为他人做嫁衣的Babyface(二)

As a shy youth, he used songwriting as an outlet for his emotions; he wrote his first love song about a girl named Rhonda when he was in sixth grade. The song didn't win him the girl, but it did get him grief from his brothers. Nonetheless, young Ken kept on, playing with funk superstar Bootsy Collins (who tagged him "Babyface") while still a teen.
　　**Funk：感人的爵士乐。 Tag：标签。我们常看到的商品上面带着一块小牌，也就是价格标（a price tag）。这个词还可以表示“起诨名”的意思。这才知道babyface的名字是Bootsy Collins取的。

Babyface also played in the groups Manchild (which had a 1977 hit "Especially for You") and then in the light-funk band the Deele, which recorded three albums during the eighties. Towards the end of the Deele's run, Babyface signed a solo deal with Solar Records, releasing his debut "Lovers" in 1987. He also began collaborating with Deele's drummer, Antonio "L.A." Reid, and they became one of pop's hottest production teams, scoring No.1 R&B hits for Bobby Brown, Whitney Houston, Johnny Gill, and Pebbles.
　　** Solo：单独的。正如我们在文中看到的，babyface在早期刚出道的时候，加入别人的乐队组合，学了不少东西。等到有足够能力单飞的时候他就单独和一家唱片公司（Solar Records）签订了和约，发行了他的首张专辑“Lovers”。
　　**Hits：（演出等）成功。首张专辑制作出台之后，babyface开始和别人合作组成创作团体。期间的作品成功地为Whitney Houston等歌手夺得R&B排行榜冠军位置。

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Babyface and Reid established their own label, LaFace Records, in 1989, and signed a distribution deal with Arista. In a few short years, the company achieved multi-platinum success with two of its acts, TLC and Toni Braxton. 　　**Label：标签。这儿有点类似于“商标、品牌”。1989年babyface和他的老伙伴里德（Reid）创建了自己的唱片公司（LaFace Records）。短短几年之内，他们的唱片公司造就了TLC和Toni Braxton这两号巨星，唱片公司更因此收益。

Braxton's self-titled 1993 debut album went on to sell seven million copies, and earned her a Grammy Award as the year's Best New Artist. The duo, meanwhile, shared the Grammy for Producer of the Year with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno. Meanwhile, TLC's two albums on LaFace -- 1992's Ooooooohhh ... On the TLC Tip and 1994's CrazySexyCool — have combined to sell more than fourteen million copies.
　　**Duo：两个。当babyface和Reid一手炮制的两大招牌明星之一的Toni Braxton首张专辑获得700万的销售量的好成绩，并由此赢得93年格莱美最佳新人奖。同时两位制作人也获得了应得的奖项。另一张王牌TLC成绩也是丝毫不让同门，两张专辑的销量总和也超出了1400万张。

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The partnership with Reid has quietly faded, and while Babyface -- who lives in Beverly Hills with his wife, Tracey, and their baby -- keeps his writing and production dockets busy (he's won or shared two Producer of the Year Grammys on his own), he's also pushed his performing star a bit harder.
　　**Dockets：记事表。和里德（Reid）的长期合作关系渐渐产生分歧之后，babyface开始独自从事音乐创作，这点我们可以从他的记事表安排的紧凑上看出来。

He dueted with Madonna on her 1995 Top 10 hit "Take a Bow", and he shares billing with Eric Clapton on the chart-topping Grammy winner "Change the World" from the Phenomenon soundtrack. His fourth solo album, The Day, was released in the fall of 1996.
　　**Duet：二重奏。Babyface除了有很好的创作天分之外，还有一把不错的嗓子。这点在他跟麦当娜合唱的一曲“Take a Bow”入选95年十大金曲排行上得到了很好的印证。

Babyface专辑"Christmas With Babyface"试听

Silent Night　 White Christmas　You are there