鄉村小太陽

 
（上圖）時代雜誌網站刊出報導，標題『The Original Material Girl』說明Eartha的影響力
中央社新聞：撩人歌聲成絕響　美歌手厄莎姬特辭世享壽81 
Published: 2008-12-26 12:22 PM
（中央社紐約25日法新電）以挑逗歌聲與撩人姿態享譽國際60年的美國影歌雙棲女星厄莎姬特（Eartha Kitt），今天因大腸癌辭世，享壽81歲。

  
今天搜尋「無所不播」的YouTube時，不小心看到〈Turn The Beat Around〉原唱Vicki Sue Robinson (1955-2000)的現場表演，這才是我第一次親耳聽到、親眼看到這首經典Disco舞曲最原始的一面，想不到Vicki Sue Robinson原來已經在2000年四月27日，因癌症的關係撒手人寰，享年45歲，不過對無數喜愛Disco音樂的歌迷來說，她的招牌經典〈Turn The Beat Around〉卻還能持續穿越時空不墜，成為一首時代鉅作。

       
幾天前在Amazon 音樂暢銷榜上看到Gene Pitney的名字，突然以99年發行的精選《Gene Pitney - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits 》進榜，當下我心中只有一個想法...Gene百分之百掛了...果然，在所有的外電都一片悽涼報導他享年65歲的驟逝，或許這又是一個美好時代的結束吧。這位2002年被選入搖滾名人堂、來自美國康乃狄克的歌手，從60年代初期就以他獨一無二的嗓音在歌壇著稱，並且還曾被認定是一位偶像歌手(Teen Pop Singer)，不過現在人們看這位阿伯，則認為他對英美歌壇都有卓越影響，包括他的多首經典創作甚至跨足鄉村歌壇和George Jones灌錄唱片等事蹟，翻開歷史，阿伯在美國有16首Top40單曲，英國有40首，也因此就連我在第一次寫這篇文章時都還誤以為他是個不折不扣的英國歌手哩。


只是汗顏慚愧的是，我只聽過他兩首世界級經典名曲，其一是他1967年獲得英國榜第五名的「Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart」，這首歌一方面因為曾慶瑜〈Regina〉當年在首張英文專輯《看夠柔情》的主打讓人留下深刻印象，一方面則因為1989年時，英國著名同志歌手

R&B Crooner Luther Vandross Dies at 54 
By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Music Writer 29 minutes ago

NEW YORK - Grammy award winner Luther Vandross, whose deep, lush voice on such hits as "Here and Now" and "Any Love" sold more than 25 million albums while providing the romantic backdrop for millions of couples worldwide, died Friday. He was 54.

Since the stroke in his Manhattan home on April 16, 2003, the R&B crooner stopped making public appearances — but amazingly managed to continue his recording career. In 2004, he captured four Grammys as a sentimental favorite, including best song for the bittersweet "Dance With My Father."

Vandross, who was still in a wheelchair at the time, delivered a videotaped thank you.

"Remember, when I say goodbye it's never for long," said a weak-looking Vandross. "Because" — he broke into his familiar hit — "I believe in the power of love."

Vandross also battled weight problems for years while suffering from diabetes and hypertension.
He was arguably the most celebrated R&B balladeer of his generation. He made women swoon with his silky yet forceful tenor, which he often revved up like a motor engine before reaching his beautiful crescendos.

Jeff O'Conner, Vandross' publicist, called his death "a huge loss in the R&B industry. He was a close friend of mine and right now it's shocking."

O'Conner said he received condolence calls Friday from music luminaries such as  Aretha Franklin,  Patti LaBelle, Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones.

Vandross was a four-time Grammy winner in the best male R&B performance category, taking home the trophy in 1990 for the single "Here and Now," in 1991 for his album "Power of Love," in 1996 for the track "Your Secret Love" and a last time for "Dance With My Father."

The album, with its single of the same name, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts while Vandross remained hospitalized from his stroke. It was the first time a Vandross album had topped the charts in its first week of release.

In 2005, he was nominated for a Soul Train Music Award for a duet with Beyonce on "The Closer I Get To You."

Vandross' sound was so unusual few tried to copy it; even fewer could.

"I'm proud of that — it's one of the things that I'm most proud of," he told The Associated Press in a 2001 interview. "I was never compared to anyone in terms of sound."

Vandross' style harkened back to a more genteel era of crooning. While many of his contemporaries and successors belted out tunes that were sexually charged and explicit, Vandross preferred soft pillow talk and songs that spoke to heartfelt emotions.

"I'm more into poetry and metaphor, and I would much rather imply something rather than to blatantly state it," he said. "You blatantly state stuff sometimes when you can't think of a a poetic way to say it."

A career in music seemed predestined for the New York native; both his parents were singers, and his sister, Patricia, was part of a 1950s group called the Crests.

But he happily toiled in the musical background for years before he would have his first hit. He wrote songs for projects as varied as a David Bowie album ("Fascination") and the Broadway musical "The Wiz" ("Everybody Rejoice (Brand New Day)"), sang backup for acts such as Donna Summer and Barbra Streisand, and even became a leading commercial jingle singer.

Vandross credited singer Roberta Flack for prodding him to move into the spotlight after listening to one of his future hits, "Never Too Much."

"She started crying," he recalled. "She said, `No, you're getting too comfortable (in the background). ... I'm going to introduce you to some people and get your career started.'"

Vandross' first big hit came as the lead vocalist for the group Change, with their 1980 hit, "The Glow of Love." That led to a recording contract with Epic Records, and in 1981, he made his solo recording debut with the disc "Never Too Much." The album, which contained his aching rendition of "A House is Not a Home," became an instant classic.

Over the years, Vandross would emerge as the leading romantic singer of his generation, racking up one platinum album after another and charting several R&B hits, such as "Superstar," "Give Me The Reason" and "Love Won't Let Me Wait."

Yet, while Vandross was a household name in the black community, he was frustrated by his failure to become a mainstream pop star. Indeed, it took Vandross until 1990 to score his first top 10 hit — the wedding staple "Here & Now."

"I just wanted more success. I didn't want to suddenly start wearing blond wigs to appeal to anyone," he told the AP.

"This is the same voice that sang Pepsi-Cola, Coca-Cola, NBC 'proud as a peacock,' ... America, the world, has heard the voice, so there's no reason that that music shouldn't have gone the complete distance, I mean, to number one."

Another frustration for Vandross was his lifelong battle with obesity. Health problems ran in his family, and Vandross struggled for years to control his waistline. When he first became a star, he was a hefty size; a few years later, he was almost skinny. His weight fluctuated so much that rumors swirled that he had more serious health problems than the hypertension and diabetes caused by his large frame.

Vandross' two sisters and a brother died before him. The lifelong bachelor never had any children, but doted on his nieces and nephews. The entertainer said his busy lifestyle made marriage difficult; besides, it wasn't what he wanted. 

1990  S Here and Now                    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
1991  S Power of Love/Love Power   Best R&B Song
1991  A Power of Love                    Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
1996  S Your Secret Love               Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
2003  S Dance With My Father       Best Male R&B Vocal Performance
2003  A Dance With My Father       Best R&B Album
2003  S Dance With My Father       Song Of The Year
2003  S The Closer I Get to You      Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals 
___

Associated Press Writer Sam Dolnick contributed to this story.

___

On the Net:

http://www.luthervandross.com

Alicia Keys, Ruben Studdard, Mya Remember Luther Vandross July 04, 2005
When Luther Vandross died Friday afternoon, R&B lost an icon, and the artists he influenced were quick to express their loss and respect. Vandross had established himself as one of the most soulful and captivating voices in music, up there with the likes of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Marvin Gaye. In his heyday, he was the man who had women screaming "Luuvffa!" and had the guys reaching for his album when they were trying to romance their dates. Love songs like "If Only for One Night," "Never Too Much," "Stop to Love" and "A House Is Not a Home" may very well have played a role in the reason some of us are here today. The man was loved and respected by his peers. Even if you don't count acts like Kanye West, Janet Jackson or the Young Gunz, who have all sampled his music (and occasionally name-checked him; see Kanye's "Slow Jamz"), just ask any R&B singer and they'll tell you Vandross was a major influence on their lives and careers. "I'm gonna try to give a hand to Luther Vandross one more time," John Legend said onstage Friday night at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, just hours after hearing of Vandross' death. "All us people making slow jams now, we was inspired by the slow jams Luther Vandross was making." Backstage at the festival, the man who has drawn the most comparisons to Vandross over the past few years -- Ruben Studdard -- echoed Legend's praise. "I'm still sad right now," Studdard said. "Luther was a big influence on me. I'm blessed to be able to have seen him do his thing and have him influence me musically. I love him. He has been and continues to be a great inspiration to me. He will be truly missed." Also performing at the Essence Music Festival were Aretha Franklin and Alicia Keys, who both spoke of Vandross onstage, with Franklin addressing the loss before performing "Precious Memories" and Keys dedicating "If I Ain't Got You." "I can't believe it, I'm so sad," Keys said backstage. "There's something in the back of your mind that wishes someone was playing a big prank on you. That's how I felt when I found out. I couldn't even believe it. I'm happy to say I can call him my friend. I think he's such a wonderful man that's left behind such a beautiful legacy. That's something that will truly inspire generations to come. We will absolutely miss him. We pray for his family, that they heal, and ... My goodness, this is so sad." "He was one of the greatest voices that ever sang a song," Patti LaBelle said. "He was one of the sweetest men I have ever known. And he was one of the best friends I have ever had. I'm so happy that his legacy will live on forever. ... Luther was one of a kind and will never be forgotten. I miss him more than words could ever say." "I've studied Luther for such a long time because he was the epitome of perfect tone," offered Mint Condition lead singer Stokley Williams. "He will be greatly missed, but he has left an indelible stamp on music for the world to continue to enjoy." "Luther was my idol," Jaheim said. "I can't believe he's gone. The first songs I ever learned were Luther's, and I got my deal singing three of his hits. Luther Vandross is music to me. There will never be another voice like his. I hope that now he'll get a chance to 'dance with his father' again." Daron of 112 said the first song he ever performed in a talent show was the Vandross/ Gregory Hines duet "There's Nothing Better Than Love." He and the rest of 112 released a statement Friday saying, "Truly the music industry along with the rest of the world has lost an icon -- one of the greatest voices of our time. He was an inspiration to 112 and he'll never know the extent of how much his music influenced our lives. Rather than mourn his death, we celebrate his life and the gift of song that he gave us. We love you and we'll miss you, Luther." "It's definitely a tremendous loss," said R&B crooner Joe. "Luther was one of the greatest singers. Being a male singer myself, I took inspiration from Luther. His beautiful tone and his full, round tenor have always inspired me." "I love Luther and his music," said Mya, who worked with Vandross on Michael Jackson's all-star "What More Can I Give" benefit single. "It was a real pleasure to work with him. It is a very sad loss." Shaheem Reid, with additional reporting by Bridget Bland (MTV.com)

       
Sat Aug 28,10:54 PM ET
Singer Laura Branigan (news) is shown in an undated publicity photo from the 1980s. Branigan, a Grammy-nominated pop singer best known for her 1982 platinum hit 'Gloria' died of a brain anuerysm Thursday in her sleep at her home in East Quogue, N.Y. according to her brother Mark Branigan. She was 47. (AP Photo/The Detroit News)   

 第一次認識這個名字，是看著余先生的節目才知道她的，那已經是將近十四年前的記憶，印象中是先看到〈Walk My Way〉的畫面，才記得她的一串長名，或許是鋼琴才女形象和歌聲讓人印象深刻，歌曲又經常在ICRT播放，自然對她產生莫名的熟悉感，後來，注意到榜單上，她的名字經常在成人抒情榜出現，才又注意到比〈Walk My Way〉更早推出的〈All I Have〉。有人說她綜合了Carole King和Carly Simon兩人的風格和唱腔，但是整個90年代來，她在才女這一塊始終不是最有說服力的，倒不是看不到、聽不到她特殊才情，只是她作品的流行度不強，而最終「才女」這些頭銜、光環放在後來的Tori Amos、Bjork甚至Sheryl Crow等，似乎比較接近當時潮流。仔細推敲，她出道至今沒有任何一首打入流行榜的個人單曲，但這不代表她被人群孤立，1990年發行的《Beth Nielsen Chapman》同名專輯有〈All I Have〉、〈Walk My Way〉、〈I Keep Coming Back To You〉三首打入成人抒情榜作品，其中，〈All I Have〉堪稱幾年來最催淚的情歌之一，每次聽總是能repeat好幾遍，那種激情的苦楚還真的不是一般歌曲能夠精準表達。又是某一年的大學時代，那是學術網路剛開始盛行的時候，大家總會去參加網聚什麼之類，記得很清楚的是，我和好友王君來到公館某家類似泡沫紅茶店，耗了好幾個小時呆在店內，但唯一讓我印象深刻的不是認識什麼志同道合的新朋友，或是網聚的尷尬，而是一整個晚上，店內播放的音樂是她第二張專輯《You Hold The Key》，我很難想像當時竟然有人注意到她，重複聆聽後，幾乎讓人對每首歌都熟悉起來，每次只要播到〈Only So Many Tears〉，就猶如柳暗花明又一村般帶來新驚奇，那首輕快的歌曲中，她嘹亮的嗓音自在舒服，最終，93年發行的《You Hold The Key》只有一首〈In The Times It Takes〉擠進成人抒情榜，是她和英國著名男歌手Paul Carrack合作的精采作品；而這張堪稱完美的成人抒情創作專輯仍舊具有代表性，其中最讓人憐愛的是〈The Moment You Were Mine〉，歌曲也被黎晶來台灣發展的首張英文專輯翻唱。94年八月，她的老公Ernest因為癌症離開，受到這樣人生低潮煎熬，她選擇在97年回歸，推出轉型專輯《Sand And Water》。從第一首歌〈The Color Of Roses〉開始，她的感性歌聲就是震撼人心的，在感謝詞上，她感謝Bonnie Raitt、Michael McDonald、Amy Grant和JD Souther等跨刀，專輯由鄉村界才華洋溢的歌手製作人Rodney Crowell製作，她開始和Annie Roboff合作，成為鄉村界最炙手可熱的創作拍檔。同名單曲〈Sand And Water〉還因為艾爾頓強感同身受聲名大噪，原來，在黛妃走後，強叔無法再唱「風中之燭」，特定在演唱會上重新詮釋她的〈Sand And Water〉，該曲原先描述失去Ernest後，如何照料兒子的心情，強叔藉此取代「風中之燭」，她還為強叔重新寫詞，而事實上，強叔早在90年她出版同名專輯時，就是她的超級歌迷。另外，「史上最擅長翻唱的歌姬」貝蒂米勒2000年的專輯《Bette》也翻唱了〈The Color Of Roses〉。轉往鄉村界發展，終於以創作飆紅鄉村和流行歌壇，光是Faith Hill的〈This Kiss〉、Martina McBride〈Happy Girl〉【她的版本收錄於Sand And Water專輯】兩曲就足夠奠定地位，而Kathy Mattea〈What Could Have Been〉、Mary Chapin Carpenter〈Almost Home〉、Trisha Yearwood〈Down On My Knees〉等一連串歌曲和眾多鄉村/流行歌手爭相演唱作品到出沒許多電影原聲帶，產量之大不勝枚舉，證明她創作獨特之處。99年的精選推出後，則告別華納集團。好陣子沒有她的消息，才知道2002年五月她在Artemis廠牌發表《Deeper Still》，裡面她重新詮釋寫給費絲希爾在〈Breathe〉單曲的b-side歌曲〈(It) All Comes Down To Love〉，有Emmylou Harris、Bonnie Raitt跨刀；專輯在她加入英國最大獨立廠牌Sanctuary後，去年三月重新發行英國版本，獲得Q雜誌四顆星好評，還有三首bonus tracks，包括現場演唱的〈Sand And Water〉。今年，她的全新大作《Look》五月底正式在英國推出，很快登上英國鄉村榜冠軍。專輯由歌壇傳奇製作人Peter Collins製作，其中最讓人注目的莫過於她把寫給費絲希爾、在《Cry》專輯中那首黛安娜羅絲味十足的〈Free〉拿回來演唱，而去年再度走紅的好友麥可麥當勞也在專輯中有吃重演唱，一首〈Right Back Into The Feeling〉讓人不禁手舞足蹈起來，在兩人歌聲過招中驚呼「What a match！」，同名曲〈Look〉弦樂有種流動的美感，非常standard類型，原來她找來美國爵士界無敵大老Andy Bey共同創作。〈Time Won't Tell〉是她和縱橫歌壇數十年的創作家Harlan Howard原先為鄉村女歌手Sara Evans於98年專輯《No Place That Far》中合作的作品，2002年這位創作曠世經典〈I Fall To Pieces〉的巨擘辭世，〈Time Won't Tell〉再度出現於《Look》中，深具紀念意味。此外，Indigo Girls的Emily Salier跨刀合聲，或是81年出生的兒子Ernest Chapman三世與媽媽合唱〈Your Love Stays〉，而與配樂家Patrick Doyle為電影「辣嬤寫真」寫的〈I Find Your Love〉則成為新專輯的壓軸。

 看過太多致敬專輯，也看過不少獨立廠牌找一堆阿薩不魯的「歌手」來致敬偶像，但這張「向蒂娜透納致敬」絕對造成某種程度的震撼！理由是這些卡斯儘管沒有當紅歌手，整體來說略顯村參差不齊，但光是幾位許久未見的歌手重出江湖，他們的出現和「向蒂娜透納致敬」這一詞相比之下，完全不遜色。剛剛收到Yahoo Group「True To Tiffany」 的消息信件，老實說，自從她跑去拍某本雜誌封面嚇壞我後，我鮮少關注她的後續動向，要不是拜剛剛裝好的Yahoo Messenger彈跳出信件消息，我可能錯過她振奮人心的新聞，還能堅持在半夢半醒之間，寫下來和大家分享；但最「鬼打牆」的事實是，晚上我在回家的路上，心血來潮反覆唱著蒂芬妮的經典〈I Think We're Alone Now〉、〈I Saw Him Standing There〉等，不到幾小時後，我竟然在寫她翻唱蒂娜透納的曠世經典「與愛何干」，光是看到小蒂唱大蒂的歌曲擺在第一首，即便還沒能聽到歌曲，就深深以為這張致敬專輯光有蒂芬妮就夠花錢到網路上買下。為了這張本月15日上架的《What's Love? A Tribute to Tina Turner》致敬專輯，發行的Versailles Records還慎重其事在官方的網站上發布新聞稿，當然最令人側目的不是蒂芬妮，而是素有「美國冰后」之稱、1992奧運銅牌、94年銀牌得主的Nancy Kerrigan〈對，就是那個被攻擊的滑冰選手〉在專輯中演唱了蒂娜透納為運動界所熟知並使用的招牌金曲〈The Best〉。可是，更嚇人的還有後面一票現在都不知道跑去哪的歌手：超老牌歌姬Darlene Love、加拿大雙姝Jane Child與Alannah Myles、藍調吉他英雄Jeff Healey、Deniece Williams、重金屬樂團Winger主唱Kip Winger〈他們最為人熟知的歌曲是Miles Away〉、90年以〈No More Lies〉走紅的R&B/嘻哈女歌手蜜雪兒等都名列其中。其他如Richard Kendrick、Rose Reiter、Tony Janflone Jr.、Wendy Jans、Ross Stevens等就真的是很獨立的名字，據了解，有些就是Versailles Records力捧的明日之星。即使沒有任何一位歌手是現在當紅的市場明星，不過對許多喜愛80到90年代初期的歌迷來說，《What's Love? A Tribute to Tina Turner》仍有其吸引之處。1.What's Love Got To Do With It? - Tiffany
2.Better Be Good To Me - Richard Kendrick
3.Beyond Thunderdome (We Don't Need Another Hero) - Jane Child
4.I Don't Wanna Fight - Rose Reiter/Kyle McMahon
5.River Deep Mountain High - Darlene Love
6.Rock Me Baby - Michel'le/Tony Janflone, Jr.
7.I Can't Stand The Rain - Alannah Myles/Jeff Healey
8.Private Dancer - Jasy Andrews
9.The Best - Nancy Kerrigan
10.Proud Mary - Ross Stevens
11.What You Get Is What You See - Deniece Williams
12.A Love Like Yours - Kip Winger
13.On Silent Wings - Wendy Jans
14.River Deep Mountain High - Richard Kendrick/Darlene Love (acappela version)