Collective memory of Mui
by friends, media, critics, colleagues ....
04/23/07
For the past weeks, Mingpao newspaper started a new section "Review on past 10 years after returned to China", published many interviews of many people about different phases of Hong Kong. Today is about the Music Industry. Paco Wong was interviewed with commentaries of a few other senior people in this sector. I already translated the part on Mui Zai, and part about the HK music industry.
Another good article by Paco talking about Anita Mui is at http://muimusic.mui-mui.org/pacowong.htm
回歸十年﹕無星的輓歌
Returning to China for 10 years: Elegy - No more stars
【明報專訊】30年前，羅文首張大碟《錦繡前程》面世，接覑是《家變》和《小李飛刀》，從此香港粵語歌壇踏入盛世。20多年前，梅艷芳的《壞女孩》大碟銷量超過32萬張，張國榮的《Summer Romance 87》輕輕鬆鬆賣出逾24萬張，每幾個香港家庭，就有一戶擁有他們的唱片。10多年前，四大天王唱覑「唔鹹唔淡」的普通話，照樣橫掃寶島。
[Mingpao] 30 years ago, Roman's first album "A Bright Future" released, followed by "Family Changes" and "Little Lee's Flying Knife", ever since Hong Kong's music industry started it's prosperous period of canton pop. More than 20 years ago, Anita Mui's "Bad Girl" had a sales volume of more than 320,000 copies, Leslie Cheung's "Summer Romance 87" easily sold over 240,000 copies. One out of every three/four Hong Kong families owned their albums. More than 10 years ago, the songs of the 4 Heavenly Kings sung by them in inaccurate mandarin , in the same way, heard everywhere in Taiwan.
可是回歸後，獅子山下不斷奏起輓歌，羅文走了，哥哥走了，阿梅也走了，像是不忍見這個音樂國度走向衰落，連當今金牌經理人黃聣高(Paco) 似乎都氣餒了，說﹕「今天好難找到另一個張國榮、梅艷芳。」他還要旗下歌手十八般武藝，鄭中基兼任笑星與導演，鄧麗欣填詞出書做才女，說穿了，現在歌星單靠唱片，根本難以為生。
After Hong Kong returned to China, elegies never stopped being heard under the Lion Mountain. Roman left, Gor gor left, Ah Mui left. It seems that they could not stand seeing the "music country" to decline. Even the Gold Manager of today, Paco Wong seems to be discouraged by saying: [Today, it's very difficult to find another Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung.] He even demands singers under him to have all kinds of skills, Ronald Tsang (鄭中基) to be a comedian and a director concurrently, 鄧麗欣 be a composer and writer. To tell the truth, nowadays it's difficult for singers to make a living by just singing.
「多謝Paco！」是近年樂壇頒獎禮的流行語，古巨基、側田、鄧麗欣、方力申上台，無不多謝黃聣高。Paco有什麼本領？當古巨基成為樂壇隱形人，他能使之來個谷底翻身；當側田未出唱片，黃已大膽預留紅館檔期，最後門票發售不出10分鐘就全部售罄……黃聣高恍如擁有點石成金的法力。
[Thank you, Paco!] It's is the catch word for music awards presentation during recent years. Leo Ku, 側田、鄧麗欣、方力申 got onto the stage, all would thank Paco Wong. What capability Paco has? When Leo Ku became almost invisible in the music circle, he turned around in the depression; 側田 had not released his album yet, Wong already booked schedule for him at HK Coliseum. Finally the tickets were all sold in 10 minutes.......It looks like Paco Wong has the magic power of turning stone to gold.
「好難找另一個張國榮梅艷芳」
記者相約黃聣高訪問，滿以為能取得一兩道炮製巨星的秘方，或一道「捧人方程式」，豈料換來老實的一句﹕「今日好難找到另一個張國榮、梅艷芳。」
The reporter made appointment with Paco Wong to have an interview, assuming that he would give some secret methods, or a formula of making a star. Who would imagine just an honest statement: [Today it's difficult to find another Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung.]
這些巨星，都是誕生於80年代唱片業高峰期，張國榮的《Summer Romance 87》銷量衝破六白金(逾24萬張)，梅艷芳的《壞女孩》更厲害，八白金，即逾32萬張。然後我們再看去年的「賣碟王」李克勤，全年共出4張唱片，總銷量18萬張，可謂望塵莫及。
These super stars, all born in 80s when the record business in it's peak. The sales volume of Leslie Cheung's "Summer Romance 87" was over 6 white gold (over 240,000 copies), Anita Mui's "Bad Girl" even more fierce, 8 white gold, meant over 320,000 copies. Now let's look at the [King of album], Hacken Lee. For last year, he released total 4 albums, the total sales volume was only 180,000 copies. It can be said there is no comparison at all.
那個年頭，卡式帶內的歌聲是神聖的，期待的；心無旁鶩地扭開收音機，齊齊墮入愛情陷阱，與Monica起舞，前副廣播處長吳錫輝，當年站在香港電台的大後方，指揮覑唱片騎師打碟。
During those years, the singing songs from the cassette tapes were holy and with expectation; turned on the radio without thinking anything else, fell in love together, dancing with Monica. The former manager of broadcasting, Ng Shit Fai, would stand at the back of Hong Kong Radio, directing the disc jockeys play the records.
上世紀歌手多「紅褲子」出身
新世代的新晉歌手，甫出道已被冠以「力捧」、「熱唱」的字眼，來得快，走得快；反觀不少上世紀的歌手都是「紅褲子」出身，阿梅與「哥哥」均以歌唱比賽作起點，巨星之路活像勵志電影橋段，成名前都要跌一跤，經過一番低潮。「記得張國榮80年代初參加音樂活動，投入得把帽子『飛』向現場觀眾，豈料觀眾竟然把帽子『飛』回台上，還要大喝倒采。」「哥哥」被奚落的一幕，台下的吳錫輝看得一清二楚。
The new singers of the new century were already named to be promoted with full blast when they first started their career. "Popular songs" came quickly and left quickly. Looking back at those singers of last century, they all started as apprentice. Ah Mui and Gor Gor started by winning singing contest. The road to stardom was just like typical movies that encourage people to pursue a goal with determination. Before got famous, they all tumbled badly, must went through depression. [Recall that at the beginning of 80s, Leslie Cheung took part in a music function, he was so much involved he threw his hat to the audience, who would imagine the audience threw the hat back to the stage, and yelled at him unfriendly.] How Gor Gor was being humiliated, Ng Shit Fai saw clearly standing below the stage.
往後的故事毋庸多說，他們都曾登峰造極，然後慢慢退下來。資深影評人石琪指出，廣東話於80年代廣泛流行於華人地區的娛樂圈，絕不止在樂壇獨領風騷，在電影、電視同闖高峰，巨星們均能做到歌影視三棲，互相配合，例如梅艷芳1988年就憑《胭脂扣》獲得香港金像獎影后寶座，及至後來廣東歌曲影響力減弱，他們都走上「先歌後影」之路，花更多時間在電影事業上。
Don't have to talk about all the later stories, they all reached the peak of their career, and then came down gradually. The senior movie critic, Shek Kee pointed out that Cantonese language was widely popular among the entertainment circle in places where Chinese inhabited in the 80s. Not only in music, in film, in TV, they all reached the peak. All super stars were able to work for music, film and television. For example, Anita Mui won the Best Actress in the HK Film Academy by [Rouge]. Later when the influence of Canto pop songs declined, they all spent more time in filming, all of them walked the road with "songs first films later".
「江山代有才人出，各領風騷數百年」，雖然未及百年，但緊隨「羅、張、梅」之後，就是黎明、張學友、劉德華、郭富城「四大天王」的世界，然而，香港樂壇亦慢慢盛極而衰。「流行音樂80年代開始有10年起飛，行內人一星期7日都有工開，但90年代打後開始搵唔到飯食，一星期只開兩日工。」當時樂壇危機乍現，如今吳錫輝說來淡然，的確，危機在千禧年後完全浮面，2000至04年間，唱片業僱員人數足足下跌兩成。
"There are talents, all remain popular for several hundred years", though not for 100 years, after [Roman, Cheung, Mui], there were Leon, Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, the world of the 4 Heavenly Kings. Then, Hong Kong music world declined . [The pop music starting in 80s had 10 years of good years, people in that sector worked 7 days a week. But starting from the late 90s, it was difficult to make a living, only worked 2 days per week.] At that time, music industry started to have crisis for the first time. Now Ng Shit Fai talked about it indifferently. In fact crisis floated to the surface after 2000. From 2000 to 2004, employers engaged at the record business dropped by 20%.
巨星的起落見證樂壇盛衰，大概唱片公司、經理人看得通透，因此新晉藝人從不缺貨。吳錫輝笑言﹕「我係Paco，要什麼？要賣得囉，養10個歌手，賺3個蝕7個，無錢怎做？無人不想『造』巨星，Paco最希望有20個！」
The ups and downs of super stars witnessed the rise and fall of the music industry. The big record companies, the managers have more insight, therefore they always have supply of new artistes. Ng Shit Fai said amusingly: [I'm Paco, what do you want? Must be able to sell, support 10 singers, make money on 3, and lose on the 7. No money what can be done? All wants to "make" super stars, Paco hopes to have 20!]
未來能否湧現20個巨星，相信黃聣高也不能預知，但由29年前華納的小小倉務員，到回歸後自立門戶創辦金牌經理人公司，樂壇的世情，Paco總能參透幾分。「95年往前5年，有四大天王、有樂隊如Beyond、有創作歌手，造就唱片業的成功，但後來受到衝擊，大家仍然幻想回復昔日的好成績，事實上，音樂市場已經狹窄到很危險的地步。」
Would there appear 20 super stars in the future? believe even Paco Wong cannot predict. But from a little clerk at the ware house of Warner 29 years ago, till he sep up his own Gold Manager Company after HK returned to China, Paco would always know the situations of the music industry to a certain extent. [5 years before 1995, there were 4 Heavenly Kings, for group we had Beyond, there were creative singers, all these attributed to the success of the record business. But after that there was impact, all still dreamed to get those good results of the past. In fact, the music market already narrowed to a very dangerous degree.]
唱廣東歌成發展障礙
衝擊不外乎盜版唱碟、非法下載，但意想不到的是，廣東歌手唱廣東歌，會被視為本港樂壇的發展障礙﹕「陶拃、周杰倫、S.H.E.在內地發展迅速，反觀香港少有成功的國語唱片，在香港不行、台灣不行，怎可在內地行？廣東歌最多在華南地區有市場，大部分還要是翻版。」
Impact is nothing more than piracy CDs, illegal downloading, but the unexpected is that when Cantonese singers singing Canto pop is regarded as the obstacle to the development of HK music industry. {David Tao, Jay Chow, S.H.E. developed very fast in mainland China. In contrary, Hong Kong hardly has any successful Mandarin albums, not in Hong Kong, not in Taiwan, how can it be in mainland? Cantonese songs only have market in South China, and most of them are piracy.]
黃聣高補充說，90年代初四大天王所以在台灣竄紅，全因為「唔鹹唔淡」的普通話是一種「時興」，其實近10年來，台灣樂壇已開始「歧視」港星。
Paco Wong added, in the beginning of 90s the 4 Heavenly Kings became popular in Taiwan all because it was trendy to speak inaccurate Pudong Wah (Mandarin). Actually during the recent 10 years, Taiwan music circle has already started to "discriminate" Hong Kong stars.
大家都說黃聣高是金牌經理人，何不乾脆再「造」另一巨星，重振樂壇聲威？「不知何解，香港人也好，外國華人也好，不知是否吃得營養過盛，少有一些形象好、唱得又好的人，今日好難找到另一個張國榮、梅艷芳。」雖是半開玩笑，但由他口中說出來，多少有點令人氣餒。
Everybody says that Paco Wong is the Gold manager, why not simply "makes" another super star, and re-establishes the prestige of music world? [Don't know why, no matter it's Hong Kong people, or Chinese born abroad, don't know whether it's because all eat too well, very seldom you can find one with good image, and can sing well. Today, it's very difficult to find another Leslie Cheung, Anita Mui.] Even though he was half joking, that'swhat he said, it more or less discourages people.
藝人單靠唱片難為生
黃聣高把樂壇形容得像清末一樣，內憂外患交織，與其呆等巨星再現，不如來一次維新變革，「要求生，就要轉型，要改變business model(商業模式)」，所以旗下藝人十八般武藝，鄭中基初試啼聲做導演，鄧麗欣也填詞出書，說到底，單靠唱片難以為生。
Paco Wong described the music industry as the end of Ching Dynasty, suffering from internal disorder and foreign invasion. Instead of waiting the emerge of another super star, might as well to have a reform, [In order to survive, must reform, must change business model]. Therefore those artistes under him must have different skills, Ronald Tsang tried for the first time to be director, 鄧麗欣 tried to compose and write books. To be honest, to rely on records alone is really difficult to make a living.
兩年前，黃聣高開始沾手跌至谷底的電影業，因為他相信電影會「come back(捲土重來)」；樂壇此刻到了低位，黃聣高相信這是一個「cycle(循環)」。
Two years ago, Paco Wong started to get involved with film making that had already reached the worst depression, because he believes film will come back; Music right now is at depression, Paco Wong believes this is the cycle.
(前副廣播處長吳錫輝說，英年早逝的巨星均對藝術很執著，表現一絲不苟，他們的離開，絕對是香港的重大損失。)
(Ng Shit Fai said that all those super stars who left early were very particular about art, were scrupulous about every detail in their performance. Their demise is definitely a great loss to Hong Kong)
撰文﹕何裕恒 圖片﹕楊陽明 編輯﹕莊禮華 美術﹕胡春煌 版頭題字﹕易斐