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February 17,2007

James Taylor Greatest Hits: Warner Years

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現今唱片公司拼命的為歌手出版精選﹐有時甚致精選還要比原專輯還要多﹐可是90年代以前﹐精選往往是歌手在一段時間或蟬過別枝之前把作品作一總結﹐好讓下一張專輯展開新的一頁﹐或者另創風格﹐所以精選也算是他們的 Official Album。

喜歡70年代西洋歌曲的樂迷﹐相信還會記得好些精選唱片﹐差不多是人人都要買一張的﹐大概數一數便有 America﹑Bread﹑Seals& Crofts﹑Linda Ronstadt ﹑Carly Simon等﹐還有 Carly 的丈夫 James Taylor 的James Taylor: Greatest Hits。

James Taylor (1948- )﹐原名James Vernon Taylor﹐他早於60年代中期已開始他的音樂事業﹐然而到70年代初才受到歡迎﹐這個時期很流行唱作人﹐同期便有 Carole King﹑Elton John ﹑John Denver ﹑Carly Simon 等。早期他是學習大提琴的﹐直到1960年他轉學結他﹐學唱起民歌來。起初他跟哥哥 Alex組團﹐後來因為抑鬱而進了醫院﹐中學課程就是在醫院完成﹐其後他又跟友人組成 Flying Machine﹐可惜出版了一張單曲﹐並沒有取得成功﹐這時他沉迷毒品﹐也險些送掉了生命。1968年他由紐約搬到倫敦居住﹐他把 Demo寄到 Beatles的 Apple唱片﹐Peter & Gordon的 Peter Asher覺得不俗﹐於是為他監制了首張專輯 James Taylor﹐也因為公司的緣故﹐Paul McCartney及 George Harrision都參與了專輯中的一首歌曲﹐然而這張唱片一樣並未得到樂迷垂青﹐他也更沉迷於毒品﹐之後他返回美國﹐開始接受戒毒。

1970年 James 與 Warner簽約﹐也搬到加州居住﹐Peter Asher 仍舊是他為監制﹐並且兼任經理人。首張專輯中的單曲Fire and Rain發行後大受歡迎﹐也令到樂迷對他的專輯及 Apple時期的單曲Carolina In My Mind 注意起來﹐而第2張專輯Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon中﹐灌唱了 Carole King 的 You’ve Got A Friend﹐除了為他帶來首張冠軍歌曲外﹐也替他取下首個 Grammy Award。1972年他與 Carly Simon結婚﹐並且育有兩名孩子﹐可是因為他經常在外演唱﹐導致婚姻破裂。從1972年到 1976年間﹐James在華納出版了4張專輯﹐並且發了一張精選﹐除了收錄他的 Warner 經典歌曲外﹐也翻錄了兩首 Apple唱片時期的歌曲﹐包括Something In The Way She Moves 及 Carolina In My Mind ﹐這張James Taylor: Greatest Hits 成為 Warner一張長賣長有的暢銷唱片﹐它在 Billboard專輯榜中得到最高位置才 23而已﹐然而卻在榜內逗留了 573個星期﹐銷量也超過 1100萬張。

James Taylor: Greatest Hits (1976/Warner) Track List:
01 Something In The Way She Moves
02 Carolina In My Mind
03 Fire & Rain [US#3 / UK#42]
04 Sweet Baby James
05 Country Road [US#37]
06 You've Got A Friend [US#1 / UK#4]
07 Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight [US#14]
08 Walking Man
09 How Sweet It Is [US#5]
10 Mexico
11 Shower the People [US#22]
12 Steamroller (Live)


Carolina In My Mind﹕原收錄於 James Taylor (1968/Apple) 專輯中﹐1976年當他出版首張精選時重錄。



Fire & Rain ﹕原收錄於 Sweet Baby James (1970/Warner) 專輯中。



You've Got A Friend﹕原作人為 Carole King﹐收錄於其經典Tapestry (1971/Ode) 專輯中﹐而 James Taylor的版本收錄於 Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon (1971/Warner) 專輯中。




James Taylor Official Website: http://www.jamestaylor.com/



筆者相關文章介紹﹕
Carly Simon - Clouds in My Coffee 1965-1995
Carole King – It’s Too Late


Posted by muzikland at 樂多Roodo! │03:08 │回應(9) │引用(0) │西洋鄉謠民歌
樂多分類：音樂 工具：編輯本文
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James Taylor 是很少能夠把聲保持不沙及不老
的歌手之一 ( Kenny Loggins 也是)
他近年作的歌也保持水準 (好像他的 friend
carole king 近年為 You've Got Mail 作的
那首歌就非常好).
他在動畫片 Cars 出現的 Your Town Too 就
很動聽
不愧是很多年前 Beatles 為初開 Apple 公司
時發掘的歌手的代表
Posted by webbburt777 at February 17,2007 13:12
Dear webbbburt777,

Carole King 在 You've Got Mail 那一首插曲我也很喜歡啊。
至於你提及的 Your Town Too 是以下一首嗎﹖
http://blog.roodo.com/muzikland/archives/2742457.html
Posted by Muzikland at February 18,2007 04:50
The song "Something In The Way She Moves" was recorded under the Apple label, which inspired George Harrison to write "Something" and used the song title as the opening line.

"Something" was often performed in the '70's by
Frank Sinatra, who stated this song "The greatest love song ever written."
Posted by Pepperonie at February 19,2007 18:15
Dear Pepperonie,

Ha~ 被你提醒了﹐原來此曲名是 Something 的首句啊。
我以前常聽的Something 版本是由 Shirley Bassey的﹐記得是TVB常常播放的MV。
Posted by Muzikland at February 20,2007 04:16
Yes, SOMETHING 是 George Harrison 吐氣揚眉的作品, 之前他活
在 Lennon/McCartney 的影子下. 其實 Beatles 的偉大在於一隊 4
人組合, 竟有 3 個能作又能唱. 其實 George 很早期已在 Beatles
的大碟有一些作品在其中, 而且都不是 filler, 已是很有水準的作品,
如 Help 大碟中的 I Need You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4UZRmKEXsc
就是非常好的歌.
早期的 I'm just happy just to dance with you 也是他自作自唱的好歌
而他們三人一起和音就令歌聽來很覺和諧和增加其旋律感.
不過 Something 就更顯出他的作曲技巧較前成熟
兼且趁 Paul and John 內鬥, 他就乘機發圍 :-)
Posted by webbburt777 at February 20,2007 20:46
Dear Webbburt777﹐

很多人很替 George 抱不平﹐不過暫在商業角度上﹐他們四人單飛後﹐ George 的成績還是在 Paul 及 John 之下啊。

曾經看過 Beatles 的 Anthology DVD﹐其實雖然 記憶中 John 及 Paul 在比拼﹐但拆夥的導火線卻源自 George 啊。

哈﹐我們的討論都遠遠離開了 James Taylor。
Posted by Muzikland at February 21,2007 02:27
Dear Muzik,

I don't think the split-up of the Beatles was related to George whom always be clamed as the silence Beatles.

It all started to fall apart when their manager, Brian Epstein, died unexpectedly. Paul wanted Lee Eastman to manage The Beatles, while the other Beatles wanted the Rolling Stones manager Allen Klein. Their musical interests were heading in different directions and the major factor was Yoko Ono caused the gap between them to widen.
Posted by Pepperonie at February 21,2007 09:36
Dear Pepperonie,

我記得那套Official DVD 有講的﹐因為大家的關係已經很緊張﹐但在錄音時﹐Paul 多次批評 George 的彈法及要求他改變彈法﹐最後 George 一怒而去﹐也把大家的心病從收藏於心裡揭露於表面上了。當然問題在於Brian Epstein 突然死亡﹐Paul 也想操控樂團﹐Ono 的介入﹐不過我說的是導火線啦。
Posted by Muzikland at February 21,2007 12:50
As I now come to analyze the split up of the
Beatles, it comes to that Paul is a very
ambitious and proud person (just look at how he always boasted at his all time classic
Yesterday, which was the credit of George Martin who arranged the song so well) and
it is hard to for people to get along with him.
John and George could not stand him. Ringo was
the one in the group who is very easygoing.
It has to do with his upbringing. From the
Beatles biography, Ringo suffered from a long time illness in his childhood and stayed in
hospital for a year. His family was also very poor. So all the suffering he experienced in his childhood days had taught him to be thankful for what he has and be a contented
person.
Posted by webbburt777 at February 22,2007 09:11


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