Alan Parsons-Time

   來自英國的 Alan Parsons是一位音響工程師、作曲人、音樂家及唱片製作人，早年他因為在Abbey錄音室參與Beatles專輯Let It Be的收尾工作而知名，後來在很多暢銷唱片擔任製作和錄音工作，作品包括: Pink Floyd的Dark Side Of The Moon，Ambrosia的首張專輯還有 Pilot 與Al Stewart的唱片。

  他成立的 The Alan Parsons Project樂團很快地被Progressive Rock「前衛搖滾」歌迷們注意，當他們第二張唱片《 I, Robot》推出後就很受歌迷們喜歡。

  此後Alan Parsons 和他的詞曲搭檔Eric Woolfson合作，1982年以《Eye In The Sky》專輯中同名單曲“Eye In The Sky”獲得Billboard Hot 100排行榜連續三週第3名，Eric Woolfson因癌症於2009年去世(64歲) ，他寫了Project大部分的歌詞。

  Parsons個人及他的樂團先後推出過50多首單曲，在1970及80年代很多歌進入排行榜前40名，1990年後的他消失於排行榜中。

  The Alan Parsons Project的"Eye in the Sky"是他們在排行榜上名次最好的歌。1981年的Time(#15)則是他們另一首暢銷曲。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6ZRGzx31iQ

 這是現場演唱版的"Eye in the Sky"但不失原味，值得一聽。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhRzORqNa0E

 

Time

Lyrics：Alan Parsons / Eric Norman Woolfson

 

Time, flowing like a river
Time, beckoning me
Who knows when
We shall meet again, if ever
But time keeps flowing
Like a river to the sea

Goodbye my love
Maybe for forever
Goodbye my love
The tide waits for me
Who knows when
We shall meet again, if ever
But time keeps flowing
Like a river (on and on)
To the sea, to the sea

'Til it's gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forevermore

Goodbye my friend
(Goodbye my love)
Maybe for forever
Goodbye my friend
(Who knows when
We shall meet again)
The stars wait for me
Who knows where
We shall meet again, if ever
But time keeps flowing
Like a river (on and on)
To the sea, to the sea

'Til it's gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forever
Gone forever now
Forevermore, forevermore

 

Phil Collins -In the Air Tonight

   Phil Collins 的暢銷曲“In the air tonight”是一首被誤解的歌，那是一個流傳已久的都市傳說，某人目睹有人讓另一人淹死。結果Phil Collins寫了這首歌，還邀請這人到他演唱會去講此事，害他被逮捕。這些都不是真的，然而，直到今天，仍然有人相信這個故事。Phil在訪問時說過: 當年他和妻子離婚後非常傷心，在複雜的情感下創作了這首歌，他並不在乎還談這個主題。他猜在某些方面，溺水可能是在一段關係中分開的隱喻，並且必須處理隨之而來的強烈情緒。

  Phil Collins 1951年出生於倫敦，1970年加入progressive-rock「前衛搖滾樂團」Genesis當鼓手，1975年升格成主唱同時還與爵士搖滾樂團Brand X在一起，1981年推出個人第一張專輯《Face Value》「面值」，“In the air tonight”「今晚空中見」即是其中的單曲，在Billboar Hot 100排行榜獲得第19名，雖然名次不高，但在digital download數位下載榜得到三張白金唱片以上的佳績，後來還因獲選電視影集Miami Vice「邁阿密風雲」的插曲而於1984年重回排行榜(#102) ，“In the air tonight”是一首有話題的歌曲。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkADj0TPrJA&list=RDYkADj0TPrJA&start_radio=1

 

In the Air Tonight

Lyrics：Phillip David Charles Collins / Evan Kyle Indiana Rollinson

 

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
And I've been waiting for this moment, for all my life, oh lord
Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord

Well, if you told me you were drowning
I would not lend a hand
I've seen your face before my friend
But I don't know if you know who I am

Well, I was there and I saw what you did
I saw it with my own two eyes
So you can wipe off that grin, I know where you've been
It's all been a pack of lies

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord
I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord

Well I remember, I remember don't worry
How could I ever forget
It's the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep this silence up
No you don't fool me
The hurt doesn't show, but the pain still grows
It's no stranger to you and me

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord
I can feel it in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord
Well I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord, oh lord

 

Rick Springfield-Jessie’s Girl

你還記得Rick Springfield的暢銷曲“Jessie’s Girl”嗎 ?

  Rick在一次訪問時說，雖然他寫了這首歌，但他沒有在錄歌時彈吉它部分，製作人Keith Olsen喜歡這首歌，可是從來沒喜歡過Springfield的吉他彈奏，他覺得這首歌太棒了，不能讓它被不及格的吉它搞砸，他堅持用Pat Benetar的吉它手Neil Geraldo，Olsen認為他能抓住這首歌的感覺，當時Rick很堅持擔任吉它伴奏，他在錄音室承諾Neil 可以在演唱會唱多少次都可以。

  沒有用Geraldo的結果如何 ? Rick Springfield自彈自唱的 “Jessie’s Girl”成了一首非常受歡迎的冠軍曲。1981年三月底推出後獲得連續二週排行榜冠軍。  

  專業錄音室中的樂手因他們的技術超群，有時會被徵招，但不見得抓得住製作人所需要的感覺。

  Rick Springfield 1949年出生於澳洲雪梨，影歌雙棲，“Jessie’s Girl”是他在排行榜上成績最好的歌。

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

 

Jessie’s Girl

 

lyrics：Richard Springthorpe

Jessie is a friend
Yeah, I know, he's been a good friend of mine
But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine

And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's loving him with that body, I just know it
Yeah, and he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
You know, I wish that I had

Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?

I'll play along with the charade
There doesn't seem to be a reason to change
You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute
I wanna tell her that I love her, but the point is probably moot

'Cause she's watching him with those eyes
And she's loving him with that body, I just know it
And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night
You know, I wish that I had

Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?

Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman-
Where can I find a woman like that?

And I'm looking in the mirror all the time
Wonderin' what she don't see in me
I've been funny, I've been cool with the lines
Ain't that the way love's supposed to be?

Tell me, where can I find a woman like that?

You know, I wish that I had

Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I want Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that?

Like Jessie's girl
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I want, I want Jessie's girl

  

Leon Russell-A Song for You

   Leon Russell是誰?為何他可以進the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame《搖滾樂名人堂》?

  其實Leon Russell先生是一位最為人低估的當代音樂人 

  Leon Russell 1942年4月2日出生於奧克拉荷馬州Tulsa，本名Claude Russell Bridges，3歲時即開始學古典鋼琴，是一位幼年奇才，會玩多種樂器，包括喇叭和吉他，然而他先被視為係一位傑出的鋼琴樂手，14歲時就在夜總會演出，17歲時已經是洛杉磯專業錄音室的特約樂手，Leon Russell因兒時患小兒麻痺症走路跛腳，右手也因此病而無力，但左手是健壯的，當他在台上演奏時你可以發現他都用左手彈奏琴鍵。他講話有奧克拉荷馬腔，個性很內向，不喜歡聚焦在聚光燈下，也因這個原因，人們常不知道他在專輯中寫過或演奏過某些歌曲。

  Leon Russell是傳奇中的傳奇人物，身為錄音室中一號人物，他替The Rolling Stones、Bob Dylan、Eric Clapton、 Frank Sinatra、Gary Puckett and the Union Gap、Ringo Star、 The Beach Boys、Jerry Lee Lewis、George Harrison、Herb Albert、The Byrds、BB King、 Gary Lewis and the Playboys、以及Phil Spector這些大咖們伴奏過，身為Spector的錄音團隊 “Wrecking Crew” 一份子，Leon Russell在the Ronettes的成名曲“Be My Baby” 及 Ike & Tina Turner的“River Deep – Mountain High” 擔任主鍵琴手。

  1970年Russell 一張同名的專輯《Leon Russell》首度推出，其中的“A Song for You”成了他的代表作，那首歌後來有很多名家灌唱，包括Willie Nelson、Whitney Houston、Donny Hathaway及 Ray Charles。Charles的版本得到1994年Grammy最佳R&B男聲演唱獎(#104/1993)。我個人特別喜歡Carpenters所唱的版本，他們1974年所推出的專輯《A Song for You》的標題歌曲，因沒有推出單曲，所以無名次，但很受歡迎。

  Russell在Joe Cocker 1969年的專輯《Mad Dogs & Englishmen 》扮演作曲、演唱及副製作人三重身分，Joe Cocker的演唱與 Leon 的鋼琴與吉他伴奏是非常完美的搭配。1971年8月Leon結束了Joe Cocker替專輯宣傳的的巡迴演唱裡的工作之後，和Delaney & Bonnie and Friends 加入 George Harrison於於紐約Madison Square Garden 〈麥迪遜花園廣場〉 的Concert For Bangladesh 演唱會。

  Leon還與Barbara Streisand一同寫了“Lost Inside of You”， 這首歌後來成了〈A Star is Born〉的電影插曲之一，而且Leon在電影插曲中擔任鋼琴伴奏。

  Leon Russell和Bonnie Bramlett合寫的“Superstar”後來是Karen Carpenter 1971.年的暢銷曲。

  Leon Russell 1972.年開了一家The Church Studio錄音室，在那裏錄製過Bob Dylan的“Watching the River Flow”.。1974年他簽下Tom Petty和他以往合作過的一些大牌歌手，其中多人唱他寫的歌而得到Grammy獎。

  2011年Leon Russell經由Elton John的推薦進入搖滾樂名人堂， 他倆結識多年，直到2010年10月才合作一張專輯《the Union》，Leon Russell 說 Elton John

在他潦倒時待他如天王巨星，其實Elton John自始就當Leon為偶像。

  Leon Russell於2016年11月13日去世(74歲)。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJom4uqpg2Q

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpeF-YLgTvg

 

A Song for You

lyrics：Leon Russell

 

I've been so many places in my life and time
I've sung a lot of songs
I've made some bad rhymes
I've acted out my life in stages
With ten thousand people watching

But we're alone now
And I'm singing this song to you

I know your image of me
Is what I hoped to be
I treated you unkindly
But darling, can't you see?
There's no one more important to me
Baby, can't you see through me?

'Cause we're alone now
And I'm singing this song to you

You taught me precious secrets
Of a true love withholding nothing
You came out in front when I was hiding
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 my life
You're a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together

We were alone
And I was singing this song to you

I love you in a place
Where there's no space or time
I love you for my life
You're a friend of mine
And when my life is over
Remember when we were together

We were alone
And I was singing this song to you
We were alone
And I was singing this song to you
We were alone
And I was singing this song, mm
Singing this song to you

 

Irene Cara-Flashdance…What a Feeling

電影〈Fame〉《名揚四海》及〈Flashdance〉《閃舞》插曲的主唱Irene Cara去世

《閃舞》這個電影穿插音樂MV的表現方式，對當時剛出現二年的MTV世代而言卻是印象很深刻的。

〈Flashdance〉《閃舞》於1983年春大賣，他和Footloose「渾身是勁」、Beverly Hills Cop「比佛利山超級警探」、Top Gun「捍衛戰士」、Dirty Dancing「熱舞17」這些片子主導了整個1980年代。這些片子都欠〈Flashdance〉《閃舞》一個情，這些爆紅的電影都如同〈Flashdance〉一樣沒有大牌主角和高製作費，《閃舞》劇情介紹一個女孩夢想成為芭雷舞星，他克服在試演時的緊張，最後成功了。

  Irene Cara唱的電影插曲“Flashdance…What a Feeling”於1983年3月推出，電影接著再4月15發片，在第二周就得到票房冠軍，而“Flashdance…What a Feeling”單曲五月底起在Billboard Hot 100排行榜獲得冠軍。〈Flashdance〉《閃舞》的電影專輯6/257e3在專輯榜得到二周冠軍，其中另一首Michael Sembello唱的“Maniac”九月份又得到單曲榜二周冠軍，可以說是電影與插曲的大滿貫。

  Irene Cara 1959年出生於紐約Bronx，是一位舞者、歌手、鋼琴手及演員，在 〈Fame〉《名揚四海》及多部電影和電視劇中演出過，在Billboard Hot 100 單曲榜中成績最好的歌是1980年的“Fame” (#4)及1983年的“Flashdance…What a Feeling”(#1 8weeks) ，這二首歌都獲得奧斯卡最佳歌曲獎。

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1gMQ_q3FSM

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miax0Jpe5mA

 

Flashdance...What A Feeling

Lyrics：Giorgio Moroder / Irene Cara / Keith Forsey

 

First, when there's nothing
But a slow glowing dream
That your fear seems to hide
Deep inside your mind

All alone, I have cried
Silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel
Made of stone

Well, I hear the music
Close my eyes, feel the rhythm
Wrap around, take a hold of my heart

What a feeling
Being's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life

Take your passion
And make it happen
Pictures come alive
You can dance right through your life

Now I hear the music
Close my eyes, I am rhythm
In a flash, it takes hold of my heart

What a feeling
Being's believin'
I can have it all, now I'm dancing for my life

Take your passion
And make it happen
Pictures come alive
You can dance right through your life
What a feeling

What a feeling (I am music now)
Being's believin' (I am rhythm now)
Pictures come alive
You can dance right through your life

What a feeling (I can really have it all)
What a feeling (pictures come alive when I call)
I can have it all (I can really have it all)
Have it all (pictures come alive when I call)
(Call, call, call, call)

I can have it all (being's believin')
Being's believin' (take your passion)

Make it happen
(What a feeling)
What a feeling