cantopop song thread

[laiwingnang]

the old cantopop thread is too cluttered with youtube videos...

this time I'm going to try to revisit a classic cantopop song at least once a week...

instead of just pasting a bunch of youtube links, I'll try to give some background info and comments on the song....

 

song#1

Edmond Leung æ¢æ¼¢æ–‡ - Three minutes ä¸‰åˆ†é˜ (1999)

Listen:

 

 

What I like about classic cantopop from its heyday is it's real and convincing to my ears, the melody is ear catching, the instrumentals goes with the mood and the singing is expressive but not excessive.  To me, it's not maudlin or overly emo. Cantopop sounds like a friend telling me his story, a feeling of intimacy that I felt is missing with alot of pop music  and cantopop has this in spades in the 80s/90s.  I'm just so obssessed with classic cantopop that I don't have time to take most of the newer pop music seriously.

 

Edmond Leung is a B-list cantopop artist at best and not well known outside the cantonese speaking regions. 

He started in the early 90s and has a dozen moderate hits and a career that is still alive today, but nobody really consider him as a serious singer.  IMO, his singing is not technically spectacular, but he sings melancholic songs quite well. 

3 minutes, from my interpretation of the lyrics is about a man seeing a female friend whom he has strong feelings for married to another man.   His interpretation of "three minutes" is a mixture of gentleness and sorrow.  I thought he brought out the meaning of the song perfectly, although his vocals lacks power at the climax.  The song was quite popular back then and charting top 3 on airplay charts.  The song falls into the genre of pop/rock, starting with a generic guitar intro, then a gentle accoustic guitar verse kicks in and the song gradually ascends into wailing guitars at the climax. 

 

 

 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Lyrics translation:

 

Verse A:
You sweeping your tousled hair aside
I've seen it I don't know how many times
It still leaves me spellbound
Quietly looking at you is me
You're always inadverdently beautiful
Don't want this moment to end

Chorus A:
Stay three more minutes, would you?
Have a drink and sing together like the past
and let me memorize your every little gesture
to recall them when I'm alone

Verse B:
Someday if your partner isn't faithful to you
Don't keep quiet, let me know
That time, this time, next time
I am devoted to only you
Don't need to feel embarrassed

Chorus B:
Stay three more minutes, would you?
Staring at you, there is much to be missed
Hoping he knows how to cherish and care for you
Just like I do, although you didn't chose me

Bridge:
I know what's forced can't bring happiness
Rather you have it the way you want　
don't miss out

--- Guitar solo

Repeat Chorus A & B

[Lightning]

I think this is a really good idea. Really cool way to introduce artists and songs.

[laiwingnang]

Song#2
è¬éœ†é‹’ Nic Tse - 活著 VIVA  (2000)

Nic Tse is a pop/rock singer-songwriter who started his singing career during his teens.  He was one of the main teen idols in the late 90s and early 00s in cpop.  With parents who are famous 60s/70s HK actors, he's already well connected and heavily promoted from the get go.  While being very popular in cpop and selling millions of records to teens, he wasn't too popular with the general public.  I remember netizens was cracking jokes about him getting anal raped and thought it served him right when he was sentenced to prison. He got alot of negative press for his constant bratty behaviour, assulting reporters, reckless driving and landed himself in prison for bribing a police officer in a traffic accident. IMO, he's basically the original Justin Bieber....He claims to be a guitar enthusiast, but seemingly just a mediocre guitar player according to criticism from japanese band Glay.  well, I guess I still like him alot more than JB because I actually find some of his songs enjoyable.  

IMO, "Viva" is a rock anthem about living life to its fullest, but the lyrics comes of as egocentric and chaotic. Maybe they are trying to say "Who **** cares, don't try to make sense of it"
It's catchy, the production is tight and very dynamic. 
The song became a big chart topper...but not long after this, cantopop descended into a karaoke friendly ballad hell where 9 out of 10 songs are same sounding cookie cutter ballad which kickstarted cantopop's demise.
Translated lyrics:

Chorus:
Young enough to be crisp (clear-cut) as a wafer in front of anyone
So joyous that half a day seems like a million years
Anything can't be as clear-cut as youth
So joyous that we age a year everyday

Verse A:
In the flow, in the flow
like caffine in action
asleep and forgetting to keep my eyes shut
just like a rock suspended in mid air weightless
It's that happy, who can't believe it?

I feel emotional, I'll shed tears
I see honey I'll get intoxicated
Life is like a butterfly that comes and goes
Afraid of solitude then we gather
Afraid of crowd then leave
Living if not for myself, then for who?

Repeat Chorus

Verse B:
Don't get it, then don't explain it
like my pores expanding
feels like sweat glads passing through a heat wave
just like being tangled and buried in countless hair
But this is happiness, who isn't
 

[laiwingnang]

#3
è‰èœ¢ Grasshopper - 忘情森巴舞 Love forgetting Samba (1991)
Listen:

Grasshopper is a electronic/dance pop music trio active in the late 80s to mid 90s.  They were one of the best selling groups in the early 90s in cpop. Their image came across as a bit flamboyant unlike kpop, cpop groups of the last decade who attempts to be bad-ass.
"Love forgetting Samba" is a mix of electro and hip-hop and some latin flourishes.  This was at the height of their career.
The song was extremely popular, considered one of their classics. 


Translated Lyrics:
Lover finds new interest　
You're miserable alone
Why can't you let go,
and learn to play like me
Forget about breakups
Say goodbye to heartbreaks
Come and go wild and dance
Hurry and do this samba with me
Your ex won't care

Chorus:
Let's do the samba　sweep away your discontent
Let out your anguish
Let's do the samba　flick away your discontent
Exchange your troubles with joy

Lovers are like beer cans
Toss one out and call for the next one
Lover finds new interest
You'll have to get rebellous
People change partners
Don't go in circles about the ex
Come and go wild and dance
Hurry and do this samba with me
Forget about your past misery

Repeat Chorus

[laiwingnang]

#4
葉佩雯 Grace Ip - 全新體驗 Brand New Experience (2001)

Listen:

Grace Ip was an electropop artist discovered by famous Japanese producer å°å®¤å“²å“‰ Tetsuya Komuro, who produced for Namie Amuro, Globe, etc.., Grace was managed by the infamous Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG).
Grace Ip was the breakout newcomer of the year, her first two albums topped the sales chart.  She was one of the most promising newcomers from the era, starring in high profile movies and tv series as well.  Then EEG pulled the plug on her. Rumour has it that she angered the boss by being "disobedient" and not willing to provide "special services", so they focused on Joey/Twins who have been said to be more "obedient".

Brand New Experience was the first single from Grace's last album with EEG.  Due to the management no longer supporting her, the song lacked media exposure, the single flopped so hard that the intro sticker on the packaging didn't even mention this single.   Fortunately, the album sales weren't stellar like the past with the lack of promo, but still did pretty well.  I thought the song is catchy and the lyrics expressed that frustation/internal conflict quite well.
After this album, EEG refused to terminate her contract and kept her "frozen" for years.  Years later when her contract ended, she released a new album and it flopped.  She hasn't released anything new since and ended up marrying record composer/producer Eric Kwok (former memo of the duo Swing), who now works frequently works with Eason Chan.


Lyrics translation:

Verse A:
Never minded a good friend's warning
Never believed that he's a master of deception
with the training of a special agent
Unfortunately I saw it with my own eyes
The situation was a battle like choas in bed
The rumous have now become reality

Bridge:
Being clearheaded means the collapse of one's belief
Heartbroken only because the truth left me disheartened

Chorus:
From now on never believe in him
Re-evulate love from the start
but not believing won't equate to not loving him
From now on never believe in him
I have cried and fought
or keep loving him
and still having to listen to his lies
(I want to hear lies..)

Verse B:
Can't divert my line of sight
The affair gets too crowded and inconvenient
Unfortunately the three of us confronted
A person facing this turn of event
How to confront the truth is a brand new experience
No wisdom to make a clean break

repeat  Bridge & Chorus

[laiwingnang]

i messed up...i set the videos to private..

fixed them

[laiwingnang]

葉蒨文 Sally Yeh - 情人知己 Lover, Soulmate (1992)

Listen:

Sally Yeh is a late 80s/early 90s diva in cpop.  Sally moved to Canada at a young age with her family and moved back to Taiwan to start her career, but she didn't find much success there.  She moved to Hong Kong to work with different producers and eventually became a huge success in cpop.   Her success lasted almost a decade, due to the declining popularity of her songs and her aging fanbase, along with news about her breaking up someone's family, husband stealing didn't sit very well with her older more conservative fanbase.  Her career took a nosedive by the mid 90s.  Although she is retired and receives very little media attention today, she is still remembered as a diva from the early 90s.  

"Lover, Soulmate" was the third single off of the multiplatnum album "Red Dust", which was one of the best selling album of that year, spawning half a dozen top 20 singles.  Lover, Soulmate was the most successful single in the album and considered one of her classics.
It is a melancholic piano ballad with some rock ballad elements thrown in.  The mood of the song is sombre with a dramatic climax.  Sally pours her soul into this song and the emotions comes off as sincere and believable. The lyrics are well thought out, bringing out those conflicting emotions that would cross one's mind in such situation in a clear and direct way ,making it easily relate-able.  Sometimes I get annoyed by ballads that has too many ambiguous metaphors, it's distracting and very often it's wordy but lacks depth. Lover, Soulmate, on the other hand comes off as a pretty and emotional ballad that seems genuine and plausible...

Translated Lyrics:

Verse A:.

Time flies, we meet again
talking about the past through the night
glad that our friendship hasn't changed a bit
every word is always heartfelt

Who could have thought
Who could have expected
You have deep feelings for me
Kept in the dark for years
Today finally coming to light

Bridge:
I don't know how to callously deceive
but I can't bare to heartlessly reject
I hastily took another drink
unable to stay sober to decide

Chorus:
No wonder you once said
Those who can't be soulmates can't become lovers
Tonight I seriously hear it
Yet you and I have become soulmates
whether we can become lovers
I'm afraid it will not happen

Verse B:
If friendship still hasn't changed
Eventually we will both wake up
That day we will hear
laughter between soulmates till eternity

Verse C:
If I can go back and avoid
Perhaps we'll both be better off
But looking into your eyes this moment
It seems like I cannot refuse the offer
Who knows how to differentiate
between friendship and love
Only afraid when the flame dies out
the soulmate I have now won't be seen again

Repeat Chorus, Verse B
 

[laiwingnang]

黃耀明 Anthony Wong - 風月寶鑑 Mirror of Affairs (1997)

Listen:

Anthony Wong was one of the most prominent electronic musician in cantopop.  As the lead vocal from the multiplatinum successful 80s electronic music duo Tatming, after the split up, Anthony continued with his solo career.  He remains relevant and achieved moderate success in the cantopop industry during the 90s.  He is still making music these days but no longer receives the media exposure he had in his heydays.

Mirror of Affairs is a fusion of Chinese folklore music and electronic ambient.
The lyrics references Chinese folklore and classic literature.  IMO, it is taking a jab at
mankind's constant thirst for external validation and the blurred line between truth and lies fed to us in life.
What man heralded as greatness and spends a lifetime seeking for is often in vain, but these lies and vain aspirations are often when gives us joy in life.
The song was a top 10 hit in 1997.  To me, the song's fusion of genre is unique and the music brings me
back to a time of ancient warriors in China.  The lyrics uses alot of Chinese idioms that
was very difficult to translate.   Overall, it's a very picturesque song that I enjoy.

translated Lyrics:

Verse A:
Wish to meet again, who needs to see your face　
Wish to express your longings, who needs your longing
Coronation beyond a lifetime　
Your determination Your Loyalty Your Vigor Your thousands of years
wish to be exempted from separation in life, who would care for your separate in death　
wish for an indestructible will, who would admire your determination
Challenge beyond a lifetime
Your perseverance Your stubborness Your Vows
Your sea never changes
Wish to hear lies,  who will differentiate the truth for you
Thinking until your hair turns white,  can't see past black and white
Chastity beyond a lifetime.
Your blaze, your obssession, Your sad beauty
You're sleepless and unchanging

Chorus:
Going in circles over smoke and mirrors.　
Gouging droplets of sweetness from a stubborn stone
Dead Set determined and through trials and tribulation　
Forging stones to mend heaven
How can your changelessness get you to heaven
Like a subborn stone observing heaven sitting in a well
Guarding your beliefs but never seen them fulfilled
Mistakenly trying to forge stones to mend heaven
You thought spreading your wings will take you to heaven
Like a subborn stone observing heaven sitting in a well
Guarding your beliefs but never seen them fulfilled
Never mending poor heaven

Verse B:
Cut off those eyebrows, still remains two eyes to differentiate
Eyes can no longer differentiate, still remains an inextingishable smile
Challenge beyond a lifetime
Your perseverance Your stubborness Your Vows
Your sea never changes
Tear away those clothes, still remains
Burn away that face, still remains tongues of fire
Coronation beyond a lifetime　
Your blaze, your obssession, Your sad beauty
You're sleepless and unchanging

Wish to meet again, who needs to see your face　
Wish to express your longings, who needs your longing
Wish to meet again
 

[laiwingnang]

æŽæ¨‚è©© Joyce Lee - 自é¸å½±åƒ Video on demand (1996)

 

Listen:

Joyce Lee is a Canadian singer songwriter graduated from Canada's royal academy of music that launched her career in hong kong and had shortlived popularity around 93-95.  She was a top of the b-list singer with a few moderate hits. She mainly wrote ballads, but at this point in time, her career is going down hill and she hired songwriter 鄧建明 Joey Tang to write and produce this lead single. The album flopped and she pretty much disappeared from the mainstream music scene after this.

The song is a chill out/lounge single.  It did moderately well, but did not match up to the popularity of her previous album singles, so it ended up that most of the album was back to ballads.
I love the production and the lyrics has a rather strange reaction to breakup...but a very suitable match to the laid back jazzy/electronic nature of the music. As one can notice, Joyce sounds alot like Sally Yeh and that's one of her greatest impediment in her music career..but IMO, Joyce is technically much better than Sally and has more western pop styling in her singing.

Translated:

Verse A:
Half intoxicated half sober,  the world turns without a sound
Closing my eyes, revisiting scenes from the past
Running to your side, Love never grows tiring
At that pillow in bed,  Cuddling and still warm
Select again, a certain beautiful sunny day
Dubbed with laughter, creating a happy scenario
Accompanying the warm deep voice from your lips
Let the flames of love rekindle,  bewitched once again

Bridge:
You said the imaginary world, is always difficult to realize
I say the perfect world is created at my will

Chorus:
No matter which day, No matter which time,
Completely selected at my own will
Never fear that the story and character will change
No matter which day, Memories plus new creation
Can find your face in my mind
I can always create beautiful scenes at the present
Pretend this love never ended

Repeat Chorus

Pretend this love never ended
Pretend this love never ended
Pretend this love never ended

[laiwingnang]

許志安/車婉婉  Andy Hui & Stephanie Che  - 會éŽåŽ»çš„ It will pass (1998)

 

Listen:

Andy Hui was at once a popular male ballad soloist in cantopop with many big hits and with moderate success in cpop...but his songs are bigger than himself.  Stephanie Che is pretty not relevant in cantopop at all.  "It will pass" was a hugely popular duet.  It has a pretty melody and the two singers sing over one and other and often finishing ench other's line with great rapport.  The big disappointment is the instrumental sounds very artificial , computer generated...they could've put out more money and hire a real orchestra for the song's pretty instrumental.  The song song was one of the biggest hits of the year and Stephanie Che is pretty much known mainly for this song. 

Verse A:
Stephanie: Knew from the beginning that we will separate
The greatest love always never make it to the end
After loving you, I'm afraid there will be no aftter
Being alone without regards from you
Consolation from anyone isn't enough
You are like the most heartwarming loss

Verse B:
Andy Hui: Without this sacrifice, how can both of us be saved
Every misfortune, time will heal　
The past intensity will gradually become gentle
Year after year, even if you are nostalgic
Tomorrow, you will not shed one tear
Love and pain, is like yesternight's wine


Chorus:
Stephanie: Back then I said don't leave, don't go
apparently even shed a bit of tears
Andy Hui: We meet again, face to face
Why are we completely able to face each other
Stephanie: the greatest love will pass, will dissapate
Andy Hui: will regress, even though unforgettable
Both:      Why are we even too tired to remember
Stephanie: the greatest pain will pass, will dissapate
Andy Hui: will regress　how can the both of us
Both:      continue to live on
Stephanie: The past, is like a bridge　
Andy Hui:  You and I will get past it, feelings won't go back

Repeat Verse B

Bridge:
Stephanie: What we have had
Andy Hui: What we will have to let go
Both: Even if you and I, bitter or sweet...have had so much
Stephanie: What is lost
Andy Hui: What is there to hang on to
Both: That day you said you love me the most
Tomorrow when you think clearly
I'm afraid it's not that much

Repeat Chorus:

Andy Hui: Love and hate is like a train in the night
Stephanie: the past will pass
Both: That day you and I, no matter how we cherished so and so
in the fastlane of time, will all turn into fragments
 

[laiwingnang]

張國榮/許冠傑 Leslie Cheung & Sam Hui  - 沉默是金 Silence is golden (1988)

Listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCVLpD9Hnew

Singer/songwriter Sam Hui is the father of cantopop, who kickstarted the cantopop movement in the late 1970s and made cantopop relevant in south east asia at that period.  Leslie Cheung is an 80s movie star/idol who starred in many big chinese films and was hugely popular in all of the orient, from Japan to South East Asia.  He's one of the biggest names in cpop in the 80s.  His songs are still being heavily streamed today on Chinese music sites.  

In 1988, Sam Hui decided to make a duet album, Leslie Cheung was one of the biggest stars at the time and was on the same label, ultimately they did a collaboration and this cross-generation collobration without a doubt was hugely popular.  Both Sam and Leslie are mainstream pop singers, but this collaboration, they tried to do something different from usual, they wrote a traditional Chinese flavored ballad.
Leslie wrote the tune and Sam wrote the lyrics to the song.  The song is a response to the media and its negative attacks on the singers. Two years later, Sam retired from the music scene and Leslie took a long break from the industry as well.  In 2003, Leslie Cheung passed away from suicide.


Lyrics:

Verse A:
In the cold night breeze  
thinking back at the past
Me in the past was full of rage
Defamation and Accusations
Full of repressed anger
Too regardful of rumours
 
Verse B:
Learned my lesson, with guidance from the book
Now I see through it, no longer trapped
I know what's appropriate, no longer foolish like before
wipe away traces of tears, walking with a light heart

Chorus:
Rich or poor is predestined
What's wrong is never right
The truth is always the truth
Say what you will, I'll mind my own business
Ultimately believe that silence is golden

Verse C:
Rights and Wrongs are self evident
Prudent to not offend others
Facing a cold storm, won't take it seriously
Heart full of confidence,
who cares about your sarcasm and interrogation
Laugh and criticize all you want
I'll take it easy

Repeat Chorus

[laiwingnang]

陳奕迅 Eason Chan - 時代曲 Song of an era (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_oBcxQsjhw


Eason Chan is one of the biggest singers in Chinese speaking regions at the moment. He studied architecture and music in England and then returned to HK, signed up for a TVB singing competition, won first place and released his first album in 1996.    

"Song of an era" is Eason's career debut single, also co-written by himself. At the time of release, the song acheieved mediocore success and the album flopped, but the song eventually became a well known song to Eason's fans and now considered one of his canto classics.  
The song is in the folk rock genre.  The lyrics is about a guest arriving late to the party, a metaphor for Eason's career, which began one year before Hong Kong's handover to China.  There were alot of fears within HK and its industries on how the reunification will affect them and whether artistic freedom will be restricted. "The era" is referring to the thriving cantopop era before HK's handover to China.  Ironically, the fears outlined in this song seems to have materialized, a few years after the handover the China, the era for cantopop was over and Eason indeed was forced to sing "some other songs" and although they are not Communist propaganda songs, Eason became a singer focused on karaoke friendly ballads.

translated Lyrics:

Party's almost over
The guests are quickly finishing the good wine
hurrying to leave before the music finished playing
I came late, arriving at the last minute
When the excitement is over, arriving to see the bright lights

I want to sing a song
to let you remember me
I did make it to the celebration
I want to sing a song
As a witness to these passing days
which era can be without a song?


If I ask what will happen to you
You'll tell me to stop being silly
There aren't much good times left
But what will happen to you
I haven't a clue as well
Hope you will supportively take a seat
Accompany my song with your applause

Party's almost over
The guests are taking the cue
Finishing off those half finished conversations
If this is destiny
Arriving at the end of the story
Others are saying it's extremely late
I hope the era still left me a seat

Only want to sing a song
to let you remember me
I did make it to the celebration
Only want to sing a song
A beautiful song of praise
A song written for you before the party is over

If I ask what will happen to you
You'll tell me to stop being silly
There aren't much good times left
But what will happen to you
I haven't a clue as well
Hope you will patiently take a seat
I fear there won't be as much applause in the future

If I ask what's wrong
You'll tell me to stop being silly
There aren't much good times left
Don't set your hopes too high
What will happen to me in the future
I haven't a clue as well
but fearing after tonight
Don't know who will come and force me
to turn to singing some other songs

[laiwingnang]

梅艷芳 Anita Mui - ä¼¼ç«æŽ¢æˆˆ Firey Tango (1987)
Listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpEmnY1QG1g

Anita Mui is a mega 80s diva well known from Korea to South East Asia.  Her forte is mainly melancholic ballads and 80s new wave music. She has the distinction of having a very low alto vocal range and outrageous makeup/outfits.  She is lady gaga before lady gaga.
She has great stage presence and was a superstar of the era.  Personally, I'm not too crazy about her music.  Although catchy, they are often too gimmicky and very cookie cutter.

"Firey Tango" was a chart topping smash hit.  The song simply describes an elegantly dressed woman going out to clubs with an out of place dance and outfit searching for company.  This was during the height of her career, when she was the best selling female artist in the scene.  The song, to me is very typical new wave music with a catchy melody and heavy beats.  It doesn't showcase her great lower range. 


Verse:
Black silk flying, Black coloured Jewellery
Matching slanted black hat
Draped by the night, stepping out alone
travelling between nightclubs exploring

Lasers flying, drum beats like torrents
Beats rocking up Paris
Tonight, this night
heart is calling
Don't want to dance alone again

Bridge:
But why did you not dare ask me to dance
Dancing together, I don't look too bad
Frigid exterior, Heart like fire, like firey tango
Why did I conceal the real me
only because I got burned in the past
Never play with fire again,
Hide away those fire-like glances

Chorus:
Black dress, black like a black widow
lonely like a black widow
still continuing to emanate
feigned cold arrogance

Black dress, black like a black widow
Lonely beautiful black window
Elegantly stepping
Dancing the Tango alone

Repeat all

[Lightning]

Laiwingnang, If you had to choose 5 songs to represent the best of Cantopop, what would they be?

[laiwingnang]

^ that question is too difficult to answer

[Lightning]

^ that question is too difficult to answer

Ok, how about your top 5 favourite Cantonese songs?

[laiwingnang]

Ok, how about your top 5 favourite Cantonese songs?

 

depending on my mood...i'll just post the few songs I've listened to lots of next

Faye Wong's 暗湧 Undercurrents is one I used to listen to alot...also Anthony Wong+shirley Kwan's duet è¬ç¦é¦¬åˆ©äºž Ave Maria..I've posted these songs before, so I'll post some other ones

[laiwingnang]

譚詠麟 Alan Tam - 一生中最愛 The love of my life 1991
Genre: Ballad

Alan Tam was THE most popular artist in 80s cantopop and the best selling cantopop artist in that era.  His 80s hits are still getting good streaming points on Chinese streaming sites today, only a few chinese artists from the 80s are able to have such longevity.  Alan Tam started out as one of the members of the 70s band Wynners and after the band split up, he went solo.  His mega smash hits are mainly  melancholic ballads about uncertain feelings/relationship and this is the last mega smash cpop hit of his career before he slowly faded from the limelight...

I remember having this song on repeat years ago.  Simple subdued synths and keyboards in the background brings out the sombre mood of the song and let Alan's voice take the front seat.
Despite the title of this song, it's not a love ballad singing praises about the love of his life.
Like most of cantopop's ballad, there oughta be some complication or drama.  The love of my life is about his realization that his current love isn't the love of his life that he's seeking. A song to a very close friend/lover that he loves, but no longer has that spark, signalling an end of a relationship coming.  IMO, The song is so full of emotions, it's a sad song, but gladly it isn't going to that weepy melodramatic route.  It's just one of those simple and pretty songs that became a classic because it feels sincere and human.  The lyrics really brought out that warm, gentle feeling between two really close friends, but at the same time that loss and regret that life is not perfect and things don't turn out the way people intended.  Alan did a superb job, gentle and calm in the beggining and his voice gradually builds up to the climax and I was left speechless the first time I heard this song.

Listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKPzWwb50OU
 

[laiwingnang]

容祖兒 Joey Yung - 第一次我想醉 The first time I want to get drunk 1996

Joey is of course the current cantopop queen, she got into the music industry through a singing contest in a local karaoke franchise. She won second place and got a one single deal with Go East Records, a local subsidiary of Universal/Polygram Records.
Seeing that she was too homely and lacking the IT factor, too plain for the cantopop industry, they did not heavily promote the single and it flopped and she disappeared from the cantopop industry for the next 3 years, until she was picked up by EEG music.  This song is a rare find and not very well known to casual Joey fans.  It's a acid jazz single about an insecure young girl meeting the opposite sex, learning to act adult, seductive and drinking for the first time.  I'm not a fan of Joey's music.  I find a decent song here and there, but got the motivation to buy any of her albums, but this is one song from her that I find myself playing quite a few times. Although I wouldn't say this is my fav cantopop tune, but it might be an interesting song to share with Joey fans here.

Listen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_P2nvLCmDc