Muzikland

1978年﹐英美兩地又再攜手為 Beatles 推出單曲﹐這次是打“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”(1967/Parlophone) 專輯的主意了。

唱片公司取用了 Album Track “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends”作為單曲﹐相信是因為當時 Bee Gees 等樂隊使用了 Beatles 歌曲﹐拍成了電影“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”﹐故此唱片公司在電影上映前 (1978年7月21日) 推出了Beatles 的原裝單曲。它在美國於8月14日發行﹐得到 Billboard 第71位﹐而英國則於9月22日發行﹐成績也不理想﹐得到流行榜第63位。

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends (1978/Parlophone) Track List:
01 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends
02 A Day In The Life

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 由 Paul McCartney 所作﹐唱片監制George Martin 曾表示﹐Beatles 是灌錄了這首歌之後﹐才想起同名專輯的概念。專輯中它出現了兩次﹐分別是開場曲轉入 With A Little Help From My Friends及結尾的 Reprise Version 再轉入 A Day In The Life﹐而結尾的安排乃是當時Beatles 的Road Manager - Neil Aspinall 所提議的。Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 專輯出版後三天﹐ Jimi Hendrix 就在他的演唱會翻唱了此曲﹐作為演唱會的開幕曲。

至於 With A Little Help From My Friends 則由 Paul 與 John 共同創作﹐並由 Ringo Starr 主唱。初時此曲被定名為 Bad Finger Boogie﹐因為 John Lennon 弄傷了手指頭﹐而 Ringo 對此曲也參與了意見﹐因為他不喜歡首句歌詞“What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you throw ripe tomatoes at me?”﹐故此歌詞經過改動之後變成了“What would you think if I sang out of tune﹖Would you stand up and walk out on me?”由Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 轉接到With A Little Help From My Friends之間的現場尖叫聲﹐其實取自Beatles於1964年8月23日 Hollywood Bowl 的演唱會錄音。

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With A Little Help From My Friends﹕原收錄於“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”(1967/Parlophone) 專輯中。
(Lennon / McCartney)


It was twenty years ago today
Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play
They've been going in and out of style
But they're guaranteed to raise a smile
So may I introduce to you
The act you've known for all these years
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
We hope you will enjoy the show
We're Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sit back and let the evening go
Sgt. Pepper's lonely, Sgt. Pepper's lonely
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
It's wonderful to be here
It's certainly a thrill
You're such a lovely audience
We'd like to take you home with us
We'd love to take you home

I don't really want to stop the show
But I thought that you might like to know
That the singer's going to sing a song
And he wants you all to sing along
So let me introduce to you
The one and only Billy Shears
And Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Billy Shears…

What would you think if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

What do I do when my love is away?
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
How do I feel by the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you're on your own?)
No I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends

(Do you need anybody?)
I need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
I want somebody to love

(Would you believe in a love at first sight?)
Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time
(What do you see when you turn out the light?)
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine
Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm I get high with a little help from my friends
Oh I'm going to try with a little help from my friends

(Do you need anybody?)
I just need somebody to love
(Could it be anybody?)
I want somebody to love

Oh I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm going to try with a little help from my friends
Oh I get high with a little help from my friends
Yes I get by with a little help from my friends
With a little help from my friends

**********

With A Little Help From My Friends 最著名的Cover Version 首推 Joe Cocker﹐甚至成為了他的代表作。他的版本 (1968/Regal Zonophone) 在英國成冠﹐在美國Billboard 得到第68位。

With A Little Help From My Friends - Joe Cocker
(Lennon / McCartney)


**********

另一著名 Cover Version 的With A Little Help From My Friends 來自 Wet Wet Wet (1988/Childline)。這是一張為 Childline 籌款的單曲﹐在英國流行榜穩座冠軍4星期。

With A Little Help From My Friends - Wet Wet Wet
(Lennon / McCartney)


**********

1986年﹐Prince’s Trust 演唱會找來 Paul McCartney作為完場的特別嘉賓﹐翌年他們找來 George Harrison 及 Ringo Starr﹐成為了半隊 Beatles 的演出﹐Ringo Starr 在演唱會中﹐跟一眾群星演唱了With A Little Help From My Friends﹐他們包括了 George Harrison﹑Eric Clapton﹑Ben E King﹑Elton John﹑Phil Collins﹑Jeff Lynn (ELO)﹑Paul Young 等。這個版本其後收錄於“Prince’s Trust Concert 1987”(1987/A&M) 現場錄音專輯中。

With A Little Help From My Friends - Ringo Starr & All Stars Band
(Lennon / McCartney)


**********

A Day In The Life由 John 與 Paul 所寫﹐它本由兩首歌曲組成﹐但因為不知道怎樣把兩曲合併﹐於是最後想到用 Orchestra 由弱增強的效果串連著﹐這效果動用了40名成員的管弦樂團。它帶著濃濃的迷幻色彩﹐是筆者的“最愛Beatles 歌曲”的首選。歌詞中有多個部份取自 Beatles 週遭發生的事件﹐He blew his mind out in a car. He didn't notice that the lights had changed所指的是 Tara Brown 的車禍﹐他是 Beatles的好友﹐是在意外中逝世。而“I saw a film today oh boy, the English Army had just won the war”則是 John Lennon 所拍的電影“How I Won The War”﹐不過電影拍成後﹐上映日期比A Day In The Life 的出版還要遲。在MV中可見多位歌手如Mick Jagger﹑Marianne Faithfull﹑Keith Richards﹑Donovan﹑Pattie Boyd 及 Michael Nesmith 亮相。

此曲另一特別之處﹐是最後一個鋼琴Chord 長達20多秒﹐而且錄音師刻意把錄音Level 慢慢從小調大﹐甚至連錄音室的空調聲音都錄進歌曲中。在LP 中﹐A Day In The Life 完結時﹐加入了一句 John的說話﹐不過使用了錄音效果把聲音逆轉播放﹐當唱片播放時﹐唱針轉到片心最後一圈唱片坑紋時﹐這一句就會重覆播放﹐直到把唱針被提起為止﹐極具玩味﹐故此聽 A Day In The Life 就像跳進了 Beatles 的迷幻世界。而歌詞中有“Found my way upstairs and had a smoke”﹐ 被BBC認為跟大麻有關﹐故此歌曲遭受禁播。

A Day In The Life (Edited Ending)


A Day In The Life﹕原收錄於“Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band”(1967/Parlophone) 專輯中。
(Lennon / McCartney)


I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph
He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure
If he was from the House of Lords
I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book
I'd love to turn you on

Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I'd love to turn you on



筆者相關文章介紹﹕
Tony Sheridan & The Beat Brothers - My Bonnie (1961)
The Beatles & Tony Sheridan’s Polydor Singles (1961-1964)
Beatles - Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You (1962)
Beatles - Please Please Me / Ask Me Why (1963)
Beatles - From Me To You / Thank You Girl (1963)
Beatles - She Loves You / I'll Get You (1963)
Beatles - I Want to Hold Your Hand / This Boy (1963)
Beatles - All My Loving / Roll Over Beethoven (1964)
Beatles - Twist & Shout / There's A Place (1964)
Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love / You Can't Do That (1964)
Beatles - Do You Want To Know A Secret / Thank You Girl (1964)
Beatles - A Hard Day's Night / Things We Said Today (1964)
Beatles - I'll Cry Instead / And I Lover Her / Matchbox (1964)
Beatles - I Feel Fine / She's A Woman (1964)
Beatles - Eight Days A Week / I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party (1965)
Beatles - Ticket to Ride / Yes It Is (1965)
Beatles - Help! / I'm Down (1965)
Beatles - Yesterday / Act Naturally (1965)
Beatles - We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper (1965)
Beatles - Nowhere Man / What Goes On (1966)
Beatles - Paperback Writer / Rain (1966)
Beatles - Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine (1966)
Beatles - Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane (1967)
Beatles - All You Need Is Love / Baby You're A Rich Man (1967)
Beatles - Hello Goodbye / I Am the Walrus (1967)
Beatles - Hello Goodbye / I Am the Walrus (1967)
Beatles - Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (1968)
Beatles - Hey Jude / Revolution (1968)
Beatles - Get Back / Don't Let Me Down (1969)
Beatles - Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe (1969)
Beatles - Something / Come Together (1969)
Beatles - Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (1970)
Beatles - Long & Winding Road / For You Blue (1970)
Beatles - Got To Get You Into My Life / Helter Skelter (1976)
Beatles - Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da / Juila (1976)
Beatles - Back In The U.S.S.R. / Twist And Shout (1976)



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