“摇滚灵魂音乐之王”仍活跃舞台

'King of Rock & Soul' Still Recording¹, Touring

“摇滚灵魂音乐之王”仍活跃舞台

 

Singer Solomon Burke was an important rhythm and blues² artist in the 1960s, and one of the first to blend R&B and gospel to create soul music. At age 65, the veteran singer is still recording, touring and inspiring younger artists.

 

Solomon Burke was proclaimed the "King of Rock and Soul" in 1964, when he released a string of singles from Atlantic Records in New York. His song Got to Get You Off My Mind went to the top of the rhythm and blues chart in 1965, as "soul" music was taking shape, blending elements from gospel, blues and jazz.

 

(Music)

 

Solomon Burke was raised in a church-going household in Philadelphia, and started preaching at age seven. By his early teenaged years, he was hosting a gospel radio show and releasing songs on New York's Apollo label. He would later move to Atlantic, home to such 1960s stars as Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Aretha Franklin.

 

He looks back fondly on those days when recording techniques were simple, and the focus was music.

 

Solomon Burke: Having a band, an orchestra, a bass³ player, an upright bass, piano, with one mike. And the other mike was for the singer. And actually see the record being made as you record. That was fascinating. And actually see the vinyl being cut. You know, the 78. People out there don't know what we're talking about.

 

Today, CDs and mp3 have replaced 78 rpm records, but Solomon Burke's music is much the same as it was 50 years ago. He counts Rolling Stones Mick Jagger and Keith Richards among his fans. Their band recorded his songs Everybody Needs Somebody to Love and Cry to Me in the 1960s.

 

The soul singer underwent a career slump⁴ in the 1970s, but has had a revival⁵ in recent years, winning a music industry Grammy Award in 2002 for his album Don't Give Up on Me. It features songs written for the singer by Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Van Morrison and Elvis Costello.

 

Solomon Burke says he is a man of broad musical tastes. Some of his songs have a country sound, others the velvet⁶ tones of a classic crooner. Yet others are gritty, reminiscent of fellow soul singer James Brown. Solomon Burke says he is also impressed with many newer musicians.

 

Solomon Burke: The younger artists today come up like 50 Cent and Eminem, and you could go on and on. The list is incredibly long. But when you look at what's happening in the music industry today, it's coming back to the circle. People want to hear the songs. They want to understand the songs again. They want to hear the singer again. They want to hear the music again.

 

(Music)

 

Solomon Burke is a big man in every sense. Onstage, he wears a trademark⁷ royal cape⁸. Onstage and off, he is physically⁹ imposing¹⁰, weighing more than 150 kilograms. He is full of energy, dividing his time between touring dates in the United States and Europe, and his second career as a Protestant minister. A great-grandfather, he has 21 sons and daughters, and 82 grandchildren.

 

He remains¹¹ popular with aficionados¹³ of 1960s soul music, and also has younger fans. He was recently honored by the 1,200-member American Society of Young Musicians with a "trailblazer" award for his efforts in helping¹⁴ shape modern music.

 

Solomon Burke's latest album is called Make Do With What You Got.

 

Mike O'Sullivan, VOA News, Los Angeles.

 

注释：

Solomon Burke 所罗门·伯克，美国歌手

rhythm and blues 节奏布鲁斯

blend [blend] vt. 混和，融合

gospel [5^CspEl] n. 福音

Atlantic Records 大西洋唱片公司

chart [tFB:t] n. 流行音乐排行榜

Philadelphia [7filE5delfjE] n. 费城

preach [pri:tF] v. 传教，布道

orchestra [5C:kistrE] n. 管弦乐队

fascinating [5fAsineitiN] adj. 迷人的

78 rpm 转/分，唱片有16、33、45、78RPM（转/分）四种标称转速

slump [slQmp] n. 消沉，衰退

velvet [5velvit] adj. 舒适愉快的

crooner [5krU:nE(r)] n. 低声唱歌的人或歌手

gritty [5^riti] adj. 坚毅的

reminiscent [remi5nis(E)nt] adj. 使人联想……的

trademark [5treidmB:k] n. 标志

Protestant [5prCtistEnt] n. 新教，新教徒

aficionado¹² [B:7fi:sjE5nB:dEu] n.（西班牙）狂热爱好者

trailblazer [5treil7bleizE] n. 开路的人，先驱者

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 blues   

n.抑郁，沮丧；布鲁斯音乐

参考例句：

• She was in the back of a smoky bar singing the blues.她在烟雾弥漫的酒吧深处唱着布鲁斯歌曲。
• He was in the blues on account of his failure in business.他因事业失败而意志消沉。

3 bass   

n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴

参考例句：

• He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
• The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。

4 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

5 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

6 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

7 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

8 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

9 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

10 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 aficionado   

n.…迷；运动迷

参考例句：

• This is good news for postcard aficionado Drene Brennan.这对明信片迷杰纳•布雷南来说是个好消息。
• I'm a real opera aficionado.我是个真正的歌剧迷。

13 aficionados   

n.酷爱…者，…迷( aficionado的名词复数 )； 爱看斗牛的人

参考例句：

• West Coast aficionados of postwar coffee-shop architecture(Karal Ann Marling) 西海岸战后咖啡店式建筑的狂热追随者（卡拉尔安马林） 来自互联网
• Clay developed a radical style which appalled boxing aficionados. 克莱发展出一种震惊拳击迷的全新风格。 来自互联网

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。