The Rascals-People Got To Be Free

1960年代中期走紅，著名的"Blue eyed soul"「唱黑人靈魂歌曲的白人樂團」Rascals 的吉它手 Gene Cornish ，九月7日在美國Montana州Billings的演唱會演出時暈倒在舞台上，演唱會當場取消，歌迷們被勸離現場。

Rascals 合唱團成立於紐約，主唱是鍵琴手Felix Cavaliere，Gene Cornish也是主唱之一，他們於1972年宣告解散，主要團員於1988年曾經復出。

1968年春季，The Rascals團員們說服他們的唱片公司把團名從The Young  Rascals改為The Rascals，改名後的第一張單曲唱片A Beautiful Morning獲得二週第3名，證明團名少一個Young，對唱片銷售量並沒有影響。

當時The Rascals的主唱Felix Cavaliere，對馬丁路德金恩牧師以及羅伯甘迺迪參議員的遇刺身亡感到哀傷，他和另一位團員Eddie Brigati合寫了People Got To Be Free這首歌來表達他們的感傷，唱片公司高層其實不願意出談政治的歌，他擔心這首歌會傷害Rascals和唱片公司的營運。

1968年七月20日，勉強推出的People Got To Be Free獲得第64名，當時距離羅伯甘迺迪參議員的遇刺身亡才六個禮拜，沒想到四週之後，這首歌爬升到排行榜冠軍，而且連續獲得5週冠軍，是The Rascals在排行榜上名次最好的歌。

Rascals 合唱團暢銷曲很多，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第199名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gEKw-_h_NU

People Got To Be Free

-Words by Felix Cavaliere and Music by Edward Brigati, Jr.

All the world over, so easy to see

People everywhere just wanna be free

Listen, please listen, that's the way it should be

Deep in the valley, people got to be free

You should see what a lovely, lovely world this'd be

Everyone learned to live together, ah-hah-unh

Seems to me such an itty bitty thing should be

Why can't you and me learn to love one another?

All the world over, so easy to see

People everywhere just wanna be free

I can't understand it, so simple to me

People everywhere just got to be free

If there's a man who is down and needs a helpin' hand

All it takes is you to understand and to pull him through, ah-hah-unh

Seems to me we got to solve it individually, ah-hah-unh

And I'll do unto you what you do to me

Shout it from the mountain on out to the sea (out to the sea)

No two ways about it, people have to be free

Ask me my opinion, my opinion will be

Nat'ral situation for a man to be free

Git right on board now

Oh, what a feelin's just come over me

Love can move a mountain, make a blind man see

Everybody sing it now come on let's go see

Deep in the valley now, we ought to be free

SPOKEN

See that train over there?

That's the train of freedom

It's about to 'rrive any minute, now

You know it's been'a long, long overdue

Look out 'cause it's a'comin' right on through

Neil Young-Heart of Gold

  加拿大籍搖滾樂手、作曲人及吉它手Neil Young，八月25日於美國加州Atascadero與女演員Daryl Hannah結婚，他們在一起已經四年。

  Neil Young 1945年出生於加拿大多倫多，1960年代中期曾組過一個有名的搖滾樂團The Buffolo Springfield，他們的"For What It's Worth"於1967年獲得過第7名，這首歌除了進入Grammy與搖滾樂名人堂外，還是滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜第63名的名曲，Neil Young後來也一度是搖滾樂超級組合Crosby，Stills，Nash &Young的一員。

    Neil Young 1995年及獲選進入搖滾樂名人堂，他最有名的一首歌是1972年的冠軍歌曲"Heart of Gold"，這首歌在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第297名。

 " Heart of Gold"這首歌於1971年在Nashville錄製，由Linda Ronstad和James Taylor合聲，1972年2月5日進排行榜就獲得第62名，六週後獲得排行榜冠軍。

  其實Neil Young本來不想把"Heart of Gold"推出單曲，他原來想錄的只是一張完美的專輯唱片"Harvest"，那是他的第四張專輯唱片，其中有二首歌是由倫敦交響樂團伴奏，還有David Crosby, Graham Nash, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Stills及James Taylor這些名歌星幫忙合聲，他不喜歡像很多歌手為了單曲的好成績而沾沾自喜，他開玩笑說，有一天他說不定會寫一首開心的歌，但會把歌賣給廣告商去電視台當廣告歌。

  "Harvest"在Billboard專輯排行榜獲得過二週冠軍，其中的單曲除了得冠軍的"Heart of Gold"之外，另一首"Old Man"則得到第31名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO8kTRv4l3o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnWDVPINu60

Heart of Gold

Neil Young

I want to live, I want to give

I've been a miner for a heart of gold

It's these expressions I never give

That keep me searching for a heart of gold

And I'm getting old

Keeps me searching for a heart of gold

And I'm getting old

I've been to Hollywood, I've been to Redwood

I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold

I've been in my mind, it's such a fine line

That keeps me searching for a heart of gold

And I'm getting old

Keeps me searching for a heart of gold

And I'm getting old

Keep me searching for a heart of gold

You keep me searching for a heart of gold

And I'm getting old

I've been a miner for a heart of gold

Strawberry Alarm Clock- Incense and Peppermints

 一起組成Strawberry Alarm Clock合唱團的主奏吉它手Ed King，八月22日不幸於故鄉Nashville去世（68歲），Strawberry Alarm Clock這個合唱團於1967年以一首“Incence And Peppermints”獲得排行榜冠軍而成名。

  Ed King出生於美國加州Glendale，2011年時曾經動過心臟移植手術，他是   Lynyrd Skynyrd 的南方搖滾名曲“Sweet Home Alabama” (#8-1974)的作曲人之一，1972 至1975年他也曾經是Lynyrd Skynyrd 的團員，1987年回到該團直到1996年因心臟病退出，2006年Ed King以Lynyrd Skynyrd 的團員身份進入「搖滾樂名人堂」“Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame”。

  Strawberry Alarm Clock合唱團被歸類為「迷幻搖滾樂團」Psychedelic-Rock Band，迷幻搖滾流行於1967-1969年的英美二地，音樂的內涵包括搖滾樂、民歌、爵士樂…，但與迷幻藥，尤其LSD關係密切。

  1985年前後，我曾經在台北的一家Disco酒店遇見過一位Strawberry Alarm Clock的團員，當時我還在電台主持西洋歌曲節目，聊天中他告訴我曾經參加過Strawberry Alarm Clock，我很高興的當場就邀請上節目，但他表示：因為他參加這種與毒品牽扯不清的樂團，家人與朋友都看不起他，他想忘掉這個人生中最感羞恥的一段，不想上媒體再談此事，我也只能尊重他了，也沒留有他的姓名與聯絡資料。

 

  搖滾樂手表面風光，但私下的心情告白與歌迷們相像不一樣，一段往事提供讀者參考。

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RghL1rViX34

Incense and Peppermints

Strawberry Alarm Clock

(Ed King - John Carter)

Good sense, innocence, cripplin' mankind

Dead kings, many things I can't define

Occasions, persuasions clutter your mind

Incense and peppermints, the color of time

  Who cares what games we choose?

  Little to win but nothin' to lose

Incense and peppermints, meaningless nouns

Turn on, tune in, turn your eyes around

  Look at yourself, look at yourself, yeah, yeah

  Look at yourself, look at yourself, yeah, yeah, yeah!

To divide this cockeyed world in two

Throw your pride to one side, it's the least you can do

Beatniks and politics, nothing is new

A yardstick for lunatics, one point of view

  Who cares what games we choose?

  Little to win but nothin' to lose

------ instrumental break ------

Good sense, innocence, cripplin' mankind

Dead kings, many things I can't define

Occasions, persuasions clutter your mind

Incense and peppermints, the color of time

  Who cares what games we choose?

  Little to win but nothin' to lose

Incense and peppermints

Incense and peppermints

Sha la la

Sha la la

Sha la la

Sha la la

Sha la la    [fade]

Jim Henson-RAINBOW CONNECTION

    木偶藝術家James Henson 1936年九月24日出生於美國密西西比州Greenville，1990年五月16日因病毒感染猝逝（53歲）。

  James Henson是美國很受歡迎的兒童節目「芝蔴街 」Seasame Street當中The Muppets劇組的創意人，他們也在電視節目 The Muppet Show與電影The Muppet Movie及The Great Muppet Caper當中演出，James Henson還是木偶Ernie和Kermit的幕後配音者。

  James Henson是一位美藉電影製片及編劇，也是對木偶與卡通富有創意的藝術家，他因創造出了the Muppets而全球知名。

 

  James Henson讀中學的時候就有做木偶的構想，他曾設計出Sam and Friends，進瑪麗蘭大學後，他曾經製作一齣五分鐘喜劇在電視播出，當時他才讀大一，大學畢業他拿到家庭經濟學學位，他拍過咖啡廣告，還拍了幾部實驗性電影，後來他開了Muppets Inc，1958 年改名Jim Henson Company。

  Henson 於1969年開始出名，他加入了兒童教育節目「芝蔴街 」Seasame Street製作團隊，除了節目創意發想外，他也在每週六晚間的現場喜劇單元演出，1976年在替百老匯節目設計一個單元後，他也構想出了The Muppet Show，他因為Kermit the Frog、Rowlf the Dog以及 Ernie等的創意得到了各界的肯定。

  James Henson在「芝蔴街」工作二十幾年，去世前他成立了the Jim Henson Foundation，他並以The Storyteller and The Jim Henson Hour節目，二度獲得電視艾美獎。

 

  Jim Henson於 1990年五月16日疑似中獨猝死，這個意外讓媒體與娛樂圈同感哀悼，幾個禮拜之後，他得到了一些殊榮，好萊塢星光大道有了他一席之地，2011年他獲選為迪士尼傳奇人物之一。

  Jim Henson 於電影版The Muppet Movie中的插曲The Rainbow Connection於1979年曾獲得熱門排行榜第25名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuRO-ZOq1Ac

RAINBOW CONNECTION

Kermit the Frog（Jim Henson）

Why are there so many

Songs about rainbows

And what's on the other side

Rainbow's are visions

They're only illusions

And rainbows have nothing to hide

So we've been told and some chose to

Believe it

But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it

The Rainbow Connection

The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish

Would be heard and answered

When wished on the morning star

Somebody thought of that

And someone believed it

And look what it's done so far

What's so amazing

That keeps us star gazing

What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it

That Rainbow Connection

The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep

And have you heard voices

I've heard them calling my name

Are these the sweet sounds that called

The young sailors

I think they're one and the same

I've heard it too many times to ignore it

There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it

The Rainbow Connection

The lovers, the dreamers and me

Aretha Franklin-I say a little prayer

   同樣在八月16日貓王Elvis Presley去世的日子，音樂界痛失另一位傳奇歌星，在抵抗胰臟癌一段時間後，The Queen of Soul 靈魂歌曲天后Aretha Franklin不幸於底特律家裡去世（76歲）。

  Aretha Franklin的成就影響了跨世代的音樂界各類型藝人，Diana Ross、John Legend、 Idina Menzel、 Lin-Manuel Miranda 與 Andy Cohen這些各界知名人士，在獲知這個不幸的消息之後，立即在推特上表達了他們對Aretha Franklin的敬愛，而Ariana Grande,、Mariah Carey、Tony Bennett等其他藝人也隨即加入致敬的行列。 

  除了網路社群外，Clive Davis、 Quincy Jones、Annie Lennox、Michael McDonald等與Aretha Franklin平輩歌手也表達了她們對Aretha 的誠摯哀悼。

  Aretha Franklin於1942年出生於美國田納西州孟菲斯。父親是底特律New Bethel Baptist Church的一位有名的牧師，她最早即在父親的教堂裡演唱福音歌曲，1956年開始錄聖歌，18歲時開始錄流行歌曲，並與Columbia唱片公司簽約，自此踏入流行音樂界。

  當時他的成名曲原來是Dixie風的"Rock-A-Bye Your Baby " (#37-1961)，1967年她轉去Atlantic唱片公司時，歌路有了革命性的改變，傳奇製作人Jerry Wexler帶她到阿拉巴馬州的Muscle Shoals，製作了"I Never Loved A Man (The Way That I Loved You)" (#9-1967)，他倆發現這首歌的調性很適合Aretha Franklin，接著又錄了Otis Redding寫的"Respect" (#1-1967)，該曲得了冠軍之後，接著暢銷曲不斷，包括"Chain Of Fools" (#2-1968), "Spanish Harlem" (#2-1971), "Until You Come Back to Me" (#3-1974, "Baby I Love You" (#4-1967), "Since You've Been Gone" (#5-1968和 "Day Dreaming" (#5-1972)...，從1974 到 1983年，Aretha Franklin還不斷有歌進排行榜，但沒有top 10的歌。

   1984年他跳槽Arista 唱片公司。唱片銷售成績有了起色，暢銷歌曲有"I Knew You Were Waiting" (#1-1987 with George Michael), "Freeway Of Love" (#3-1985) and "Who's Zoomin' Who" (#7-1985)，1987年他進了搖滾樂名人堂，是第一位女歌星獲得此殊榮，1979年他曾在好萊塢星光大道得到一顆星， 1994年則獲得Grammy終生成就獎，除了類似這些眾多的獎外，Aretha Franklin擁有七千五百萬張唱片的銷售量，得過 18座Grammy獎，底特律有二條街用她名字命名...，他也參加the Blues Brothers Brothers的電影"福祿雙霸天"的演出。

    David Ritz替她寫的自傳"From These Roots"於 1999出版。

    I say a little prayer是Aretha Franklin1968年獲得過第10名的歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtBbyglq37E

I SAY A LITTLE PRAYER

Burt Bacharach

The moment I wake up

Before I put on my makeup

I say a little prayer for you

While combing my hair, now,

And wondering what dress to wear, now,

I say a little prayer for you

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart

and I will love you

Forever, forever, we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, together, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only be heartbreak for me.

I run for the bus, dear,

While riding I think of us, dear,

I say a little prayer for you.

At work I just take time

And all through my coffee break-time,

I say a little prayer for you.

Forever, forever, you'll stay in my heart

and I will love you

Forever, forever we never will part

Oh, how I'll love you

Together, together, that's how it must be

To live without you

Would only be heartbreak for me.

My darling believe me,

For me there is no one

But you.

Andy Kim-Rock Me Gently

  Andy Kim將是今年底加拿大多倫多星光大道的十位人選人之一，七月23日公布的提名人選還有已故歌手與作曲人Leonard Cohen，及女演員Andrea Martin。

  Andy Kim本名Androwis Jovakim，1952年12月5日出生於加拿大魁北克的Montreal，雙親都來自黎巴嫩，1980年代曾短期的用Baron Longfellow之名錄唱片。他也與Jeff Barry一同寫過1969年的冠軍曲Sugar Sugar，是一位多才多藝的歌手及作曲人。

  Andy Kim最有名的歌有Rock Me Gently、Baby, I Love You、Be My Baby，其中Rock Me Gently名次最好，於1974年曾獲得單周排行榜冠軍。

  Andy Kim於1968-1971年加入Jeff Barry的Steed公司，有過不少暢銷曲，其中翻唱the Ronette的Baby, I Love You曾獲得第9名，該曲是Jeff Barry與他前妻Ellie Greenwich再加Phil Specter合寫的。

  經過幾首原創的歌如如How’d We Ever Get This Way等成績不是特別好之後，Andy Kim再度翻唱 Barry- Greenwich- Specter合寫的the Ronette的暢銷曲Be My Baby，但只獲得第17名。而他與Jeff Barry一同寫的Sugar Sugar在名聲和財務上卻幫了他大忙。

   Andy Kim經過1971-1974年的幾年沉寂之後，終於在1974年9月底重回排行榜，且以 Rock Me Gently獲得他唯一的一首排行榜冠軍。

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVI02HrZElI

Rock Me Gently

Andy Kim         

Ain't it good

Ain't it right

That you are with me

Here tonight

The music playin'

Our bodies swayin' in time

(In time, in time, in time)

Touching you

So warm and tender

Lord, I feel such a sweet surrender

Beautiful is the dream that makes you mine

Mmm

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

Baby baby!

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

Oh my darlin'

Oh my baby

You got the moves that drive me crazy

And on your face I see a trace of love

(Of love, of love, of love)

Come hold me close

Don't let me go

I need you, honey

I love you so

You were made for me by the stars above

Oooh

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

And baby baby!

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

Ain't it good

Ain't it right

That you are with me

Here tonight

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before

Baby baby!

Rock me gently

Rock me slowly

Take it easy

Don't you know

That I have never been loved like this before