2012年11月12日

The Brothers Four-Try to Remember



Try to remember the kind of September
When life was slow and oh, so mellow
Try to remember the kind of September
When grass was green And grain was yellow

Try to remember the kind of September
When you were a tender And callow fellow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow

Try to remember When life was so tender
That no one wept except the willow
Try to remember when life was so tender
That dreams were kept beside your pillow

Try to remember the kind of September
When love was an ember About to billow
Try to remember and if you remember
Then follow, follow, follow

Deep in December It's nice to remember
Although you know The snow will follow
Deep in December It's nice to remember
Without the hurt the heart is hollow

Deep in December it's nice to remember
The fire of September That made us mellow
Deep in December Our hearts should remember
then follow, follow, follow

因幾年前一出很受歡迎的台灣偶像劇,令 Try to Remember 又一次大熱起來,這隊曾經紅極一時的民歌隊伍 The Brothers Four 亦引起了年青朋友們的興趣。
1965 的 Try to Remember,原是 Tom Jones 為一出 1960年的 musical 而作的詞。



民歌樂隊The Brothers Four於1958 年成立,由四名 University of Washington 的學生 Bob Flick、Mike Kirkland、John Paine 和 Richard Foley 組成。
那些年,聚會時必有的環節,就是彈著結他唱唱民歌,好一個令人懷念單純而美好的年代。


1960年哥倫比亞唱片公司為他們出品的“Greenfields”,在 Billboard 單曲榜上高居亞軍席位長達4周之久。之後,他們的多首歌曲頻頻上榜,使他們成為六十年代深受歡迎的流行民歌組合。

隨後 The Beatles 的出現、以 Paul Simon和 Bob Dylan 為代表的 folk rock 誕生,以及後來 Disco 音樂的狂野,The Brothers Four 簡單、樸實的演唱風格,被認為頗沉悶而且落伍。



但四十多年來,他們堅持著清新、質樸、自然的表演,以優美的旋律和非常有默契的和聲,繼續真誠地實踐著自己對民謠的理想。


(from left) Mark Pearson, Mike McCoy, Bob Flick, Karl Olsen(只餘下Bob Flick是原有成員)

↑ Live in Hong Kong,2008年,他們舉辦了紀念出道50週年的世界性巡迴演出,香港有幸是其中一站。
↓ Live in Japan 2008 / Greensleeves / Seven Daffodils / Calypso Medley


不覺間,The Brothers Four 已經陪伴著我們走過了超過半世紀,今天再聽他們在台上重新演譯的 Turn Around,體會更深,百般滋味,湧上心頭。



經過歲月長河的沉澱,狂熱的時代理想和張揚的青春熱情逐漸冷卻,人們重新認識到質樸情感的珍貴,重新回歸到以吟詠純潔和簡單為唯一理想的抒情民謠的身邊,歌壇常青樹 The Brothers Four 也再次在樂壇上掀起了對清新自然的抒情民謠的懷舊之風。