Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Highlights: 1994 Anniversary - Battle of the Andy Acts

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a couple of videos from the anniversary of 1994. This time, no stumbling, well, maybe a little but I actually had searched for any remnants of the videos I once posted up on Youtube (and if someone had passed it on to other video-sharing sites)...and BINGO! So I did what the normal person would do and took those robbers down. This is what happens when you mess with The Archival Queen! No, I'm just kidding. I'm glad someone bothered to reupload it again, otherwise all the video editing work I put all my time and effort to would go to waste.In other words, this is a rather lazy post filled with videos. So, from the title of this video post, you could probably tell that it had something to do with Andy. Yes, Andy Lau.

Andy Performance #1
This was a little performance starring two of the four tigers, Andy Lau and Felix Wong, and swordsmen, Adam Cheng and Paul Chu. It's mainly an act for Andy, with choreographed dancing and singing. And of course, choreographed fighting sequences and action scenes for all these tall strong-looking guys.


My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- I remember receiving a comment on this video - someone had actually asked me, "What is this video actually about?". When I saw that, I had a sheepish grin on my face and I replied that it was a promotional stunt for Andy Lau. Because, well, that's what I really saw it as.

- Andy's futuristic metallic grey hair look. Who knew it would catch on?

- I wouldn't class myself as a fan of Andy, but that song was pretty catchy. Yes, his pop song, not the birthday song he sung with Felix for TVB. As much as I like Felix, let's just say I don't enjoy listening to him sing.

Andy Performance #2
We all needed a little bit of light refreshment, right? So this slapstick skit from comedic host, Eric Tsang, Hacken Lee and Andy, was fitting of course.


My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- LOL. Eric Tsang as a woman. LOL.

- How the heck did Andy withstand the weight of Eric? He's probably not that heavy, but he always reminded me of Big Potato, from the Old Master Q comics. They should have just cast him in that awful movie with Cecilia Cheung and Nicholas Tse.

- Hacken Lee as a triad member? No wonder these rumors about triads controlling the entertainment business live on.

- LOL. I think this is one of those money moments. The moment when Eric finally becomes a man.

- We all knew this act wouldn't get the award for best act that night, but eh. It was pretty entertaining. Especially for the audience. I didn't know Sir Run Run Shaw had it in him to break a smile. He's pretty old by universal standards.
 Video credit: andylaufans163 (youku.com) 

Friday, July 1, 2011

Extra of the Day: Anita Mui

I actually found this clip by accident (If you've read some of my previous posts, you'll know I tend to find a lot of good things by accident) and I've gotta say, you absolutely have to watch this. Anita Mui in a couple of extra roles before her recognition as a singer. I know I definitely heard an interview with Anita saying that she did play 'kelefeh' roles before her claim to fame, and now here is the evidence. Of course, these were from the days of Rediffusion Television (RTV) - which has since become ATV. So it's no wonder that a certain monopolistic TV station in HK won't air this footage.


[Scene #1: People In The Shadows (1980) - ATV]

Lady: ...right? Now, everybody come follow me and do this once. Come on, do this once with me.

Man: Go on.

Lady: Yes, come, come, come. Now, like this. A little bit more lady-like. Yes, like that.

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[Scene #2: People In The Shadows (1980) - ATV]

Man: This time round, you'll all be doing the business of foreigners. So you all need to receive proper training!

Anita: Eh. You only need to say a few sentences with those white foreigners. Who doesn't know? "Hello! How do you do?" Finished. Simple as that.

Man: Heh! You're really talking about this time.

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[Scene #3: People In The Shadows (1980) - ATV]

Lady: Hey! What does this have to do with all you nosy bitches? Why do we need you stick your mouth into our business?

Lady #2: Hey! Why do you need to call us bitches?

Anita: So you're take on all the responsibility? You think you're all that. Is Heaven dropping your name? You're great now, huh?

Lady: Don't talk to me like that. You don't think I won't hit you?

[Major Catfight]

Man: Hey, hey hey! Stop it! We're doing business outside. Stop fighting! Stop fighting!

Man #2: Stop fighting!

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[Scene #4: Princess Cheung Ping (1981) - ATV]

All: As your royal sisters, we send you our blessings - that you may have many days and years ahead of you.

Lady: Thank you.

Ann: [Inaudible]

Anita: That's right. Royal sister, do you think Prince Yuen played well, or...?

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My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- I'm not exactly why the first clip is so laggy...must've been something to do with the uploading and/or processing parts. The sound is fine, though.
- Now who would've ever known that this little extra would become one of the most revered stars of HK's past? Bet they didn't see that one coming!
- Found a little bit of background info here (in Chinese). Here's the basic summary, mixed with what my personal opinions are: All of her 'extra' scenes (before she won the New Talent Singing Awards contest of 1982) were filmed with her sister, Ann Mui. At the time, Ann's boyfriend was was a behind-the-scenes worker for the TV station, so I guess he might have introduced the two sisters to some people. But actually, the reason why they might have had to do acting work was to earn money for their greedy, sorry excuse for a mother after her club got burnt down.
- Yes, that's Anita with the white shawl there. Learning to walk like a lady (remember her song "Lady"/淑女? Haha). Aw, Anita's so cute - she's trying not to laugh in this fighting scene but she just can't help it.
- For "People In The Shadows" which was shot in 1980, Anita would have been no more than 17 (it was most likely she was only 16). She was definitely ahead of her time because she had to carry such a heavy burden, along with her older sister. This fact of their lives always makes me feel sad.
- It's shock time! Anita's voice was so much migher pitched when she was young. But actually, I do remember her pupil, Andy Hui likened her voice to Teresa Teng but said that singing and smoking kind of changed it to what we know today.
- Ann gets a more 'major' role in this part - she gets to do a lot more talking than her younger sis.
- Hmmm. Yeah. This guys seems to be playing it out but he fails miserably. Lol. Walks towards the bathroom instead of the lounge area. Lol.
- Hey! Who you calling ugly?
- Man, this guy is a jerk.
- Leather couch. Squelchy.
- Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
- You know, Anna actually had very good acting skills - even this role where she plays the young mistress of an old guy.
- Theme song time! Michael Kwan and Candice Yu on the duet, composed by Michael Lai. I almost thought it might have been Susanna Kwan on this duet. Sponsor credits and just in case you need extra proof that those two women were actually the Mui sisters, here they are.
Video credit: atiliu67janchan918 (youtube.com)

Friday, June 3, 2011

Playlist: Jacky Cheung Cantopop Duets & Collaborations

First off, I have to say thank you to llwy12 (of LL's Musings) and retrotvb for pushing me to make a Jacky duets playlist - I've actually ended up with more clips than I originally anticipated so likewise, I've had to make allowance for more commentary. And thank you very much to llwy12 for providing suggestions for the playlist (song titles, singers, translations and all) -I hope you, retrotvb and everyone else who watches this playlist enjoys it. Notice that this is only the playlist for Jacky Cheung duets and collaborations that covers Cantopop - the Mandarin version I will put up later. For now, you'll just have to deal with the Cantonese speaking world. :D


Note: Though I have released the playlist as it is, I may add to it as I find necessary - this is just for starters. I'll let you know when I update the playlist through my Shout Box. But either way, hope you enjoy it! Oh, and please feel free to click here if you want to watch the playlist on Youtube. 

"A Pair of Lonely Hearts" - Jacky & Priscilla Chan
Actually, this was the only video clip (a 1995 performance) I could find featuring Jacky and Priscilla (also featured here in retrotvb's blog. The other one was a karaoke version that featured the voices of two nameless studio artists and when I'm looking through different versions, I always try to get one, whether audio or video to feature the original artists. And I see no reason to cut out Jacky and Priscilla. Their voices were a perfect match for this song). I think it's really sweet and cute that Priscilla plants a kiss on Jacky's cheek just before they head into the performance. And LOL. Touches his face. And although I could have just used the clip of just Priscilla's performance, I didn't really feel like cutting out the other female artists Jacky duets with, namely: Vivian Lai, Karen Tong, Shirley Kwan and Vivian Chow. Shirley leaves the stage on the same set of steps that Big V comes on: "Hey Viv." "Oh hey Shirley." LOL.

Tracklist for the medley:
1. "A Pair of Lonely Hearts" - Jacky & Priscilla Chan
2. "Neverending Flow" - Jacky & Vivian Lai
3. "Missing Each Other In The Wind and Rain" - Jacky & Karen Tong
4. "Ask" - Jacky & Shirley Kwan
5. "Only Everlasting Love" - Jacky & Vivian Chow

I would really suggest scrolling down a little further to watch the clip below of the live performance when Jacky was invited as a guest at Priscilla's concert in 2003 (and/or if you want to see Priscilla sing her song "Window of Love" (玻璃窗的爱) which comes right after the end of the duet). That was the time when he dyed his hair blonde. Heheh. I've provided a loose translation of the dialogue that goes between Priscilla and Jacky, just below the vid. So funny. These two have some real on-stage chemistry. And they're both really playful! :D Priscilla's funniness really makes me feel even more bad for the way the general HK audiences treated her when she wanted to make her comeback.


Priscilla: Now this guest of mine, I'm not kidding - he really is my good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good friend...but we don't actually know each other that well.

[Audience laughs]

Priscilla: Furthermore, this guy during the Lunar New Year doesn't give me any red packet. Well, of course, although I'm not young anymore but I'm not married yet so I still have a right to get red packets. But he doesn't give me any red packet. Well that's not right. I hope that tonight he brought it with him...hope that he brought Kjeldsens Danish Butter Cookies or otherwise a bunch of bananas because I'm very greedy. You all know I sang "Greed, greed, greed" (貪貪貪) of course. Right?

[Audience laughs]

Priscilla: I've invited this guest - who I'm not too familiar with to come out: Jacky Cheung.

Jacky: [scratches head] Hello.

Priscilla: Come on, baby! Red packet!...What?

Jacky: No one told you your collar was flipped inside-out.

Priscilla: Oh my God.

Jacky: I'll help you flip it back.

Priscilla: Oh yes. Thank you very much. I don't speak Chinese.

Jacky: It's alright.

Priscilla: I speak English. Let us speak English.

Jacky: Okay, no problem.

Priscilla: [laughs]

Jacky: I'm very good.

Priscilla: You're very good in English?

Jacky: Yes.

Priscilla: No, you have to speak Singapore-English, it is the World Trade Centre.

Jacky: No problem, ah.

Priscilla: No problem, la. Okay now, my red packet?

[Audience laughs]

Jacky: So why don't I give red packets? Why? Because...um, the main reason-

[Audience Member]: Stingy!

Jacky: Yes, stingy is part of it, you know how it goes. My career's not good -

Priscilla: They say that skinny people who get richer get even more stingy. I only know that I'm very generous.

Jacky: Really?

Priscilla: I am because I don't -

Jacky: Well after all, you saw me just as I entered the industry.

Priscilla: Hey, what are you saying?

Jacky: Right?

Priscilla: Well, in all honesty, it really was that way. When he went to compete for the - what number, what number, what number district?

Jacky: 18th District.

Priscilla: Yes, 18th District. The 18th District Singing Contest. I really was watching him from down below, watching him saying: "Wow, that one will definitely make it! That one will definitely make it!" Like that. I really saw him as he just entered the industry.

Jacky: And Priscilla Chan was the first -

Priscilla: Woman you fell in love with.

[Audience laughs]

Jacky: This is something that you don't need to say, whenever I see women, I get completely spellbound and feel like I fall in love with them all.

[Audience laughs]

Priscilla: Now you're just talking nonsense again.

Jacky: Okay.

Priscilla: You, you're really - you never give me any red packet, I'm telling you.

Jacky: I don't dare to. How could I dare to give you any red packet? Right?

Priscilla: Really?

Jacky: No.

Priscilla: Okay, enough for now. Let's sing a song now. Otherwise the audience will get angry.

Jacky: Okay. Sorry.

Priscilla: Sorry, sorry, sorry. Sorry Sir, sorry Madam. Okay. Haven't sung this in a long time. Do you think I'll remember the lyrics?

Jacky: Of course you'll remember.

Priscilla: No, sometimes I forget - not going to look at you.

[Singing]

Priscilla: Which side should we go to?

Jacky: Your call.

Priscilla: Your call.

[Singing]

Priscilla: Thank you very much Jacky tonight for being my guest. Thank you. I absolutely have to get you to hug me. I want you to hold me. I want you to carry me. [Jacky carries Priscilla like she needs saving] No, you can see everything! [Screams] Hey, you can see everything down there!

Jacky: I thought - ???

Priscilla: Yee.

Jacky: I thought that when you went on stage that you got ready. Thank you. Thank you very much.

My 2¢ & Extra Notes:
- I really just could not resist laughing with this one and just felt that I had to include the whole dialogue between Priscilla and Jacky. It felt too strange to just play the song on its own.
- I italicized and romanized the words 'lam bun' (pronounced 'boon') and 'saw jiu' (pronounced as written). These are obviously foodstuffs but I just don't know how to translate them because I don't actually know the Chinese characters that correspond to them. It could be a localized way of saying something, but I'm not entirely certain. (A little help, guys?) Thanks to llwy12 (through her comments) for all the translating help here - I've adapted the dialogue and used her words because I don't think I could say them any better!
- Okay, so I never really translated the English dialogue between Jacky and Priscilla, I just included it. Just think of it like a transcript. But hey, it's funny! Jacky adds an extra vowel sound to the end of "I'm very good." Hehe.
- This whole Jacky and Priscilla business talking about each other is super hilarious. The audience obviously love them for it. Well I bought into it anyway. :D
- Needless to say, they both sounded great in this particular performance. And Priscilla was all good with remembering the lyrics. Just like Jacky said she would be.
- LOL. Jacky carries Priscilla. I thought she just wanted a hug. Or for him to just lift her up in his arms. Guess she got more than she bargained for!
- Now I don't actually know what Jacky said to Priscilla after he put her down. Was it a dirty joke? (*gasp* Jacky! I couldn't make it out - this is where I shalt ask you for assistance :) llwy12 thinks he may have been asking if she had finished pulling her skirt down, actually. Another thank you to her!
Video credit: hybyj (youku.com)

"Soft Murmur At Midnight" - Jacky & Priscilla Chan
Jacky and Priscilla both do their take on a Sam Hui classic (which could also be loosely translated as "Whispers In The Night", which is precisely what the uploader did). There is absolutely nothing wrong with the other "God of Songs" version but I think Jacky and Priscilla's version gives a much softer feel to the song. It's almost lullaby-ish.

"Get Close To" - Jacky & Priscilla Chan
To Priscilla fans: Sorry, she doesn't appear at all in this video clip, but her vocals do. This was the theme song to Plain Love 2 and the lyrics are very well-suited for the show, I must say. Priscilla's voice is very sweet-sounding on this track and accompanies Jacky's rich tones beautifully.

"Await the Colors of Autumn" - Jacky & Vivian Chow
The ending theme for the 1993 TVB series The Buddhism Palm Strikes Back. I find this song very likable, just like the two singers. Vivian sleeps on Jacky's shoulder and...what?! She doesn't know him?! You'd think the two were lovebirds but, apparently not. I wonder how long they took to film this MV, because the bus seems to be in one of those rural areas that don't really have much. Yes, you munch on that apple, man.

"Neverending Flow" - Jacky & Vivian Lai
This little track was one of the many Joseph Koo works that really worked. But just like Priscilla makes a no-show in "Get Close To", Jacky does the same thing. However, Little V makes an appearance and so does Kevin Cheng and Kathy Chow (sorry, I lie - watch this one if you want Kathy), actually. Well, that's not surprising, after all they did star in the 1992 series from which this theme song emerged. Yes, I'm still hungover that we're missing Polygram singers like Little V.

"Young And Without Love" - Jacky & Shirley Kwan
The opening theme song from the 1990 TVB series The Gods and Demons of Zu Mountain. This is the actual clip from the show featuring the theme song so it has to compete (in terms of volume) with those 90's sound effects. Hey, that's flying wire! Yes, that's Aaron Kwok and Eddie Kwan there. Anyway, this particular clip is very short (I think it's only about a minute), so Okay. TVB just got rid of that clip on YT so, if you're interested in hearing (and seeing) more of Jacky and Shirley, I'd suggest you watch the MV below (it fits the song well). It's another composition of our friend, Joseph Koo and works great as a duet - with Shirley's airy vocals floating on top of Jacky's full-toned voice.


My 2¢ & Extra Notes:
- So I actually found this MV before I found the clip on YT. I tried looking for the MV on YT but no one seems to have uploaded it. There's pretty much no way of including a video on a YT playlist from an external source unless you upload it onto YT. I'm already in trouble with TVB authorities, so I've just put the video up here.
- I think the overall volume for this video is lower than the one in the playlist but then again, it doesn't have to fight with crazy sound effects.
- You know, Shirley has a pretty suitable face for dressing up in period drama clothing. Sometimes I find that certain people are just not suited for period dramas - their looks are much too modern. Not saying Shirley is old, of course.
- Jacky carries a fire-torch (yeah, old school!) around looking for Shirley, but he's dressed in 80's/90's clothing.
- Shirley bites her finger. Ow. But that makes it easier to meet Jacky.
- Yeesh. She has to walk through all that water in that thing?!
- So Shirley and Jacky finally meet, she grabs his hand and time for the moment of truth. Jacky holds back onto the tree. Awwww! Shirley looks so sad...but she gives him this "I understand" look.
- I have a feeling this MV was cut short. Shouldn't we see Shirley's face at the end as she turns around to look once more at Jacky?
- They didn't even say anything but their facial expressions were enough. Much kudos to the torn lovers on-screen.
Video credit: 【内江友迷群】 (56.com)

"Extraordinary Summer" - Jacky & Faye Wong
The flipside to the Mandarin version (more on that in the Mandopop part of the playlist). You really can't get enough of that "Oh A E Yeah" chorus, can you? Well, neither can I to be honest. And it seems Liza Wang's Hot Coffee performance at the 1994 TVB Anniversary really benefited from the use of that catchy chorus too. And I'll never pass on seeing Faye attempt to dance. On the other hand, Jacky moves pretty well for someone who didn't go through extensive formal dance training (like Aaron Kwok, for example).

"Shooting Star of the Flower and Piano" - Jacky & Kit Chan
Kit actually has a very suitable voice for singing musicals, like in Snow.Wolf.Lake. I think this song is absolutely lovely and charming. And Jacky sounds great on this track too - it's a great and refreshing contrast to a lot of unthoughtful ballads these days, more refined and not so pop-like. I think it's also quite reassuring for aspiring Cantopop singers that someone like Kit (who is originally from Singapore) to have made a name for herself in the world of Cantopop.

"Shooting Star of the Flower and Piano" - Jacky & Sandy Lam
Nope, that's not a repeat typo mistake, it's the same song as the one before. Okay, so I just said that Kit had a suitable voice for singing musicals but that doesn't mean that no one else can sing the same song well. Well, I've taken this little live performance featuring Sandy and Jacky and this just confirms why people still regard them as part of the Heavenly Kings and Queens today. And it's cute how Jacky and Sandy hold hands :D

"Day And Night" - Jacky & Sandy Lam
This song is just so nice to listen to. There are many versions on YT for this track (mainly just featuring Sandy) but this was the only one with good sound quality that featured both Jacky and Sandy. Sandy's gentle falsetto is absolutely great on this track and Jacky really tones it down to fit the pleasing orchestral sequence. The lyrics also go hand-in-hand with the music, just like Jacky and Sandy go together so well when they sing. This song isn't your average pop song - as Matt says here, it's "high brow" describing this track as one of his favorite songs from Sandy.

"Asking Who To Take The Lead"- Jacky & Sandy Lam
A Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng favorite of mine from the 1987 TVB series Genghis Khan but I really liked the spin that Jacky and Sandy gave to it. Taken from the Jade Singers Celebrate TVB Anniversary 1993, of course. Well, mainly they were just chasing after Lawrence Cheng on a bicycle with microphones attached. Sandy's cute pigtails. LOL. Run Jacky! Run Sandy! Go, go, go! I personally think Jacky comes off a little better from this but both of them do a pretty good job - chasing a moving microphone is not easy, let alone singing a song that requires such powerful vocals and lots of breath. Luckily though, both Jacky and Sandy were fit.

"Fragrant Orchid" - Jacky & Sandy Lam
Okay, so this was never an officially released duet and Jacky regresses to a backing vocal, with Sandy turning into lead, but I just had to include this. This is one of my favorite Jacky songs. Period. Though we may see more Jacky and Sandy collaborations in future, this one is kind of special. It was '93 and the two were on top of their game. One King to one Queen. Yes, that's Anthony Lun playing on the piano behind them. Jade Singers Celebrate TVB Anniversary 1993. retrotvb mentioned this particular performance here along with a recap of the ceremony and we can all see why the audience were clapping so hard after Sandy lingered on that last note. A very good rendition of a Jacky classic and definitely a change to hear it sung in a female's vocal like Sandy's.

"Lover And Confidante" - Jacky & Sally Yeh
Okay, so this is Sally's song. But I just had to slot this in after Sandy and Jacky's performance, which came after the performance in the original show too. Jacky switches to singing the lead vocal and Sally to a supporting role, even though we all know very well she can sing lead anytime. But that was the beauty of this singing variety show - not doing things by the book and improvising as needed. Sally's very cheeky here when she shows how flattered she is when Jacky sings a line that kinda implies that.

"100 Years Of Golden Classics (Medley)" - Jacky & Sandy Lam
This little performance from the 2009 Hong Kong Film Awards doesn't actually feature any songs originally sung by Jacky or even Sandy. And it's not strictly Cantonese but most of the repertoire was. What it does feature though is a bunch of classics etched into history, all for the purpose of entertaining those special audience members at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Cha-chambo! A-go-go! Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Did I mention how much chemistry Jacky and Sandy have on stage? And hey, it's Andy on screen! Oh geez, he doesn't look too well...but Sandy sure covers the song mighty fine. I know they sung for almost 10 minutes but still, I wanted to shout encore because there are times when I wonder what other great songs they could cover. Tracklist as follows:

1. "Love Without End" (不了情) - Theme from "Love Without End" (不了情) (1961)
2. "Can't Say How Happy I Am" ( 說不出的快活) - Insert Song from "The Wild, Wild Rose" (說不出的快活) (1960)
3. "The Youthful Ago-go" (青春阿哥哥) - Insert Song from "A Romantic Thief" (多情妙賊) (1968)
4. "L-O-V-E Love" - Insert song from "Let's Rock" (大家樂) (1975)
5. "Half Catty Eight Tales" (半斤八兩) - Theme from "The Private Eyes" (半斤八兩) (1976)
6. "Friendship Years" (友情歲月) - Theme from "Young and Dangerous" (古惑仔) (1996)
7. "If Heaven Had Love" (天若有情) - Theme from "A Moment of Romance" (天若有情) (1990)
8. "Chase" (追) - Theme from "He's A Woman, She's A Man" (金枝玉葉) (1994)
9. "Wish" (願) - Theme from "Twenty Something" (晚9朝5) (1994)
10. "The Human Path" (人間道) - A Chinese Ghost Story II (倩女幽魂II之人間道) (1990)
11. "The Moonlight's Lover" (月光愛人) - "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" ( 臥虎藏龍) (2000)

"Love Is Difficult" - Jacky & Anita Mui
This theme song from the 2001 film July Rhapsody, starring Jacky and Anita as well. We can say thanks to seasoned lyricist Albert Leung for penning the lyrics to this song and Jacky and Anita for their strong vocal partnership. Anita's distinct voice blends in so well with Jacky's that I feel kind of melancholy that she's gone.

"Ten Thousand Wisps of Smoke (From Start to Finish)" - Jacky & Coco Lee
Now this song (which is also known as "From the Beginning 'til the End") featured as the theme for a 2002 film in the series "Tobacco Free", which was all part of an anti-tobacco campaign. It's got a pretty contemporary urban, up-tempo feel - no wonder because it's composed by Mark Lui. I've always thought that Coco Lee (born Ferren Lee - hmmm...that's very different compared to Coco. It sounds a lot more formal) was one of those singers that had a natural R&B tone and flavor to her voice and that HK should have treated her much better. After all, the woman could sing. When she sung runs, you know she was singing runs. Some other singers just sound like they're just wailing. Jacky, is of course, is very good on this track too (Na na na...). The video is cute too. Heheh. Jacky, watch the road! Watch the road! Coco. Jacky's asking for your phone number! And then they become a couple. I sure hope she gave up smoking - Jacky don't encourage her! LOL. Because that would only ruin her pretty voice.

"Intoxicated Reflection" - Jacky & Kit Chan
Theme song from the 2006 TVB series Country Spirit, starring Sheren Tang, Charmaine Sheh, Gordon Lam, Joe Ma and Savio Tsang. Though I appreciate that they put the older actors together and using outdoor scenery outside of HK and TVB studios, putting Sheren and Charmaine together is where you begin to see the gaps in acting experience. The song is worth listening to though. And I guess it was also very suitable for the show since it was about the wine business in the good old days. Unfortunately, the video that I originally put on the playlist was caught for copyright infringement, so I've just put up another version that's just got the audio track.

"Tolling of A Buddhist Temple"- Jacky & Danny Chan
A fun little duet of a traditional song (which can be translated as "Temple Chime" and numerous other ways) that you sing faster and faster (as Danny most kindly points out at the start). The late and great Danny (composer, singer, songwriter, actor - what else do you want?) with Jacky. So this isn't actually a song from either of Danny or Jacky but I thought it was a rare moment that I should slot in.

"Strong Passion for Half a Lifetime" - Jacky & Karen Tong
Another great pairing - Jacky and Karen. The pairing probably had something to do with Polygram owning pretty much all of the artists during the golden era but not complaining about this 'couple'. Hahaha. Anyway, now that Polygram are gone, it's gonna be pretty hard to hear duets like this one - kind of breezy, gentle and most important of all, likable in future.

"Missing Each Other In The Wind & Rain" - Jacky & Karen Tong
I actually already included this one in my quick 10 Cantopop Female/Male Duets playlist so I decided to switch that clip (the original MV) with this one. The performance at the 1992 JSG Awards after getting the award for best duet. Hey, Jacky's front row and Karen's a couple of rows back. I remember they lined up all of the major winners in the front row and since '92 was the year of the 4 Heavenly Kings, we could all see them there. And hey, that's Maple Hui sitting next to Karen - she always looks so smiley. One word for Karen. Hotpants.

"Only Everlasting Love" - Jacky & Cally Kwong
Another one that I added to the last playlist I did but I felt that a Cantopop duets playlist for Jacky would not be complete without this song. But I swapped the video clip, of course. Now you've got a nice melody being met with the clang-clang-clang's of swords from the TV series of which it came from. Not surprisingly, another piece from Mr. Joseph Koo. Cally was actually a pretty good singer for someone that came out of a beauty pageant. Her voice was just so feminine - perfect for those love ballads.

"Gratitude" - Jacky & Alan Tam & Ronald Cheng
I would say Jacky's voice stands out the most on this track, compared to Alan and Ronald, whereas I would say Alan and Ronald's stand out - cut your hair men! It's very modern soft pop-rock and not really a real duet, since it has 3 people, so we'll just call this a collaboration (I have no idea what a song requiring 3 people to sing is called. Group?).

"Romantic Suite" - Jacky & Kenny Bee & Terence Choi
This is one of those cutesy love songs from the 80's accompanied with a very cutesy MV. We'll forgive you for the bad walking to the camera sequences and cheesy background vocals. After all, Terence cooks a meal for his woman, Jacky knows how to barbecue a chicken wing in a campfire and Kenny - well I don't really know what he's trying to do really.

"Medley" Jacky & Alan Tam
So the former, well not former since The Wynners never actually disbanded 80's pop singer Alan Tam swaps songs with Jacky. Not entirely sure which show this segment was from but certainly enjoyable all the same. And like I've always said, if you're a good singer, you should be able to sing another singer's songs well. Heck, that's the basis of all singing competitions. And these two, do just exactly that. Tracklist of what they sing:

1. "Phantom" (幻影)
2. "Love Is Dead" (情已逝)
3. "The Roots of Love" (爱的根源)
4. "Only Want To Love One Person for Life" (只愿一生爱一人)
5. "Rainy Night's Romance" (雨夜的浪漫)
6. "Loving Deep Into Fall" (爱在深秋)

Friday, May 6, 2011

Highlight: 1994 Anniversary Battle of the Mini-Musicals

Presenting to you, the two mini-musicals from the 1994 TVB Anniversary - definitely a highlight of the show. So many strong performances that night (unlike the crass kind of things TVB pulls out of its bag nowadays. It's almost like they don't do anything - I just end up feeling empty whenever I watch the new ones) and great hosting. I'm sure the audience was well and truly satisfied that night. Anyway, on with the shows!

"Guy and Gal Hooligans: I Love You"
This was a little number featuring Law Ka Ying, Jacky Cheung, Jaclyn Chu and Anita Yuen. Roughly translated, the name of this act would be something like "Guy and Gal Hooligans: I Love You." Heheheh. So yes, they're all acting like juvenile delinquents.


Note: Just noticed this - there are some audio skipping issues with the video. It seems to be a problem with WMV (Windows Media Video files). Will see if I can upload using a different format and hopefully that'll fix the problems. Okay, just found another version uploaded by an Anita Yuen fan - cool. And yes, that's Veronica Yip and Chung-Ming Poon hosting there.  

My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- Man, Law Ka Ying AKA Liza Wang's husband is just so LOL.
- Hah. Jacky's afro. While his "younger brother" Law Ka Ying has no hair.
- Jaclyn Chu actually has quite a suitable voice for singing. But I can't say the same for Anita Yuen - I would've thought Kiki Sheung (who does not appear in any of the performances for the 1994 Anniversary) would have a singing voice like Anita's but Kiki has a very good singing voice, surprisingly. And it can go much higher than her talking voice too.

"Gangster Hero"
The other musical featured Cantopop Queen Sally Yeh and TVB heavyweight Adam Cheng as leads. Former Miss Asia Pageant winner Christy Chung also gets a non-speaking role, along with pretty girl singers Winnie Lau, Gigi Lai, Vivian Lai and Karen Tong as Sally's back-up crew. As for this one, "Gangster Hero" would be a loose title translation for this act.


My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- Damsel in distress and former beauty queen Christy Chung was sitting in the chair next to Run Run Shaw for 1993's TVB Anniversary, so it must be good to get up and dance around (as opposed to accompanying an old guy for a 2 hour no possibly longer show). Even though Christy didn't know a word of Chinese when she won the Miss Asia Beauty Pageant, she really did work really hard and is now fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin (so naturally, I do not feel sorry for ABCs who don't bother to learn the language properly. Don't even mention Mr Hong Kong Stephen Huynh. Christy can also speak Vietnamese, French and English as her native tongues).
- I don't know why this is, but Gigi is the only one in white pants from Sally's gang... maybe they ran out of black pants or something? Because those pants are going to stain.
-Sally sure has a cheeky look in her eye when she brings the ring out magically from the air.

So your pick? Which one was your favorite musical of the night? I think they both did very well but I have a tendency to go for comedy (yes, it was Law Ka Ying) and I guess the audiences that night liked this one more according to the viewer votes anyway - why don't they do that anymore? It was like reality TV before reality TV. So yes, there was this time when TVB actually used to care about their audiences back home. We're the ones who made TVB in the first place- after all, no audience, no TVB.Where's the consumer interaction these days?
Video credits: 永遠@心儀 (tudou.com)taqfiles.blogspot.com 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Commercial: Jessica Hsuan's Big Break

Note: Back at vcrbase2010's channel - there's a tonne of old commercials featuring all our favorite HK stars of the past - you might wanna check it out (video credits below)!

You just have to watch this (even if you have already). Jessica's first commercial and her break into the HK entertainment industry. I remember seeing this commercial before but I recently found it on YT when I wasn't even purposely looking for it but hey, good things come unexpectedly. The Ferrero Rocher ad that started it all. Hehehe. Just provided a rough translated dialogue of what happens below - enjoy!

Jessica: Julie! It really isn't my fault. I went down for a split second and then someone came in to steal stuff! Mmm. [shakes head].

Please believe me! I can't seem to control my hand - when I tell it to go left, it goes right, when I tell it not to play with anything, it'll go and play with those things.

[Sighs] Still can't help it.

Cat: Meow!

Jessica: Julie! Your precious ate all of your Ferrero Rocher chocolates. [laughs]

Narrator: Ferrero Rocher - ever so captivating, no ordinary person can resist.

Jessica: Meow! [laughs]

My Two Cents and Extra Notes: 
Hehehe. Evil Jessica. Poor cat. But we all know Jessica loves animals (that's why her current boyfriend is a vet - I know this accidentally, not because I follow gossip). This commercial is over 20 years old and Jessica still looks great. And she still has that little gleam in her eye and that cheekiness which allowed her to pull of this ad with ease in the first place. Some things have changed but Jessica's still got the cuteness! TVB were lucky enough to find someone like Jessica to still be one of their leading actresses. She left TVB awhile ago but then came back to do some dramas - this I find quite interesting because it's been 28 years since she entered the entertainment industry and she's really still quite popular. Her roles haven't digressed to minor ones either. But I think she's the only one out of the 4 'fa dan' actresses (other 3: Kenix Kwok, Ada Choi, Flora Chan) who's still active in the industry today.
Video credits: vcrbase2010 (youtube.com)

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Hong Kong Cantopop Female/Male Duets Playlist: Love Songs

The days of the duets, where have they gone? I'm talking about good duets, of course - not you say something, then I say something then we all try to say something at once. Remember when Cantopop used to be filled with with a whole lot of duets - female/male, male/male, female/female, you name it. They even had a bunch of singers doing songs together, though this strictly wouldn't count as a duet. So I've been searching for female-male duets mainly and decided to come up with a playlist. I thought I should keep it to a magical number of 10, though I must stress that this isn't an exhaustive list of the Top 10 female-male Cantopop duets in history. It's just a playlist of 10 Cantopop male-female duets that I thought were worth listening to, so the order of songs don't necessarily mean I like this song better than that or whatever. It's more like a tracklist, rather than a singles chart but after all I've said I would have to say if I were to choose a female-male Cantopop duet as an all time No.1, then No.1 of the playlist would have to be it. Anyway, regardless of what I think, hope you enjoy!


Note: Playlist watchable on Youtube here and individual links for each featured video below. 

1. "You're the Best in the World" - Roman Tam & Jenny Tseng
One of the reasons why I like this number from Roman and Jenny is because this song is such an unconventional love song. Who would've known that combine an up-beat tempo and mix the "Hoo! Ha!" sounds from martial arts to make such a unique, one-of-a-kind love song? Well, I guess only Joseph Koo and James Wong could manage to pull this kind of thing off. And Jenny and Roman are simply two of the best singers that you could possibly put together. I just absolutely love how the male and female vocals go over each other so nicely, without any loss in meaning.

2. "Missing Each Other in the Wind and Rain" - Jacky Cheung & Karen Tong
This song was set to be one of those duets that were requested to be played over and over again in karaoke bars. It also won the award for "Best Duet" in the 1992 JSG awards, enshrining it's ever-popular status. This song about the longing between a couple who wish to see each other while being separated by a huge distance always leaves me with a sense of longing too - a particular empty feeling yearning for female and male duets like this one. Actually, I miss Karen Tong too.

3. "See You Again, My Friend" - Sam Tsang & Elaine Ho
1991 Miss HK contestant, Elaine Ho's pairing with singer Sam Tsang was actually quite a good combination, actually. A break-up song that lost to the above-mentioned Jacky Cheung & Karen Tong's "Missing Each Other in the Wind and Rain" in the 1992 JSG awards for "Best Duet", that actually makes use of layering the female and male vocals over each other, is what makes it very nice to listen to. The realization of not being able to save a relationship is what this whole song is all about. Kind of heartbreaking actually, but still quite prettiful as a song all the same - bittersweet, would be the word to describe it.

4. "Chance Meeting, Why Be Formerly Acquainted?" - Ram Tseung & Rita Carpio
I always find it really strange that Ji-Gwong was and is a man of many (overlooked) talents. He not only sung this song, but composed the track and wrote the lyrics for it too - and all this time, he's just been playing somewhat extra roles on TVB serials. He teamed up with Rita Carpio, who is probably most remembered for this song but was also runner-up to Anita Mui in the 1982 New Talent Singing Awards. Oh, this song took out one of the awards during the 1990 JSG Awards too - no disagreements with that.

5. "Modern Love Story" - Julian Cheung & Maple Hui
Perhaps the more memorable of Chilam's duets because I really don't remember much about the duets he did with Myolie Wu. This was the very song that propelled Chilam to stardom, was it not? Well, there you go. Looking at a recap (courtesy of llwy12) of Chilam's recent comeback concert, I would have to say that both Chilam and Maple have aged very well indeed. Maybe it's because they're very baby-faced. But that's not a bad thing.

6. "Believe in Yourself" - Alex To & Sally Yeh
A catchy pop song heavily inspired by the whole Janet Jackson Rhythm Nation movement. And by inspired, well I mean the actual composers of the song were American producers who were writing the song originally for an American artist. But you know, with these lyrics and undeniable catchiness, how can you say no to "Go Sally, go, go Sally go!" (or "Go Al!")? I for one actually enjoy how Cantopop would be influenced by the American pop and rock sounds, as well as music from other counterparts - namely Japan.

7. "The Heart is Cold" - Anthony Lun & Anita Mui
Anthony has sworn never to perform this duet again ever since Anita died - he did however, perform the song again at the 2010 JSG Awards last year singing to the 1991 JSG Awards video clip. I think Anthony must feel that no matter how many good singers come by, there will only ever be one Anita Mui. And I think he's right. Where do you find people like these two these days?  

8. "Goodbye Puppy Love" - Danny Chan & Sandy Lamb
Not to be confused with diva Sandy Lam - this little number was something that was quite popular during the day and age of Danny, I mean Elvina Kong chose it as her song to sing at the New Talent Singing Awards. Danny was one of those super-talented idols, a wonderful voice, great looks, talent to back it up (musician, singer and composer) so it was just too early to say goodbye to Danny when he never woke up from his coma.    

9. "Only Everlasting Love" - Jacky Cheung & Cally Kwong
This is just one of those great chemical reactions that suddenly explode to make something nice. Jacky's low, rich baritone voice along with Cally's ever-so-feminine singing voice makes for a classic love song. I mean, Jacky's already appeared once in this list but the thing is he's got quite a few great duets with other female artists (as pointed out by retrotvb) - like Priscilla Chan and Vivian Lai (who sadly don't really make many appearances anymore) and that would mean having to extend this list. And this would be just for Cantopop duets. Imagine if I put in his Mandarin duets too. Pretty long playlist. But yes, Jacky's a versatile performer when it comes to singing duets - especially with the ladies.  

10. "Fall in Love" - Leslie Cheung & Elisa Chan
Like I already said, many famous songs in HK pop music in the past were the   products of great Japanese compositions. However, this cover of Akiko Kobayashi's "Koi ni Ochite - Fall in Love" works really great as a duet. Elisa's solo parts are very charming indeed. Leslie was also one of those real superstars who's untimely death left a hole in the heart of many of his fans. He was definitely an all-rounder, one of those people with the whole package - a great actor, singer, an undeniably handsome performer.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Highlight: 1994 Anniversary Song Time!

This medley celebrating the last 28 years (it was '94) of TVB theme songs and TV shows is definitely one of my favorites from the whole anniversary show. I'm so glad I have this on tape and have been able to preserve it, using the power of technology. It was the last performance for the show so I think they were wrapping things up (like a summary or timeline) - saving the best for last. The performance consisted of Hacken Lee, Vivian Lai, Ekin Cheng, Linda Wong, Dicky Cheung, Gigi Lai, Leo Ku, Nnadia Chan, along with former lovebirds Andy Hui and Sammi Cheng. There were also 'guest appearances' from: Adam Cheng, Felix Wong, Paul Chu, Liza Wang, Bryan Leung with Roman Tam singing at the end too. I've chucked a tracklist of the songs covered just below the clip - enjoy!

Note: There are some audio skipping issues with the video - seems to be a problem with WMV (Windows Media Video files). Will see if I can upload using a different format and hopefully that'll fix the problems. 

Solos:
1. "Shanghai Bund"/上海灘 (Theme from "The Bund"/上海灘) 
2. "Wild River"/狂潮 (Theme from "Wild River"/狂潮) 
3. "The Giants"/強人 (Theme from "The Giants"/強人) 
4. "The Good, the Bad and The Ugly"/網中人 (Theme from "The Good, the Bad and The Ugly"/網中人)
5. "A House Is Not A Home"/家變(Theme from "A House Is Not A Home"/家變)
6. "Thousands of Knots in My Heart"/心有千千結 (Theme from "Thousands of Knots in My Heart"/心有千千結)
7. "Hard to Divide the Good and Evil"/難為正邪定分界 (Theme from "You Only Live Twice"/飛越十八層) 
8. "Using Love to Steal a Heart"/用愛將心會偷 (Theme from "The Shell Game"/千王之王) 
9. "Swearing to Never Back Down"/誓不低頭 (Theme from "The Final Verdict"/誓不低頭) - 
10. "Meaning of Life"/一生何求 (Theme from "Looking Back in Anger"/義不容情)

Duets:
1. "Love is Warm Inside the Heart"/爱在心内暖 (Theme from "The Misadventure of Zoo"/流氓皇帶)  
2. "You're the Best in the World"/世間始終你好 (Theme from "Legend of the Condor Heroes"/射鵰英雄傳之華山論劍) 
3. "The Romantic Swordsman"/小李飛刀 (Theme from "The Romantic Swordsman"/小李飛刀) 
4. "Purple Hairpin"/紫玉釵 (Theme from "The Legend of the Purple Hairpin"/紫釵記)
5. "Forget About Us in the Smoky Waters"/兩忘煙水裡 (Theme from "The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils"/天龍八部之六脈神劍) 

Last but not least:
"A Promising Future"/前程錦繡 (Theme from "A Promising Future"/前程錦繡) 

My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- I particularly like this segment from the whole anniversary because all the singers featured show us how it's done, with excellent song choice and arrangements done all for the purpose of this medley.  
- Nnadia's rendition of "Using Love to Steal a Heart" is really quite impressive indeed, even though she already proved to us that she really could sing when she entered that Sally Yeh impersonation contest when she was just 14.  
- Then they do the whole duets thing and that just kills me (in a good way, of course!). 
- That, and Linda actually sings the duet better than the original (compared to  Louise Lee who sung with Adam Cheng in the series).
- Totally just proves that Vivian is definitely more than just another pretty girl singer with her take on Roman Tam and Jenny Tseng's "You're the Best in the World" with Ekin. That song is all about good timing, power vocals and having a trusting partnership with your singing partner. That, and Felix looks  really smart and handsome in his suit :)
- Actually No. 3 for the duets would be better literally translated as "The Small Flying Dagger of Justice". As a side-thought, I can see why Gigi earned the title "Goddess of Beauty" during her career and I always wonder how Dicky still had a full head of hair at the time. 
- I also prefer Leo and Nadia's version of "Purple Hairpin" over the original version by Liza Wang and Adam Cheng, actually. 
- I'm pretty sure that's Miss HK 1994 Halina Tam sitting next to Run Run Shaw in that chair.
- LOL. Just watch Sammi's expression when Bryan comes out. Bet she didn't expect that. :D
- And Ekin's mentor Roman Tam appears at the end too, singing another one of his well-known theme songs.
Video credits: taqfiles.blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Snippets: "Love In Singapore"

I was looking through my old collection of VHS tapes that I had converted into digital format and I found this one "Love In Singapore" (戀戀獅城), a travel/love-story program that featured Jacky Cheung, Kevin Cheng, Grasshopper (yes, all 3! - brothers Remus and Calvin Choy along with friend Edmond So), Lawrence Cheng, Halina Tam, Shirley Kwan, Linda Wong and Vivian Lai. Thought I'd share this opening snippet and blooper reel just for old times sake. There's a rough translation (underneath each clip) of the dialogue and what goes on during the clips - enjoy!


-Video quality is something I am working on but it has a lot to do with Blogger compressing the videos; will see what I can do- 

Jacky Cheung: [getting manhandled by security and too busy trying to put his jacket on to say anything]

Vivian Lai: [ Some guy in background: "I thought you all would…"]

Linda Wong: [fan asking for autograph: "Can you please, Linda?"]

Calvin Choy (Grasshopper): "Aiyah!" 

Lawrence Cheng: [dancing around Karen] "Let's play." [Singing]: "Scared that we'll have to be face-to-face…"]
Karen Tong: [laughs]

Halina Tam: "Am I pretty?"

Kevin Cheng: [points at the camera]

Film Crew Member to Karen Tong: "Let's do another take, how about it?" 

Remus Choy (Grasshopper): "…I go to the gym-
Shirley Kwan: "I'm Shirley Kwan, this year I'm 15 years old!"

Edmond So (Grasshopper): [sitting on a ladder]

Vivian Lai: "Stop filming me, okay?!"

My 2¢ & Extra Notes: 
- LOLOLOL. Shirley is so cute! :D I think she said she was 15…though it could have been 12 (Note to self: go check my hearing). Well, whatever. Shirley's still so adorable :D
- And Vivian, ever so pretty and funny trying to be angry at the camera.
- Linda is very tall (and pretty). I actually saw her recently on TV as a special guest audience member /supporter at Vivian Chow's concert and she still looks just as pretty. On a side-note, William Chan butchered Vivian Chow's "A Fabricated Love in Your Head" (自作多情) as a duet. Why couldn't he just leave the song (and Vivian) alone?! I'd be much happier to see Linda sing solo or with Vivian.  
- And I think that lady standing in the dark was Karen…or was it?
- And even after all these years, Kevin is still an actor with TVB, being cast in B-grade dramas, with virtually no real standout roles and no improvement in his singing. He basically has no color to his voice - I can see (well more like hear) why he failed as a singer.


Lawrence: [Slurred] Whatever you do, don't give that back to me.

Jacky: He knew that our financial circumstances at home weren't really that good but still paid for us.
Karen: Oh...so he's actually your savior. Have you repaid him for his help yet?
Jacky: I haven't even finished talking yet...
Karen: [Pause]...You haven't finished yet?!

Jacky: ...couldn't do anything - Let's start over.

Karen [to Lawrence]: Hey bro, this isn't a tea-house, if you want to go drink tea you need to go to a proper tea house and do a police search...tea [cracks up]

Linda: Singapore has one hotel that's 73* storeys high. Talking about hotels, it's the tallest one in the world.
Lawrence: [making fun of Linda] Yes, it's 73 storeys high.

Vivian: I'm going to go outside and arrange the flowers first...[all the girls burst into laughter] Just looking at her...

Vivian: Really?
Linda: Always crying like a ???..and scared of [Vivian starts laughing then all the girls do]

Crew member: Can't do it...[laughs]

My 2¢ & Extra Notes:
- It's funny because everyone just laughs and leaves poor Lawrence by himself.
- Haha, I like how Karen pauses for sometime before asking Jacky that question even though she didn't wait for him to finish his lines.
- Jacky's little dance at the end.
- Karen's so cute. She took her lines too fast and ended up saying the wrong thing. Tea-house for a police search? LOL.
- * Linda messed up when she said '73', saying the '10' part really quite strangely. And Lawrence mocks Linda by mimicking her exxagerating her mistake to the '3' as well. LOL. Linda resorts to chopstick hitting Lawrence. 

- I like Vivian's look, nudge, nudge, look again at Linda and run-away before everyone just gives into the laughter.
- Actually, I have no idea what Linda was trying to say here. Crying like a perverted devil? (Guys, I need some help here. I tried finding this scene in the actual show but I couldn't find it - maybe a cut scene? Who knows. So I really don't know whether it's just Linda saying something strange or my translation skills going downhill, or both). But I like how Linda always just starts laughing and starts hitting things when she has an NG take.
- Remus trying to carry Shirley? And he said he goes to the gym. 

Video credits: taqfiles.blogspot.com

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Hong Kong's Classic TV Theme Song Playlist: Based on a Tracklist

Okay, so I made a playlist and typed out all the song titles and artist names in English (or English romanization at least) until BAM! I accidentally hit the delete key, which ripped off half my document. Damn, I knew I should've kept that back-up. Oh well, mental note for next time. Anyway, this really isn't so much a playlist but a tracklist from a covers CD of HK TV theme songs. I mean just look above. Pretty much all the shots are from "The Bund", which is slightly misleading, I guess. And if you told me that Kent Tong was gonna be bald 20 years ago, I would've just laughed myself silly.

Note: No. 12 from this list of  clips won't be in the video playlist above since the uploader has disabled embed tags, but you can still watch the others. To watch the whole thing on YouTube click here, otherwise you can just watch the playlist above and/or click on the individual links below for each video. 

1. "Shanghai Bund" - Frances Yip (Theme from "The Bund")
Okay, every good artist has a signature song and for Frances Yip, this was it. Being created by partners-in-crime composer Joseph Koo and lyricist James Wong, coupled with the power chords of Frances Yip and being tagged onto a historical TV drama was a recipe for instant success. The songwriting duo once mentioned that no one could ever sing this song like Frances Yip, and that no other voice could be more suitable. I do not beg to differ. 

2. "All Kinds of Sentiments" - Frances Yip (Theme from "The Bund")
Apparently, this was another award-winning hit from Joseph Koo and James Wong from "The Bund". This song is just another example of an epic masterpiece which makes use of a dramatic beginning that captures the attention of the audience. Frances Yip places all the right type of emotions in all the right places. She really is a powerhouse when it comes to belting, yet she has a lot of control over her voice when nothing more but a gentle whisper is needed. 

3. "The Brothers" - Roman Tam (Theme from "The Brothers")
This rather doting song about familial love (which is closer to the literal meaning of the song title) is really something different to the standard romantic love songs offered to us on a silver platter. Roman always stressed the need for clear pronunciation when singing and stood strong with his beliefs; sending us a message as clear as a bell. 

4. "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" - Teresa Cheung (Theme from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly")
This song definitely brings flashbacks of Chow Yun Fat and Carol "Dodo" Cheng's characters from the series. There's no wordy-yet-meaningless lyrics here, just good old-fashioned simple lyrics that really hit straight to the heart, with a slow, haunting but beautiful melody that builds up and winds down to give you something more than a lot of songs produced today ever could. Sometimes less is more.    

5. "Sandwich Man" - Adam Cheng (Theme from "Sandwich Man")
Although another composition from the legendary music heavyweight Joseph Koo, this song doesn't really stand out as one of his more memorable classics. Sure, the song may be up-beat and sung by Adam Cheng but I seem to remember more about the short series (it was only 20 episodes long) and the untimely death of Barbara Yung (who starred in the series) and had such a short career in the limelight.

6. "You're the One Who Decides to Love " - Jenny Tseng (Theme from "The Radio Tycoon")
This was one of those catchy, up-beat theme songs which happened to work. Well, worked for me anyway. It's easily recognizable with its opening "Sha-la-la-la" chorus-like sounds at the beginning of the song.

7. "Heart Debt" - Anita Mui (Theme from "Soldier of Fortune")
Another classic from a gone-but-not-forgotten singer, Anita Mui. When Anita went into the studio to record this song, James Wong and Joseph Koo were worried that she might not be able to get the song right, being a newcomer that had just passed 18. However, being the super-talented singer she was, she only did one take for the recording and got it right the first time.

8. "Wilderness Entraps Heroes" - Johnny Yip (Theme from "Dynasty")
This was actually featured in ATV's series starring Michelle Yim and David Chiang quite some time ago. Meaning about 20+ years ago. But it's really catchy.

9. "People in the Shadows" - Michael Kwan (Theme from "People In The Shadows")
Actually, I wouldn't note this in my personal favorites or anything but it's just on the tracklist and for completeness, I thought I should include it. It actually sounds like it would be an exciting song with the dramatic entry which slows down. It's not a bad song but I just don't find it that interesting either. And the fact that it's supposed to be a song linked to a drama that's got to do with triads and underground societies, it should really be more exciting.

10."Reincarnated" - Michael Kwan (Theme from "Reincarnated")
Yes! That's what I'm talking about. Those catchy theme songs that are used for Wuxia/Mohap series'. You know the type. The type that Michael Kwan was particularly good at singing.

11. "Gone With The Wind" - Johnny Yip (Theme from "Gone With The Wind")
This song really isn't my cup of tea, as you could probably tell. It's just too leisurely for me (pace-wise and lyric-wise). Like a stroll in the park.
Or like leaves floating in the wind. I guess that's what the song title and the song sounds like.

12. "Walk With Me Through Wind and Frost" - Teresa Teng (Theme from "The Family")
I actually like this one theme song featuring the late but great Teresa Teng who was known for her sweet but melancholy voice. Her voice in my opinion fits really well with the song, like a match made in heaven. I suppose the song title would be closer to the figurative meaning of wind and rain equalling hardship than frost, but the emotion's all there, in the song.

13. "Hard to Endure Parting Tears" - Adam Cheng (Theme from "In Search Of")
Yes, I'll admit I think that Patrick Tse (father of bad boy Nicholas Tse) was one of those actors who had a lot of stage presence. And this song by Adam Cheng, who has sung many, many theme songs really added to the whole show.

14. "Aiming High" - Willie Fung (Theme from "The Emissary") 
A police-themed series using electric guitar riffs and whatnot. Oh this series had Andy Lau in it too.

15. "Turning Into All Kinds of Hate"- Ying-Hung Lau (Theme from "Reincarnation")
I very much like the original of this song and I highly doubt that many of the singers in TVB today could even sing a verse of this song without screwing up.

16. "Tear Drops on the Journey" - Annabelle Lui & Michael Kwan (Insert Song from "People in the Shadows")
Oh a duet, a duet! Yes, I get excited over duets mainly because they just really don't make duets like they used to do. And no, Annabelle and Michael aren't married…haha, but the way I typed their names made it look that way.  Ah, Annabelle Lui. She was a pretty good singer but somehow she didn't really get as famous as she ought to have. And I don't see how the theme song was chosen over this insert song because this one is clearly better.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Behind the Banner: History

So you may have been wondering for some time now - who are the pretty women and dashingly handsome men that make up your banner?

Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out. Nah, I'm just kidding.

I'd be happy to tell you - these were all snapshots that I took from videos featuring these artists so let's get the cat out of the bag and on with the show!

No. 1 - Anita Mui
If you haven't already realized (or perhaps you're just new) I've mentioned the woman dubbed as the "Madonna of the East" many quite a few times, already. But this part of the welcoming banner was taken from her amazing performance of Paula Tsui's "The Windy Season" during the first ever New Talent Singing Awards in 1982. Okay, okay, I've actually posted the whole video for the 1982 NTSA contest but if you didn't see that, then at least choose to see this. It's pretty much the take-home message of the whole contest.


No. 2 - Elvina Kong
Okay, another lady like Anita Mui. I'm talking about Elvina's uncanny talent for being able to imitate Anita's voice and mannerisms perfectly. Well, this isn't of that but it is another NTSA clip - 1985. Yes! She was a contestant. She didn't win that year (Alex Delfino did) but I think just about everybody knows her as Diana from TVB's Best Selling Secrets and maybe you know of her Anita Mui impersonation skills from watching Fun with Liza and Gods or from those 2 old TVB series' (From Act to Act and Show Time Blues) starring Wayne Lai imitating Roman Tam and Cutie Mui singing like Sammi Cheng.

P.S. Hehe. I like how Tony Leung jokes about wanting Elvina to meet up with him when she's older before she takes the stage. Anyway, I present to you an 18-year-old Elvina Kong singing Danny Chan's duet with Sandy Lamb "Goodbye Puppy Love" (they were watching too!). I like how her contestant number matches her age.

No. 3 - Deric Wan
Yes, it's Gallen Lo's younger brother from Golden Faith! I actually really liked him in that role - he played the part perfectly. All the right dashes of humor here and there - all so convincing. Ah, I really wished that they made more TVB series like those back in the days. But actually this next clip is a trailer for the drama Conscience that aired during the 1994 TVB Sales Presentation. This drama also starred Maggie Siu and Amy Kwok as female leads.


No. 4 - Aaron Kwok
I must say though I'm not really a fan of Aaron, I must say that he looks quite cool in this shot. Why? This was probably because they used to put much more effort into their performances instead of just wearing a shower cap and flailing around on stage. Yep, he was actually competing not only for the title of Dancing King but for the judges and audience's approval at the 1994 TVB Anniversary for best performance act that night. Obviously he didn't take that prize, not because his performance was bad (it was actually very nostalgic of the late Michael Jackson) but Liza Wang's "Enchanting Pink Lady x Hot Coffee" performance was what topped the charts that night.


Note: You used to be able to find this video here but not anymore since…you'll find out if you go there. Issues with TVB. If people are watching your old things more than your new stuff, you've seriously gotta change your strategy. Oh and as a side note, please give credit to taqfiles.blogspot.com if you choose to repost the videos that are uploaded onto here (not the ones from Youtube, Youku or Tudou) since I do spend a reasonable amount of time editing the videos.  

So there you have it, the Big 4. Hope you enjoyed that roll of videos - more to come onto your plate.
Video credits: lovemui (youtube.com), 菊残犹有傲霜枝 (youku.com), taqfiles.blogspot.com

Monday, January 31, 2011

It was acceptable in the 80's...and it still is!

Okay, okay. You're probably still wondering why I've been so crab-appley when it comes to Cantopop (well, basically the whole HK entertainment industry). Well, I think the saying "A picture is worth 1000 words" fits the bill perfectly. Well, actually that would mean that videos would be worth like a million words. But enough of that nonsense.

Let's take a look back into NTSA. The year? 1982. So, kick back, relax and watch some of HK's finest TV history. Thanks to the uploader of this video, although it took me awhile to work out that the embed tags do actually work fine without the Iframe codes. Okay, I lied. It needs the Iframe codes .

If you haven't seen this, I do really encourage you to because not only did Hong Kong gain find a superstar to shine through the 80's but you'll totally understand why I've said that contestants who didn't even win were much better than those who did win in the more, uh, recent competitions. It was all about song choice, presentation and more importantly, talent.

The judging panel was also much stronger. The fact that there was a good mix of singers, composers, songwriters and singer-songwriters really shows balance. They even had Shinji Tanimura, famous for doing enka music (particularly well-known for his piece "Subaru" (星/Star), which was also covered by songbird Teresa Teng), perform and act as judge.

Well, anyway, enjoy!
The 1st New Talent Singing Awards
Video credits: ~舞影~ (youku.com)

Sunday, January 16, 2011

No surprise, Hubert Wu wins NTSA

Hubert Wu: Winner of the TVB 2010
International Chinese New Talent
Singing Championship 
I told you Hubert Wu would win the TVB International Chinese New Talent Singing Championship. Apart from his well-cemented relationships with most of the judging panel and his partial year of training on The Voice 2, he has quite a good voice. Still, it really saddens me that his versatility as an artist is strictly hindered by his song choice. I can't help but think whether people would actually buy his albums (excluding his hardcore fans, of course) because they wanted to hear all the different types of songs he could sing. I can't imagine listening to, or even wanting to listen to an album where every song is a slow and boring love ballad. Hell, it's not like he only got one chance do not miss your chance to blow to showcase his talent. It's good that Hubert can sing a steady falsetto and carries emotion, but his breathing is not as subtle or controlled as it could be. You might think that I'm tearing him apart but, the judges in Super Star really care about these subtle things and oh so much more.

I can see why they didn't send in Mag Lam to be HK's rep this year. It would be kind of pointless to do a repeat win since TVB owns everything. Listening to Mag's rendition of Sally Yeh's old-time classic really told me just how far apart Hubert and Mag are in terms of talent. Taking into account their ages...that would still convince me that Mag has an advantage over Hubert. They're practically the same age, give or take a year or two. It seems to me, that all you see, is violence and movies and sex on TV Mag really shines when she's got a power ballad to sing, like the time she sung G.E.M's A.I.N.Y on The Voice 2. Okay, so she's not the greatest singer in the world. She has much to improve on, like her pronunciation, accent and using the right type of voice to sing (yes, I noticed she sometimes uses her nose to power through some tones. But this nasal thing should clear up once the right techniques have been acquired). But I have to say, Mag's performance for A.I.N.Y. that day was one of the most memorable moments on The Voice 2. If Mag had been sent to represent HK along with Hubert at the NTSA, she would probably not only whip Hubert's butt again, but be the winner of yet another singing competition.

Mag Lam singing G.E.M's A.I.N.Y.


Image credit: facebook.com
Video credit: 2009127 (youtube.com)