1, when the wind rises again (Qu: Leslie Cheung Ci: Chen Shaoqi)
This is a face that turns all beings upside down. The eyebrows are very handsome, meticulous and gentle, and the head is tilted gracefully, with a slight smile. When this photo was taken, he was thirty-eight years old, not very young, but time seems to have left no trace on his face, and it has been like this until now. Nine years ago, this photo was widely distributed as a poster of "Golden Branches and Jade Leaves". No one expected that it would become his photo so soon. Now this photo is in the mourning hall, surrounded by a piece of white rose, Bai Baihe and white horse hoofed lotus. Before his death, he said that he liked Bai Baihe best, and this flower is really like him, beautiful, fragrant, elegant and outstanding. Outside the mourning hall, Bai Baihe bouquets from all over the world are all over the street, and the surrounding area of Mandarin Hotel has already become a white sea of flowers.
People in Hong Kong will always remember this period of history: the plague is coming, wars are overwhelming, people's lives are trampled by natural and man-made disasters, and everyone is in a state of anxiety, and a generation of famous, beautiful, elegant and strong incarnations who have spent more than 20 years with them suddenly jumped to their death. Tens of thousands of people, regardless of bacteria and heavy rain, lined up for five streets to see him off, and the endless sad face wearing a mask became a unique photo of this history. The elite of Hong Kong's cultural circles have been rushing out from one place to another, and the media has also shown rare respect and warmth. All newspapers, magazines and web pages take his photo as the headline, and beautiful and extreme words are used on a man who is nearly half a century old: stunning, charming, absolute beauty, amorous feelings, butterflies flying away, angels, charming sons, legends, myths ...
In fact, we didn't really know him before he died. Because of his low profile, we only know his singing, his dancing and his ever-changing face in movies. Many people, like me, used to think that they were rational and could only appreciate his performance and ignore his performance; I once thought I was noble, and I could appreciate his advantages and tolerate his shortcomings. It was not until he left that we found out that this man had no shortcomings at all to make us tolerant. This man deserves our love for far more reasons than we can imagine. It turns out that there really is such a person in the world, who can say with a clear conscience that "I have never done anything bad in my life" at the moment of farewell, who can maintain sincere love and respect for this world that has been treated unfairly by him, who can make all the people who have interacted with him praise his kindness, carefulness, generosity and openness with one voice, who can make those who want to criticize him do everything they can and can't dig up any mistakes and omissions, and who can maintain consistent efforts and creation while possessing talent. You can achieve the highest achievement in more than one field, you can always stand in the position of a god for twenty years, you can adhere to a spotless personality in the chaos of the entertainment circle, and you can have an angel's face and an angel's heart at the same time. Now, it's too late to get to know him. He doesn't care about anything anymore. What he left us was a proud and lonely figure, singing and dancing on DVDs, screens, records and tapes, telling us what "the voice is everywhere".
2. I MISS YOU MUCH (song: James Harris III/Terry Lewis word: Lin Zhenqiang)
Hong Kong people feel differently about losing him than others. They don't love him, but they all know him well. They watch him grow up, mature, lose, win, cry, laugh, win prizes, fall in love, talk and talk. They are familiar with his every experience, and they have seen every move in the past 26 years. He is often seen in newspapers, TV and movies, showing them his profile one by one. On the red stage, he gave 125 concerts, singing and dancing with every 14,000 audience. Outside the stage, they will also meet him on various occasions, say hello to him and ask him to sign. Once upon a time, the coffee shop he opened was right next to them. When he went to sit down, as long as he heard that his songs were not playing in the store, he was probably there himself. He doesn't like his own songs in the shop all the time, but everyone who goes there likes them. His songs are the background music for generations to grow up in Hong Kong, and he has spent many happy and sad days with everyone.
When the new century came, Hong Kong selected "Top Ten Golden Songs of the Century" and "MONICA" topped the list. One hundred years later, people don't know if they will doubt the vision of Hong Kong people, because the song MONICA sounds so ordinary that both words and songs lack championship. In fact, the real significance of this song lies in creating a song myth. Since this song, he has become a hit, and his works have been selected into the top ten Chinese golden songs and the top ten jade solid gold every year. Later, he even won the gold medal of golden songs and the most popular male singer award together. Without this song, we don't know if we will notice him, the young man who won the runner-up in the singing contest and made an album but failed to make it again and again. He himself said that at first, all the songs were "chickens, babbling", and only after "MONICA" did he start to sing. His voice doesn't match his slim appearance very well. It is a kind of mellow, slightly hoarse timbre with a texture like pure gold. Although the treble is also very good, it is generally good at bass, which can be unexampled, especially in the ups and downs of the voice line, and that kind of processing skill is rarely matched. Another outstanding thing about him is his full devotion to his feelings. In fact, there are people who have better voice conditions than him in the music world, but no one can pour so deep and strong feelings into the songs like him, singing fast songs smartly and forcefully, singing slow songs tactfully and slowly, inspiring songs flying high, love songs tender as water, and every song is like what he confides to everyone from the bottom of his heart. After his death, Radio Television Hong Kong repeatedly warned listeners not to listen to his songs alone, saying that his songs were so infectious that it was easy to get out of control by listening alone.
As for his best record, in the stage before farewell, it was SUMMER ROMANCE in 1987, but I don't know if I heard it too well. Personally, I prefer SALUTE. This record contains not his own songs, but covers other people's songs. The idea was his own. At first, his colleagues unanimously opposed it, thinking that such a cover disc could not be sold, but he insisted that he said that others had so many good songs that he liked them very much, and he wanted to express his appreciation and respect to those who were like it. He carefully recorded the songs, designed the song paper, and wrote his own thoughts under each lyric: "Composition and lyrics are perfect, and LO LO and Shu Chen are a perfect match! ..... SAM, SUPER ARTIST, SUPER FRIEND, SUPER-MAN, who is a lyricist, composer and lead singer! ..... 's very hard-to-find' ‘LOW PROFILE' artist, DEANNIE, I worship you! Besides, James J.S.Wong, WHAT CAN I SAY! ..... Every time I see snow in a country with severe winter, I will think of this song. Lu Guozhan, thank you for your words! ..... "Sign your name carefully at the back of each one: LESLIE. In this record, not to mention his sincerity and simplicity in conception, but his interpretation can be described as superb. His voice has been fully mature in this period. The sexiness of Dripping Sweat, the mellowness of Wish People Long, and the affection of Star let us really know what a good song is and what a good singer is.
It was in 1985 that he set foot in the Red Chamber for the first time to hold a concert. He held ten concerts in a row, which was praised by the media as wonderful and "extremely entertaining". But now our taste has been raised too much by himself, and when we look back at that video, it becomes "extremely funny entertainment". His clothes! The fashion of that era turned out to be like this! Pink shirt with black trousers, green west with yellow trousers ... There is also a long white shirt that is very cumbersome before and after, dancing and fluttering in front of me like an apron. However, the fans are as crazy about him as they are today. The screams are higher and higher. Some jump on the stage to chase him all over the Taiwan, and some shake hands with him so hard that he can't help shouting: "It hurts!" ..... But his performance is very good, and the media especially praised him for not being out of tune or out of breath, but neither of these situations has ever happened in his lifetime concert.
In the second year, he made persistent efforts and held 12 concerts in Gonggeng. Only one year later, this scene has made us all have the surprise of "extremely entertaining" today. He was thirty years old that year, and the whole person was in a state of high spirits, not only in spirit, but also in color, giving people a feeling of brilliance. His singing skills are more proficient, his dancing moves are more exciting, and his image is thoroughly transformed. His tall and straight black military uniform and various colors of self-cultivation and Western-assembled collar shirts fully highlight the strong and tough side of his temperament. He didn't have many good songs in this period, but his interpretation of affection is as deep as today, and the song "Split the iceberg" sung with Anita Mui has begun to take shape as "Youth".
In 1988, he became famous in the music world, sweeping the major award ceremonies, and his voice, color and art all reached the acme of a singer. This year, he gave 23 solo concerts in Gonggeng, and many good songs emerged one after another, such as Love, No Need Too Much, * * * Spending Together, Running to the Future, etc., and "Autumn Hatred" and "Rouge" were even more unexpected surprises. During the whole performance, he was a dashing and graceful boy, no wonder other stars were called "Hua Zai", "Fa Ge", "Qiu Guan" and "Xing Ye", and only he was "Rong Shao". He put on a white gown, carried a bamboo box, dressed as Ning Caichen, and sang Ghost Story and Visit to Britain-this folk tune was so moving that even the intentionally funny yangko was delightful and admirable. He put on a strong suit and performed a chorus of fast songs, running wildly and dancing on the stage, sweating on his face, throwing his jacket on the ground, lifting a bottle of water and pouring it down from his head, shaking his hair with a strong rhythm, splashing water, and a delicate face shining with crystal light ... This person is not a singer, who can be a singer? This man is not a singer. Who dares to be a singer? He belongs to the stage by nature. He has too much capital to use this stage and make the audience love him, and he enjoys this love proudly, cherishingly and unabashedly.
And no one thought that when the concert in 1989 came, it was time for him to bid farewell to the music scene. This time is the heyday of his music career. It is really jaw-dropping to make this decision, but he has made up his mind and just made up his mind to give a wonderful farewell ceremony to those who love him. This concert has a complete structure, beautiful and luxurious dance, a strong lineup and ingenious ideas. Especially, his own performance can be described as almost perfect, which makes the concert open for 33 consecutive times and the audience is still unsatisfied. The versions we saw later were the last and the most touching. For three hours, he sang forty songs, from the opening "for your heart only" to the ending "When the Wind Comes Again", and performed every note in a stirring and impeccable way. We can't forget the deep feelings of Nong Ben's Affectionate and Don't Need Too Much; we can't forget the fiery passion of Side and Wild; we can't forget his unscrupulous temptation and teasing when singing Miss You; we can't forget the song Qian Qian; he filled his own sincerity with this cover song. All these songs, all versions, are not as touching as the version in "Farewell", and even all his dances are stronger and stronger than before, as if all the vigor were injected into them. On the stage, he is in his prime, handsome and compelling, his clean face is shining like Song porcelain under the light mapping, and his eyebrows and eyes are all inexplicably attached. He kept saying "thank you", bowed deeply, kept the audience's gifts, threw roses at the audience, went to every corner seriously, shook hands with as many audiences as possible, until he finally got a "pig's hoof" and laughed it off without complaint.
During the intermission of singing, he spoke for a long time, recounting his life journey and the cause and effect of farewell: "... When I look back at the past records, many brilliant and shining stars all bid farewell at the brightest moment, and we still remember them. So I know that my choice will not go wrong there. ..... If an artist knows when to say goodbye, he and his fans or fans will be sad. But if I leave too late, when I leave, I will be sad alone. So I want to be a smart person, and I must go first. ..... I know tonight is the stage with the most applause. I am so grateful to everyone for coming to see me off. On this stage, I have had hardships and tears, but I want to say: I always get more than I lose. ..... In the entertainment industry for thirteen years, I have done everything with a clear conscience. I am also proud of coming and going, and this time it can be said that it is a natural and unrestrained farewell. I can't bear to see you tonight, but will you please give me a chance to break in? Even if I'm burned out, I must make a name for myself! ……”
The audience was in pain and cried his name. He kept smiling, bowing and holding back his tears until he sang the song "The Wind Keep Blowing". This is his famous work, and he will sing it at almost every concert. Never has he been so devoted as this one. "... let the wind continue to blow, and I can't bear to stay away. I am very eager to stay with you ..." The audience found tears in his eyes from the big screen, and the screams of the audience came crashing like a tide. He finally couldn't help hiding his face with his hands and sobbing.
In his life, he sang many farewell songs. In fact, this is not a magical fate, largely because he did say goodbye once. At the end of 1989, tens of thousands of people died for his departure. Fourteen years later, most of these people should still be alive, and now, with him, they have died more thoroughly.
3. FOREVER loves you (song: Bruce Springsteen word: Lin Zhenqiang)
During the period after his farewell, there was an irreparable gap in Hong Kong's music scene. Everyone is talking about who can take his place, and no one can get this honor, so they have to wholesale a "Four Kings" to comfort their fans. Before the Top Ten Golden Melody Awards Ceremony in 1990, the most popular male singer could not come up with a convincing candidate for a long time, and many people suggested that the award should be left vacant altogether.
Fortunately, he is still making movies, and people who love him can often see him. However, it is extremely difficult to listen to his singing. At the beginning of his farewell, he strictly abided by his promise to seal the microphone. The only time he spoke was as a guest in Samuel Hui's farewell performance and sang "Silence is Golden" with him. The organizer originally suggested that he recite the lyrics, but he didn't agree, saying it was too artificial, and he was willing to make an exception for the sake of old friends. Besides, he refused to sing a word. As a result, he had to find someone to sing for Ning Caichen in Ghost Story, which became his only "lip-synching". 1994 "Happy Events in Flower Fields" caused a sensation in Hong Kong. Not only because of the wonderful content, but also because of the collective participation of big stars, an important reason is that he finally sang a minor in the play, which only has a few lyrics and is almost a cantata, attracting countless audiences to the cinema. Later, in "Golden Branches and Jade Leaves", he sang three songs. Because he declared that he would not release another disc, a large number of fans brought tape recorders into the theater to record.
At this time, he settled in Canada and entered the university to study film, but he was already familiar with the content of his study. His friend said, "It's better for you to be a professor." On weekdays, this workaholic is "so idle that he hears his heartbeat all day" that he even begged his friends to give him a business that won't lose money. Occasionally, when he comes back to Hong Kong, fans follow him enthusiastically as always, and record companies even invite him back at all costs. Finally, in 1995, he joined the Rolling Stones and officially made a comeback, which became the headline news of the sensational entertainment industry that year.
According to his contract with the company, the comeback warm-up album "Favorite" was not publicized on the radio, and everyone didn't even know what songs were on the album, but the fans who had been suppressed for six years were still desperate to buy it, and the first sale was crazy and the momentum was shocking. It was hailed as a rescue work in the bleak period of the recording industry. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't particularly like this disc, because it's a collection of movie episodes, and most of them have been heard by heart, and many of them are Chinese songs-his Chinese songs always give me a feeling of floating, not as affectionate as Cantonese songs, perhaps because Mandarin is a foreign language to him after all. Listening to his soft and tactful voice, but no longer familiar to me, I thought with emotion that people will always get old, and such a talented singer with extraordinary achievements will always have a dim light one day.
This emotion lasted for a year, and it collapsed in front of the next album "Red". "Red" is a album made by his own team, which focuses on music masters such as Liang Rongjun and lin xi. All the songs are tailor-made, and the atmosphere is fascinating and varied. In the interpretation of the song, the first song "The boulevard of broken dreams" took the lead, and I couldn't believe my ears with a more mellow and vicissitudes voice than in 1989. Then, the laziness of "Cheating", the loneliness of "People who don't want to hug me" and the lingering of "Blame you for being too beautiful" were all in his magnetic voice, and the last one was full of charm. It is said that this song is his first propositional composition, telling lin xi to write "Red" as the theme song of the album. The whole album reflects the essence of this word. The envelope of "Red" published in Hong Kong is simply a piece of red, and there is no word. It has made great efforts in the overall design of the album, which complements his superman singing skills, making this album's limelight in the music charts. Many years later, I heard the demo of "Red" sent to the record company after the composition was completed. Without lyrics, he "la la" all the way to the end, and finally casually said "that's it", but his voice was low and rambling, and his appeal was no less than that of the lyrics version. I am convinced that with his voice and deductive skills, even using recipes as lyrics will fascinate listeners. He should produce a album that composes music entirely by himself, but he doesn't have to ask someone to write lyrics, so he hums a song without words and let us know what nature is.
After "Red", he has produced six albums and discs, each of which is wonderful and has its own characteristics. The quality has been improved layer by layer, and the singing art has not only declined with the growth of age, but has become more and more proficient. The jacket design of "Over the Years" is my favorite. Like the four songs in the disc, it well reflects his vicissitudes of life after the storm. "PRINTEMPS" is criticized, mainly because its style is too Taiwan Province, which is not suitable for him, but its exquisite production is still worthy of respect, among which songs such as "Warm Up" and "The Truth" are also very touching. Countdown with You should be said to be melodious, but its integrity is worse than that of Red. The mood at the end of the century is intertwined with the joy at the beginning of HarmonyOS, and its style is a bit confusing. What can I say about the DVD UNTITLED? It's great, great, great. Whether it's Passing Dragonflies, My Right Hand, which is misunderstood to pieces, or the sexy Pillow, the light You Hate Me So, and ocean deep's I HONESTLY LOVE YOU, they are all my favorites. "Hot" is of first-class quality. After its launch, it has become a big hit in all major rankings. He has performed excellent fast songs and slow songs, and the self-reported song "Me" has attracted everyone's attention. His last album was CROSSOVER with Huang Yaoming. I don't want to say more about this disc, because I listened to it after he left, which was mixed with too many mixed feelings. As for the posthumous work that will be published soon, I am looking forward to and resisting it. I don't know who can control my tears when I hear his voice ringing leisurely after a lifetime ago.
His masterpiece in the career of music is not these albums, but his solo concert. The concert of Hong Kong singers is unparalleled in China, and his concert is recognized as a first-class production. After a famous singer from mainland China went to watch it, he sincerely lamented: "If I can hold such a concert, I will die willingly!" His previous four concerts have been relived by fans. When it was announced that he would hold his first concert after his comeback at the end of 1996, there was a sensation in Hong Kong, and the ticket sales were full and the demand was in short supply. I didn't have a chance to watch the concert, so I had to wait for news from the media. A few days later, the photos in the newspaper scared me out of my wits. He, a 40-year-old man, was wearing a robe and bared his thighs in the eyes of the public? He, wearing red high heels, embraced and danced with his boyfriend? What has stimulated this person to become so rare? ..... It was a long time before I got the DVD of the concert to watch. At first glance, I couldn't help feeling ashamed of myself.
At this concert, the avant-garde modeling and dancing beauty designed by the famous designer Zhang Shuping were dazzling, and the whole atmosphere was enchanting and gorgeous. However, what should attract people's attention most was his exquisite performance. At this time, he had just had a serious illness in Argentina, and his physical condition was very poor. After gaining 12 pounds urgently, his cheeks still looked thin, but on the stage, his style remained the same, his singing voice was still impeccable, his dancing was still full of energy, and his overall interpretation of the song was even worse than before. The much-watched "Cheating" began. In the half-bright and half-dark light, he appeared in a black silk robe, strolled lazily, slightly shook his skirt, and revealed the rose tattoo on his chest ... He glanced at the audience, raised his hand in a deceptive manner, gently touched the diamond ring on his finger, and smiled ... "Or, cheating is not cheating, but it is more difficult for lonely people to be happy." He stepped on the tuyere, let the clothes fly like wings, and the naked skin appeared and disappeared, like a demon flower in the dark night ... What could be more appropriate to interpret this song? Who else can make a live performance as perfect as MTV? He didn't simply forget to sing, but he performed music like a movie. The grasp of the theme, the change of roles, the transformation of emotions and the mobilization of the atmosphere are all calculated. Such a work, if you don't watch it in person, you will not understand it if you only look at the static photos with ulterior motives in the newspaper. In fact, there are many masculine images in this concert, such as Chasing, such as Love, but the media only focuses on Cheating and Red. In "Red", he really appeared in the shape of shiny black and red high heels, and danced the close-fitting tango among a group of male partners. The dancing style taught by the Argentine dance master is graceful, but what is more rare is that as a singer, he can match the professional dancer Zhu Yonglong impeccably. "Red, like the wayward ending of a rose, is as bitter as a drop of blood on the lips. In the darkness, the dream is dark, and the pain you can't see in the mirror is as heavy as the passing of the world of mortals ..." Singing and dancing, he has completely entered the scene. In the close-up, his eyes are cold, provocative, seductive and ethereal, knowing that the audience can't see clearly, and he is still meticulous. And the audience has already fallen into the sexy and weird atmosphere he created, and the applause surged after holding their breath.
With this experience, when his "passionate" concert "Dressing as a woman" was widely talked about in 2000, I didn't believe it very much, and the fact once again proved that "what you hear is false, what you see is true". "Enthusiasm" Concert He toured more than 100 concerts all over the world, and he gave ten concerts in Japan alone, setting a record for China singers. I saw it in Nagoya in 200 1 year. This is also the first time I have the opportunity to watch his live performance. Only then do I really know why the audience always love him, and what is called SUPER STAR and ARTIST. The shape of this concert was designed by the French costume master Jean-Paul Gaultier himself, which is the only one designed for Asian artists, and only he can interpret the essence of these costumes. The idea of image design is "from angel to devil", from the opening pure white feather costume symbolizing the incarnation of angel, to the angel transforming into a beautiful boy in an antique shell skirt, to a Latin lover in a golden suit, to the incarnation of devil in a rose velvet OPERA COAT ... We always knew that he was beautiful, but we didn't know that he could be so beautiful! We always knew that his voice was brilliant, and we didn't know that he could be brilliant here for twenty years! The opening effect of the first song "Dream of Drunk Life" can only be described as explosion, which is an unparalleled shock from sound to color, from inside to outside, from stage to stage, and the whole song completely gives people the feeling of being in a dream. His voice sounds incredibly moving at the scene. He is the only singer I know who is better than singing in the studio at the concert, perhaps because of his more abundant feelings. He is also the only singer I know who dances better in his forties than in his twenties. He sang eight fast songs in a row in RAVE PARTY and ran and danced for more than half an hour without stopping. At this time, he didn't have to use the stiff and artificial dance in those days. He raised his finger gently and caused a scream. A twist of his waist at will was enough to turn all beings upside down. A set of almost eternal dance steps like "Unintentional Sleep", jumping out on his lap, still makes people never tire of watching it. At this time of each concert, the audience will stand up and sing and dance happily under his heat.
Before singing "Love", he turned his back to the audience, slowly pulled off the hairpin on his bun, kissed it close to his lips, threw it on the ground, and his long hair slipped quietly. Is this pretending to be a woman? A woman with a magnificent figure, strong muscles, beard and rough and unrestrained? What's like a woman? If you have seen the concert scene, you will know that his style is really more masculine than that of a man, especially when he changed into an ancient Egyptian-style close-fitting dress and a medieval velvet robe, which set off a wild long hair and made him feel masculine and noble. It is worthy of being a masterpiece of a world-class stylist. Japanese fans were frantically crowded in front of the stage, dancing with him, singing complicated Cantonese lyrics, and even imitating party member Jin's lines with him: "... they are the Red Army! ..... "He told jokes to the audience in English, Cantonese, Mandarin and half-baked Japanese, thanked them, introduced the staff to everyone, and openly changed their clothes behind the lighted white scenes, which attracted deafening screams from the audience. There has never been a singer in China who can win such reverence and worship from foreigners, and I don't know if there will be any more in the future.
As in previous sessions, at the end, he sang the beloved song "I" for the second time, and also printed Japanese subtitles on the stage to facilitate the audience to understand the lyrics. "I AM WHAT I AM, I will always love this kind of me ..." Under the lonely light, his expression was lonely and firm, and he knelt down at the passion, almost kneeling in our hearts. The Japanese audience around choked and shouted: "LESLIE! THANK YOU！ WE LOVE YOU FOR EVER…… ... "I think of the banner that Rongmen Inn played at the Shanghai concert:" We will always love you like this "-what is" you like this "? It's really hard to say clearly. On the stage, he is changing rapidly: noble and coquettish, dignified and sexy, elegant and arrogant, naive and dissolute ... I began to believe that this person is really like an angel or a devil, otherwise it is impossible to charm the hearts of many people in the world.