2023年5月18日 星期四

Troggs -Wild Thing

    Troggs 的“Wild Thing” Bobby Kennedy and Senator Everett Dirksen共同撰寫的The Troggs 並未因寫此歌曲而且出名,他們因唱得好而成名。

    1966年英國合唱團The Troggs 翻唱“Wild Thing” 在英美二地都獲得排行榜冠軍。有音樂界人士懷疑這個英國搖滾樂團盜用了原作者的版本,說真的,他們沒有,因為做翻唱版本不是偷竊。

    The Troggs來自英格蘭Andover,他們唱的“Wild Thing” 這首歌在滾石雜誌歷年500最佳歌曲排行榜獲得第261名,也進入Grammy獎搖滾樂名人堂

  當年有一位作曲人 Chip Taylor 1965年試錄這首三和弦巨作時,說真的他並不認真,可是後來 The Troggs參照他的版本將這首歌唱成酒店最叫座歌曲時,情況不一樣了,傳奇藍調迷幻搖滾樂手吉他Jimi Hendrix在歷史性的Monterery Pop演唱會時都用他獨有的吉他演奏,去唱這首歌



(30) The Troggs - Wild Thing - YouTube

很多電影用過這首歌當插曲,也許你聽過不知道名子吧


(30) Wild Thing (1967) (Monterey Pop Festival) - YouTube

1967年的錄影 Jimi Hendrix 1970年已因窒息而死,享年27



Wild Thing

lyrics :The Troggs


Wild thing...you make my heart sing...

You make everything

Groovy

I said wild thing...

Wild thing, I think I love you

But I wanna know for sure

Come on, hold me tight

I love you

Wild thing...you make my heart sing...

You make everything

Groovy

I said wild thing...

Wild thing, I think you move me

But I wanna know for sure

So come on, hold me tight

You move me








2023年5月11日 星期四

Gordon Lightfoot -Sundown

   來自加拿大的民謠搖滾歌手/詞曲作者/吉他手 Gordon Lightfoot 月初去世,享年84歲,之前他曾宣布2023年的美加巡迴演唱會因故延期。

  Lightfoot 的歌唱生涯始於 1960 年代初的多倫多民謠巡迴演出,並在 1970 年代因一系列有影響力的暢銷曲而走向全球,他1962年的作品“ Earl;y Morning Rain”是民謠合唱團 Peter Paul and Mary 的一首受歡迎的歌。

  Gordon Lightfoot 的暢銷曲包含“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”(#2/1976)、“If You Could Read My Mind”(#5/1971) 、“Sundown” (#1/1974) 及“Carefree Highway” (# 10/1974),以及獲得the Billboard 200 排行榜 2 冠軍的白金專輯 Sundown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IBdZ645S-o

1974年的冠軍曲,懷念的旋律

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

“The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”是講1975 年11月10日一艘以密爾瓦基公民領袖命名的礦石船在蘇比湖沉沒的故事在錢櫃雜誌排行榜獲得冠軍  

 

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Lyrics: Gordon Lightfoot

 

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'

The lake it is said, never gives up her dead

When the skies of November turn gloomy

With a load of iron ore, twenty six thousand tons more

Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty

That good ship and true was a 'bone to be chewed'

When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side

Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin

As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most

With a crew and good captain well seasoned

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms

When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

Then later that night when the ship's bell rang

Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound

When the wave broke over the railin'

And every man knew, as the captain did too

'Twas the witch of November come stealin'

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait

When the gales of November came slashin'

When afternoon came it was freezing rain

In the face of a hurricane west wind

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck

Sayin', "Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya"

At 7 p.m. a main hatchway caved in

He said, "Fellas, it's been good to know ya"

The captain wired in, he had water comin' in

And the good ship and crew was in peril

And later that night when his lights went out of sight

Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Does anyone know where the love of God goes

When the waves turn the minutes to hours?

The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay

If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her

They might have split up or they might have capsized

They may have broke deep and took water

And all that remains is the faces and the names

Of the wives and the sons and the daughters

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings

In the rooms of her ice-water mansion

Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams

The islands and bays are for sportsmen

And farther below, Lake Ontario

Takes in what Lake Erie can send her

And the iron boats go as the mariners all know

With the gales of November remembered

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed

In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral

The church bell chimed 'til it rang twenty-nine times

For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down

Of the big lake they call, 'Gitche Gumee'

Superior, they said, never gives up her dead

When the gales of November come early

2023年5月4日 星期四

Styx-Mr. Roboto

 哪首歌對歌手或樂隊來說很受歡迎,也引起了他們的強烈反對?

以下是二個例子

    Styx樂團具有歌唱天賦的鍵琴手Dennis DeYoung,以及喜歡搖滾的Tommy Shaw。他們之間總是有緊張的氣氛,但是在(Kilroy Is Here)專輯裡的單曲“ Mr.Roboto”發行後,問題完全解決了 。Shaw成了該團的代表性人物,Dennis DeYoung 則離團而去,他在後來巡迴演唱時會唱Styx時代唱過的歌曲。

    英格蘭搖滾樂團Supertramp 1979年以專輯(Breakfast in America )成名時也產生了類似的裂痕。主唱 Roger Hodgson一直是樂隊的藝術驅動力和主要詞曲作者,但那張專輯產生了四首熱門單曲,其中包括一首並非他獨自創作的“ Goodbye Stranger”(#15/1979)。合唱團的成員希望他們能成為一個更商業化的樂團 ,而Roger 總是遠離商業傾向。這導致Roger 最後離團而去唱solo ,Supertramp在沒有他的情況下繼續前進,結果雙方都無法產生之前的成功,他們都需要對方。 Supertramp在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1979年獲得過第 6名的"The Logic Song” ,Roger Hodgson個人則只有一首“ Had A Dream(Sl;eeping With The Enemy)”只獲得48名 。 

     搖滾樂團Styx來自芝加哥,他們的歌大多是Dennis DeYoung與Tommy Shaw所寫的,他們在Billboard Hot 100排行榜名次最好的歌是1979年的2周冠軍曲"Babe”。Dennis DeYoung個人名次最好的歌則是1984年獲得第10名的“Desert Moon ” 。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc6f_2nPSX8

Mr.Roboto在Billboard Hot 100排行榜獲得第 3名,但在Cash Box錢櫃雜誌獲得冠軍。這首歌反映1980年代日本經濟擠壓美國的狀況,作曲是Dennis DeYoung.收錄於 Kilroy Was Here 專輯(1983). 很不錯的歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cFOLFtw2Ic

“Desert Moon ” 是一首動聽情歌


"Mr. Roboto"

 

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Mata au hi made

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

Himitsu wo shiri tai


You're wondering who I am (secret secret I've got a secret)

Machine or mannequin (secret secret I've got a secret)

With parts made in Japan (secret secret I've got a secret)

I am the modren man


I've got a secret I've been hiding under my skin

My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain I.B.M.

So if you see me acting strangely, don't be surprised

I'm just a man who needed someone, and somewhere to hide


To keep me alive, just keep me alive

Somewhere to hide, to keep me alive


I'm not a robot without emotions. I'm not what you see

I've come to help you with your problems, so we can be free

I'm not a hero, I'm not the saviour, forget what you know

I'm just a man whose circumstances went beyond his control


Beyond my control. We all need control

I need control. We all need control


I am the modren man (secret secret I've got a secret)

Who hides behind a mask (secret secret I've got a secret)

So no one else can see (secret secret I've got a secret)

My true identity

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo...domo...


Thank you very much, Mr. Roboto

For doing the jobs that nobody wants to

And thank you very much, Mr. Roboto

For helping me escape just when I needed to

Thank you, thank you, thank you

I want to thank you, please, thank you


The problem's plain to see:

Too much technology

Machines to save our lives.

Machines dehumanize.


The time has come at last (secret secret I've got a secret)

To throw away this mask (secret secret I've got a secret)

Now everyone can see (secret secret I've got a secret)

My true identity...

I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy!






2023年4月27日 星期四

Harry Belafonte-Banana Boat Song(Day-O)

    Harry Belafonte 是一位Calypso歌手、演員和社運參與者,他是一位民權運動不可或缺的支援者,他的公關人員說 Belafonte 於週二(4/25)早上死於充血性心力衰竭 ,享壽96歲。     

    Harry Belafonte 1957年因為“ Banana Boat Song(Day-O))”這一首加勒比海風味的Calypso節拍歌曲獲得Billboard Hot 100排行榜第5名的佳績而成名。 

     Belafonte 對不公正現象充滿蔑視,他的政治意識是由一個貧窮的牙買加母親的貧困兒子成長為家庭傭人的經歷所塑造的。

     Belafonte 最大的貢獻發生在台下。他是民權運動的關鍵戰略家、籌款人和調解人。 他成為馬丁·路德·金恩牧師的密友,後者經常到 Belafonte 富麗堂皇的紐約公寓,討論戰略或逃避領導民權運動的壓力。Belafonte認為民權運動是一場全球性的鬥爭。他反對南非種族隔離的運動,並與納爾遜·曼德拉成為朋友。他動員支持抗擊愛滋病毒/愛滋病,並成為聯合國兒童基金會親善大使。他還想出了錄製1985年熱門歌曲“We Are the World”的想法,該歌曲聚集了包括Bob Dylan、Michael Jackson和Bruce Springsteen在內的一群流行和搖滾明星,為非洲的饑荒救濟籌集資金。

    Harold George Belafonte Jr.於1927日3月出生於紐約市,父母是貧窮的加勒比海移民。他的父親在商船上當廚師,在 Belafonte 年輕時拋棄了這個家庭。Belafonte 有一個動蕩的童年,經常不得不自生自滅。1944年加入美國海軍。他被降級為船上的體力勞動,沒有看到戰鬥,但事實證明,這種經歷是深刻的。他遇到了受過大學教育的黑人,他們讓他更廣泛地接觸世界,與他談論種族隔離和殖民主義等重大問題。在國外與派別作鬥爭,同時在國內回到種族隔離的經歷激怒了Belafonte,就像許多二戰黑人退伍軍人一樣。

    他幾乎是偶然地進入了娛樂圈。貝拉方特在紐約當看門人時,他參加了美國黑人劇院的一場戲劇。他被表演所吸引,決定成為一名演員。

   他最終在一個由Marlon Brando 馬龍·白蘭度、Tony Curtis 湯尼寇蒂斯和 Bea Arthur 比亞瑟等明星參加的研討會上學習表演。他喜歡在夜總會唱歌 - 曾經在一個包括爵士樂大師Charlie Parker 查理派克和and Max Roach馬克斯羅奇的樂隊中 - 並於1949年獲得唱片合同。

    作為一個激進分子對於Belafonte如何定義自己至關重要。隨著年齡的增長,他柔滑的歌聲降低到嚴肅的耳語,他拄著拐杖走路。但他從未失去電影明星的外表或對徹底變革的渴望。 Belafonte還獲得了1989年的甘迺迪中心榮譽獎,1994年的國家藝術獎章和2000年的格萊美終身成就獎。他也成為其他藝術家的導師,就像羅布森多年前啟發他一樣。Belafonte從未失去他的叛逆之心。擁有外表、財富和名望,他本可以滿足於成為Calypso的大師。但他做出了另一個選擇。他在台下做出了最大的貢獻。

    Harry Belafonte 在Billboard Hot 100排行榜名次最高的歌是“Banana Boat Song(Day-O)”(#5),他的成名曲則是獲得過第11名的“Jamaica Farewell”。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-4xyg4PU-U


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SS4BpiOZnA



Banana Boat Song(Day-O)

Lyrics: William Attaway, Irving Burgie。 


Day-o, day-o

Daylight come and we want go home

Day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day

Daylight come and we want go home

Work all night on a drink of rum

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Stack banana 'til the morning come

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Come Mister tally man, tally me banana

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Come Mister tally man, tally me banana

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day, is a day-o

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day, is a day, is a day, is a day

(Daylight come and we want go home)

A beautiful bunch of ripe banana

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Hide the deadly black tarantula

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Lift six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Six foot, seven foot, eight foot bunch

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day, is a day-o

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day, is a day-o

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Come Mister tally man, tally me banana

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Come Mister tally man, tally me banana

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day-o, day-o

(Daylight come and we want go home)

Day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day, me say day

(Daylight come and we want go home)

 



2023年4月19日 星期三

Neil Diamond-I Am I Said

 為什麼Neil Diamond 尼爾戴蒙的"I Am I Said”經常被嘲笑?

其實這首歌是Neil Diamond 花了四個月的時間寫好的,歌中說他於紐約出生長大,但在紐約及洛杉磯兩洋間迷失,歌詞裡有no one heard at all,not even the chair「連椅子都沒聽過」那種詞,歌迷們實在看不大懂,可以視為他內心所產生的迷惘吧。

    也許你不是Neil Diamond的歌迷,但他在歌壇的努力値得尊敬。他寫了很多1960年代的名曲,如I'm a beliver等。Deep Purple曾翻唱他的作品。Quentin Tarantino 昆汀·塔倫蒂諾在電影Pulp Fiction《黑色追緝令》中使用了另類搖滾樂團Urge Overkill的一首Neil Diamond作品的翻唱。UB40則將他的一首歌改為雷鬼版本。連前輩歌王法藍克·辛纳屈也唱過他的歌。

    尼爾·戴蒙有他的信譽

    那麽,為什麽他經常被奚落呢?因為他最终輪為了拉斯维加式的角色。

    Neil Diamond 在The Jazz Singer「吾父,吾愛,吾子」這部1980年的電影裡演男主角其實幫助不大。

    簡單地說,他變得非常不酷。

    這些年來他飽受帕金森氏病的折磨,我們也許不應痛斥患有種疾病的人,尤其是一個一生都在娱樂大眾的人。

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NS76IGdnD3o

這一首歌1971年3月推出單曲,後來獲得第4名。


I Am... I Said

L.A.'s fine, the sun shines most the time

And the feeling is "lay back"Palm trees grow and rents are lowBut you know I keep thinkin' aboutMaking my way back
Well I'm New York City born and raisedBut nowadaysI'm lost between two shoresL.A.'s fine, but it ain't homeNew York's homeBut it ain't mine no more
"I am"... I saidTo no one thereAnd no one heard at allNot even the chair
"I am"... I cried"I am"... said IAnd I am lost and I can'tEven say whyLeavin' me lonely still
Did you ever read about a frogWho dreamed of bein' a kingAnd then became oneWell except for the namesAnd a few other changesIf you talk about meThe story is the same one
But I got an emptiness deep insideAnd I've triedBut it won't let me goAnd I'm not a man who likes to swearBut I never caredFor the sound of being alone
"I am"... I saidTo no one thereAnd no one heard at allNot even the chair"I am"... I cried"I am"... said IAnd I am lost and I can'tEven say why"I am"... I said"I am"... I cried"I am"


2023年4月13日 星期四

Kim Carnes-Bette Davis Eyes

 

  1980年代早期有一首翻唱的歌非常暢銷,與原唱完全不同,很難去做比較。

  Jackie DeShannon的“Bette Davis Eyes ”原來是1920年代爵士樂開始流行時的一首“flapper” song,就是一種愛用女孩名子為歌名的歌。

  1970年代中期Jackie DeShannon改寫了“Bette Davis Eyes ”這一首歌 。

  Kim Carnes的製作人Val Garay 又把此曲做了與Jackie De Shannon版完全不同的變化,這首歌1981年獲得連續9週排行榜冠軍。

  Kim Carnes來自洛杉磯,是一位歌手、鋼琴手與作曲人,1960年與

BarryMcGuire 及Kenny Rogers 這二位後來在流行歌壇都成名的大排歌星一起

在the New Christy Minstrels唱民搖搖滾。 

  BarryMcGuire 來自奧克拉荷馬城,他1965年離開the New Christy Minstrels

後推出一首“Eve of Destruction”「毀滅前夕」獲得排行榜冠軍,是一首著名的越

戰歌曲。


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZVu0alU0I

  BarryMcGuire 1972年後轉業搞基督教歌曲

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJj0e3thbkU

  此曲獲得1981年Grammy年度歌曲獎


Bette Davis Eyes

Lyric:Donna Weiss / Jackie De Shannon


Her hair is Harlow gold
Her lips a sweet surprise
Her hands are never cold
She's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll turn her music on you
You won't have to think twice
She's pure as New York snow
She got Bette Davis eyes

And she'll tease you, she'll unease you
All the better just to please you
She's precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
She got Greta Garbo's standoff sighs, she's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll let you take her home
It whets her appetite
She'll lay you on a throne
She got Bette Davis eyes
She'll take a tumble on you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll expose you, when she snows you
Offer feed with the crumbs she throws you
She's ferocious and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll tease you, she'll unease you
All the better just to please you
She's precocious, and she knows just what it
Takes to make a pro blush
All the boys think she's a spy, she's got Bette Davis eyes

She'll tease you
She'll unease you
Just to please you
She's got Bette Davis eyes
She'll expose you
When she snows you
'Cause she knows you, she's got Bette Davis Eyes
She'll tease you

 

Lyric:Donna Weiss / Jackie De Shannon


2023年4月6日 星期四

Whitney Houston-I Will Always Love You

  哪一首翻唱的歌比原唱的版本還好?

  有歌迷點名二首歌,它們都是排行榜上名次很高的暢銷曲。

  Chubby Checker翻唱的“The Twist”是至今仍然是一首最受歡迎的扭扭舞曲。 Hank Ballard and the Midnighters“The Twist”的原唱者,他們唱得也不錯,但Chubby版是同溫層裡的。

  Whitney Houston的“I Will Always Love You” 是翻唱 Dolly Parton的歌,Dolly Parton的原唱曲已經很不錯,但Whitney的老歌新唱好到無法形容。

 Dolly Parton來自田納西州,鄉村歌手出身(1967-200825首鄉村排行冠軍取),影歌雙棲,在流行歌唱圈高人氣,她的“9 to 5”(1980#1)“Island In The Stream”(1983#1)都是痕受歡迎的歌

  Whitney Houston(1963-2012)歷年暢銷歌星第14名的歌后,歌喉沒話說,可惜遇人不淑,英年早逝,

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4U66RYzQo

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3JWTaaS7LdU

BMI#13最受歡迎的點播歌曲

 

I Will Always Love You

Lyrics:Dolly Parton

 

If I should stay, I'll only be in your way
So I'll go, but I know I'll
Think of you every step of the way
And I will always love you
I will always love you
You, my darling you, hmmm,
Bittersweet memories
That is all I'm taking with me
So, goodbye
Please, don't cry
We both know I'm not what you, you need
And I will always love you
I will always love you
I hope life treats you kind
And I hope you have all you've dreamed of
And I wish to you, joy and happiness
But above all this, I wish you love
And I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I will always love you
I, I will always love you
You, darling, I love you
Oh, I'll always, I'll always love you

Murray Head -One Night In Bangkok

     本周要介紹一首 1985年獲得過第3名 的歌 , Murray Head 主唱的 (One Night In Bangkok)。     1946年3月5日出生於英國倫敦 的 Murray Head。 是一位 流行歌手/演員。 曾參與1970年搖滾...