Eydie Gorme 去世

1950至1960年代前期的知名女歌星Eydie Gorme，8月10日週六不幸於拉斯維加斯的一家醫院中去世，她剛於一週前過了85歲的生日。

Eydie Gorme出生於紐約Bronx，本名Edith Garmezano，出道前曾在聯合國擔任翻譯，後來轉到Tex Beneke 樂團當歌手，1953年開始Eydie Gorme 在Steve Allen的著名電視節目"Tonight Show"「今夜」當中出現，在上節目時也認識了Steve Lawrence 。

Eydie Gorme 與Steve Lawrence 於1957年結婚，Eydie 個人與二人合唱的歌一共有24首進入排行榜，其中最有名的歌是1963年獲得過第7名的"Blame It On The Bossa Nova" 。

Eydie Gorme 的作品很多，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第438名，1979年夫妻檔還曾以Parker&Penny之名灌過唱片，而以冠軍曲Go Away Little Girl成名的Steve Lawrence在歌壇成績更好，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第200名。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaRlW-jz1QQ

Blame It On The Bossa Nova

Songwriters: Weil, Cynthia / Mann, Barry

I was at a dance
When he caught my eye
Standin' all alone
Lookin' sad and shy
We began to dance
Swayin' to and fro
And soon I knew I'd never let him go

(Chorus)
Blame it on the bossa nova
With it's magic spell
Blame it on the bossa nova
That he did so well
Oh it all began with just one little dance
But soon it ended up a big romance
Blame it on the bossa nova
The dance of love
Now was it the moon
No no the bossa nova
Or the stars above
No no the bossa nova
Now was it the tune
Yea yea the bossa nova
The dance of love

Now I'm glad to say
I'm his bride to be
And we're gonna raise a family
And when our kids ask
How it came about
I gonna say to them with out a doubt

(Chorus)

Helen Reddy獲得殊榮

因為Helen Reddy曾經演唱名曲I Am Woman，對婦女平等做過貢獻，美國加州洛杉磯的西好萊塢市宣佈8月26日為Helen Reddy日，美國郵局準備配合推出很特别配有圖案的紀念郵戳， 8月26日也是美國憲法第19修正案通過93年的日子，這個憲法修正案讓婦女有了投票權。

  Helen Reddy當天也將在西好萊塢市議會發表演說，而這個郵戳的設計將於8月19日公佈。

  Helen Reddy 1941年出生於澳洲墨爾本一個演藝世家，四歲時即登台表演過，1960年代初期就擁有自己的電視節目，1966年移民美國，1972年以電影Stand Up And Be Counted的插曲I Am Woman獲得排行榜冠軍，也獲得當年Grammy獎最佳女聲演唱獎，她的暢銷曲很多，除了I Am Woman之外，1973年的Delta Dawn和1974年的Angie Baby也都是排行榜冠軍曲，Helen Reddy在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第168名，是1970年代很紅的影、視、歌三棲女藝人。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZMZ7_w4RDM

I Am Woman

-Words and Music by Helen Reddy and Ray Burton

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an' pretend

'cause I've heard it all before

And I've been down there on the floor

No one's ever gonna keep me down again

CHORUS

Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me

'cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

'cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

CHORUS

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin' arms across the land

But I'm still an embryo

With a long long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise

But it's wisdom born of pain

Yes, I've paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

Oh, I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

FADE

I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

鄉村歌星Barbara Mandrell的名曲

很多西洋歌曲的創意來自家庭的回憶，按音樂發行人和唱片製作人Tom Collins的說法，鄉村歌星Barbara Mandrell的第一首冠軍曲"Sleeping Single In A Double Bed"就是其中一個例子。

Tom Collins說他記得他太太的祖父母睡一張小床，就好像"sleeping double  in a

single bed."。

他把這意境告訴詞曲作者搭擋 Kye Fleming 與 Dennis Morgan，"Sleeping Single In A Double Bed."就誕生了。

Tom Collins到鄉村音樂的大本營那許維爾去推薦這首歌，但沒人要錄它，最後Collins決定找Barbara Mandrell來錄。

在ABC唱片公司推出的單曲於1978年9月9日進了鄉村歌曲排行榜，11月4日昇到排行榜第一名，而且連續三週冠軍。

那首歌是Barbara Mandrell的第26首進鄉村歌曲榜歌曲，但是她第一首冠軍曲。

Barbara Mandrell出生於德州休士頓，但在洛杉磯長大，因11歲即能玩鐵弦吉他，而應邀到拉斯維加斯的飯店和電視節目表演，學生時代她就是家庭樂團The Mandrells的一員，1966年她參加過鄉村巨星Johnny Cash的巡迴演出，更肯定她擁有鄉村歌唱圈的血緣。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lP2Sl9DW3s

Barbara Mandrell Sleeping Single In A Double Bed Lyrics

Sleeping Single In A Double Bed
Sleeping single in a double bed
Thinking over things I wish I'd said
I should have held you but I let you go
Now I'm the one sleeping all alo-oh-one
Sleeping single in a double bed (ooh-oo-ooh)
Tossing, turning, trying to forget (ahh-ah)
I could be lying with you instead
I'm sleeping single in a double bed
I'd pour me a drink, but I'd only be sorry
'Cause drinking doubles alone, don't make it a par-arty
Another sleepless night and it's the same old stor-ory
When you're the only one at two in the morning
I-I'm sleeping single in a double bed (ooh-oo-ooh)
Thinking over things I wish I'd said (ahh-ah)
I should have held you but I let you go
Now I'm the one sleeping all alo-oh-one
Sleeping single in a double bed
Tossing, turning, trying to forget (you-ou)
I could by lying with you instead
I'm sleeping single in a double bed
I'm sleeping single in a double bed (ah-hah-ah)
Thinking over things I wish I'd said (ooh-ooh)
I should have held you but I let you go
Now I'm the one sleeping all alo-oh-one
Sleeping single in a double bed (ah-hah-ah)
Tossing, turning, trying to forget (you-ou)
I could be lying with you instead
I'm sleeping single in a double bed
I-Im sleeping single in a double bed
Thinking over things I wish I'd said (fade)

難忘的靈魂歌曲Soul Men

黑人節奏與藍調歌曲二重唱Sam & Dave的團員Sam Moore的律師，7月26日將在辛辛那堤出庭辯論，反對電影"Soul Men"繼續上演，去年法院曾判決那部電影並沒有直接影響到Sam & Dave與Sam Moore，因為Sam Moore的名字並沒有在電影裡被提及，而且這部電影裡也沒有任何Sam Moore or或Sam & Dave的照片或影像出現，2009年推出的這部電影在全世界票房只有1230萬美元。

1960年代後期走紅的Sam & Dave二名成員即Sam Moore與Dave Prater，他們是於1967年以三週第3名的Soul Men獲得當年Grammy節奏與藍調歌曲二重唱獎，之前他們於1966年即以節奏與藍調歌曲榜冠軍曲Hold On I’m Coming成名。

Sam & Dave於1992年被選入搖滾樂名人堂，團員Dave Prater則已於1988年因車禍喪生。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tla-k_KMvAQ

 

Soul Man

Sam & Dave

 

Coming to you, on a dusty road

Good loving, I got a truck load

and when you get it, you got something

don't worry, 'cause I'm coming

 

I'm a  soul man

 

Got what I got, the hard way

and I'll got make better, each and every day

So honey,  I said don't you fret

'cause you ain't seen nothing yet

 

Well grab the rope, and I'll pull you in

Give you hope, and be your only boyfriend ya ( ya ) ya ( ya ) help!

 

紅襪球迷愛聽Neil Diamond的歌

Neil Diamond七月16日在大聯盟明星賽第八局上現場演唱了他的名曲 "Sweet Caroline"，今年MLB的明星賽在紐約法拉盛城市球場舉行，Neil Diamond是於紐約布魯克林區長大的，但這首歌當天特別為波士頓馬拉松爆炸案遺族而唱，當波士頓紅襪隊在芬威球場主場出賽時"Sweet Caroline"這首歌於第八局都會播出，沒想到演唱人是來自死對頭洋基隊故鄉的紐約人吧。

Neil Diamond是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第25名的巨星，Neil Diamond是他的本名，年輕時他在紐約從事作曲工作，但後來以演唱成名，自1966-1986年他是全美國最紅的男歌星，1980年並曾擔任電影The Jazz Singer「吾父、吾愛、吾子」的男主角。

"Sweet Caroline"是1969年Neil Diamond獲得過第4名的歌，全名是Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed So Good)，如果紅襪隊當天比賽表現很好，這首歌倒很能助興。

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vhFnTjia_I

Sweet Caroline

Where it began
I can't begin to knowin'
But then I know it's growin' strong

Was in the spring
And spring became a summer
Who'd have believed you'd come along

Hands, touchin' hands
Reachin' out
Touchin' me
Touchin' you

Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
But now i

Look at the night
And it don't seem so lonely
We fill it up with only two
And when I hurt
Hurtin' runs off my shoulders
How can I hurt when holdin' you

Warm, touchin' warm
Reachin' out
Touchin' me
Touchin' you

Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
I've been inclined
To believe they never would
Oh,lord, no

Sweet caroline
Good times never seemed so good
Sweet caroline
I believed they never could
Sweet caroline 

回味Dolly Parton的電影金曲

一大堆流行歌曲曾經被樂評界輕忽或是給予不佳的評價，但有時候卻有脫穎而出得到冠軍的例子。

Dolly Parton 1978年的冠軍曲"Heartbreaker"就是其中的一個例子，但那還不是當年她碰到的唯一糟糕的例子， Dolly Parton 還名列Blackwell雜誌1978年最糟穿著的名人榜冠軍。

儘管負面的評價接連而來，但與"Heartbreaker"同名專輯選卻在推出不到一個月就成了她第三張金唱片專輯。

Dolly Parton在RCA Victor公司發行的單曲"Heartbreaker"，在鄉村歌曲排行榜剛推出就得到38名，五週後就得到排行榜冠軍。

"Heartbreaker"由David Wolfort 與Carole Bayer Sager作曲，Gary Klein 與Dolly Parton本人擔任製作人。

Dolly Parton於 1946年出生於田納西州的Locust Ridge，是著名的鄉村歌星與演員，1967-2008年她一共有111首歌進鄉村歌曲排行榜，Dolly在流行歌唱界亦很受歡迎，歷年暢銷歌星排行榜她獲得第251名。

1980年Dolly Parton 曾與珍芳達一同演出電影9 to 5「九點到五點」，並演唱同名主題曲，此曲在當年11月底並獲得二週排行榜冠軍。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwDMFOLIHxU

 

9 To 5

Dolly Parton

Songwriters: PALMER, FLORRIE

 

Tumble outta bed
And stumble to the kitchen
Pour myself a cup of ambition
Yawnin, stretchin, try to come to life
Jump in the shower
And the blood starts pumpin
Out on the streets
The traffic starts jumpin
And folks like me on the job from 9 to 5
Chorus:

Workin 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin
Barely gettin by
Its all takin
And no givin
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
Its enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that i
Would deserve a fair promotion
Want to move ahead
But the boss wont seem to let me in
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me
Mmmmm...

They let your dream
Just a watch em shatter
Youre just a step
On the boss mans a ladder
But you got dream hell never take away

On the same boat
With a lot of your friends
Waitin for the day
Your shipll come in
And the tides gonna turn
An it's all gonna roll you away

2nd chorus:

Workin 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin
Barely gettin by
Its all takin
And no givin
They just use your mind
And you never get the credit
Its enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you think that I would daunt you
Its a rich mans game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin money in his wollet

3rd chorus:

Workin 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin
Barely gettin by
Its all takin
And no givin
They just use you mind
And they never give you credit
Its enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it

Fade:

9 to 5, yeah, they got you where they want you
There's a better life
And you dream that I would daunt you
Its a rich mans game
No matter what they call it
And you spend your life
Puttin money in his wollet

 

在英國特別紅的鄉村歌星Slim Whitman

鄉村歌星Otis "Slim" Whitman 6月19日在佛羅里達州Orange Park一家醫學中心去世（89歲） ，自1952年至1981年他曾經有38首歌進過鄉村歌曲排行榜，1920年元月20日出生於佛州Tampa的他，最為歌迷懷念的歌是1952年得過第9名的暢銷曲Indian Love Call，1996年的電影"Mars Attacks"「星戰毀滅者」 曾經用這首歌當插曲。

Slim Whitman開風氣之先的在電視購物頻道賣精選集唱片，2010年他在好萊塢星光大道獲得一顆星的榮譽，旁邊還特別註明：貓王Elvis Presley第一次職業演唱是為Slim Whitman的1954年孟菲斯演唱會唱開場。

Slim Whitman中學時代曾經是學校棒球隊的明星投手，二戰期間他在海軍服役時學會了彈吉它，退伍後一度猶豫要走職業運動或娛樂圈的路，雖然地區聯盟要給他合約，但他最後還是選擇自電台與俱樂部演出踏入演藝圈。

1949年Slim Whitman在RCA推出的Casting My Lasso To The Sky獲得一些注意，1952年轉Imperial唱片後推出的Indian Love Call則使他成名，這首歌於1955年在英國推出曾連續五週得到排行榜冠軍，因此他也是第一位於倫敦Polladium劇院演出的美國鄉村歌星，他的專輯唱片The Very Best Of Slim Whitman及Red River Valley分別在1976與1977年獲得英國專輯榜冠軍。

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FhQxZnSqc0

 

Indian Love Call  

Slim Whitman

 

Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
When I'm calling you
Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
Will you answer too?
Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo

That means I offer my life to you to be my own
If you refuse me I will be blue, waiting all alone

But if when you hear my love call ringing clear
Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
And I hear your answering echo so dear
Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo
Then I will know our love will become true
You'll belong to me and I'll belong to you

Then I will know our love will become true
You'll belong to me and I'll belong to you