Robert Knight-Everlasting Love

以“Everlasting Love”原唱者的身分，給歌迷們留下深刻印象的R&B歌手Robert Knight，11月5日不幸去世（72歲）。

在田納西州Franklin出生的Robert Knight，讀中學時和同學組了the Paramounts合唱團，1960年代曾替Dot唱片公司錄過幾首R&B暢銷曲，但他們後來因故解散時，因為合約未滿使得他須繼續替公司唱五年，當時他利用時間到田納西州立大學讀化學，也開始與the Fairlanes合作，發掘他的Buzz Cason是 Rising Sons唱片公司的老闆，也與他簽了約。

Buzz Cason寫的“Everlasting Love”讓Robert Knight一曲成名，但接著的“Blessed Are The Lonely”只得到第97名，Robert直到1968 年底才又錄了Ray Stevens 所寫的“Isn’t It Lonely Together”，但是也只得到第97名。

歌唱事業停滯不前後，Robert Knight轉往Vanderbilt大學當化學老師，也在實驗室當技術員，甚至基層工作都做。

Robert Knight的“Everlasting Love”於1967年獲得過13名，但是二十世紀後期這一首歌卻有很多人翻唱，包括U2 、Gloria Estefan、 Carl Carlton 等知名歌手，這一首歌也成了1960、1970、1980與1990年代都出現在Hot 100 top 40的歌，Carl Carlton的“Everlasting Love”於1974年獲得第6名，是其中名次最好的歌。

Robert Knight的“Everlasting Love”最終成了長壽歌曲，有一位鄉村音樂名人堂的歌星Michael Gray在接受田納西人報採訪時說 :Robert當年廣泛的和Mac Gayden 與Buzz Cason合作錄歌，在1960年代的當年，一個黑白混和的組合還是一件敏感的事，Robert Knight 版“Everlasting Love”的成功，是一個黑白音樂人在美國南方幾十年的種族動盪和為人權奮鬥過程下的一個成功的例子。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj45Gk-FDhk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AEqmQ-RZgU

Everlasting Love

Robert Knight

(Cason/Gayden)

Hearts go astray

Leaving hurt when they go

I went away

Just when you needed me so

Filled with regret

I come back begging you

Forgive, forget

Where's the love we once knew

Open up your eyes

Then you'll realize

Here I stand with my

Everlasting Love

Need you by my side

Girl to be my bride

You'll never be denied

Everlasting Love

From the very start

Open up your heart

Be a lasting part of

Everlasting Love

Where life's really flows

No-one really knows

'Till someone's there to

Show the way to

Everlasting Love

Like the sun it shines

Endlessly it shines

You always will be mine

It's eternal love

Whenever loves are gone

Ours will be strong

We'd have our very own

Everlasting Love

Open up your eyes

Then you'll realize

Here I stand with my

Everlasting Love

Need you by my side

Girl to be my bride

You'll never be denied

Everlasting Love

Fats Domino- Blueberry Hill

藍調音樂的先驅者、搖滾鋼琴手、歌手 Antoine "Fats" Domino ，10月24日在家人的陪伴下於家鄉路易斯安那州Harvey去世（89歲）。

Fats Domino出生於紐奧良隔鄰的Lower Ninth Ward，他的鋼琴彈奏是姐夫教的，1940年代在The Solid Senders樂隊擔任過鋼琴手，1949年他在製作人Dave Bartholmew的引導下錄了  "The Fat Man"，這一首歌給Fats 及 Dave（Dave常和 Fats Domino一起寫歌）帶來了一連串的成功，暢銷曲有"Blueberry Hill" (#2-1957), "I'm In Love Again" (#3-1956), "I'm Walkin'" (#4-1957), "Blue Monday" (#5-1957) 及"Whole Lotta Loving" (#6-1959)。

Fats Domino在熱門歌曲排行榜有66次進榜紀錄，在那之前的1950-1955年，他還有很多歌進R&B排行榜Top10，很多作品還被Lloyd Price、Joe Turner等R&B歌手拿去翻唱，Fats Domino的樂風受到爵士樂手Fats Waller與Albert Ammons的影響很深。

Fats Domino在2005年Katrina颶風侵襲路易斯安那州的時候差一點死掉，後來被救難人員找到，送去該州首府Baton Rouge救護。

Fats Domino 1987年獲得Grammy終生成就獎，1998年獲得美國國家藝術獎章，還獲選為RIAA美國錄音業協會傳奇樂手。

Fats Domino 1956年曾參加電影"Shake, rattle And Rock!" 和 "The Girl Can't Help It"的演出，他十年前曾做最後一次公開演唱。

Fats Domino在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第23名，他的"Blueberry Hill"在滾石雜誌五百大歌曲榜獲得第81名，而Louis Armstrong and Gordon Jenkins大樂隊比Fats Domino晚一個月推出的"Blueberry Hill"，則獲得29名。

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

Blueberry Hill

Vincent Rose, Al Lewis and Larry Stock

I found my thrill

On Blueberry Hill

On Blueberry Hill

When I found you

The moon stood still

On Blueberry Hill

And lingered until

My dream came true

The wind in the willow played

Love's sweet melody

But all of those vows you made

Were never to be

Though we're apart

You're part of me still

For you were my thrill

On Blueberry Hill

The wind in the willow played

Love's sweet melody

But all of those vows you made

Were only to be

Though we're apart

You're part of me still

For you were my thrill

On Blueberry Hill

Bob Seger-Against The Wind

Bob Seger 10月20日因 脊椎骨傷痛動手術，10月3日時Bob已宣告將延遲他的巡迴演唱以療傷。

Bob Seger是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第82名的暢銷歌星，1945年出生於密西根州的Dearborn，在底特律長大，是一位搖滾樂歌手、作曲人、吉他手，1966年初次錄唱片，1968年組了 the System合唱團，1969年去大學進修，1970年回頭搞音樂，並組了自己的伴唱樂隊 The Silver Bullet Band。

Bob Seger的暢銷曲很多，光Top 10的歌就有7首， 其中1980年獲得過第5名的Against The Wind有the Eagles的主唱 Glenn Frey唱合聲，歌曲創意來自他讀中學時在鄉間跑步的那一種感覺，歌曲快結束時唱的歌詞"Let the cowboys ride!"在Van Morrison的"Santa Fe/Beautiful Obsession"結尾也出現過，而歌詞前段唱的"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then" 這一句他考慮很久要不要用，但大家都喜歡，別人也用過，就放進歌詞裡了，這是是一首百聽不厭的好歌。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czxuhOVlvj8

Against The Wind

Bob Seger

It seems like yesterday

But it was long ago

Janey was lovely she was the queen of my nights

There in the darkness with the radio playing low

And the secrets that we shared

The mountains that we moved

Caught like a wildfire out of control

'Til there was nothing left to burn and nothing left to prove

And I remember what she said to me

How she swore that it never would end

I remember how she held me oh so tight

Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then

Against the wind

We were runnin' against the wind

We were young and strong, we were runnin'

Against the wind

The years rolled slowly past

And I found myself alone

Surrounded by strangers I thought were my friends

I found myself further and further from my home

And I guess I lost my way

There were oh so many roads

I was living to run and running to live

Never worryied about paying or even how much I owed

Moving eight miles a minute for months at a time

Breaking all of the rules that would bend

I began to find myself searching

Searching for shelter again and again

Against the wind

A little something against the wind

I found myself seeking shelter sgainst the wind

Well those drifter's days are past me now

I've got so much more to think about

Deadlines and commitments

What to leave in, what to leave out

Against the wind

I'm still runnin' against the wind

I'm older now but still runnin' against the wind

Well I'm older now and still runnin'

Against the wind

Against the wind

Against the wind

Still runnin'

I'm still runnin' against the wind

I'm still runnin'

I'm still runnin' against the wind

Still runnin'

Runnin' against the wind

Runnin' against the wind

See the young man run

Watch the young man run

Watch the young man runnin'

He'll be runnin' against the wind

Let the cowboys ride

Let the cowboys ride

They'll be ridin' against the wind

Against the wind ...

Domenico Modugno-"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)

十月21日有一首西班牙語歌曲'Mi Gente'獲得熱門排行榜第三名，這是進入Hot 100排行榜前十名的第16首非英語演唱單曲。

J Balvin and Willy William的 "Mi Gente"由Beyonce領銜主唱，從21名衝上第3名，歌迷們一定想知道在Hot 100排行榜59年的歷史裡，有那些非英語暢銷曲進過前十名?

排行榜分析達人Paul Haney得到的結論是:在Billboard雜誌 Hot 100榜進入過前十名的4,763首單曲中，"Mi Gente"恰好是第16首非英語演唱單曲，在這16首歌曲當中，"Mi Gente" 與 Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber的 "Despacito"這二首歌，是僅有同時在前十名中的二首歌。

這16首歌都是全部用一種語言演唱的，有一些部份外語穿插的如Enrique Iglesias'的"Bailamos" （英語與西班牙語）或 Bobby Vinton的"My Melody of Love"（英語與波蘭語）不算在內。

在這16首歌當中，西班牙語歌曲最多有6首，德語有3首，Enigma的"Sadeness (Part 1)" 則是法語加拉丁語演唱，其他還有義大利語、日語、韓語。

今天就從第一首歌開始介紹:

Billboard 雜誌Hot 100排行榜繼Ricky Nelson的"Poor Little Fool"之後第二首冠軍歌曲是Domenico Modugno的"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)，這一首歌就是Hot 100榜的第一首非英語演唱Top10歌曲，這一首義大利語歌曲於1958年八月18日獲得冠軍。

Domenico Modugno於1928年出生於義大利，1994年因心臟病去世（66歲），Modugno在義大利被尊為音樂天才，他曾在San Remo音樂節四度獲獎，

Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu這首歌1958年在義大利推後出大受歡迎，賣了百萬張唱片。

Domenico的朋友Franco Migliacci因香菸盒背面廣告的靈感，而找Domenico合作，由Franco作曲，二人共同寫歌詞，歌曲描寫一個男子夢中把手塗上藍色，邊唱邊飛在憂鬱的藍彩中，後來Mitchell Parish加了英文歌詞進去，在美國發行後大受歡迎，市場上還和義大利原唱版打對台，包括Dean Martin 在內有七個名歌星翻唱這首歌，還有三個人在等。

Dean Martin版"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)是唯一競爭者，當Domenico Modugno的"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)獲得冠軍時，Dean Martin版最高得到12名，Domenico Modugno的"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)後來獲得Grammy獎最佳男歌星獎、年度歌曲獎、年度最佳唱片獎，1960年Bobby Rydell翻唱曾再得到第4名。

Domenico Modugno的Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)於1958年八月18日獲得單週冠軍，九月一日重回冠軍寶座並持續五週。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4IjJav7xbg

Volare

Dean Martin

Volare, oh oh

Cantare, oh oh oh oh

Let's fly way up to the clouds

Away from the maddening crowds

We can sing in the glow of a star that I know of

Where lovers enjoy peace of mind

Let us leave the confusion and all disillusion behind

Just like bird of a feather, a rainbow together we'll find

Volare, oh oh

E contare, oh oh oh oh

No wonder my happy heart sings

Your love has given me wings

Penso che un sogno cosi non ritorni mai piu

Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu

Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito

E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, oh oh

E contare, oh oh oh oh

Nel blu, dipinto di blu

Felice di stare lassu

E volavo, volavo felice piu in alto del sole ed ancora piu su

Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva lontano laggiu

Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me

Volare, oh oh

E cantare, oh oh oh oh

No wonder my happy heart sings

Your love has given me wings

Nel blu, dipinto di blu

Felice di stare lassu

The Elegants-Little Star

Billboard 雜誌Hot 100排行榜第一首由合唱團唱的冠軍歌曲是The Elegants的"Little Star"，這一首歌也是繼Ricky Nelson的"Poor Little Fool"與Domenico Modugno的"Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu (Volaré)"之後Hot 100的第三首冠軍曲。

The Elegants是白人組成的doo-wop合唱團，來自紐約Staten Island的主唱Vito Picone與男中音Carmen Romano原來於1956年加入the Crescents合唱團，但一年後該團解散，他倆於是另組The Elegants合唱團。

The Elegants團名來自一個威士忌廣告標語"liquor of elegance"，Vito與新團員Artie又從莫札特的"Twinkle, Twinkle , Little Star "得到靈感寫了"Little Star"這一首歌。

"Little Star"這一首歌於1958年七月28日進排行榜，一個月後得到排行榜冠軍，他們在全美各地媒體上節目，包括當年還是美國屬地的夏威夷，頻繁的旅行演唱帶給他們傷害，The Elegants沒有再回過Hot 100排行榜。

儘管他們仿"Little Star"的味道錄過很多歌，但是完全無效，後來有二名團員去當兵，一名團員結婚而去，Vito因車禍臥床半年，1962年The Elegants終於宣告解散。

The Elegants是僅有一首暢銷曲的合唱團（One Hit Wonder），很特別的是他們這一首暢銷曲還是一首冠軍曲。

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8F4vdF-bJc

 Little Star

-Words and Music by Vito Picone and Arthur Venosa

Where are you little star?

(Where are you?)

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder where you are

Wish I may, wish I might

Make this wish come true tonight

Searched all over for a love

You're the one I'm thinkin' of

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder where you are

High above the clouds somewhere

Send me down a love to share

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoa-uh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh there you a-a-re

High ab-o-ove

Oh-oh sta-a-ar

Send me a lo-o-o-o-ove

Oh there you a-a-re

Li-i-ighting u-up the sky

I need a lo-o-o-ove

Oh me-oh, me-oh, my-y-y-y

Twinkle twinkle little star

How I wonder where you are

Wish I may, wish I might

Make this wish come true tonight

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Whoah oh, oh, oh-uh-oh

Ratta ta ta too-ooh-ooh

Oh ra, ta, ta

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

There you are little star!!! (ooh)