Leslie Cheung
1. This is how English Wikipedia introduced Leslie Cheung:
"Leslie Cheung (12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor, film director, record producer, and screenwriter. Cheung is considered as 'one of the founder fathers of Cantopop' by 'combining a hugely successful film and music career.' He rose to prominence as a teen heartthrob and pop icon of Hong Kong in the 1980s, receiving numerous music awards including both Most Popular Male Artist Awards at the 1988 and 1989 Jade Solid Gold Best Ten Music Awards. In 1989, Cheung announced his retirement from the music industry as a pop singer. Returning to the music scene after a five-year hiatus, Cheung released his chart-topping comeback album (寵愛) which achieved a huge market success. In 1999, he won the Golden Needle Award for his outstanding achievement as a musician at the RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards, and his 1984 hit song Monica was voted as Hong Kong's 'Song of the Century'. He was honoured as 'Asia's Biggest Superstar' at the 2000 CCTV-MTV Music Honours."
English Wikipedia has a very full summary of Leslie Cheung's career.
Wikipedia mentioned that "[i]n 1989, Cheung announced his retirement from the music industry as a pop singer."
One reason why Leslie Cheung retired in 1989 might be because having won all the musical awards that can be won and having no more mountains to conquer, he drew back from Cantopop.
Another reason might be because Leslie Cheung's main competitor in the 1980s, Alan Tam, announced in 1988 that he will not accept any more music awards.
It can be very lonely at the top.
2. Leslie Cheung committed suicide in 2003.
("Leslie Cheung", Wikipedia): "Cheung committed suicide on 1 April 2003 at 6:43 pm (HKT). He leapt from the 24th floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, located in the Central district of Hong Kong Island. He left a suicide note saying that he had been suffering from depression. He was 46 years old."
The day Leslie Cheung committed suicide, I was in Hong Kong and was at one of my cousin's place for a family supper.
Most of Hong Kong was in shock that night.
I remember an older sister of my cousin's wife saying at the supper that she will not forgive Leslie Cheung for committing suicide.
She probably said that out of shock and broken-heartedness by her idol's suicide.
Wikipedia also mentioned that "[h]e moved to Vancouver in 1990 and became a Canadian citizen by naturalisation."
I remember seeing Leslie Cheung at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver in the early 1990s.
I lived very close to "QE Park" at the time and went there for walks many times a month.
3. For Your Heart Only ("為你鍾情") is the theme song of a 1985 Hong Kong movie of the same name.
Leslie Cheung was both the singer of the theme song and the male lead of this movie.
For You Heart Only is a soft and endearing love song.
For first time listeners of this song, try listen to this song twice in a roll:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA1L8cnMmUQ
(a) The first time with your eyes closed but the volume up.
(b) The second time also with your eyes closed but the volume down.
4. Another good sound track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-HMIrg-nVw
The woman that appeared between 2:04 and 2:23 is Teresa Mo, the only woman Leslie Cheung ever proposed to.
But Leslie Cheung was turned down.
5. A 1986 MV with Anita Mui as the model:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9jKMz75rRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0xgpkPoamU
Both were top Hong Kong singers and both were also good actors, Leslie Cheung exceptionally so.
6. Leslie Cheung in concert in 1989:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG_cGyuO9QQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHwc9paE0UY
7. Leslie Cheung in concert in 1997:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KZ9pGIsYoU
8. Leslie Cheung in concert in 2000:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po6vhNGi9_4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjNfYbR5OSQ
and a karaoke version of the same concert performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osO1LWx8JjY
9. A cover by Gregory:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-G3btfsq1Q4
He was singing at a bridal shops centre in China.
Gregory Charles Rivers is an Australian with a medical degree from University of New South Wales.
He is currently a Hong Kong TVB television actor.
10. A cover by Jacky Cheung:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjmz5CYxzQ
Beautifully sung.
But I wish Jacky Cheung did not smile during the singing; it was not the right mood for the song.
11. Cover by Hacken Lee:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqi3Qf9cWCk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHFnjpTgZTY
Very good.
12. A cover by William So:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_hCRBNfvi4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwJ5iX5Fic
As a person remarked in YouTube: "the strings are horrible."
13. A cover by Joey Yung in 2006:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uygbVsFUhfY
According to a YouTube comment, the violinist was Yao Jue and the music was by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic.
14. Leo Ku at the 2013 IFPI Award ceremony:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBANbRys8a4
"IFPI" is International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.
Another one by Leo Ku, first of two songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfiQyHdX1I4
15. For Your Heart Only is also a song appearing in the 2010 movie Frozen ("為你鍾情"):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49fGtZMoS0M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRJAxjZYS40
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT6v1mNbPYQ
The duet is by Janice Vidal and Aarif Rahman; both singers are also actors in the movie.
Frozen (2010) has the same Chinese name as the 1985 movie and was inspired by it, but the story is entirely different.
16. A live performance in 2010 by Janice Vidal and Aarif Rahman:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYawN4FCCW8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lpo1Zb3KJU
The singing is quite good.
But I wish Janice Vidal did not giggle at the beginning and after the performance.
The giggles did not set up the right mood for the song.
17. Janice Vidal and Aarif Rahman in concert in Malaysia in October, 2013; first of two songs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb2njWsaaRs
18. A cover by Jaime Fong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr2QfXQfxx4
She added some English lyrics to the middle of the song.
19. He sang with a lot of feelings:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZLXvR2HN7E
20. Anson Au at the Avenue of Stars:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOt29-TDa-U
The Avenue of Stars is located in Tsim Sha Tsui District, Hong Kong.
21. Piano covers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dl0vfLWOfg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtbyQ3HuhZQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5e1PjY8EvI
22. A Saxophone cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sij3GmxgjTA
23. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:
為你鍾情 -- 張國榮
為你鍾情 傾我至誠 請你珍藏 這分情
從未對人 傾訴秘密 一生首次盡吐心聲
望你應承 給我証明 此際心弦 有共鳴
然後對人 公開心情 用那金指環做証
* 對我講一聲終於肯接受 以後同用我的姓
對我講一聲 'I do! I do!' 願意一世讓我高興
# 為你鍾情 傾我至誠 請你珍藏 這份情
然後百年 終你一生 用那真心癡愛來做証
Repeat *, #
24. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:
为你钟情 -- 张国荣
为你钟情 倾我至诚 请你珍藏 这分情
从未对人 倾诉秘密 一生首次尽吐心声
望你应承 给我证明 此际心弦 有共鸣
然后对人 公开心情 用那金指环做证
* 对我讲一声终于肯接受 以后同用我的姓
对我讲一声 'I do! I do!' 愿意一世让我高兴
# 为你钟情 倾我至诚 请你珍藏 这份情
然后百年 终你一生 用那真心痴爱来做证
Repeat *, #
25. Names, Words and Phrases:
Aarif Rahman (Traditional Chinese : 李治廷; Simplified Chinese: 李治廷).
Alan Tam (Traditional: 譚詠麟; Simplified: 谭咏麟).
Anita Mui (Traditional: 梅艷芳; Simplified: 梅艳芳).
Gregory Charles Rivers (Traditional: 河國榮; Simplified: 河国荣).
Hacken Lee (Traditional: 李克勤; Simplified: 李克勤).
Jacky Cheung (Traditional: 張學友; Simplified: 张学友).
Jaime Fong (Traditional: 方珈悠; Simplified: 方珈悠).
Janice Vidal (Traditional: 衛蘭; Simplified: 卫兰).
Joey Yung (Traditional: 容祖兒; Simplified: 容祖儿).
Leo Ku (Traditional: 古巨基; Simplified: 古巨基).
Leslie Cheung (Traditional: 張國榮; Simplified: 张国荣).
Teresa Mo (Traditional: 毛舜筠; Simplified: 毛舜筠).
William So (Traditional: 蘇永康; Simplified: 苏永康).
Yao Jue (Traditional: 姚珏; Simplified: 姚珏).
References:
"Leslie Cheung", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Cheung
(accessed 2013-11-28).
"Wei ni zhong qing (1985)", Internet Movie Database (imdb),
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090304/
(accessed 2013-11-28).
"張國榮", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E5%BC%B5%E5%9C%8B%E6%A6%AE
(accessed 2013-11-28).
"為你鍾情 (張國榮專輯)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%82%BA%E4%BD%A0%E9%8D%BE%E6%83%85_%28%E5%BC%B5%E5%9C%8B%E6%A6%AE%E5%B0%88%E8%BC%AF%29
(accessed 2013-11-28).
"為你鍾情 (1985年電影)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%82%BA%E4%BD%A0%E9%8D%BE%E6%83%85_%281985%E5%B9%B4%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%29
(accessed 2013-11-28).
"為你鍾情 (2010年電影)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E7%82%BA%E4%BD%A0%E9%8D%BE%E6%83%85_%282010%E5%B9%B4%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1%29
(accessed 2013-11-28).
End.
