今日の「聴き比べ」は『Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)』です。
通称『ブリックヤード・ブルース』です。オリジナルはアラン・トゥーサン(Allen Toussaint)です。アラン・トゥーサンと言えばニューオリンズを代表するミュージシャンでありプロデューサーです。自らもアルバムをリリースしています。プロデュースではドクター・ジョンやザ・バンド、ポール・サイモンなども手掛けています。
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)
Well, I tried to run my game
She said "Man, that's the same old thing I've heard before"
And I'm too tired to go for your show
(Again and again)
And she started to explain
She said "Man, I ain't sayin'
What you're playin' just can't make it
But I can't take it anymore"
Play somethin' sweet, play somethin' mellow
Play somethin' I can sink my teeth in like Jello
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Play somethin' sweet and make it funky
Just let me lay back and grin like a monkey
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Well, I started to sweat
She said "Don't get upset,
'Cause you just might break a string and that won't
Do a thing for your show"
So I said to myself
I said, "Self, do you see what is sailin' through my soul?"
And I gotta have some more, don't ya know
Play somethin' sweet, play somethin' mello
Play somethin' I can sink my teeth in like Jello
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Play somethin' sweet and make it funky
Just let me lay back and grin like a monkey
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
It's enough to make it light the dark
It's enough to make a bite just a bark
It's enough to make a body move around
It's enough to make a rabbit hug a dog
Play somethin' sweet
Well, I tried to run my game
She said, "Man, that's the same old thing I've heard before
And I'm too tired to go for your show"
(Again and again)
And she started to explain
She said, "Man, I ain't sayin'
What you're playin' just can't make it, but I
Just can't take it
Any more"
Play somethin' sweet, play somethin' mello
Play somethin' I can sink my teeth in like Jello
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Play somethin' sweet and make it funky
Just let me lay back and grin like a monkey
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Play somethin' sweet, play somethin' mello
Play somethin' I can sink my teeth in like Jello
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
Play somethin' sweet and make it funky
Just let me lay back and grin like a monkey
Play something I can understand
Play me some Brickyard Blues
アラン・トゥーサンは２０１５年に亡くなっています。アラン・トゥーサンによるライブ音源がありました。
Allen Toussaint - Brickyard blues (Play something sweet)
この曲が流行ったのは１９７４年頃です。様々なアーティストがカバーしました。
中でも一番売れたのがスリー・ドッグ・ナイト(Three Dog Night)でした。アルバム『Hard Labor』の中でカバーしました。
Three Dog Night - Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) (1974)
同じ年にフランキー・ミラー(Frankie Miller)もセカンドアルバム『High Life』でカバーしました。アラン・トゥーサンのプロデュースでニューオリンズ臭いっぱいの傑作です。Ｒ＆Ｂ、ソウル系のボーカリストでは右に出るものはありません。
Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)
また同じ年、今度はマリア・マルダー(Maria Muldaur)がカバーしました。２枚目のアルバム『ドーナッツショップのウェイトレス(Waitress in a Donut Shop)』でカバーしました。これもいかにも南部の臭いがプンプンしています。
Maria Muldauer - Brickyard Blues
Levon Helm - Play something sweet
いずれも甲乙つけがたい名演です。
それでは今日はこの辺で。
