[Music] Shirley Kwan -- Happy are Those in Love

Happy are Those in Love (1989) 

Shirley Kwan

1. One of my younger cousins is getting marry this weekend and this song is dedicated to Tammy on the occasion of her wedding.


2. Happy are Those in Love ("難得有情人") is a lively romantic love song by Shirley Kwan.

This song came out in 1989 and became a hit immediately.

The song was subsequently selected as the theme song of a Japanese TV drama ("新婚物語") that was broadcasted on Hong Kong's TVB television station.

Happy are Those in Love is one of the signature songs of Shirley Kwan.

The English translation of the song title is taken from a CD and I quite like the translation.

For those not familiar, the phrase "happy (or blessed) are those" is taken from the Beatitudes, which is part of the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament of the Holy Bible.


3. Shirley Kwan in concert in 2006:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhB9uMNveXI

She is a very good live performer.


I am not sure why Shirley Kwan cried during the performance but the fans were very supportive:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrIXK7FIfJw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xnvTXZWdtQ

By the way, "Rare Lovers" is a dictionary translation of "難得有情人" but misses the meaning of the song title entirely.


4. Other concert versions by Shirley Kwan:

Shirley in concert in Singapore in 2013:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fowq0VTEkng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaQN8ocZNVg


Another concert in 2013:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9CFhrXuM_U


Shirley in a New Year's Eve function in 2012:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc9rlktUIbY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY_HK2dXd2A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9evyVR83Js


Shirley in concert in 2010:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK_J_BF36z0


This music video is produced to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the song in 2009:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWo0qsZmvAM


A slow version of the song from a 2008 concert:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7vNwbStm3Q

Very nice.


Shirley in concert in 1995:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7L1rpfKHnc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YM1Sk_GdpA


This might be the original karaoke version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fjAENwcfpg


5. Happy are Those in Love in Mandarin with different lyrics:

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxhhqIv9ozg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCAZ9IhsQjs

The Mandarin lyrics are inferior to the Cantonese originals by far.

There are many covers of this song in YouTube by both amateurs and professional singers and some of them are very good.


6. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:

 
難得有情人 -- 關淑怡

如早春初醒   催促我的心
將不可再等
含情待放那歲月   空出了癡心
令人動心

* 幸福的光陰   它不會偏心
將分給每顆心
情緣亦遠亦近   將交錯一生
情侶愛得更甚

# 甜蜜地與愛人   風裡飛奔
高聲歡呼你有情   不枉這生
一聲你願意   一聲我願意
驚天愛再沒遺憾

@ 明月霧裡照人   相愛相親
讓對對的戀人   增添性感
一些戀愛變恨   更多戀愛故事動人
劃上了絲絲美感

Repeat *, #, @

一些戀愛變恨   更多戀愛故事動人
劃上了絲絲美感


7. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:

 
难得有情人 -- 关淑怡

如早春初醒   催促我的心
将不可再等
含情待放那岁月   空出了痴心
令人动心

* 幸福的光阴   它不会偏心
将分给每颗心
情缘亦远亦近   将交错一生
情侣爱得更甚

# 甜蜜地与爱人   风里飞奔
高声欢呼你有情   不枉这生
一声你愿意   一声我愿意
惊天爱再没遗憾

@ 明月雾里照人   相爱相亲
让对对的恋人   增添性感
一些恋爱变恨   更多恋爱故事​​动人
划上了丝丝美感

Repeat *, #, @

一些恋爱变恨   更多恋爱故事​​动人
划上了丝丝美感


8. Names, Words and Phrases:

Shirley Kwan (Traditional Chinese: 關淑怡; Simplified Chinese: 关淑怡).


References:

"Shirley Kwan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Kwan
(accessed 2015-07-21).

"關淑怡", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%97%9C%E6%B7%91%E6%80%A1
(accessed 2015-07-21).

"難得有情人 (關淑怡粵語專輯)", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hk/%E9%9B%A3%E5%BE%97%E6%9C%89%E6%83%85%E4%BA%BA_%28%E9%97%9C%E6%B7%91%E6%80%A1%E7%B2%B5%E8%AA%9E%E5%B0%88%E8%BC%AF%29
(accessed 2015-07-21).

End.

[Music] Shirley Kwan - Dream Partner

1. "Dream Partner" ("夢伴") is originally a Japanese song sung by Masahiko Kondo and was first covered in Cantonese by Anita Mui.

I am going to break protocol and list it under Shirley Kwan for the reason that it is her version that has influenced me.

"Dream Partner" has three very distinct Cantonese interpretations:

(a) Anita Mui's original cover came out in 1985 and was influenced by John Travolta's Grease (1978).

It is Anita Mui's version that has the greatest influenced on the Cantonese public.

(b) Shirley Kwan's version was a very interesting cross between Cantopop and Rhythm and Blues.

It came out in 1995 and was part of Shirley's album " 'EX' All Time Favourites".

(c) Erika Lee's version came out in 2010 and is a slow guitar version.

The album name is simply "Erika".


2. A search in YouTube yields many instances of this song.

A version from Shirley Kwan's 1995 album " 'EX' All Time Favourites":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akHtrqlE1IM

I really like the feel of this song.


3. A concert version by Shirley Kwan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcF6vZpZNak

The uploader did not say when this concert was; but it must be quite recent.


4. The Japanese original by Masahiko Kondo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNgk5Ej73JM


5. Anita Mui in 1986:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l8PUGDkhTw

Did she look like John Travolta?


6. Anita Mui -- A remix version for disco:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6hp2LevB08


7. A pretty rare music video by Anita Mui: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_p9V1iTYbg


8. A rare Mandarin version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFYYKCixUbo

Anita Mui was performing in Taiwan in 1990.


9. Erika Lee's slow guitar version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEpf9hWIOtc

The album name is "Erika".


10. A must see sidewalk karaoke version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7IXBEo8HHQ

Miss Chan sang with chutzpah. Bravo!

The sidewalk karaoke is located in Mongkok District, Hong Kong.


11. Aaron Kwok paying tribute to Anita Mui in concert:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOSuQR_resI

The concert was in 2004, less than a year after Anita's death from cancer.


12. Cantonese Opera singer Liang Yurong:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdhKM6jv-Lg

Liang is from Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, China.

She did not get this song right, did she?


13. Miss Lau is a very good singer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raqhVcAhyk4


14. Barbie sang surprisingly well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryepQjPSlFM

But what was "Kan" doing?


15. The Lyrics in Traditional Chinese:


夢伴 - 梅艷芳

煤氣燈不禁影照街裡一對蚯蚓
照過以倆心相親一對小情人
沉默以擁吻抵抗一切的冰與冷
晚意借北風輕輕的飄起長長裙
多溫馨 (心裡)
風中那笑聲 (淌淚)

＊嘗盡了失意的我將一切都褪去
再到這風中心中竟彷似傷痕纍纍
然後再憶記起當晚跟你在這裡
相依相擁中
交出的心早已失去 (失去 已破碎)
不可以再追 (酒淚)
(DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY BABY)

＃今天今天星閃閃
剩下我北風中漆黑中帶著淚
念當天當天跟他一起的每天
今天今天星閃閃
剩下我漆黑中北風中帶淚悼念
當天的心   歡欣
再也再也再也不見
一切已失去   不可以再追

Repeat   ＊,＃

一切已失去   不可以再追
一切已失去


16. The Lyrics in Simplified Chinese:


梦伴 - 梅艳芳

煤气灯不禁影照街里一对蚯蚓
照过以俩心相亲一对小情人
沉默以拥吻抵抗一切的冰与冷
晚意借北风轻轻的飘起长长裙
多温馨 (心里)
风中那笑声 (淌泪)

＊尝尽了失意的我将一切都褪去
再到这风中心中竟彷似伤痕累累
然后再忆记起当晚跟你在这里
相依相拥中
交出的心早已失去 (失去 已破碎)
不可以再追 (酒泪)
(DON'T WORRY, DON'T WORRY BABY)

＃今天今天星闪闪
剩下我北风中漆黑中带着泪
念当天当天跟他一起的每天
今天今天星闪闪
剩下我漆黑中北风中带泪悼念
当天的心   欢欣
再也再也再也不见
一切已失去   不可以再追

Repeat   ＊,＃

一切已失去 不可以再追
一切已失去


17. Names, Words and Phrases:

Shirley Kwan (Traditional Chinese: 關淑怡; Simplified Chinese: 关淑怡).

Aaron Kwok (Traditional: 郭富城; Simplified: 郭富城).

Anita Mui (Traditional: 梅艷芳; Simplified: 梅艳芳).

Barbie (Traditional: 芭比; Simplified: 芭比).

Erika Lee (Traditional: 李悅君; Simplified: 李悦君).

Guangdong (Traditional: 廣東; Simplified: 广东).

Guangzhou (Traditional: 廣州; Simplified: 广州).

John Travolta (Traditional: 約翰·屈伏塔; Simplified: 约翰·特拉沃尔塔).

(Rendition of foreign names in Hong Kong, Taiwan and China are often different from each other.)

Liang Yurong (Traditional: 梁玉嶸; Simplified: 梁玉嵘).

Masahiko Kondo (Traditional: 近藤真彦; Simplified: 近藤真彦).

Mongkok District (Traditional: 旺角區; Simplified: 旺角区).

Rhythm and blues (Traditional: 節奏藍調; Simplified: 节奏蓝调).


References:

"Shirley Kwan", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Kwan
(accessed 2012-02-24).

"EX All Time Favourites", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/EX_All_Time_Favourites
(accessed 2012-02-24).

"關淑怡", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-hant/%E9%97%9C%E6%B7%91%E6%80%A1
(accessed 2012-02-24).

"壞女孩", Wikipedia - The Free Encyclopedia,
http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A3%9E%E5%A5%B3%E5%AD%A9
(accessed 2012-02-24).

End.