Friday, November 13, 2015

[Music] Kit Chan -- Left-Right Hands

Kit Chan


1. The original singer of the Cantonese song Left-Right Hands ("左右手") is Leslie Cheung.

This song came out in 1999 and has won many awards.

Since the passing of Leslie Cheung in 2003, the best interpreter of Left-Right Hands (1999) is Kit Chan.

So with apologies to Leslie Cheung's fans, I am listing this song under Kit Chan.

Left-Right Hands (1999) has been covered by many singers and Wikipedia noted four covers in particular ("左右手", Wikipedia):

(a) by Hacken Lee;

(b) by Priscilla Chan;

(c) by Kit Chan; and

(d) by Prudence Liew.


2. ("Kit Chan", Wikipedia):

"Kit Chan (Chinese: 陈洁仪; pinyin: Chén Jiéyí, born 15 September 1972, Singapore) is a Chinese singer and actress of Singaporean nationality. Chan is the third daughter in a family of four sisters."

"On 8 December 2012, Chan married her long-time boyfriend, whom she met in 2000."

Being a Singaporean of Chinese ancestry, Kit Chan is fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

Kit Chan began her music career in Singapore in 1993, but her breakout came in 1997 when Jacky Cheung invited her to become the second female lead for the musical "Snow.Wolf.Lake".

"Snow.Wolf.Lake" (1997) is probably the most important musical ever produced in Hong Kong.

I was working in Hong Kong in 1997 and it was a regret that I was not able to watch this musical.


3. Kit Chan singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

This is a performance for the Chinese television show I Am a Singer in 2015:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urf9zaWuxCQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfCqbdG10fU


An audience recording of the Shanghai stop of a 2015 concert tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKwIsBZA5QQ


Official version for a 2012 Hong Kong concert.

The fourth of four songs starting at the 9:30 minutes mark:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8upXEjqk2g

The music is by the Hong Kong City Pops Orchestra.


Audience recordings for the 2012 Hong Kong concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpFPHedAdRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDMrXwhgJ3g


A 2011 studio recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaMRqiCai7k


4. Leslie Cheung singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

Leslie Cheung was a great Hong Kong singer.

It is an open secret that Leslie Cheung (1956 - 2003) changed his sexual orientation from hetero to homo in his 20s.

Some have speculated that the title "Left-Right Hands" and its lyrics alluded to this change in orientation.

Leslie Cheung committed suicide in 2003 while suffering from depression.

Leslie probably had entered his depression phase during this performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELxdTPjXOwM


Leslie in concert in Malaysia in 2000:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLU68Po_D-M


An award ceremony in 1999:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efjrfVShjOI


Music videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3mRYXSwrds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_JsCpchaFg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHLnM4N8cjw


5. Hacken Lee singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zF_GL61iHw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS9QY-iPXYQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x2NVeVylxc


6. Priscilla Chan singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGIMhVeXjmU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBPmrXR9I6o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwZvCK5X4jg


7. Prudence Liew singing Left-Right Hands (1999):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MtuE2kOSIs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RkkcSCTNDo


8. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


左右手 -- 張國榮

不知道為何你會遠走   不知道何時才再有對手
我的身心只適應你   沒氣力回頭

* 不知道為何你會放手   只知道習慣抱你抱了太久
怕這雙手一失去你   令動作顫抖

# 尚記得   左手邊一臉溫柔
來自你熱暖   在枕邊消受
同樣記得   當天一臉哀求
搖著我右臂   就這樣而分手

@ 從那天起我不辨別前後
從那天起我竟調亂左右
習慣都扭轉了呼吸都張不開口
你離開了   卻散落四周

& 從那天起我戀上我左手
從那天起我討厭我右手
為何沒力氣去捉緊這一點火花
天高海深   有什麼可擁有

Repeat *, #, @, &

留住你   別要走
無奈怎能夠   除下在左右我的手扣   有愛難偷

Repeat @, &


為何沒力氣去捉緊這一點火花
天高海深   有什麼可擁有

 


9. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


左右手 -- 张国荣

不知道为何你会远走   不知道何时才再有对手
我的身心只适应你   没气力回头

* 不知道为何你会放手   只知道习惯抱你抱了太久
怕这双手一失去你   令动作颤抖

# 尚记得   左手边一脸温柔
来自你热暖   在枕边消受
同样记得   当天一脸哀求
摇着我右臂   就这样而分手

@ 从那天起我不辨别前后
从那天起我竟调乱左右
习惯都扭转了呼吸都张不开口
你离开了   却散落四周

& 从那天起我恋上我左手
从那天起我讨厌我右手
为何没力气去捉紧这一点火花
天高海深   有什么可拥有

Repeat *, #, @, &

留住你   别要走
无奈怎能够   除下在左右我的手扣   有爱难偷

Repeat @, &


为何没力气去捉紧这一点火花
天高海深   有什么可拥有

 


10. Names, Words and Phrases:

Hacken Lee (Traditional Chinese: 李克勤; Simplified Chinese: 李克勤).

Hong Kong City Pops Orchestra (Traditional: 香港城市管弦樂團; Simplified: 香港城市管弦乐团).

Jacky Cheung (Traditional: 張學友; Simplified: 张学友).

Kit Chan (Traditional: 陳潔儀; Simplified: 陈洁仪).

Leslie Cheung (Traditional: 張國榮; Simplified: 张国荣).

Priscilla Chan (Traditional: 陳慧嫻; Simplified: 陈慧娴).

Prudence Liew (Traditional: 劉美君; Simplified: 刘美君).

"Snow.Wolf.Lake" (Traditional: 雪狼湖; Simplified: 雪狼湖).


References:

"Kit Chan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Chan
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"Snow.Wolf.Lake", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow.Wolf.Lake
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"陳潔儀", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%99%B3%E6%BD%94%E5%84%80_%28%E6%96%B0%E5%8A%A0%E5%9D%A1%29
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"左右手", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%B7%A6%E5%8F%B3%E6%89%8B
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"左右手", baike.baidu.com,
http://baike.baidu.com/subview/55771/9203847.htm
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"雪狼湖", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9B%AA%E7%8B%BC%E6%B9%96
(accessed 2015-11-13).

"我是歌手", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%88%91%E6%98%AF%E6%AD%8C%E6%89%8B
(accessed 2015-11-13).

End.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

[Music] Roman Tam -- Wandering Merrily in the World

Poster for The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung (1984)



 Barbara Yung


1. Chinese Quotation of the Day:


曹植 (192 - 232 CE)


<< 蟬賦 >> (節錄)

實澹泊而寡欲兮,獨怡樂而長吟。

聲皦皦而彌厲兮,似貞士之介心。


2. Wandering Merrily in the World ("笑踏河山") is the theme song of the 1984 Hong Kong TVB television drama The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung ("楚留香之蝙蝠傳奇").

"Chor Lau Heung" is the name of a fictional character in the martial art novels by the author Gu Long (1938 - 1985).

According to Wikipedia, there are 8 novels by Gu Long with Chor Lau Heung as the main character.

I have read all the novels by Gu Long including these eight -- mostly while I was in secondary school in the 1970s.

Also according to Wikipedia, 16 movies, 8 TV series, a computer game, and a musical were adapted from these 8 novels.

The movies and TV series were produced mainly in Taiwan and Hong Kong where Gu Long lived.

To my surprise, the musical was performed by the famous Star Troupe of the Takarazuka Revue of Japan in 2013 in both Taiwan and Japan.

Being a former Japanese colony, Taiwan still has a lot of cultural ties with Japan.


3. Wandering Merrily in the World (1984) has a Taoist sentiment and it is among my favorite songs.

The original singer of this song is Roman Tam.

It is with disappointment that I can find only 1 instance of this song by Roman Tam in YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu_T_9ZIV5w

The quality of this video is not too good.

There used to be many copies of this song in YouTube, but Hong Kong's TVB has been asserting it's copyrights and those copies have disappeared.

I think this asserting of copyrights in YouTube is a bad business move on the part of TVB.

Due to the deteriorating TV environment in Hong Kong, TVB's viewership has been shrinking at an alarming rate.

Allowing old songs to appear in YouTube is one way to maintain presence and remind viewers that TVB is still there.


4. Wandering Merrily in the World (1984) by the lead actress of The New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung, the late Barbara Yung (1959 - 1985):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJigSEfj5qo

Barbara Yung was among my TV idols of that period.


5. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


笑踏河山 -- 羅文

隨緣披髮獨行   未嘗鏡染塵
淡然看世事似浮雲   隨風去無痕

* 何妨花氣襲人   願憑天指引
任由過去事再莫尋   留情意不惹恨

# 對酒狂歌   一劍獨往   何愁露寒侵鬢
人生百感   輕舟掠過   萬里白雪洗我心
啊...啊...啊...
踏河山輕帶笑我獨行   如逝水若行雲

Repeat *, #

踏河山輕帶笑我獨行   如逝水若行雲


6. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


笑踏河山 -- 罗文

随缘披发独行   未尝镜染尘
淡然看世事似浮云   随风去无痕

* 何妨花气袭人   愿凭天指引
任由过去事再莫寻   留情意不惹恨

# 对酒狂歌   一剑独往   何愁露寒侵鬓
人生百感   轻舟掠过   万里白雪洗我心
啊...啊...啊...
踏河山轻带笑我独行   如逝水若行云

Repeat *, #

踏河山轻带笑我独行   如逝水若行云


7. Names, Words and Phrases:

Barbara Yung (Traditional Chinese: 翁美玲; Simplified Chinese: 翁美玲).

Chor Lau Heung (Traditional: 楚留香; Simplified: 楚留香).

Gu Long (Traditional: 古龍; Simplified: 古龙).

Roman Tam (Traditional: 羅文; Simplified: 罗文).

Star Troupe (Traditional: 星組; Simplified: 星组).

Takarazuka Revue (Traditional: 寶塚歌劇團; Simplified: 宝塚歌剧团).


References:

"Wuxia", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wuxia
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"曹植", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%9B%B9%E6%A4%8D
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"古龍", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%8F%A4%E9%BE%99
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"楚留香", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%A5%9A%E7%95%99%E9%A6%99
(accessed 2015-11-12).

"楚留香之蝙蝠傳奇 (電視劇)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E6%A5%9A%E7%95%99%E9%A6%99%E4%B9%8B%E8%9D%99%E8%9D%A0%E5%82%B3%E5%A5%87_%28%E9%9B%BB%E8%A6%96%E5%8A%87%29
(accessed 2015-11-12).

End.