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)

24 comments:

  1. Hi TAQ – thanks so much for putting together this post about Jacky. Though I haven’t finished going through it completely yet and putting all my comments together, I absolutely appreciate (and admire) the effort you’ve put in. I’m actually not very ‘tech-savvy’ myself (that’s why you see many of the posts on my blog are just written text and not very many have pictures or video / audio), so I love the fact that both you and retrotvb include pics and vids in your blogs (wish I was savvy enough to do that!).

    Anyway, I’m only going to comment on the Priscilla concert segment for now, then when I finish the rest of the tracklist of the other songs, I’ll post my comments on those separately (sorry for the piecemealing).

    .****

    First, thanks so much for posting the clip from Priscilla’s concert – I had so much fun watching it and the interaction between Jacky and Priscilla made me laugh so hard!

    One of the (many) qualities that I’ve always loved about Jacky is his sense of humor – and I’ve noticed that when he’s around close friends, that humor comes out in full force! (he’s a little more reserved when he’s around those he doesn’t know too well) This was very much the case here at Priscilla’s concert – the chemistry between Jacky and Priscilla in this segment is what made the whole thing so wonderfully funny (and a huge treat for us fans)!

    First off, I’ve got to say that the dialogue you translated is pretty ‘spot-on’ (with only a few minor exceptions) – I applaud you for taking the time to do it!

    Before I go into the actual Jacky / Priscilla interaction, just wanted to answer the question you had regarding the ‘lam bun’ and ‘saw jiu’ thing. Regarding ‘lam bun’, I think you may have heard wrong – after listening to it a few times, she actually said “I hope he brings ‘lam gwoon’ cookies….” Even though I don’t know what ‘lam gwoon’ is myself, I am assuming that it is a type or brand of cookie that she likes? Anyway, I definitely heard the word ‘cookie’ in there so I’m pretty sure that’s what she said. As for ‘saw jiu’….well, that one is a bit easier….what she actually said was “I hope he brings either‘lam gwoon’ cookies or a cluster of bananas….” – so pretty much the ‘saw jiu’ (actually, it’s probably better to say ‘yat saw jiew’) means ‘a cluster of bananas’ (or a banana bunch).

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  2. Ok, now on to the Jacky / Priscilla interaction…

    When I first watched the clip, the first thing that went through my mind is – wow, Priscilla looks SOOO different here….in fact, I almost didn’t recognize her. Perhaps it was her hairdo that made her look way more mature than I’m used to seeing her (I’m used to that ‘little girl’ look that she was famous for in the 80s).

    LOL – of course, when Jacky first walked out onto the stage, he did the scratching his head thing – that’s almost as ‘famous’ as that ‘love symbol’ thing that he does with his hands! Hahaha – and it was so cute how he helped Priscilla flip her collar back out…it goes to show how close they are, as they are so comfortable with each other that it’s just the ‘natural’ thing to do.

    The English dialogue bit was hilarious! Jacky’s English is actually quite good (true, he has an accent, but it’s so much better than many others from his generation)…plus, he DID release an English album, so he had plenty of practice. Hehe! :0) I couldn’t help laughing at the Singapore English thing though – too bad they didn’t continue it longer!

    Actually, the part about why Jacky didn’t give Priscilla a red envelope – he was actually starting to give the reason why, but then someone in the audience yelled out ‘stingy!’, so Jacky took that and ran with it, saying ‘yes, stingy is part of it, you know how it goes’ (hahaha…nah, Jacky ain’t stingy! He’s one of the most generous people you’ll ever meet!). I love his ‘reason’ though – he said that he didn’t give Priscilla a red envelope because she watched him enter the industry (implying that she is his ‘elder’ and technically according to tradition, you don’t have to give red envelopes to ‘elders’ or ‘seniors’).

    One correction in terms of the dialogue – when Priscilla said that she sat in the audience and watched Jacky at the singing contest, she was actually saying: “Wow, that one [Jacky] will definitely make it! That one will definitely make it!”

    The singing part – of course, I love the song (one of the many Jacky / Priscilla collaborations that I adore). I really enjoy listening to Jacky and Priscilla singing together because their voices really do fit together well (though I have to say that Jacky’s voice meshes well with a few other female singers too – his great singing skills probably have a lot to do with it as well!). Oh, and even if Priscilla really didn’t remember the lyrics, that’s fine because we all know that Jacky will help her – he’s such a gentleman!

    Lastly – I actually couldn’t make out exactly what Jacky said right after the ‘really?’ part either – but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a dirty joke though. I think he was asking her something along the lines of ‘finish covering yet?’, since Priscilla was fixing her skirt after he put her down (not 100% sure about this, so I would be interested to hear what others say). Then he goes on to say the part about how he thought that when she went on stage, he thought she was prepared (meaning took ‘extra precautions’ with her outfit to avoid wardrobe malfunctions, which is something that a lot of artists do when they have big concerts like this)….

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  3. @llwy12: Hey there! You're most welcome - I'm glad you appreciate the work that went into it. It's actually been sitting in draft mode for awhile now and it was only recently that I went to finish it off. And that was when I realized a lot of the original piece was missing itself, so I had to rewrite some bits. I should really make more back-ups. Anyway, I actually like how your blog posts has a lot of written content, always very interesting to read! Some blogs become very overloaded with too many videos and pictures and that is something that I try to avoid. But I think, like you, retrotvb's got the right audiovisual mix there.

    No problem about breaking the cookie into smaller chunks (I bet you know where I got the idea about cookies from). I'm always happy that you put in the time to leave comments!

    The interaction between Priscilla and Jacky at her concert is just pure gold. And yes, it is very hard not to laugh at what she says, what Jacky says and what goes on between them. The audience must've had a ball that night.

    It was one of those videos that I absolutely fell for and just felt the need to translate it - to share this hilarious moment. As for applauding me , I would definitely say that you deserve this applause more than I do because of all the articles you have translated so well! So here's one to you!

    Thanks very much for the extra translation help! I'm pretty sure I've lost some of my hearing (still reminding myself to get my hearing checked) and I think you're right! I actually was able to find the brand Kjeldsens Danish Butter Cookies under "lam gwoon" (藍罐), I guess meaning "blue can", which is what the cookies come in. It all totally makes sense now. Thanks very much for that! Actually, I had a feeling she was talking about Danish butter cookies and I think I used to eat them when I was a kid. Priscilla has good taste. As for 'saw jiu'…she wanted a bunch of bananas? Hahaha. I'll edit the text and give credit to you.

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  4. Oh thanks for the comments on the Priscilla and Jacky get-together. Lol. This is one of my favorite videos from the handful.

    I have to totally agree with you on this one. I think it was partially her hairdo - did you see rainbow streaks in her hair? Yeah, I guess the whole 'young girl' look was what stuck with her. When she came back in the mid-90's, it was kind of a change, though I remember she tied her hair in a bun occasionally too.

    Haha. No 'love symbol' here. Yup, the whole collar-flipping business really shows the closeness they share.

    Though it's undeniable that Jacky has an accent, I have to say that he's much, much, much better than Aaron Kwok. At least he makes grammatical sense and his accent isn't heavy compared to Aaron's (I wouldn't say Jacky's accent is heavy though). So I would actually commend Jacky on his English since he was born and raised in HK, unlike some people who have had the chance to study or live abroad. Singapore-English always makes me laugh. And yes, I do sometimes feel the urge to break out into a Singaporean accent when I'm speaking English sometimes.

    A fan actually yelled that out? Haha, I guess that's where the word improvisation comes in. No, I never thought Jacky was stingy. Even though Priscilla did see Jacky before and just as he entered the industry, her behavior makes her seem very youthful at heart.

    Ah yes, thanks for the correction - I wasn't exactly sure how to word those sentences at the time and I have to say your translation cannot be topped! Therefore, I shall use your words and credit you in the post. :)

    Yes! Their voices go so well with each other (what's that saying? "Like peas in pod"). And I agree, it's always nice to listen to hear a duet with Jacky and other female singers because of the contrasting ranges they have. And I'm sure he would lend her a hand, just like that time he helped Sandy Lam (I remember reading you and retrotvb's comments on this!) when she forgot the lyrics.

    Oh this stuff about wardrobe malfunctions is usually all planned (with artists who use it for publicity). But I would've thought that Priscilla had prepared properly too (like Jacky thought). But you're probably right about Jacky asking if she had finished pulling her skirt down.

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  5. Wow, so many clips! Good job putting this together! I haven't watched all the videos yet but I enjoyed reading all the commentary.

    I love the Plain Love 2 theme with Priscilla. It's very pleasant to the ears.

    Extraordinary Summer was catchy! Faye was a funky, wild child back then so this song was suitable for her and Jacky. I think it was used in their Pepsi campaign. Haha I always loved her "free-style" moves. She's much more comfortable at that then anything choreographed.

    100 Years Of Golden Classics (Medley) - Since I haven't kept up with HK entertainment stuff, this is something I hadn't seen before. Thank you for posting it. It's a performance befitting of a King and Queen. :)

    Only Everlasting Love with Cally - classic, classic, classic!

    I remember that medley with Alan Tam. It was so cute when they showed the baby pics on the big screen.

    P.S. - Well since I am unable to do any translations, I gotta make up for it by including pretty pics in my blog. LOL.

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  6. Oh I forgot to ask... does anyone know what the name of the series for which "Neverending Flow" was the theme?

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  7. @retrotvb: Hey there! You know, that's what I thought at first but then it looks as if the list will only get bigger (I'm not going to remove any clips), because of a few videos I happen to stumble on. I really do have to say thank you to anyone who takes their time going through the playlist because I do understand it is quite lengthy. Thanks for the thumbs up on the commentary!

    Yes, indeed - they have one of those great partnership voices.

    Haha, of course it was (and it still is)! Faye free-styling! Hahaha. But yes, all dancing jokes aside, she did very much have her own style, her own quirk and personality. And Pepsi. Ever so famous for capitalizing on the fame of artists.

    Yup - I thought I should've included this little medley with Jacky and Sandy because for that performance alone the awards show was worth watching. So you're welcome - and yes, take your places on the throne, Jacky and Sandy.

    This song is definitely a classic. Cally was one of those beauty queens who could actually sing well - her voice, sweet, charming and feminine. No wonder why she did so well in this song.

    Lol. Guess who? I still don't really know which show this performance came from but hey it's good. Good, good, good.

    As for the pretty pictures on your blog, a little eye candy never hurt anyone (I just remember seeing a picture of Jaime, Felix and Michael - LOL!) and I enjoy reading your writing.

    As for the title of the show for which "Neverending Flow" came from, it was "The Current Never Stops" (長流不息) (the song title and the show's title essentially mean the same thing, unsurprisingly since the show is eponymous to the song's title). Apparently it was a cross-production effort with cast, sets and production crews from Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and China, with the story's focus on Sino-Japanese relations (TVB just really like to go for that stuff, don't they?). I never actually saw this series myself so I'm a little pressed for more in-depth information.

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  8. @TAQ: Omg...I feel stupid....how could I not know that Priscilla was referring to those blue tin Danish Butter Cookies? That was like a Chinese gift-giving staple in the 80s and I know I myself have given (and received) my fair share of those cookies back then -- and with Priscilla being an 80s artist, I should have known those were the cookies she was referring to! I could kick myself right now! I think I need my brain checked (or maybe I got too excited with watching Jacky and Priscilla back together again that I totally blocked out the Danish Butter Cookies thing?). Anyway, thanks for the extra research there! :-)

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  9. @llwy12: Don't feel stupid! I should really feel stupid for not hearing it properly. But it all makes sense now - I did have this feeling she was talking about those Danish butter cookies though (usually what I think of when anyone says cookies, to be honest. And a local HKer like Priscilla, made me think of them even more). And yes, I certainly remember that time when we gave and received tins of Danish Butter Cookies. Now I would probably have never worked out that she was referring to this specific brand of cookies if you hadn't mentioned I heard the word wrong - so thank you very much! Once you actually told me that, I had a hunch that it might just be those cookies - and they are! All I remember was me laughing while I was watching the whole Jacky & Priscilla spectacle. And instead of kicking yourself, how about treating yourself to some of those blue tin Danish Butter Cookies right now to bring back the memories? For the extra research, I'll have to say thanks to you for that. :D

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  10. Thanks for the series info. A quick search shows that Kathy Chow was in it. Hmmm...I'd like to watch it someday.

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  11. @retrotvb & TAQ: Regarding the series -- interestingly enough, I've never heard of that series (and it has one of my favorite actresses in it...hmmmm)...maybe it was one of those warehoused series or something? I definitely should look into the series more...I'm assuming the series was from 1992 or thereabouts, since that's around the time when that duet came about...

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  12. @retrotvb & llwy12: Yup, I was able to find the skinny of the plot and the info I told you from a Kathy Chow fansite (in Chinese, but you can get Google to get a quick translate):

    http://www.kathychau.net/career/tv-series/current.php

    And yeah, just like both of you, I would like to watch this series too. Concerning warehoused series - I really hate this idea. The artists pour their hearts into making dramas for the audience and some of these shows will probably never come to see the light of day because of overproduction. TVB should really focus their efforts on a few big productions per year, rather than all this filler crap. Sorry, got carried away with the rant there. But according to that fansite link above, it would've been broadcast around 1992.

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  13. @TAQ: Ok, I'm working through the playlist slowly but surely...however just wanted to comment on the "100 Years of Golden Classics" thing before I forget (since I've seen that segment several times already). To tell you the truth, every time I watch that segment, I get so pissed off -- not at the performances, since I love Jacky and Sandy and it's always a joy to see them perform -- but at TVB...that was the year when TVB still had broadcast rights to the HKFA awards show and it was that particular year that they "butchered" the show so badly, the HKFA association took the broadcasting rights away from them and gave the rights to ATV instead for the next few years.

    When I say "butchered", what I mean is that TVB did such a crappy editing job with that show (they cut out ALOT of stuff) that the show ended up not making any sense whatsoever. The fact that they cut all the award recipients' speeches short was one thing (they let their politics come into play because most of the winners were former or current ATV artists and you know how crazy TVB gets at the mention of the word "ATV"), but they actually had the audacity to cut Jacky and Sandy’s performance as well! During the show, the “Golden Classics” segment had barely begun (if memory serves me right, I don’t think Jacky even got a chance to finish the first song) when stupid TVB decided to cut to a commercial – when the show returned from the commercial, the Jacky/Sandy performance was already over! I was like WTH??? They cut out Jacky and Sandy’s entire performance almost!!! I actually had to search all over Tudou and Youtube the next day to find the full version of the performance (the uncut version) to watch!!

    No wonder Jacky and other veteran artists spoke out about the ‘plight’ of the music industry 2 years ago and how some stations don’t know how to respect singers by cutting their performances short or not allowing them to perform an entire song on their shows (among other things)….needless to say, Jacky was “banned” by TVB because of his comments (even before the whole Big 5 dispute in which all of Universal’s artists – including him – were “banned” from appearing on TVB). Well, my response to to that -- fine, go ahead and ban them TVB! Those artists don't need you anyway!!

    Sorry for the rant, but just had to get that out because it ticks me off each time!

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  14. Now for the main event….(LOL!):

    Medley #1 (Polygram event)

    First, I’m assuming the medley is from one of Polygram’s anniversary celebrations (perhaps the 20th year?) – it had to be in order for it to have so many Polygram artists in it! I’m sure I have the show that the clip came from somewhere in my collection, as it looks awfully familiar. Watching the clip again brought back so many memories – too bad Polygram is no longer in existence (at least not the way it used to be)…that was (and still is to an extent) my favorite record company back in the day because it had so many artists that I liked!


    “A Pair of Lonely Hearts” – Awww, I love this clip – old partners Jacky and Priscilla together again! And I agree – it was so cute how Priscilla kissed Jacky on the cheek before starting – then wiping his face a little bit into the song (probably because her lipstick ended up on his cheek…hehe).

    “Neverending Flow” – LOL! The big Snoopy was cute (in a Santa outfit? Must have been around Christmas time!). I love this song – Little Viv and Jacky’s voices blend so nicely!

    “Missing Each Other in the Wind and Rain” – another all time favorite! Not used to Karen with long hair though – couldn’t recognize her at first…in fact, she actually looked a little like Linda Wong with that hairstyle and outfit (a shorter version of Linda of course!). Oh, and Mr. Snoopy is still there (haha!).

    “Ask” – wow, I like that ‘look’ for Shirley – nice hair and nice outfit! Aww, Jacky showed his ‘gentleman’ side again – he went over and took Shirley’s hand and walk her over to the center of the stage. (Mr. Snoopy continues to make an appearance…hahaha).

    “Only Everlasting Love” – as usual, Jacky sings this song with someone other than Cally (geez, when are they ever going to sing the song together?). Not that I’m complaining though – I’m fine with Big V singing it with Jacky! (Um, Jacky, please put Mr. Snoopy down – you’re choking him! LOL!)

    It was sweet though how Jacky would hold his microphone in the same hand that he was holding Snoopy – he would much rather ‘inconvenience’ himself by having to bend his head a little bit than to affect the ladies….awww, such a gentleman!

    Overall, I loved the segment!!! See, these are the types of anniversary shows I like to watch – you’ve got great music, great dialogue, and the biggest stars from that company! Jacky’s interaction with each of the ladies was awesome – though you can totally tell that Jacky was most comfortable with Priscilla, as they had the most interaction (of course, since they are old friends!).

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  15. @llwy12: Like I said - that's no problem, I really do appreciate that you're actually taking the time to go through it all. You know, I think I get what you mean. I actually saw this segment on TV through some Taiwanese entertainment news program. I didn't actually catch the awards show so I don't think I got to see most of it (maybe they just didn't air it where I'm at?) but I think I know how you feel. It was only when I caught the highlights of the program on said Taiwanese entertainment news show that I found out. If I was part of the HKFA association, I would do exactly the same thing. Making me miss out on a performance like that!

    TVB's become like some sort of neo-Nazi tyrant when it comes to hosting or broadcasting events. I understand the rivalry with ATV, but shots like that are totally uncalled for. And hey, TVB should be extremely grateful for even having artists like Jacky and Sandy appear on so many of their shows in the past. Those two (along with many other notable artists) played so much in the making of TVB (this is just like with the whole actors thing). It was like HK Cantopop went hand in hand with TV and film. Everything from being poster children, providing the voices for theme songs and even taking part in the serials as actors and actresses. Now they won't promote them anymore. Of course, we're talking about new, crappy TVB management and greedy old Stephen Chan (hey, the people in the forefront were overworked and underpaid because of people like him). I so don't blame Sandy for going off to Taiwan. At least they know how to treat a Queen. Having said that, I miss the days of R&B infused Cantopop from Sandy.

    As for the artists speaking out about the failing (I would say failed) music industry, I guess they really just got to that point where they were fed of it all. They'd probably been thinking those things for at least a few years but decided to actually say it later. Geez, don't just hate when they do that? Would it kill them to play a song or two from a respected artist - ones that fans have been missing for so long (I wonder if it has anything to do with royalties)? And this whole Big 4/5 thing and banning artists isn't exactly doing anything to help the ways things are going now. The reason why they banned Jacky, I guess, is because there was a ring of truth in what he said. I mean by banning him it's sending an even stronger message to us (and dare I say admitting) that he's right (if he said something ridiculously unbelievable, they wouldn't have even bothered banning him, right?). I think this is the reason why Prudence Liew was replaced by Crystal Tin as host for "The Voice", since she was signed to one of the major record labels (or at least a subsidiary of one). The thing is, a majority of the most talented artists are signed with the Big 4 and I've gotta be on you on that point. The truth is TVB need them more than those artists need the company.

    That's okay - we're on the same page! Like my profile description says, I really am prone to ranting.

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  16. @retrotvb: Lol. Drum roll please! This one's a real crowd-pleaser, huh? Start it off with something great and good things will follow. Heheh.

    Oh? Well, I definitely know it was a Polygram event because of that old familiar logo. Lol. And the year was 1995 but exactly what anniversary year I'm not sure. The days of Polygram. When they actually used to push out talented artists. As for the whole familiarity of it all, I actually saw this on your blog too and mentioned it in the description so yes I bet you do have it. Haha. But I couldn't resist not putting this on the playlist. Just like you, I miss Polygram and their artists. Yes, I liked all the artists featured in this one. And as for the other Polygram performers, maybe I'll cover them in future (as in do a piece on them, not sing their songs) - they had some very good on-stage performances (unlike some artists who record, lip-sync and can't sing live - these ones could!).

    Hahaha. I like this clip very much too and it would certainly be great to see Priscilla and Jacky perform on the same stage again. What a cute on-stage couple. Lol. After talking about Leon's attempt to smother Cally with his hand, it's much more refreshing to see Priscilla touch Jacky's face. She knows him well enough to do that.

    You noticed the Snoopy too, huh? It probably was quite close to Christmas time - even though I don't exactly know the date of this anniversary - they tend to push them towards the end of the year. And yeah, I miss Lil' V too. Such a nice song to listen to.

    This one's a karaoke standard, especially for the duets department. I wasn't exactly sure why she let it grow out - I'm very used to seeing Karen with her short boy crop (it suited her very much, in mu opinion). Haha, Linda is a very tall woman so we'd never mix her up with Karen! And Karen's voice is much sweeter and higher sounding than Linda's (not saying Linda's a bad singer, she just has a different range). And yes, the Snoopy doll is still there.

    Shirley was always very bold like that - with her dressing, hair and makeup. You know, I just remembered that time in the 1994 Jade Singers Celebrate TVB Anniversary where Jacky told the audience about how Shirley had a face mask on with honey in it and some bee went near her face. LOL. We all knew they were just kidding around but now Jacky's true colors show, huh? A real gentleman, underneath it all. I'm talking about his courtesy towards other performers - he was never snobby and looked down on others. Not looking down on the Snoopster. Heheh.

    Yeah, only on very few occasions has he performed the song with Cally, like on the original recording. Cally was one of those few exceptions of a line of Miss HKs who actually had a good singing voice. I did find this link while I was putting things into the playlist, though - kind of short, but hey, it's Jacky and Cally:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75LO4gmxsZw

    I find Big V to be too likable and she doesn't do a bad job on this song, either. I guess Jacky must really like that Snoopy doll.

    You know, out of all the gifts his fans was offering him, he just had to go for the Snoopy. Lol. I guess he didn't want to seem like he didn't appreciate the doll, so he hung onto it. Hey, we've always known that deep down, he's a good guy at heart.

    I really liked this little get-together too. That was the way anniversaries were supposed to be made. Now they've got the formula all wrong. Crap music, crap dialogue and the crappiest stars of the industry. Of course, all the interactions were good but I've gotta side with you on that one. There is absolutely no awkwardness between those two friends.

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  17. Ok, finally got a chance to go through the rest of the clips…here’s my feedback (I broke up my comments into parts again, so I wrote so much...LOL):

    .> Soft Murmur at Midnight – Hmmm, is that the original video? Weird that only Jacky and Priscilla’s vocals are there but the video is totally unrelated (reminds me of those karaoke videos…hahaha). Anyway, I agree that both Sam’s version as well as the Jacky/Priscilla version are equally good. The “lullaby-ish” melody is very nice!


    .> Get Close To – Indeed, another one of my favorite Jacky theme songs (haha…haven’t come across a Jacky TV theme/sub-theme song that I don’t like!). Awww, too bad this version doesn’t have Priscilla – but at least they made the effort to put in her voice! Beautiful song! I remember at the TVB Anniversary Gala (the year that Plain Love 2 aired), Gordon Lam and Maggie Cheung (the stars of the series) sang this song – of course, can’t compare to the original Jacky/Priscilla version!

    .> Await the Colors of Autumn – Haha…awww, cute video! That’s too funny – Viv is sleeping on Jacky’s shoulder and she doesn’t know him? And Jacky isn’t aware of the weight on his shoulder? Hehe! And Viv continues to sleep once Jacky gets off the bus….I have to say though that this video definitely shows the acting abilities of these two – their “groggy expressions” looked so real! LOL. Oh, and of course, love the apple imagery – Jacky’s “food of choice”…..hehe!


    .> Neverending Flow – I recognize this video, as I’ve actually sung this song many times at karaoke with friends (it is a very difficult song to sing!). This song is definitely another one of my favorites (then again, which Jacky duet isn’t a favorite of mine? Haha!). Omg, that’s Kevin Cheng? It must have before he got popular (well, yes I guess, since this MV was from the 90s) – I totally did not recognize him! Oh, and I didn’t see Kathy Chow at all – did I miss her somehow?
    **Sigh** The good old days of Polygram!!


    .> Extraordinary Summer – I’ve never been able to decide which version I like better, the Canto or the Mando one…I guess it doesn’t matter, since that catchy “Oh A E Yeah” chorus is the same on both! If I remember correctly, Liza Wang isn’t the only one who benefited from the use of that chorus – another artist did too, though I don’t quite remember his name right now. Faye’s attempt at dancing actually isn’t too bad. And Jacky – well, remember, he did say at his concert that Aaron Kwok isn’t the only one who knows how to dance! LOL! This was definitely one of Jacky’s “fun” songs – haha, I love seeing him act silly like that!!

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  18. .> Shooting Star of the Flower and Piano (Kit Chan version) – Awww, another great song that I love (the Canto and Mando versions). I’m a huge fan of musicals and Snow Wolf Lake is definitely one of my favorites (though my biggest regret is that I never got a chance to watch the live version in HK). I actually never really paid attention to Kit until after she started collaborating with Jacky (in Snow Wolf Lake as well as singing the themesong / subtheme for Country Spirit), as I love all the songs that they sang together. Too bad Jacky and Kit weren’t actually in the video though. Listening to this again makes me want to go dig up the Mandarin version to listen to (the video for that version is actually a clip from Snow Wolf Lake, so we get to see Jacky performing as well).

    .> Shooting Star (Sandy Lam version) – Thanks for including this version! The Jacky / Sandy collaborations are my favorites (right up there with Jacky / Priscilla). I actually have this particular video saved in my YT queue as well (and pull it out to watch every so often…haha!). And it’s actually no surprise that Jacky and Sandy would hold hands, as they also collaborated on Snow Wolf Lake for a few shows, so of course, they are old friends. Oh, and of course, who can sing live better than Jacky and Sandy? It’s definitely a treat seeing both of them perform! Lastly, this song is another difficult one to sing – but both Kit and Sandy pull it off without any problems whatsoever!

    .> Day and Night – Yay! Another Jacky / Sandy collaboration! Another beautiful song! I didn’t write too many comments on it because I just wanted to sit back and enjoy it (though there wasn’t any video). LOL!

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  19. .> Asking Who to Take the Lead – I absolutely remember this segment from the Jade Singers thing…this was at the height of the 4 Kings era when all 4 of them plus the 4 Queens participated in the Jade Singers special (needless to say, after these ‘big players’ stopped attending, the show started to suck to the point that TVB even stopped taping the show for several years). I remember when I watched this segment back then, I knew that the “guys” team would win (that segment at least) because Jacky’s performance was so strong – notice that he didn’t run out of breath at all plus he caught every single line (ever the ‘pro’, he didn’t miss a single beat)! And after watching this segment, we all know why the leaders chose Jacky and Sandy for this “task” – definitely none of the others could have pulled it off as perfectly as they did!

    .> Fragant Orchid – Yup, I remember this segment as well (now you know why the 1991 -1994 Jade Singers shows were my favorites!). This is also one of my favorite songs (and Jacky’s as well – he even said it out loud in that segment). I love this particular rendition of the song (though it wasn’t the full version) because Sandy was SO GOOD and Jacky sounded absolutely AWESOME as background vocal. Oh, and I must point out that this performance again shows Jacky’s ‘gentleman’ nature (and is reminiscent of that 1997 segment from the Chik Chak Awards when he and Sandy sing “Loving You More Each Day” and he asks the organizers to bring her a copy of the lyrics) – he actually started off only mouthing the words (in case Sandy wasn’t familiar with the lyrics) because he didn’t want to distract from Sandy’s singing, but then he couldn’t help himself (cuz he loves to sing so much..haha) and goes into the background vocal piece (but blending it so perfectly with Sandy’s piece that it sounds as though they are singing as one). If you watch the other performances from the other 3 Kings (from that same segment), you definitely won’t feel the same mesmerizing emotion that Jacky and Sandy brought forth! (not sure if you saw the entire show, but did you hear Anita’s comment after that performance? Or perhaps it was after Jacky’s and Sally’s performance? Anyway, I absolutely agree with her!!).

    .> Lover and Confidante – another great performance! Jacky and Sally have actually collaborated a lot in the past as well (I still remember their rendition of “Endless Love” which they performed at one of the charity events – priceless!). As he usually does, Jacky does an awesome job singing other people’s songs (to be honest, there have been a lot of songs that I didn’t like before but instantly loved after hearing his version). Sally is my favorite female singer from that era, so of course, I enjoyed her piece just as much! Oh, and I love how Jacky was looking at Sally the entire time with that sweet smile on his face? Omg, I almost died all over again! LOL!

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  20. @llwy12: That's great - thanks for all the comments, I really don't mind reading long comments at all. In fact, I usually enjoy reading long comments (the ones I don't enjoy is when someone is talking garbage).

    I don't think that's the original MV, but it does have both Priscilla and Jacky's vocals so I used that one. And yeah, I'm pretty sure that one's been used on some karaoke disc before. And yup, it's very nice to listen to.

    When I go looking for videos to put in playlists, I usually try to find ones where the original artists feature but second best I can do is original vocals. I think it would be pretty pointless calling this song a duet and not featuring Priscilla's voice. And I wouldn't include a version without Priscilla's voice - I don't think you could find a better match. Though I didn't catch that performance with Maggie & Gordon, I would have to agree, they're no match for this singing duo.

    Lol. Sleeping on a stranger's shoulder. I wonder if they were actually really groggy from that bus trip? Haha. But yes, these two have absolutely no trouble with their acting. Advertising the 5+ a day servings of fruit and vegetables, kids.

    Hahaha. You seem very in-touch with KTV. :D I haven't actually attempted to sing this song, but I would imagine it would be. This song is all good. Yes, that's Kevin there. Haha. Didn't he make quite a few appearances in different MVs before he began to do singing (I remember seeing him in one of Shirley Kwan's MVs here, as retrotvb pointed out in one of her posts: http://retrotvb.livejournal.com/10106.html)? Hmm. I might have mixed that up with another video…maybe this one?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbQIVyNOBvI&feature=related

    As for Polygram, I don't think there will ever be a record label signing so many talented artists in HK ever again. And like you, I sigh. But maybe I'll do a feature of a couple of their artists in future.

    You can't fight the catchy bug! Oh? I'd like to know who that artist was, but I just remember it most clearly used in Liza Wang's Hot Coffee performance of '94, since I've watched that anniversary many, many times. Like retrotvb said, Faye's moves are more freestyle and less choreographed, which means better for her and us, as an audience. Lol. Yes, that's right! Jacky can dance too.

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  21. @llwy12: Musicals are your cup of tea too? That's very good. Well, if it's any consolation, I never actually got to see Snow Wolf Lake at all, let alone the live version. As for Kit, she wasn't actually on my radar until those duets with Jacky. But I do find it quite remarkable that someone from little, old Singapore could excel in Cantopop too (I know of Stephanie Sun, but her repertoire is mainly in Mandarin, right?). I always find it strange when they don't include the singers in the clip. Oh well. At least we have their voices. :D

    I really like this version so I just had to include it. Hey, if it's a good video, it's worth watching again. Sometimes I'll watch a clip over and over even when I know I have other alternatives because I just enjoy it that much. It's evident that they're friends but I still think it's cute when they do that. Lol. But a mark of a true singer is being able to perform live, right? And yes. This song is hard to sing (if you watch some other singers covering it, there are so many comments that they can't beat the original). Kit's voice is of a tonal quality and range is different to Sandy's and is very suited to singing musicals. I actually prefer Sandy's version (her voice, being well into the upper register is very contrasting to Jacky's baritone vocals) and even my Mom says Sandy's voice is up there among the greats.

    I don't blame you! This is definitely among my favorites of the playlist. I don't think you need much commentary - you'll just understand the high calibre of these singers when you just listen to this track.

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  22. @llwy12: Wasn't it after 1994 that it all started falling apart for the Queens and Kings? Jacky's got a lot of breath - which reminds me, I should be adding something else to the list, I'll put an update in the ShoutBox when I do (I'll eventually stop adding clips to the list but there are just so many I want to put in). I totally have to agree, with choices for this game. I mean try slotting someone else, say Leon, and you would not have had a very good result. The thing is, Jacky and Sandy didn't just sing - they were also dancers who could do choreographed moves and belt at the same time.

    Yes. 1991-1993 set the standard for me, though I do enjoy watching 1994 as well. Like I said on retrotvb's blog on this particular anniversary, 1991-1994 is my staple. Lol. I've caught bits of the other ceremonies but they don't captivate me enough to watch the whole show. But I'm curious to know what they were like, so I may just watch them someday. Sandy nailed it. And Jacky did good too - one of the most damn good renditions of this song I have ever heard. Regarding that performance at the 97 Chik Chak Awards, have you been able to find a audio/video clip of it? I've had no luck with it. As for the other 3 Kings, no. Certainly not. I personally felt that Faye, Sally and Sandy were and are better vocalists than Aaron, Leon and Andy. As for Cally, who featured in this segment, she's definitely got a better voice than Leon. Anytime. Oh and are you referring to when Anita said something like "You've just won another point for us, Sandy!"? Yup, it was this performance. And of course I agree with her too :D

    Sally and Jacky's performance. Yup. Sally was blessed with one of those real singer voices, you know, the type that could really belt but bring it all back tenderly when you needed it to be. So nice to listen to. That's usually what I find too - with singers covering other singers songs. Like Cally singing Leon's song in that same segment. Now, I'll admit I never really liked Leon's voice but he did have the good fortune of having good songs written for him. And when Cally sung one of his songs, it sounded better than the so-called original. So it isn't the song, it's the singer. Haha. Remember what Jacky said to Priscilla about pretty women? Well, Sally's a pretty woman so I'm not surprised. At all. LOL.

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  23. "Love Is Difficult" - Jacky & Anita Mui 
    I absolutely love this song, especially the lyrics! Great work 陳輝陽 and 林夕!

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  24. Hi there Max! Sorry for the late reply! But yes, absolutely have to agree with you about the lyrics, which we can thank Keith and Albert for. The melody is very good too, and let's not forget what veteran singers can do for a song.

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