70年代香港只有兩間電視台﹐分別是TVB及 RTV﹐都是免費提供節目的﹐而TVB一直享有慣性收視﹐意思是大多家庭都會選擇他們的節目﹐收視率往往佔八成或以上。但是1975年佳藝電視開台﹐雖然只得2年多壽命 (1975年9月7日-1978年8月22日)﹐卻使到電視行業起了很大變化﹐麗的電視自佳藝電視倒閉後﹐更力圖自強﹐於是繼“鱷魚淚” 大受歡迎後﹐立即推出“變色龍” ﹐主唱此主題曲的正是關正傑。
變色龍專輯其實跟其他專輯一樣﹐賣點是劇集主題曲﹐所以此曲最搶耳﹐但是因為由日資唱片公司出版﹐故除了“變色龍”由香港人作曲作詞編曲外﹐其他都是改編自日語歌曲﹐加上少量為此專輯創作的日本作品﹐故東洋味道甚濃﹐而且近似日本演歌風格。但是填詞方面卻跨進了一大步﹐開始走文雅風格﹐口語化的廣東話已見減少﹐影響到關正傑往後的專輯也沿用此路線。
明日話今天﹕同期由甄妮首唱﹐並且流行至大街小巷﹐關正傑往後的專輯﹐仍不時選唱一兩首人家的大熱歌曲﹐此種 Cover Version風氣普遍流行於整個70年代。而此曲的原唱是細川たかし的“心のこり” 。
盲俠走天涯﹕日本電視劇集“座頭市子守唄之新座頭市”主題曲﹐香港譯作“盲俠走天涯”。而關正傑演唱此曲﹐運用了近似演歌的唱法﹐雖然不是筆者所喜愛﹐但對他來說﹐非常突破。
呀... 恨我為情自己困惑
呀... 恨我為情自己困惑
呀... 恨我為情自己困惑
喜歡關正傑的原因是他為人正氣﹐唱歌很棒﹐絕少緋聞﹐所以當時報章常稱他為“正氣傑”﹐而且那時一片電視劇主題曲熱潮﹐他真的很紅﹐加上後來筆者學唱歌﹐發覺他主唱的歌做使用了很多歌唱技巧﹐並不是普普通通的唱﹐所以聽起來很有味道。其實許多崛起於70/80年代的歌星﹐都經過多年奮鬥﹐好不容易才得到大眾歡迎﹐等到他們成為紅歌星時﹐其實早已浸淫在歌壇中十年八載了﹐所以有一定的演唱技巧﹐而關正傑也不例外。
關正傑 (1949- ) ﹐廣東南海人﹐洋名 Michael Kwan。1967年與何國禧 (Sam Ho) 及一男一女組成 The Swinging Minstrels 民歌隊﹐以Peter Paul & Mary 的歌曲 Man Come Into Egypt 參加星島晚報主辦的“第八屆全港業餘歌唱比賽” 的“歌唱合奏組”﹐並且得到冠軍。同年他們又參加了星報主辦的 Talent Quest 音樂比賽﹐得到亞軍。翌年與另一隊得獎者 Garbriels 合作灌錄了一張名為“Talent Time ’67 Winners” 的 EP﹐翻唱了兩首 Peter Paul & Mary 的歌曲﹐分別是 Early In The Morning 及 Settle Down﹐可見早期的關正傑甚受 PP&M 民歌影響。1969年考進了香港大學建築系﹐並且以個人姿態在EMI 灌錄了一張單曲 Cecilia / Ain’t That Rain﹐同期除了亮相蕭芳芳主持的“芳芳的旋律”外﹐也跟她合唱了一首 Little Green Apples﹐而且更在香港電視週刊內寫專欄﹐教彈古典結他。
70年代中期﹐他在不同時期分別為香港三間電視台主唱節目及電視劇主題曲﹐不過直到1978年才擁有首張個人專輯﹐其後為麗的電視 (RTV) 主唱多套劇集主題曲及插曲而聲名大噪。這時他雖然已婚﹐但卻鮮有負面新聞﹐形像非常正氣﹐甚受大眾歡迎。1981年轉投 TVB﹐簽下歌星合約﹐更使到他的歌唱事業步入高峰﹐然而他把唱歌當作嗜好﹐正職仍是在建築師樓工作。直到1988年出版了最後一張專輯“一個秋天”後﹐才淡出樂壇﹐後來舉家移民到美國西雅圖定居。
Cecilia﹕此為由菲律賓樂手Vic. Cristobal (葛士培) 寫給太太的歌曲﹐他曾為名作家姚敏擔任編曲﹐其後在鑽石唱片及 EMI都為不少歌星作曲編曲。而關正傑個人第一首灌唱的歌曲﹐便是這首原創作品﹐而且他演繹得非常深情。
(Vir. Pereira / Vic. Cristobal)
Cecilia, you are young as a summer breeze
That is blowing through the trees straight to me
Cecilia, day and night you are in my dreams
Makes me wonder of the sweet golden dreams
I will play you a song that will make your heart strong
How gentle is this moment of bliss
Cecilia, love is what I will give to you
You are here now and I love you so
I will play you a song that will make your heart strong
How gentle is this moment of bliss
Cecilia, love is what I will give to you
You are here now and I love you so
And I love you so
And I love you so
**********
Ain’t That Rain: 原唱為 The Fireballs ﹐收錄於 Bottle Of Wine專輯 (1968/Atco) 中。
(George Tomsco/Barbara Tomsco)
Clouds bring darkness now
I can hardly see
Can’t pick ???? now
Life seems meant to me
Cause it looks like rain
Ain’t that rain
Walk inside my door feeling tired and old
My bones are wrapped with pain
I can’t take anymore
Cause it looks like rain
Ain’t that rain
Well ain’t that rain?
Ain’t that rain
Children sick and hungry
Yes, I know
If the sun would only shine
Then to work I’d go
But it looks like rain
Ain’t that rain
Oh how I long to try but sometimes I cry
Just bring that sun to me before I die
Oh ain’t that rain
Ain’t that rain
Oh ain’t that rain
Oh ain’t that rain
Oh ain’t that rain
**********
Little Green Apple: 原唱有Roger Miller (1968/Smash) 及 O.C. Smith (1968/Columbia)﹐而關正傑與蕭芳芳的合唱版本﹐收錄於蕭芳芳的Love From Fong Fong (1970/Regal/EMI) 專輯中。
(Bobby Russell)
Michael:
Well I wake up in the mornin'
With my hair down in my eyes
And she says hi
And I’m hurry to the breakfast table
While the kids're goin' off to school
Goodbye.
And she reaches out and takes my hand
And squeezes it and says how you feelin' hon
And I look across at smilin' lips
That warm my heart and see my morning sun
And if that's not lovin' me then all I gotta say
Both:
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
There's no such thing as Doctor Suess
Disneyland and Mother Goose is no nursery rhyme
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
And when myself is feelin' low
I think about her face aglow
And ease my mind
Josephine:
Sometimes I'll call him up knowin' he's busy
And I'll ask if he'd get away and meet me
And maybe we’d grab a bite to eat
And he drops what he's doin'
And he hurries down to meet me
And I'm always late
But he sits waitin' patiently
And smiles when he first sees me
'Cause she's made that way.
And if that's not lovin' me then all I gotta say.
Both:
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't snow in Minneapolis
When the winter comes
There's no such thing as make believe
Puppy dogs and autumn leaves
And baby guns.
God didn't make little green apples
And it don't rain in Indianapolis
In the summertime
And when myself is feelin' low
I think about her face aglow
And ease my mind...
更多關於 Michael Kwan 的資料﹕
http://www.michaelkwan.org
