2018-05-22 13:38:03流浪阿狗

老歌亂談(835)Sweet Seasons

 
Carole King和Gerry Coffin這對才子佳人的夫妻寫歌拍檔,有超過兩打以上的歌曲,分別由不同的歌手演唱打進排行榜。而「天下沒有不散的宴席」,倆人終究還是在1968離婚分手。

離婚後的Carole King帶著兩個女兒搬到了洛杉磯,為了重振她的音樂事業,組了個三人團體「The City」( 吉他、貝士以及由她彈鋼琴兼主唱 ),並出了一張專輯《Now That Everything's Been Said》(1968),而由於Carole King不願意作現場演唱,所得到的結果是銷售緩慢,甚至換了唱片經銷商,但也只是讓專輯快速的在市場上消失。The City於1969解散,不過貝士手Charles Larkey後來成為King的第二任夫婿(1970─1976)。
 

The City(1968) Charles Larkey (左) Carole King(右)
 
1970,Carole King出了她的第一張個人專輯《Writer》,但未受到太多的關注。而緊接著在1971的第二張專輯《Tapestry》就大大的不同,在專輯排行榜蟬聯了五週的冠軍,唱片在全世界大賣了2500萬張,並為她奪得了4座的葛萊美獎 ( 年度最佳專輯、年度最佳唱片 / It's Too Late、年度最佳歌曲 / You've Got a Friend 以及最佳流行女歌手 ),也應是Carole King在歌唱事業最為風光的時期。

打鐵趁熱,同樣在1971又推出了第三張專輯《Music》,果然又榮登告示牌流行專輯的冠軍寶座,而專輯中由King和Toni Stern合寫的這首《Sweet Seasons》,卻是唯一入榜的歌曲 ( # 9 )。有評論認為此曲與King和女兒搬到愛達荷 ( Idaho ),開始另一段的新生活有關,有點兒像是自己的寫真。而滾石雜誌的樂評Tim Crouse卻認為此曲像是「令人失望的廣告傳單」。有這麼糟嗎?樂評的毒舌,並不能阻止其他人對此曲的喜好,演過Carole King分身的女演員Jessie Mueller就表示,在Carole King所有的歌曲中,此曲是她最喜歡的其中一首。哈哈!台長也是。
 
 
Toni Stern(左) & Carole King
 

Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
And sometimes the blues just get a hold of you
Oh, just when you though you had made it
All around the block people will talk
I wannna give it all that I've got
I just don't want, I don't wanna waste it
Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons on my mind
Sure does appeal to me
You know you we can get there easily
Just like a sailboat sailin' on the sea
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
And most times you choose between the two
Oh, wondering, wondering if you have made it
But I'll have some kids and make my plans
And I'll watch the seasons running away
And I'll build me a life in the open, a life in the country
I'm talkin' 'bout sweet seasons on my mind
Sure does appeal to me
You know you can get there easily
Just like a sailboat sailin' on the sea
Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons
Talkin' 'bout sweet, sweet, sweet seasons
Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons
Talkin' 'bout sweet seasons