彼女は1950年代初期には「色物」歌手として、世界各地の音楽を元にした歌を歌い、大ヒットしました。 それらの中には、"Uska Dara", "Sho-Jo-Ji (The Hungry Raccoon)", "I Want To Be Evil", "C'est si bon" 等があります。 また "Santa Baby" という楽しいクリスマスソングを大ヒットさせています。
中でも "Sho-Jo-Ji (The Hungry Raccoon)" は日本でも大ヒットしました。 日本の童謡である「証城寺の狸囃子」作詞:野口雨情、作曲:中山晋平を元にした歌なのですが、歌詞は「証城寺にはアライグマが1匹いて、それはいつもお腹を空かしていて…」というような内容です。
********************************************************* アルバムリスト(登場降順) ********************************************************* #1 - René Marie / I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt / MOTéMA / 2013
********************************************************* reserved (By released year) *********************************************************
"C'est Si Bon" (Henri Betti/André Hornez,Jerry Seelen/1948) - (#3) "Come On-A My House" (Ross Bagdasarian/William Saroyan/1939) - (#10) "I Wanna Be Evil" (Lester Judson, Ray Tyler/1953) - (#9) "I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch" (Gerald Dolin/Betty Garrett/1959) - (#2) "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)" (Cole Porter/1928) - (#5) "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" (Cole Porter/1938) - (#8) "Oh, John (please don't kiss me)" (Philip Springer/Fred Ebb/1953) - (#4) "Peel me a grape" (Dave Frishberg/1962) - (#7) "Santa Baby" (Joan Javits/Philip Springer/1953) - (#11) "Weekend" (René Marie/2013) - (#12)
René Marie / I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt
Label: MOTéMA
Recorded at Varis Leichtman Studio at Jazz at Lincoln Center, NY on Marchi 10 & 19, 2013
1. I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch (Gerald Dolin / Betty Garrett)
2. C'est Si Bon (Henri Betti / André Hornez / Jerry Seelen)
3. Oh, John (Fred Ebb / Philip Springer)
4. Let's Do It (Cole Porter)
5. Peel Me a Grape (Dave Frishberg)
6. My Heart Belongs to Daddy (Cole Porter)
7. I Wanna Be Evil (Lester Judson / Ray Tyler)
8. Come on-a My House (Ross Bagdasarian / William Saroyan)
9. Santa Baby (Joan Javits / Philip Springer)
10. Weekend (René Marie)
Musicians:
René Marie (vo)
Kevin Bales (p)
Elias Bailey (b)
Quentin Baxter (ds)
They say that I'm a witch
And that I weave a spell.
Well…
I use my eyes to invite you,
My lips to delight you
And all the charms of the feminine wiles to excite you
They say that I'm a witch,
and that I weave a spell
Well, I'll be a son of a
I don't know what
Wellll
Let me tell you brother
I'd rather be burned as a witch,
than never be burned at all.
I use my songs to entice you
with curses advise you
and all of my bags of tricks
to choose and rise you
They say that I'm a witch,
and that I weave a spell
Well, I'll be a son of a
I don't know what
Welllll
Let me tell you brother
I'd rather be burned as a witch,
than never be burned at all.
You want a gal who will be your pal,
who would never look at another
who would be good and true
and take care of you?
Sorry, you want another.
I use my charms to undo you
my arms to unglue you
and all of the hex
of the weaker sex
to voodoo you
Yes, they say that I'm a witch and that I weave a spell
Well, I'll be a son of a?
I don't know what
Wellll
Let me tell you brother
I'd rather be burned as a witch,
than never be burned at all.
If you want a love
who's a turtle dove
who will bring you life's little joys
Who is sweet and shy
with a gentle eye
I'll take them in with the boys
I use my eyes to invite you,
My lips to delight you
and you never can tell
when I use my teeth to bite you
They say that I'm a witch,
and that I weave a spell
Well, I'll be a son of a?
I don't know what
Wellll
Let me tell you brother
I'd rather be burned as a witch,
than never be burned at all.
Ç'est Si Bon は英語では It is so good という意味になります。
日本語にすると「とてもおいしい」という意味になるようで…(by google)
C'est si bon
Lovers say that in France
When they thrill to romance
It means that it's so good
C'est si bon
So I say to you
Like the French people do
Because it's oh, so good
Every word, every sigh, every kiss, dear
Leads to only one thought
And the thought is this, dear!
C'est si bon
Nothing else can replace
Just your slyest embrace
And if you only would
Be my own for the rest of my days
I will whisper this phrase
My darling, my darling...
C'est si bon!
When the little Bluebird who has never said a word
Starts to sing: "Spring, spring"
When the little Bluebell, in the bottom of the dell
Starts to ring: "Ding, ding"
When the little blue clerk, in the middle of his work,
Sings a song to the moon up above
It is nature, that's all, simply telling us to fall in love
And that's why birds do it, bees do it
Even educated fleas do it,
Let's do it. Let's fall in love
In Spain, the best upper sets do it, Lithuanians and Letts do it,
Honey, let's do it. Let's fall in love
The Dutch in old Amsterdam do it, not to mention the Finns
Folks in Siam do it, just think of Siamese twins
Some Argentines without means do it
People say in Boston even they do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
The nightingales in the dark do it
Larks crazy for a lark do it,
Let's do it. Let's fall in love
Canaries caged in the house do it
When they're out of season grouse do it
I wanna do it, I wanna fall in love
Electric eels I might add do it
Though it shocks ‘em I know
Why ask if shad do it
Somebody bring me shad roe
In shallow shoals, English soles do it
Goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it
Let's do it, let's fall in love
Old sloths who hang up side down do it
Though the effort is great
Sweet guinea pigs do it; just buy a couple and wait
The world admits snakes in pits do it,
Little pekineses in the Ritz do it,
I wanna do it, I wanna fall in love…
Now listen:
Every refined ladybugs do it
When a gentleman calls
Moths in your rugs do it
What's the use of moth balls?
And penguins in flocks on the rocks do it
And cuckoos in their clocks do it
All we got to do it damn it, fall in love!
I just wanna fall… somebody let me fall… somebody help me fall in love…
歌手アーサ・キットの作り上げたイメージは、男を誘惑して弄びながらも、しかし決して媚びることのない自由奔放な女性像だった。
彼女のスタイルを決定付けた“I Want To Be Evil”などは、アーサー・キットを象徴する曲になります。
このアルバムのアルバム・タイトルになっています。
I've posed for pictures with Iv'ry Soap
I've petted stray dogs, and shied clear of dope
(I've petted stray dogs, and I never mope)
My smile is brilliant, my glance is tender
But I'm noted most for my unspoiled agenda
I've been made Miss Rheingold, though I never touch beer
(I've been named Miss Perseverance year after year,)
And I'm the person to whom they say, "You're sweet, My Dear."
The only etchings I've seen have been behind glass
And the closest I've been to a bar, was at ballet class
Prim and proper, the girl who's never been kissed
I'm tired of being pure and not chased
Like something that seeks its level
I wanna go to the devil
[Refrain]
I wanna be evil, I wanna spit tacks
I wanna be evil, and cheat at jacks
I wanna be wicked, I wanna tell lies
I wanna be mean, and throw mud pies
I want to wake up in the morning
With that dark brown taste
I want to see some dissipation in my face
I wanna be evil, I wanna be mad
But more than that I wanna be bad
Primis Player Placeholder
I wanna be evil, and trump an ace
Just to see my partner's face
I wanna be nasty, I wanna be cruel
I wanna be daring, I wanna shoot pool
And in the theatre
I want to change my seat
Just so I can step on
Everybody's feet
I wanna be evil, I wanna hurt flies
I wanna sing songs like the guy who cries
I wanna be horrid, I wanna drink booze
(I want to be horrid, I want to make news)
And whatever I've got I'm eager to lose
I wanna be evil, little evil me
Just as mean and evil as I can be
アーサ・キットはこの曲を何度か録音しているのですが、特に日本語で歌っているのがよく知られています。
Eartha Kitt – Live From The Café Carlyle (2006) を聴いてみましょう。
https://www.discogs.com/ja/Eartha-Kitt-Live-From-The-Caf%C3%A9-Carlyle/release/7015930
Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree for me;
Been an awful good girl, Santa baby
and hurry down the chimney tonight
Santa baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue
I'll wait up for you dear, Santa baby
and hurry down the chimney tonight
Think of all the fun I've missed
Think of all the fellas that I haven't kissed
Next year I could be just as good...
if you'd check off my Christmas list
Santa baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot
Been an angel all year; Santa baby,
so hurry down the chimney tonight
Santa honey, there's one thing I really do need,
the deed - To a platinum mine, Santa baby
so hurry down the chimney tonight
Santa baby, I'm filling my stocking with the duplex, and checks
Sign your 'X' on the line, Santa cutie,
and hurry down the chimney tonight
Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany;
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me
Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring
I don't mean a phone, Santa baby,
so hurry down the chimney tonight
最後のトラックはレネ・マリー自身が書いた曲で、アーサー・キットが歌を通じて表現した「男を誘惑して弄びながらも、しかし決して媚びることのない自由奔放な女性像」というイメージ、an adult bedtime story with danger and beguilement を、レネ・マリー流の表現にした曲です。
これで
René Marie / I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt
の全トラックが紹介できました。
レネ・マリーはライナーノーツにこのように書いています。
I swore I would never do a tribute album. But Eartha Kitt was so sensuously and playfully her self onstage, and so fiercely outspoken in public that, once the idea ignited within me, it consumed me and was quenched only when I surrendered to it. Inside that vocal booth in the studio, a wild banshee spirit possessed me, transformed me, and didn't let go until I'd sung the last note.