Muzikland

忘記小時候看過那一套粵語電影﹐記得有一幕有一位艷星出浴﹐她在浴缸裡浸泡泡浴﹐為求香艷﹐但又不能暴露﹐故把一條腿伸出水面﹐這時也會響起一首音樂作配樂﹐那就是Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White。所以到現在每次聽到這首曲子﹐都會連結這樣的記憶﹐但筆者真正擁有這首曲子的CD﹐還是要等到1994年。

那年KPS進口了很多美國版的外語CD ﹐當然音色比香港版要讚得多﹐而且選擇也多﹐好像 Rhino唱片﹐便出版了很多老歌精選﹐收錄的歌曲都是原唱的﹐橫跨20到80年代﹐這一類CD可要讓筆者愛死了。一大堆的CD ﹐其中一張名叫Billboard Pop Memories: 1955-1959 ﹐便收錄了Pérez Prado這首1955年10星期Billboard冠軍歌曲Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White。

Pérez Prado (1916- 1989) ﹐原名 Dámaso Pérez Prado﹐生於古巴。童年時學習古典鋼琴﹐其後就在一些小酒吧中彈風琴跟鋼琴表演﹐踏入40年代﹐他已常於Havana的一些賭場中表演。1948年他移居到Mexico ﹐組織屬於自己樂團﹐也加入了RCA唱片﹐開始灌錄Mambo及古巴Rhumba 唱片。短短一年多﹐便已經有好幾首大熱單曲﹐於是1951年他計劃在美國巡迴演出﹐而且更在當地正式出版唱片。

Pérez除了是著名的樂團領班外﹐也是一名作曲家﹐Mambo No 5 (1949年) 及 Mambo No 8 (1950年) 便曾流行一時。不過他的名氣開始在50年代末下跌﹐於是他只有在小型唱片公司灌錄Pachanga及Boogaloo歌曲﹐或是重錄一些拉丁金曲。70年代初﹐他舉家回歸到Mexico ﹐雖然他在美國已經沒有市場﹐但是在墨西哥﹑南美及日本依然很叫座力。1973年更在日本出版現場4聲道錄音唱片﹐而最後一次美國錄音是1987年。此後兩年﹐他的健康狀況欠佳﹐1989年9月14日逝世。當他逝世10年後﹐他的音樂又再度流行起來﹐ 1999年不見經傳的Lou Bega翻唱的Mambo No.5更流行一時﹐而且高踞世界各國流行榜,為歐美亞洲各地掀起一片懷舊的 Mambo 熱潮。

Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White 一曲各有英語及法語版本﹐筆者首次認識全曲是1981年Modern Romance樂團的版本﹐而擁有最早的版本是1951年 Georgia Gibbs演唱版﹐但是最流行的演唱版是由Alan Dale於1955年主唱的﹐打上Billboard單曲榜第14位。不過論到最受歡迎還是Pérez Prado的演奏版本﹐打上Billboard單曲榜冠軍位置達10星期之久﹐而且更成為同年電影Underwater的插曲。而在香港方面﹐1989年甄妮曾把這首陳年金曲﹐改編為粵語版“紅唇綠酒”﹐ 收錄於CBS/Sony 出版的Jenny專輯內﹐算是她後期較為流行的歌曲。


Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White
(Jacques Larue / Louiguy / Mack David)

It's cherry pink and apple blossom white
When your true lover comes your way;
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white, the poets say.

The story goes that once a cherry tree
Beside an apple tree did grow;
And there a boy once met his bride-to-be long long a - go.

The boy looked into her eyes - it was a sight to enthrall.
The breezes joined in their sighs, the blossoms started to fall,
And as they gently carressed, the lovers looked up to find
The branches of the two trees were intertwined.

And that is why the poets always write
If there's a new moon bright above,
It's cherry pink and apple blossom white when you're in love.

**********

紅唇綠酒
(Jacques Larue / Louiguy曲﹐林振強 詞)

紅唇綠酒 這夜太令人醉
那水晶燈影似夢堆 綿綿夜曲
這夜似任提取 怎可不醉

紅唇綠酒替代邂逅詞句 也許不須講已默許
紅男綠女盼望這夜長居 不消失去

今宵不准唏噓 今宵只可以醉
即使剛剛相識 這晚也慶幸共聚
管他朝風怎吹 管他朝飄那裡
今宵只爭取今宵的醉
明晨昨天太是太是遙遠
要珍惜今宵免恨短
紅唇綠酒我共你願同追
今宵的醉

**********

Mambo No 5 ﹕Pérez Prado的1949年版本為純音樂﹐而Lou Bega的版本由他本人及 Zippy填詞﹐ 1999年由德國BMG的Lautstark唱片發行。
(Pérez Prado / Lou Bega / Zippy)

Ladies and gentlemen
This is Mambo number 5

One, two, three, four, five
Everybody in the car, so come on let's ride
To the liquor store around the corner
The boys say they want some gin and juice
But I really don't wanna
Beer bust like I had last week
I must stay deep 'cause talk is cheap
I like Angela, Pamela, Sandra and Rita
And as I continue you know they're getting sweeter
So what can I do? I really beg you, my Lord
To me flirting is just like a sport
Anything fly, it's all good let me dump it
Please set in the trumpet

A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita's all I need
A little bit of Tina's what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man

Mambo number 5 !

Jump up and down go and move it all around
Shake your head to the sound
Put your hands on the ground
Take one step left and one step right
One to the front and one to the side
Clap your hands once and clap your hands twice
And if it looks like this then you're doing it right

A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita's all I need
A little bit of Tina's what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man

Trumpet !
The trumpet !
Mambo number 5 !
(heh heh heh ha)

A little bit of Monica in my life
A little bit of Erica by my side
A little bit of Rita's all I need
A little bit of Tina's what I see
A little bit of Sandra in the sun
A little bit of Mary all night long
A little bit of Jessica here I am
A little bit of you makes me your man

I do all to
Fall in love with a girl like you
'Cause you can't run and you can't hide
You and me gonna touch the sky

Mambo number 5 !