The Jackson 5-I'll Be There

 Michael Jackson的父親Joe Jackson六月27日因胰臟病不幸於故鄉阿肯薩州 The Fountain Hill去世（89歲），Joe早年培訓出 the Jackson 5/Jacksons合唱團，讓他的Jackson家族在流行歌壇寫下歷史並占有一席之地。

  Michael Jackson生前曾透露，小時候父親會拿皮帶打他，但眼中泛淚，他早已原諒父親。

  1968年他們用the Jackson 5之團名組團於印第安納州Gary，1975年後改為the Jacksons，除了檯面上的Michael、Jermaine、Marlon、Tito與Jackie之外，Rebbie Jackson、La Toya Jackson、Janet Jackson幾位姐妹也都支援the Jacksons的演出，而且都出個人的唱片，1980年代Michael Jackson與Janet Jackson成了歌壇巨星。

  R&B合唱團Boyz II Men於1992年曾經在迷你電視影集the Jacksons：An American Dream當中代言the Jackson 5/Jacksons。

  The Jackson 5/Jacksons合唱團在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第59名，Michael Jackson個人則得到第8名。他們在排行榜上名次最好的歌是1970年獲得五週冠軍的I'll Be There。

  隨著時光的流逝，因唱片銷售量會有增減而影響到名次，但早年他們那可愛的模樣，將永遠留存在歌迷們的心目中。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xg2vMrDzoXM

I'll Be There

The Jackson Five

You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back

Where there is love, I'll be there

I'll reach out my hand to you, I'll have faith in all you do

Just call my name and I'll be there

 Chorus:

And oh - I'll be there to comfort you,

Build my world of dreams around you, I'm so glad that I found you

I'll be there with a love that's strong

I'll be your strength, I'll keep holding on - yes I will, yes I will

Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter

Togetherness, well that's all I'm after

Whenever you need me, I'll be there

I'll be there to protect you, with an unselfish love I respect you

Just call my name and I'll be there

(chorus)

If you should ever find someone new, I know he'd better be good to you

'Cos if he doesn't, I'll be there

Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah

I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be there

(Just look over your shoulders, honey - ooh)

I'll be there, I'll be there, whenever you need me, I'll be there

Don't you know, baby, yeah yeah

I'll be there, I'll be there, just call my name, I'll be t

Barry Manilow-Could It Be Magic

 Barry Manilow六月14日因氣管炎住院治療，他因此延遲了"Manilow Live -- The Hits Come Home"的演出到六月21日。

  Barry Manilow是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第75名的知名歌星，1943年出生於紐約布魯克林區，除了演唱外他也擅長鋼琴與作曲，Barry Manilow畢業自紐約茱莉亞音樂學校，擔任過WCBS-TV電視影集Callback的音樂指導，1972年他和Bette Midler搭檔，之後製作了Bette Midler 頭二張專輯唱片。

  Barry Manilow同時錄了他第一張個人的專輯唱片Featherbed Featuring Barry Manilow，其中的 "Could It Be Magic"在他以Mandy成名後推出單曲，1975年獲得過第6名，這首歌的創意來自蕭邦的C大調前奏曲。

  Barry Manilow接著替Dr.Pepper、Pepsi百事可樂、State Farm保險、        Band-Aids及麥當勞等商品寫了當時美國民眾熟悉的廣告配樂，麥當勞的廣告歌"You Deserve A Break Today"還由他自己演唱。

  Barry Manilow也是Adult Contemporary抒情歌曲排行榜名列前茅的歌手，他還替R&B女子合唱團Lady Flash擔任過合聲。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52-EkZRnG2E

Could It Be Magic

-Words and Music by Adrienne Anderson and Barry Manilow

Spirit move me every time I'm near you

Whirling like a cyclone in my mind

Sweet Melissa, angel of my lifetime

Answer to all answers I can find

Baby, I love you, come, come, come into my arms

Let me know the wonder of all of you

Baby, I want you now, now, now, and hold on fast

Could this be the magic at last?

Lady, take me high upon a hillside

High up where the stallion meets the sun

I could love you, build my world around you

Never leave you till my life is done

Baby, I love you, come, come, come into my arms

Let me know the wonder of all of you

And baby, I want you now, now, oh, now, oh now and hold on fast

Could this be the magic at last?

Could it be magic?

Come, c'mon, c'mon, come oh-oh come into my arms

Oh, let me know the wonder of all of you, all of you

Baby, I want you now, now, oh now, oh now and hold on fast

Oh, could this be the magic at last?

Could it be magic?

Come, c'mon, c'mon, come oh-oh come into my arms

Oh, let me know the wonder of all of you

Baby, I want you now, now, oh now, oh now and hold on fast

Oh, could this be the magic at last?

Could it be magic?

Aretha Franklin-RESPECT

  底特律市替當地麥迪遜大道的一部分命名Aretha Franklin路，並於六月8日舉行揭幕典禮，該市大概忘了底特律的另一條華盛頓大道於1985年就改名“Aretha Franklin’s Freeway of Love”以向Aretha Franklin致敬。

 

  Aretha Franklin 1942年出生於美國田納西州孟菲斯，是黑人靈魂歌曲天后，他父親是著名的傳教士Rev. Cecil L Franklin，Aretha Franklin受她們家的好朋友福音歌曲演唱人James Cleveland的影響，1956年就開始錄唱片，1960年被傳奇星探John Hammond發掘而與哥倫比亞唱片公司簽約。1966年在Atlantic唱片公司戲劇性的改變歌路而大受歡迎，當時她的製作人Jerry Wexler居功厥偉。

  1980年Aretha Franklin曾參加電影“The Blues Brothers”「福祿雙霸天」的演出，她1987年即進入搖滾樂名人堂，1994年獲得Grammy終生成就獎。

  Aretha Franklin作品很多，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第11名，是熱門歌壇巨星。他1967年改變歌路後第一首Top 10的歌是I Never Loved A Man（the Way I Love You）（＃9），接著的Respect（＃1）連續獲得二週冠軍，讓她成為排行榜常客，這首歌在滾石雜誌 500大歌曲榜獲得第5名，是Aretha Franklin的經典之作。

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FOUqQt3Kg0

RESPECT

Aretha Franklin

- written by Otis Redding

(oo) What you want

(oo) Baby, I got

(oo) What you need

(oo) Do you know I got it?

(oo) All I'm askin'

(oo) Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)

Hey baby (just a little bit) when you get home

(just a little bit) mister (just a little bit)

I ain't gonna do you wrong while you're gone

Ain't gonna do you wrong (oo) 'cause I don't wanna (oo)

All I'm askin' (oo)

Is for a little respect when you come home (just a little bit)

Baby (just a little bit) when you get home (just a little bit)

Yeah (just a little bit)

I'm about to give you all of my money

And all I'm askin' in return, honey

Is to give me my profits

When you get home  (just a, just a, just a, just a)

Yeah baby          (just a, just a, just a, just a)

When you get home  (just a little bit)

Yeah               (just a little bit)

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

Ooo, your kisses   (oo)

Sweeter than honey (oo)

And guess what?    (oo)

So is my money     (oo)

All I want you to do (oo) for me

Is give it to me when you get home  (re, re, re ,re)

Yeah baby                           (re, re, re ,re)

Whip it to me                       (respect, just a little bit)

When you get home, now              (just a little bit)

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Find out what it means to me

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Take care, TCB

Oh                    (sock it to me, sock it to me,

                       sock it to me, sock it to me)

A little respect      (sock it to me, sock it to me,

                       sock it to me, sock it to me)

Whoa, babe            (just a little bit)

A little respect      (just a little bit)

I get tired           (just a little bit)

Keep on tryin'        (just a little bit)

You're runnin' out of foolin' (just a little bit)

And I ain't lyin'     (just a little bit)

(re, re, re, re) 'spect

When you come home    (re, re, re ,re)

Or you might walk in  (respect, just a little bit)

And find out I'm gone (just a little bit)

I got to have         (just a little bit)

A little respect      (just a little bit)

The Rascals-Grooving

前The Rascals的團員Felix Cavaliere與Gene Cornish最近復合準備2018年的巡迴演唱。

  Felix Cavaliere是The Rascals的主唱和鍵琴手，Gene Cornish是吉它手，他倆要從夏天到秋天做一系列的北美巡迴演唱。

  除了Felix Cavaliere與Gene Cornish之外他們找來了Vanilla Fudge的鼓手Carmin Appice幫忙，Appice這些年來曾和Rod Stewart、Cactus、Ozzy Osburne這些大牌歌手一起合作過。

  巡迴演唱七月18日從康乃迪克州Stamford起跑，一共安排了14個節目，11月4日將在肯塔基州Louisville以一場演唱會收尾。

  2013年開始Felix Cavaliere與Gene Cornish就開始巡迴演唱，The Rascals的另一主唱Eddie Brigati與鼓手Dino Danelli當年也曾參與多媒體表演Once Upon A Dream的演出，讓該團全員到齊。

  去年在夏威夷演出後Felix Cavaliere有一個頓悟，就是找Gene Cornish再度合作，那不光是為他自己，而是為了音樂，為了替歌迷們著想。而Gene Cornish也認同，他覺得當大家在台上表演時常有些神奇的事發生，歌迷們一直要聽他們的暢銷曲，他們則要歌迷們有機會聽一聽他們的現場演唱。

    Carmin Appice說：我看The Rascals on Eddie Sullivan節目長大，我是他們的超級歌迷，這些歌對很多歌迷而言就是現場演唱的新歌，我期盼能終生與新生代的The Rascals歌迷在一起。

  The Rascals是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第199名的著名合唱團，他們是一個“Blue-eyed soul”（唱黑人靈魂歌曲的白人搖滾樂團），組成於紐約，1997年進搖滾樂名人堂，他們在排行榜名次最好的歌是1968年獲得五週冠軍的People Got To Be Free，而1967年的四週冠軍曲Grooving則分別進入Grammy名人堂與搖滾樂名人堂，是他們最有代表性的歌。

  1960年代中期，groovy（太棒了）是一個年輕樂迷常用的口頭禪，除了The Rascals的這一首Grooving之外，1966年英國搖滾樂團The Mindbenders的A Groovy Kind Of  Love（＃2），也可資證明。

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUWlKc0-tE

GROOVIN'

The Young Rascals

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon

Really couldn't get away too soon

I can't imagine anything that's better

The world is ours whenever we're together

There ain't a place I'd like to be instead of

Movin' down a crowded avenue

Doing anything we like to do

There's always lots of things that we can see

You can be anyone we like to be

All those happy people we could meet

Just groovin' on a Sunday afternoon

Really, couldn't get away too soon

We'll keep on spending sunny days this way

We're gonna talk and laugh our time away

I feel it coming closer day by day

Life would be ecstasy, you and me endlessly

Groovin' on a Sunday afternoon

Really couldn't get away to soon

No, No, No, No

Groovin'

Groovin'

Olivia Newton-John -Let Me Be There

    

   知名女歌星Olivia Newton-John 五月13日因對癌症研究的付出和在演藝事業的成就，於澳洲墨爾本獲得La Trobe大學頒授榮譽博士學位。  

    Olivia Newton-John 1948年九月出生於英國劍橋，在澳洲墨爾本長大，目前已經具有歌星、作曲、演員、企業家及社會運動者多重身分，她曾經獲得四次Grammy獎，有五首排行榜冠軍歌曲，十首Billboard    Hot  100 singles排行榜前十名的暢銷曲，另於Billboard  200  solo albums排行榜，他有二張專輯獲得冠軍，她一共有14張單曲和專輯唱片獲得金唱片，據統計Olivia Newton-John在全世界共賣了近一億張唱片，她主演的電影Grease「火爆浪子」的插曲專輯，和與男主角John Travolta合唱的插曲"You're The One That I Want"都曾創唱片銷售紀錄。

    Olivia Newton-John也是一位長期投入社會運動的人士，她主要關懷環保與動物權益議題，1992她發現罹患乳癌，但狀況緩解，不幸2017年又發現癌細胞轉移。

    Olivia Newton-John 倡導健康自覺，她投入很多慈善事業、並幫忙募款，她開設了服裝公司Koala Blue，還是澳洲健康休閒事業the Gaia Retreat & Spa的共同擁有人。

    Olivia Newton-John是歷年暢銷歌星排行榜第33名的巨星，她16歲因才藝表演奪冠前往英國比賽，因而踏入歌壇。祖父是德國的諾貝爾物理獎得主Max Born。

   影歌雙棲的 Olivia Newton-John，在排行榜上成績最好的歌是1981年獲得10週冠軍的"Physical"，其實早年剛出道時她還唱過鄉村歌曲，例如1973年底的Let Me Be There（#6），就曾獲得Grammy最佳鄉村女歌星演唱獎。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKDtZGFA7Ww

Let Me Be There

Olivia Newton-John

Wherever you go

Wherever you may wander in your life

Surely you know

I always wanna be there

Holding you hand

And standing by to catch you when you fall

Seeing you through

In everything you do

Let me be there in your morning

Let me be there in you night

Let me change whatever's wrong and make it right

Let me take you through that wonderland

That only two can share

All I ask you is let me be there

Watching you grow

And going through the changes in your life

That's how I know

I always wanna be there

Whenever you feel you need a friend to lean on, here I am

Whenever you call, you know I'll be there

Let me be there in your morning

Let me be there in you night

Let me change whatever's wrong and make it right

Let me take you through that wonderland

That only two can share

All I ask you is let me be there

Ben E King-Stand By Me

  英國Prince Harry哈利王子與美國演員Meghan Markle的婚禮吸引了全球的注目，婚禮當中由Karen Gibson and the Kingdom choir演唱了“Stand By Me”。

   Ben E King所寫的“Stand By Me”這首歌最早在1961年推出，獲得熱門排行榜第4名，1986年由Stephen King史提芬金的小說      The Body改編的電影用“Stand By Me”為片名，當然這首歌也用來當主題曲而再度發行，還得到第9名。

  Ben E King 1938年出生於美國北卡羅萊納州Henderson，成長於紐約哈林區，高中時就參加The Moonglows合唱團，1957年他轉投the Five Crowns合唱團，該團於1959年改名the Drifters。

 

Ben E King在the Drifters寫了1959年獲得第2名的暢銷曲“There Goes My Baby”，那也是他第 一首主唱的歌，1960年他離團單飛，成績很不錯，在歷年暢銷歌星排行榜獲得第323名，（the Drifters 成績更好，獲得第104名）。

Ben E King在寫“Stand By Me”的時候他還是the Drifters的主唱，但是the Drifters沒有錄這首歌，Ben E King回憶，合唱團的經紀人告訴他，歌不賴，但我們不想要。

Ben E King離團單飛後，他想要“Stand By Me”復活，在一場錄音工作結束後，King用鋼琴彈唱一段給製作人Jerry Leiber聽，Leiber聽了後叫樂師們通通回來，他們把“Stand By Me”錄製完成。

“Stand By Me”後來成了一首經典情歌，翻唱人很多，包括前披頭合唱團團員John Lennon在內，Ben E King版的這首歌在滾石雜誌500大歌曲榜獲得第122名，BMI全美最常播出100首歌曲榜則獲得第4名，英國皇家婚禮選這首歌，選得非常妥切。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odZ9GVuyfkc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwZNL7QVJjE

STAND BY ME

(Ben E. King/Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

  And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh now now stand by me

  Stand by me, stand by me

If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

And the mountains should crumble to the sea

I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

  And darlin', darlin', stand by me, oh stand by me

  Stand by me, stand by me, stand by me-e, yeah

----- guitar -----

  Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me, oh now now stand by me

  Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me

  Darlin', darlin', stand by me-e, stand by me

  Oh stand by me, stand by me, stand by me