high.

'Cause she's got her own obligations

and so – and so do I...

(Chorus)

Me and – Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones...

we've got a thing going on.

We both know that it's wrong,

but it's much too strong

to let it go now.

Well it's time for us to be leaving

It hurts so much - it hurts so much inside

Now she'll go her way

And I'll go mine.

Tomorrow we'll meet the same place –

the same time.

(Chorus)

Me and – Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Jones...

we've got a thing going on.

We've gotta be extra careful.

We can't afford to build our hopes up too high.

I wanna meet,

and talk with you,

at the same place,

the same café,

the same time

And we're gonna hold hands like we used to

We're gonna talk it over, talk it over

We know, they know, and you know and I know

that it was wrong

But I'll make it strong...

We've gotta let 'em know now

We've got a thing going on

thing going on...