Daryl Hall & John Oates／白人也有靈魂

Daryl Hall & John Oates

「Soul」一直以來被認為是黑人的專利，只有黑人才能唱出那股發自靈魂深處的呼喊；然而「Daryl Hall & John Oates」這個白人的超級二重唱卻將「Soul」的境界發揮到淋漓盡致，是我最讚賞的「White Soul」歌手。

Daryl Hall 於1948年10月11日在費城出生，從小喜愛黑人的音樂，特別是節奏與藍調；家裡曾安排他接受鋼琴訓練，可是他對鋼琴卻沒有太大的興趣，經常蹺課、騎著腳踏車，跑到黑人區的陋巷，去親近他所喜愛的藍調音樂。

而1949年4月7日出生於紐約、後來搬到費城的 John Oates，原本家裡替他安排了手風琴的課程，但是有一天，當一個老師用一把只有三根弦的斑鳩琴為他示範一些吉他的和弦之後，他發現了吉他的魅力，就毅然地告別手風琴，開始用吉他去學習彈奏黑人的藍調音樂，甚至更從小學六年級起，自己組成了一支樂隊，專門翻唱黑人的流行歌。

同樣喜愛黑人音樂的兩位相遇並擦出了火花後，以白人靈魂樂隊姿態崛起的他們，在1974年便誕生第一首Top 100單曲「She''s Gone」，但真正大紅大紫是在80'年代，尤其以「Private Eyes」、「Maneater」、「Say Isn't So」、「Out Of Touch」等暢銷單曲最廣為人知； 1985年英國歌手Paul Young 以一曲「Everytime You Go Away」風靡全球，這首歌便是翻唱自Hall & Oates 1980年的專輯「Voices」。

但是我情有獨鍾、想分享的，是一首他們具「White Soul」代表性卻沒有被捧紅的「Sara Smile」：

Sara Smile

Baby hair with a woman's eyes
I can feel you watching in the night
All alone with me and we're waiting for the sunlight
When I feel cold you warm me
When I feel I can't go on you come and hold me
It's you... And me forever
Sara Smile
Won't you smile a while for me

If you feel like leaving you know you can go
But why don't you stay until tomorrow?
And if you want to be free, all you got to do is say so
When you feel cold, I'll warm you
And when you feel you can't go on, I'll come and hold you
It's you... And me forever
Sara Smile

Won't you smile a while for me
Sara
Smile...

看過「Top Gun」的人不知道有沒有印象，劇中在酒吧的一票飛官，泡妞時起鬨地大合唱著 Righteous Brothers 的「You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'」；而 Hall & Oates 翻唱的版本在節奏與樂器上的強化上更臻突顯了他們在音樂表現的成熟度：

You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips
And there's no tenderness like before in your finger tips
You're trying hard not to show it (baby)
But baby, baby I know it
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Oh that Lovin' Feeling
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Now it's gone gone gone oh oh oh

There's no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you
And girl you're starting to criticize little things I do
Ooh, it makes me just feel like crying (baby)
'Cause baby something beautiful's dying
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Oh that Lovin' Feeling
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
Not it's gone gone gone oh oh oh

Baby baby I get down on my knees for you
(Get down on my knees)
If you would only love me like you used to
(If you would only love me love me)
We had a love, a love that you don't find everyday
(A love you don't find)
So don't don't don't let it slip away (away)
I said baby
Baby
Baby
Baby
(I'm beggin you please) I'm begging you please
I need your love (I need your love)
I need your love
So bring it on back (bring it on back)
Now bring it on back
Now bring it on back

You've got to bring back that lovin' feeling
Oh that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling 'cause it's gone gone gone
And I can't go on oh oh oh

Bring back that lovin' feeling
Oh that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling 'cause it's gone gone gone
Bring back that lovin' feeling
Oh that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling 'cause it's gone gone gone
Bring back that lovin' feeling
Oh that lovin' feeling
Bring back that lovin' feeling 'cause it's gone gone gone 

擁有美國流行音樂史上最多排行暢銷曲紀錄的 Hall & Oates，「Private Eyes」曾被日本SONY數位相機電視廣告採用，「Maneater」更是蟬連1982年4週冠軍單曲，也是電影「落跑新娘」的開場片頭曲。但天下無不散的筵席，自1985年後 Hall & Oates 開始走下坡，1990年的專輯「Change Of Season」之後，Daryl Hall 便單飛發展個人事業，直到1997年，分開多年的兩人才再度走在一起合作，由 Daryl Hall 自己操刀製作，更找回長期幕後搭檔 Sara Allen (曾合寫「Private Eyes」、「Maneater」等作品)再度合作，發表專輯「Marigold Sky」，一首首更趨成熟、更為細膩的 Soul-Pop 樂章，更令人期待他們能在這舞曲、Hip-Hop 充斥的歌壇，再度登上高峰。

Wait For Me

Midnight hour almost over
Time is running out for the magic pair
I know you gave the best that you have
But one more chance
couldn't be all that hard to bear

Wait for me please
Wait for me
Alright, I guess
that's more than I should ask
Wait for me please
Wait for me
Although I know the light is fading fast

You could go either way
Is it easier to stay
I wonder what you'll do
when your chance rolls around
But you gotta know how much I want to keep you
When I'm away I'm afraid it will all fall down

Love is what it does and ours is doing nothing
But all the time we spent
It must be good for something
Please forgive all the disturbance I'm creating
But you gotta lot to learn if you think that I'm not
waiting for you

Daryl Hall & John Oates 好聽的歌太多了，無法在此一一介紹；有空到老屁股音樂屋來聽吧！^__^

專輯列表 
1980︰Voices (暢銷曲︰Kiss On My List)
1981︰Private Eyes (暢銷曲︰Private Eyes／I Can't Go For That／Did It In A Minute)
1982︰H2O (暢銷曲︰Maneater／One On One／Family Man)
1983︰Rock'N Soul Part I (新歌︰Adult Education／Say Isn't So)
1984︰Big Bam Boom (暢銷曲︰Out Of Touch／Method Of Modern Love／Possession Obsession)
1985︰Live At The Apollo
1988︰Ooh Yeah! (暢銷曲︰Everything Your Heart Desires)
1990︰Change Of Season
1997︰Marigold Sky (新歌：Marigold Sky／The Sky Is Falling)