夏禮章西洋歌曲選粹

2017年1月26日星期四

Blue Moon

最近有幾位流行音樂界老兵去世:

1964年唱紅"Midnight Mary" (#10)的Joseph Rufus -Thomas "Joey Powers" Ruggiero(82歲)。

Allman Brothers Band的創團鼓手Claude "Butch" Trucks(69歲)，他在"Ramblin Man" (#2-1973) 及"Crazy Love" (#29-1979)當中出過力。

Rufus Thomas的兒子，Carla Thomas的兄弟Marvell Thomas(75歲)，他曾擔任Johnnie Taylor, The Staple Singers, Little Milton, the Emotions這些藝人的鍵琴手。

唱 "All The Young Dudes" (#37-1972)的 Mott The Hoople 的貝斯手Pete "Overend" Watts(69歲)，來自英國伯明翰的的他，在這個華麗搖滾合唱團(The glam-rock)於1976年解散後曾另組一個團體the British Lions。

在the Marcels暢銷曲 "Blue Moon" (#1-1961), "Summertime" (#78-1961) 與"Heartaches (#7-1961) 唱高音的Ronald "Bingo" Mundy(76歲)。

"Blue Moon"翻唱的藝人很多，以the Marcels版本成績最好，布魯斯威利的電視影集Moonlighting ｢雙面嬌娃｣選這一首歌當插曲，女主角Cybill Shepherd在某集劇中演唱效果極佳，令人一曲難忘。

Cybill Shepherd 演唱的 'Blue Moon' 與 'I Told Ya I Love Ya, Now Get Out!'後來都收進電視影集的專輯唱片裡。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x4N1qLYOgQ

BLUE MOON

The Marcels

- words by Lorenz Hart, music by Richard Rodgers

Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone

Without a dream in my heart

Without a love of my own

Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for

You heard me saying a prayer for

Someone I really could care for

And then there suddenly appeared before me

The only one my arms will ever hold

I heard somebody whisper, "Please adore me"

And when I looked, the moon had turned to gold

Blue Moon, now I'm no longer alone

Without a dream in my heart

Without a love of my own

2017年1月19日星期四

Cilla Black雕像

一尊已故英國女歌星Cilla Black的雕像元月16日於利物浦Cavern Club門外揭幕，Cilla Black年輕時在這一家有很多搖滾樂名人在那裏演唱的著名俱樂部衣帽間工作，後來被The Beatles｢披頭合唱團｣的經紀人Brian Epstein發掘而踏入歌壇。

這一雕像是Cilla Black三個兒子捐給利物浦的，Cilla Black十七個月前去世(72歲)，在雕像底部他們寫了"You're My World"這一句話表達大家對Cilla Black的懷念之情。

"You're My World"是Cilla Black的成名曲，改寫自義大利的一首民歌，除了在英國、澳洲、荷蘭，南非等地獲得排行榜冠軍之外，1964年在美國推出獲得第26名。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsGTPXx0zmw

YOU'RE MY WORLD

Cilla Black

You're my world

You're every breath I take

You're my world

You're every move I make

Other eyes see the stars up in the sky

But for me they shine

Within your eyes

As the seas reach for the sun above

So my arms reach out for you with love

With your hand resting in mine

I feel a power so divine.

You're my world

You are my night and day

You're my world

You're every prayer I pray

If our love ceases to be

Then it's the end of my world

The end of my world

The end of my world for me.

2017年1月12日星期四

"Do You Love Me"進榜二次

The Contours合唱團的團員Sylvester Potts元月六日在底特律去世(78歲)，這一個合唱團於1962年以一首"Do You Love Me"獲得第3名而成名，1988年這一首歌因為在已故的Patrick Swayze主演的電影:Dirty Dancing｢熱舞17｣當中出現大受歡迎，又重回排行榜並獲得第11名。

The Contours於1960年代初期於底特律組成，是一個節奏與藍調合唱團體，團員Hubert Johnson是Jackie Wilson的姪子，Billy Gordon娶了The Marvelettes的Georgenna Tillman，另一團員Dennis Edwards於1967年入團，1968年則加入了The Temptations合唱團。

"Do You Love Me"是他們惟一進排行榜前四十名的歌，也獲選入搖滾樂名人堂。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGKJzjvFu3M

Do You Love Me

Songwriters

BERRY GORDY JR

You broke my heart 'cause I couldn't dance,

You didn't even want me around

And now I'm back to let you know I can really shake 'em down

Do you love me? (I can really move)

Do you love me? (I'm in the groove)

Now do you love me?

(Do you love me now that I can dance?)

Watch me, now

(Work, work) ah, work it out baby

(Work, work) well, I'm gonna drive you crazy

(Work, work) ah, just a little bit of soul, now?

(Work)

Now I can mash potatoes (I can mash potatoes)

I can do the twist (I can do the twist)

Tell me, baby, do you like it like this?

Tell me (tell me) tell me

Do you love me?

Do you love me, baby?

Now do you love me?

(Do you love me now that I can dance?)

Watch me, now

(Work, work) ah, work it out baby

(Work, work) well, I'm gonna drive you crazy

(Work, work) you are getting kind of cold, now

(Work)

(Work, work) with just a little bit of soul, now ?

(Work, work) come on, come on now

(Work, work) I'm gonna drive you crazy

(Work)

I can mash potatoes

I can do the twist

Well now, tell me, baby, do you like it like this?

Tell me (tell me) tell me

Do you love me?

Do you love me, baby?

Do you love me?

Now that I can dance

(Work, work) ah, work it out baby

(Work, work) well, I'm gonna drive you crazy

(Work, work) oh you are getting kind of cold, now

(Work)

(Work, work) with just a little bit of soul, now

(Work, work) now don't you get kinda bold, now?

(Work, work) oh, work it out, baby

2017年1月5日星期四

George Michael 唱片熱賣

隨著George Michael在耶誕節的去世，他個人及和Wham一起錄的專輯銷售量增加了2678%。

1984年的Make It Big、2008年George的best-of、1987年的Faith三張專輯都重新進入排行榜。當他的1998年專輯best-of，Lady’s &Gentlemen:The Best of George Michael停留在專輯榜84名，1984年推出的Make It Big重新進榜獲得第168名，這一張唱片於1986年第一次進排行榜。

George Michael的暢銷曲Careless Whisper重回單曲排行榜獲得第33名，Faith則得到第47名，拜聖誕節之賜，本來就在排行榜上的Last Christmas上升到第41名。

與George Michael合作過的Cindy Crawford與 Areatha Franklindy 都表達他們對George Michael的懷念之情，Cindy Crawford是George的Freedom’90音樂帶合作夥伴，他與一群名模和 George一同工作，他印象最深的就是George Michael本人沒有在MV中出現，這是他不凡之處。

Areatha Franklindy則與George Michael合作了1987年的暢銷曲I Know You Were Waiting(For Me)，她倆在製作MV的時候，度過了一段美好時光。

Careless Whisper於1984年底以Wham Featuring Careless Whisper之名推出，獲得三週排行榜冠軍，是一首非常動聽的Rock Ballad。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

"Careless Whisper"

George Michae

I feel so unsure

As I take your hand

And lead you to the dance floor

As the music dies

Something in your eyes

Calls to mind a silver screen

And all its sad goodbyes

[Chorus:]

I'm never gonna dance again

Guilty feet have got no rhythm

Though it's easy to pretend

I know you're not a fool

I should've known better than to cheat a friend

And waste a chance that I've been given

So I'm never gonna dance again

The way I danced with you

Time can never mend

The careless whispers of a good friend

To the heart and mind

Ignorance is kind

There's no comfort in the truth

Pain is all you'll find

[Chorus]

Tonight the music seems so loud

I wish that we could lose this crowd

Maybe it's better this way

We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say

We could have been so good together

We could have lived this dance forever

But now who's gonna dance with me

Please stay

[Chorus]

Now that you've gone

Was what I did so wrong

So wrong that you had to leave me alone?

2016年12月29日星期四

在電影｢星際大戰｣女主角 Carrie Fisher因心臟病去世後的第二天，他的母親Debbie Reynolds也因病住院，Carrie Fisher是已故歌星Eddie Fisher和影星Debbie Reynolds的女兒，夫妻倆都是1950-1960年代中期的知名藝人，也都是當年青少年與少女的偶像歌手、影星。Eddie Fisher的Oh My Pa-Pa與Debbie Reynolds的Tammy二首冠軍曲更是傳唱多年的流行歌曲。

Carrie Fisher曾經和Paul Simon結過婚(1983-1985)。

Debbie Reynolds已高齡84歲，醫生說她應是腦血管阻塞中風，經急救後不幸去世。

Tammy是Debbie Reynolds主演的電影Tammy and The Bachelor的插曲，這一首歌在1957年夏天得到過五週排行榜冠軍。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew3mtNZFrMY

Tammy

Debbie Reynolds

Music by: Ray Evans

Lyrics by: Jay Livingston

I hear the cottonwoods whisperin' above

"Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love"

The ole hooty-owl hooty-hoos to the dove

"Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love"

Does my lover feel what I feel

When he comes near?

My heart beats so joyfully

You'd think that he could hear

Wish I knew if he knew what I'm dreamin' of

"Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love"

Whippoorwill, whippoorwill, you and I know

Tammy, Tammy can't let him go

The breeze from the bayou keeps murmuring low

"Tammy, Tammy, you love him so"

When the night is warm, soft and warm

I long for his charms

I'd sing like a violin

If I were in his arms

Wish I knew if he knew what I'm dreaming of

"Tammy, Tammy, Tammy's in love"

2016年12月22日星期四

憶Hank Locklin的名曲

許多歌會寫出來是因為作曲人聽到別的歌裡的一句歌詞，例如鄉村歌星Hank Locklin的Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On就是一個例子。

Hank Locklin回憶當年有一首老歌叫Anything That’s Part Of You在電台播，歌詞大意是說提供不同的事情給他人分享...，其中有一段歌詞是send me the pillow that you dream on.I want to dream on it too，有一個在Acuff Rose Music工作的朋友告推薦給他聽，這就是後來Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On那一首歌的來源，這一首歌是Hank Locklin自己承認寫來最輕鬆的歌。

Hank Locklin的Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On由RCA Victor唱片公司於1958年三月31日推出，在鄉村歌曲排行榜最高獲得第五名，後來還有The Browns、Johnny Tillotson、Dean Martin等人翻唱過，其中Johnny Tillotson的一版成績最好，獲得過熱門排行榜第17名。

Hank Locklin於1918出生於佛羅里達州，1949-1971年有33首歌進入鄉村歌曲排行榜，1960年代早期曾當選過故鄉McLellan市長，1970年代還曾主持過電視節目Houston And Dallas。

Hank Locklin於2009年去世(91歲)。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdHl3yVYyUE

Send Me The Pillow That You Dream On