Brenda Russell -Piano In The Dark

  今天介紹一首R&B歌曲，Brenda Russell的Piano In The Dark。

  1988年流行歌壇最紅的歌星是已逝的Whitney Houston(1963-2012)與George Michael(1963-2016)，他們都出生於1963年，Whitney Houston是一位R&B歌曲起家的影歌巨星，George Michael則是1988年的冠軍歌星(# 1 Hot 100 Artist of 1988)。他倆加上Rick Astley、Guns N' Roses、Tiffany、Michael Jackson及Gloria Estefan & Msm…，相信老歌迷們腦海裡已經浮現了無數美好的回憶。

  在1988年年終排行榜獲得第81名的Piano in the Dark是R&B女歌手Brenda Russell 一首懷念的旋律，是當年夏天在Billboard Hot 100榜獲得過第6名的一首動聽的情歌。

  Brenda Russell 1949年出生於紐約布魯克林區，但在加拿大多倫多長大，她除了演唱、寫歌外擅長鍵琴樂器。

  Brenda Russell與前夫Brian Russel以Brian and Brenda 之名錄過唱片，她在Billboard R&B 排行榜有幾首Top 40的歌，但是以Piano In The Dark成績最好。

  Brenda Russell還在加拿大電視台助理主持過Music Machine流行音樂節目。

  Piano In The Dark是Brenda Russell與Brooklyn Dreams的Joe Esposito 聯名推出的歌，Joe 擔任和聲。Brooklyn Dreams是因與已故狄斯可歌后Donna Summer合唱Heaven Knows而出名的一個狄斯可三重唱。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7u5GtSIC5k

 

Piano In The Dark

Songwriters: Brenda Russell / Scott Cutler / Jeff Hull

 

When I find myself watching the time

I never think about all the funny things you said

I feel like it's dead

Where is it leading me now?

I turn around in the still of the room

Knowing this is when I'm gonna make my move

Can't wait any longer

And I'm feeling stronger, but oh

Just as I walk to the door

I can feel your emotion

It's pulling me back

Back to love you

I know, caught up in the middle

I cry just a little

When I think of letting go

Oh no, gave up on the riddle

I cry just a little

When he plays piano in the dark

He holds me close like a thief of the heart

He plays a melody

Born to tear me all apart

The silence is broken

And no words are spoken, but oh

Just as I walk to the door

I can feel your emotion

It's pulling me back

Back to love you

I know, caught up in the middle

I cry just a little

When I think of letting go

Oh no, gave up on the riddle

I cry just a little

When he plays piano in the dark

The silence is broken

And no words are spoken, but oh

Just as I walk to the door

I can feel your emotion

Oh baby, pull me back

Back to love you

I know, I'm caught up in the middle

I cry just a little

When I think of letting go

Oh no, gave up on the riddle

I cry just a little

I cry, I cry

I know, I'm caught up in the middle

I cry just a little

When I think of letting go

Oh no, gave up on the riddle

I cry just a little

When he plays piano in the dark

 

Blondie-Heart of Glass

  談到Post-Punk & New Waves的重要專輯，少不了要介紹Blondie的〈Parallel Lines〉。

  New-wave搖滾樂團Blondie來自紐約布魯克林區，主唱是Debby Harry，她早年參加過民謠搖滾樂團Wind in The Willows，Blondie曾於1982年解散 ，1999年重新復出。

  儘管他們有龐克資歷，Blondie更感興趣的是在一種流派裡玩音樂，而不是被限制在一個剛性的審美觀裡。這意味著他們吸收流行音樂及50、60年代搖滾樂的元素，把這些元素融入龐克狂躁的混音當中。

  經由他們同名的首張專輯及接著的〈Plastic Letters〉專輯的磨練後，Blondie在〈Parallel Lines〉「平行線」這張專輯中表現出色。這張專輯一發行就大獲成功，在Billboard專輯排行榜獲得第6名，在英國的專輯排行榜則獲得冠軍，讓Blondie真正登上了流行音樂版圖，並且催生了幾首著名的單曲(如Heart of Glass、One Way or Another、Picture This、Hanging on the Telephones、Sunday Girl)，其中Heart of Glass於1979年2月17日推出，後來獲得Billboard Hot 100排行榜冠軍，在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第259名。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

 

Heart of Glass

Songwriters: Chris Stein / Deborah Harry

 

Once I had a love and it was a gas

Soon turned out had a heart of glass

Seemed like the real thing, only to find

Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

Once I had a love and it was divine

Soon found out I was losing my mind

It seemed like the real thing but I was so blind

Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

In between

What I find is pleasing and I'm feeling fine

Love is so confusing, there's no peace of mind

If I fear I'm losing you it's just no good

You teasing like you do

Once I had a love and it was a gas

Soon turned out had a heart of glass

Seemed like the real thing, only to find

Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

Lost inside

Adorable illusion and I cannot hide

I'm the one you're using, please don't push me aside

We coulda made it cruising, yeah

La, da, da, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, da, da, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

La, da, da, la, la, la, la, la, la, la

Yeah, riding high on love's true bluish light

Ooh, oh, ooh, oh

Ooh, oh, ooh, oh

Once I had a love and it was a gas

Soon turned out to be a pain in the ass

Seemed like the real thing only to find

Mucho mistrust, love's gone behind

Ooh, oh, ooh, oh

Ooh, oh, ooh, oh

Duran Duran-A View to a Kill

   Duran Duran準備在2021年 Billboard音樂獎演出

  這個表演也正好慶祝他們踏入歌壇40周年。

  Duran Duran是〈the 2021 Billboard Music Awards〉 BBMAs第一個加入表演的英國退休樂團，他們將從倫敦演唱一首新歌傳送到頒獎典禮現場，並邀請搖滾樂團Blur的吉他手Graham Coxon.加入。

  Duran Duran 1981年以“Planet Earth”/“Girls on Film”這張雙面二首歌的暢銷曲進入Billboard the Dance Club Songs熱門舞曲排行榜。

  Duran Duran 有二首Billboard Hot 100排行榜冠軍曲 :“The Reflex”及“A View to a Kill”，後者也是007系列電影第一手獲得冠軍的主題曲。Duran Duran在Billboard 200專輯排行榜有6張專輯進入 Top 10，時空橫跨30年。

  Duran Duran是一個電音流行舞曲樂團，來自英格蘭伯明翰，主唱是Somon LeBon，他們的成名歸功於在MTV 播出music video音樂影帶的極大協助。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Z6ThbWGUj0

 

 

A View to a Kill

Duran Duran

Songwriters: John Barry / John Taylor / Simon Le Bon / Nick Rhodes / Andy Taylor / Roger Taylor

 

Meeting you with a view to a kill
Face to faces, secret places, feel the chill

Night fall covers me
But you know the plans I'm making
Still overseas,
Could it be the whole lot opening wide
A sacred why
A mystery gaping inside
A week is why

Until we dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire

The choice for you is the view to a kill
Between the shades assassination standing still

First crystal tears,
Fallen of snowflakes on your body
First time in years
To drench you skin of lover's rosy stain
A chance to find the phoenix for the flame
A chance to die

But can we dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire
To fatal sounds of broken dreams
Dance into the fire
That fatal kiss is all we need
Dance into the fire

When all we see is the view to a kill

 

 

The Human League-Don't You Want Me

    在後龐克與新浪潮post-punk / new wave的音樂世界裡，The Human League是一個知名的合唱團，樂評人將他們定位為Electro-pop電音流行樂團。

  來自英國約克夏Sheffield的這個團體，主唱是Phil Oakey，他與女主唱Joanne Catherall和Susanne Sulley一同撐起The Human League在流行歌壇的一片天。

  The Human League的代表性專輯是1981年10月推出的〈Dare〉，當時前團員Martyn Ware與Ian Craig Marsh 離開了Human League另組Heaven 17，Phil Oakey帶領這個團朝更易於親近的方向前進，〈Dare〉這張專輯在全球造成轟動，這是一張充滿了令人難忘歌曲的專輯，在1981年Synth-pop「合成流行音樂」革命的邊緣完美地展現出他們的英姿。

  〈Dare〉在英國的專輯排行榜獲得冠軍，在美國的Billboard 專輯排行榜則獲得第3名，其中的單曲“ Don’t You Want Me”、“Open Your Heart”、“Love Action”以及“Sound of The Crowd”都很受歡迎，“ Don’t You Want Me”在Billboard Hot 100 單曲排行榜則獲得冠軍。

  Post-punk /new wave音樂與Rock的不同之處在於電子合成樂器的強化，而Rock是以電吉他為主帶動氣氛。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPudE8nDog0

 

Don't You Want Me

Songwriters: Wright / Oakley / CallisYou were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar

 

When I met you

I picked you out, I shook you up

And turned you around

Turned you into someone new

Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet

Success has been so easy for you

But don't forget it's me who put you where you are now

And I can put you back down too.

Don't. Don't you want me?

You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me

Don't. Don't you want me?

You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

It's much too late to find

When you think you've changed your mind

You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar

That much is true

But even then I knew I'd find a much better place

Either with or without you

The five years we have had have been such good at times

I still love you

But now I think it's time I lived my life on my own

I guess it's just what I must do

Don't. Don't you want me?

You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me

Don't. Don't you want me?

You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

It's much too late find

When you think you've changed your mind

You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me? Oh!