Drift Away-Mentor Williams

知名歌手、作曲人Paul Williams的弟弟Mentor Williams十一月16日於新墨西哥州Taos家中去世。

Mentor Williams也寫歌，作品中以1973年參加過搖滾樂劇Hair演出的黑人歌手Dobie Gray演唱的Drift Away最為歌迷們喜愛，曾獲得第五名。

Mentor Williams另一為歌迷們樂道的事即他和唱紅Rose Garden的鄉村歌后Lynn Anderson從1980年代就在一起，直到去年Lynn Anderson去世。

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

Drift Away"

Day after day I'm more confused

Yet I look for the light through the pouring rain

You know that's a game that I hate to lose

And I'm feelin' the strain

Ain't it a shame

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Beginning to think that I'm wastin' time

I don't understand the things I do

The world outside looks so unkind

And I'm countin' on you

To carry me through

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Yeah, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

And when my mind is free

You know a melody can move me

And when I'm feelin' blue

The guitar's comin' through to soothe me

Thanks for the joy that you've given me

I want you to know I believe in your song

And rhythm and rhyme and harmony

You've helped me along

Makin' me strong

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Oh, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Hey, give me the beat boys and free my soul

I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

Na na na, won't you, won't you take me

Oh, take me

A Song For You- Leon Russel

作曲人、歌手、知名樂師Leon Russell，十一月13日於納許維爾去世(74歲)，本名Claude Russell Brides的他，出生於奧克拉荷馬州Lawton，四歲即能彈鋼琴，在Tulsa讀高中的時候，他在Bread合唱團的主唱David Gates及J.J. Cale的樂隊擔任伴奏，1950年代晚期搬到洛杉磯後，他成了當地錄音室的紅樂師，平日就與Phil Spector的錄音室樂隊一起工作，還和Gary Lewis & the Playboys合唱團一同巡迴演唱，也一同寫了該團的"Everybody Loves A Clown" 及 "She's Just My Style"二首暢銷曲。

Leon Russell參與過the Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, Herb Alpert, Frank Sinatra, the Byrds與其它許多藝人與合唱團的錄音工作，他也當過Delaney and Bonnie and Friends合唱團的團員，在Joe Cocker的 "Mad Dos And Englishmen"巡迴演唱與 George Harrison的 "Concert For Bangladesh"著名演唱會Leon Russel 都曾軋上一腳。

Leon Russell寫過的暢銷作品有Joe Cocker 的"Delta Lady", Carpenters的 "Superstar" 及 George Benson的"This Masquerade" 。而身為歌手的他曾以Hank Wilson的藝名出過唱片，有11首歌進過排行榜，其中包括"Tight Rope" (#11-1972) 及。 "Lady Blue" (#14-1975)。

Leon Russell 1970年寫的A Song For You，是他最為人知的作品，也是Leon Russell個人第一張同名專輯當中的歌，有很多人灌唱過，Carpenters雖沒有推出過單曲，但是專輯唱片的標題歌曲，非常動聽，Elton John說那是一首美國流行音樂的經典歌曲。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PMgmgDq2Fo

A Song For You

Songwriters: RUSSELL, LEON

I've been so many places in my life and time

I've sung a lot of songs I've made some bad rhyme

I've acted out my love in stages

With ten thousand people watching

But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you

I know your image of me is what I hope to be

I've treated you unkindly but darlin' can't you see

There's no one more important to me

Darlin' can't you please see through me

Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you

You taught me precious secrets of the truth withholding nothing

You came out in front and I was hiding

But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together

Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding

I love you in a place where there's no space or time

I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine

And when my life is over remember when we were together

We were alone and I was singing this song for you

You taught me precious secrets of the truth withholding nothing

You came out in front and I was hiding

But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together

Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding

I love you in a place where there's no space or time

I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine

And when my life is over remember when we were together

We were alone and I was singing this song for you

We were alone and I was singing this song for you

Rock And Roll Waltz

在大樂隊時代就已成名，並於搖滾樂初興起的1955年，以一首六週冠軍曲Rock And Roll Waltz給歌迷們留下深刻印象的女歌星Kay Starr，十一月三日去世，高齡93歲。

Kay Starr本名Katherine Laverne Starks，出生於奧克拉荷馬州Dougherty，兒時即在孟斐斯與達拉斯的電台演唱，十五歲後正式擔任Joe Venuti Orchestra的主唱，在1945年轉為獨唱歌手之前，他也與Glen Miller及 Bob Crosby的樂團合作過。

1947年Capitol唱片公司簽下Kay Starr，她的Hoop-De-Doo (#2-1950)及 Bonaparte’s Retreat(#4-1950)成績很好，使她個人的歌唱事業有好的開始，1948-1954年，Kay Starr一共有27首歌進入過排行榜，其中包括1952年獲得十週冠軍的The Wheel Of Fortune。

1955 年她轉投 RCA唱片公司旗下，在搖滾樂開始流行的那些年，Kay Starr的受歡迎程度漸漸不如從前，但持續的努力演出，仍使她在1960年獲邀於好萊塢星光大道留下印記。

藍調歌手Billie Holiday曾經推崇Kay Starr是唯一一位能演唱藍調的白人女歌手。

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

The Rock And Roll Waltz

Kay Starr

One night I was late, came home from a date

Slipped out of my shoes at the door

Then from the front room, I heard a jump tune

I looked in and here's what I saw

There in the night what a wonderful scene

Mom was dancing with Dad to my record machine

And while they danced, only one thing was wrong

They were trying to waltz to a rock and roll song!

A-one, two, and then rock

A-one, two, and then roll

They did the rock and roll waltz

A-rock, two, three, a-roll, two, three

It looked so cute to me

I love the rock and roll waltz

A-one, two, and then rock

A-one, two, and then roll

A-one, two, and then jump

It's good for your soul

It's old but it's new

Let's do the rock and roll waltz

There in the night what a wonderful scene

Mom was dancing with Dad to my record machine

And while they danced, only one thing was wrong

They were trying to waltz to a rock and roll song!

A-one, two, and then rock

A-one, two, and then roll

A-one, two, and then jump

It's good for your soul

It's old but it's new

Let's do the rock and roll waltz

Let's do the rock and roll waltz

Green green grass of home

鄉村歌曲作曲人Claude "Curly" Putman十月30日於他在鄉村歌曲之都那須維爾郊區家中去世(85歲)，這位作曲家以Tom Jones的"Green, Green Grass Of Home", Tammy Wynette的"D-I-V-O-R-C-E" 及 George Jones的"He Stopped Loving Her Today"這幾首歌知名。

Tom Jone的"Green, Green Grass Of Home"起初於1965年由鄉村歌星Porter Wagoner灌唱，獲得鄉村歌曲排行榜第四名，1967年經Tom Jones翻唱後在熱門歌曲排行榜獲得第11名，這是一首｢死亡搖滾｣，敘述一個死囚的心聲，在全球有極高的知名度。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u81CTfbc99c

Green green grass of home

Claude "Curly" Putman Jr.

The old home town looks the same

As I step down from the train

And there to meet me is my mamma and poppa

Down the road I look, and there runs Mary

Hair of gold and lips like cherries

It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Yes, they'll all come to meet me

Arms a-reaching, smiling sweetly

It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

The old house is still standing

'Though the paint is cracked and dry

And there's that old oak tree that I used to play on

Down the lane I'll walk with my sweet Mary

Hair of gold and lips like cherries,

It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

Then I awake and look around me

At the four gray walls* that surround me

And I realize that I was only dreaming

For there's a guard and a sad old padre

Arm in arm we'll walk at daybreak

And at last I'll touch the green green grass of home