Anita Mui ~ 心債

This is Anita Mui ‘s first album (not truly her solo album as it included 2 other new TVB artist as a package – perhaps , commercial reasons).

The title track 心債 (‘heart debt”), a brilliant song specially written by HK legendary Joseph Koo and lyrics by the late James Wong for Anita. Anita recorded this song so naturally and effortlessly yet with her classic profound voice. [I wonder why do current HK singers have to resort to unnatural way of singing, bragging and faking their breath and tone, can hardly make out what they are singing, artistic maybe?]

James Wong revealed that this song was recorded with just ONE take!! This a testimony of Anita, an accomplished singer with high level of professionalism and dedication.

Anita Mui Yin Fong (1963-2003), queen of Canto-pop and dubbed as the “Madonna of Asia” had a distinguished career well-known of her extreme and sometimes outrages costumes , modernised dancing and also dynamic performances.

But her early years of hardship captivate me. She lost her father at the age of 5 and had to abandon schooling to provide support to the family. Together with elder sister, she has to perform Chinese operas and pop songs in theatres, night clubs and in the streets that offer them to make a living, typical “street singers” 天涯歌女. Her breakthrough was in 1982, when she won the TVB’s first New Talent Singing Award with the winning song 風的季節 "The Windy Season", (a popular hit of Paula Tsui 徐小鳳)


Capital Artists Ltd 1982
LP No. CAL-02-1003

When I Dream ~ Carol Kidd

Carol Kidd from Glasgow, Scotland is one of Britain’s top jazz singer whose admirers include Frank Sinatra and she enjoys an illustrative career with excellent reputation in the field.

All My Tomorrows was released in 1985, is one my favourite female jazz vocal album. The gem of this album is When I Dream, an extremely lovely and inspiring song, can really move you when you are in soul-searching mode. This explained why I have numerous versions of it (LPs, CDs & SACD), not for the sake of collection but more so due to curiosity to delicately listen to this track in best available form. Records company really know how to make their money from music freak.

Audiophiles use this track to evaluate various characteristic of their sophisticated hi-fi systems from transparency, resolution, clarity imaging, airiness, etc to just pure music enjoyment.

When I Dream enjoys tremendous accolades in Asia especially in Korea where it hits the top of the chart in Korea for 13 weeks in 2002. It was used as the background music for the movie Shiri (Swiri).

Click here to watch the short video of this song on Shiri movie.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3995805924410440155 or this

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4574731269367270778&q=&hl=en


Shiri was the most successful film in Korean box office history, an action packed political thriller released in 1999. It was the first Hollywood-style big-budget action film to be produced and marked the beginning of the "new" Korean film industry.


Carol Kidd writes:

"In 2001 I travelled back to Korea. There was lots of publicity surrounding my song When I Dream because it had been used on the soundtrack for the film Shiri. I had to be protected by bodyguards. I went to a music store and signed CDs for three whole hours. the place was mobbed and everyone started to call me 'Shiri'. During the same trip I also travelled to Taiwan, Japan and North and South Vietman. I sang at the Royal Opera House in South Vietman - there were bullet holes in the walls. I also recorded the first ever standing ovation there.


Truly reflects the spirit of The West Meets The East and that music indeed has no boundary.


LP Nos:
Aloi Records AKH OO5
Linn Records AKH 005
Linn Records 2005 - AKH257

Funkytown - Lipps Inc.

This all-time disco classic was produced and written by Steven Greenberg in 1979 when he became bored with Minneapolis and wanted to move to New York, which he called Funkytown.

Funkytown was the dance floors divine throughout the 80s.

The song arranged in a smooth, clean & lean yet energetic tempo; became the masterpiece of disco arena not counting numerous top of the charts worldwide for weeks.

The saxophone riff midway into the song blends perfectly for a lively tune and comforting as well.

The single that I have is an 12" extended version record of almost 8 minutes long; is my all time favourite vinyl that I spin frequently even until now on my turntable.

Almost 30 years on, Funkytown still relevant!

Casablanca Record & Filmworks NBD20207DJ

鄧麗君 ~ 誓不兩立

This is Teresa Teng's first of her only two Cantonese albums, released in 1980.


One can easily immersed with her sweet and refreshing voice especially from this track 一水隔天涯 (far apart). Her natural way of singing and expression make this cover version outstanding and excellent love ballad.

忘記他 written by 黃霑 (James Wong) became one of the most popular classic standard Canto-pop till now. (It would be nice to hear a cover by Sally Yip's sultry voice).

This album shows Teresa close asccociation with Malaysia (Her love life was once connnected to a son of a local tycoon here).

It has a track on Malaya 檳城艷 , potraying its beautiful beaches, coconut trees and scenery dedicated to her large followers in this region.


相思淚 saw the involvement of our local Cantonese favourite of the 70s, 郭炳堅 writing its lyrics.

She also did Samuel Hui's all time classic song 浪子心聲, in her own signature vocal, very nice.

The other Teresa's Cantonese album is 漫步人生路, which I will cover later.


LP No. Polydor 2427 342