Gladys Knight And The Pips-Midnight Train to Georgia

    Gladys Knight And The Pips 合唱團在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1973年的二周冠軍曲〈Midnight Train to Georgia〉。

    在 Motown唱片公司時期，他們曾兩度登上Billboard Hot 100 單曲榜亞軍。1967年12月〈I Heard It Through the Grapevine〉在排行榜第二名停留了三週。1993年3月底，由 Jim Weatherly創作的 〈Neither One of Us (Wants to Be the First to Say oodbye)〉也曾連續幾週位居第二。直到1973年10月 Gladys Knight And The Pips 樂隊更換唱片公司和樂隊名稱，他們的第29首上榜單曲〈Midnight Train to Georgia〉才最終登上Billboard Hot 100 排行榜冠軍。

    在靈魂樂廠牌 Motown唱片公司效力八年後，Gladys Knight And The Pips樂團另謀發展。他們與位於紐約的 Buddah唱片公司簽約，並發行了抒情歌曲。〈Where Peaceful Waters Flow〉，這首歌在1973年夏天取得了中等程度的成功，最高獲得第28名。他們的第二首單曲則選擇了 （Jim Weatherly）的作品。這位來自密西西比州 Pontotoc的詞曲作家曾在 （Jimmy Bowen）的Amos唱片公司錄製過自己的歌曲〈Midnight Plane to Houston〉。「這首歌的靈感來自我和某人的一次對話...關於搭乘午夜航班飛往休士頓。 」Weatherly回憶道：「我把它寫成了一首鄉村歌曲。然後我們把歌寄給了亞特蘭大的 Sonny Limbo 他想讓 Cissy Houston演唱這首歌。他問我是否介意他把歌名改成〈Midnight Train to Georgia〉：我說，「不介意。只要別改歌的其他部分就好」 ( Cissy Houston) 是Dionne Warwick 的表妹，Whitney Houston 的母親 ，憑藉這首歌打入了R&B排行榜。

    Weatherly 的出版商將這首歌轉交給了Gladys Knight And The Pips 樂隊 ，他們保留了歌曲名稱「Midnight Train to Georgia」。這首歌是他們在Buddah唱片公司發行的第二首單曲，首周登上Billboard Hot 100第 71位，並在八週後成為樂團的第一首冠軍單曲。

     Gladys Knight （1944年5月28日出生於喬治亞州亞特蘭大）四歲時在瑪麗亞山浸信會教堂首次登台獻唱。她的父母都是 Wings Over Jordan gospel choir 福音合唱團的歌手，在母親的鼓勵下七歲的Gladys參加了Ted Mack 的《The Original Amateur Hour》 原創業餘時間節目。並憑藉演唱 Nat “King” Cole 的 〈Too Young〉贏得了2000美元的頭獎。

     Gladys Knight And The Pips 的第一首上榜歌曲 〈Every Beat of My Heart〉在1961年7月達到了排行榜第6名。他們曾為Vee Jay和Fury唱片公司錄製唱片。在（Letter Full of Tears）於1962年初打入前20名之後，表哥蘭斯頓退出了樂隊，此後 Gladys Knight and the Pips一直保持著四人組合的形式。

    1965年，樂團與摩城唱片公司簽約，但直到他們轉投 （Buddha Records）後才連續獲得前十名單曲。繼 （Midnight Train to Georgia）之後，他們又推出了三首前十名單曲： （I've Got to Use My Imagination）、 （Best Thing That ever happened to me)、〈 On And On〉。

    70年代末的法律糾紛導致Gladys 三年無法與樂團一起錄音。她錄製了一張個人專輯，而樂團則在卡薩布蘭卡唱片公司（Casablanca Records）發行了兩張專輯。 1980年，他們在哥倫比亞唱片公司（Columbia Records）重聚。

 Midnight Train To Georgia - Gladys Knight And The Pips (With Lyrics Below)

這首歌獲得滾石雜誌RS500排行第429名。也進入Grammy搖滾樂名人堂。

 

 

Midnight Train to Georgia

作詞/作曲：James D. Weatherly

L.A proved too much for the man
(Too much for the man)
(He couldn't make it)
So, he's leaving the life he's come to know, oh

He said he's going back to find
(Going back to find)
What's left of his world
The world he left behind
Not so long ago

He's leaving (leaving)
On that midnight train to Georgia (leaving on a midnight train)
Hmm, yeah
Said he's going back (going back to find)
To a simpler place and time (and when he takes that ride)
Oh yes, he is (guess who's gonna sit right by his side)

And I'll be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia)
I'd rather live in his world (live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (world, world)
(It's his, his and hers alone)

He kept dreaming
(Dreaming)
Oh, that someday he'd be a star
(A superstar, but he didn't get far)
But he sure found out the hard way
That dreams don't always come true (dreams don't always come true)
Oh no (uh-uh, no, uh-uh)

So he hung all his hopes
And he even sold his own car, hmm
Bought a one way ticket back
To the life that he once knew
Oh yes he did
He said he would

I know he's leaving (leaving)
On that midnight train to Georgia (leaving on a midnight train)
Hmm, yeah
Said he's going back to find, oh (going back to find)
A simpler place and time (and when he takes that ride)
(Guess who's gonna sit right by his side)

And, I'm gonna be with him (I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on the midnight train to Georgia)
I'd rather live in his world (live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (world, world)
(It's his, his and hers alone)

Oh, he's leaving
(Leaving)
On a midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train)
Yeah, oh yo
Said he's going back to find
(Going back to find)
Oh, a simpler place and time (whenever he takes that ride)
(Guess who's gonna be right by his side)

I've got to be with him
(I know you will)
On that midnight train to Georgia
(Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia)
I'd rather live in his world (live in his world)
Than live without him in mine (world, world)
(Is his, his and hers alone)

one love
(All aboard) all aboard
A midnight train to ride
(One love) one love
(All aboard) all aboard

Gotta go on the midnight train to go (midnight train to go)
(One love) one love
(All aboard) all aboard
Aha, the midnight train to go (midnight train to go)

My world (one love)
His world (all aboard)
Our world, mine and his alone (midnight train to go)
My world (one love)
His world (all aboard)
Our world, mine and his alone (midnight train to go)

I've got to go (one love)
I've got to go (all abroad)
I've got to go (midnight train to go)
Hey
I've got to go (one love)
I've got to go (all abroad)
(Midnight train to go)

My world (one love)
His world (all aboard)
My man, his girl
I've got to go, I've got go
I've got to go