Day of the Oldies

Growing up my mom loved music and I think that's why I love music too. Sometimes those music that my mom used to listen to resonates in my head. I can't help but sings one of these oldies. It's really nostalgic. So a few years when I was passing by a music store in San Francisco, I saw a few "best of" collections of singers that my mom used to love. Yesterday, a friend brought on an old song, and I thought "I have some CDs of some oldies stored up somewhere, it might be nice to burn them into my iPod." So I brought them to work today.

Deanie Ip has always been my favorite even since I was a kid. One of my online friend told me once that all gay people from Hong Kong loves Deanie Ip, Faye Wong and Sandy Lam, I'm afriad I can hardly argue with that. In Dreamgirls someone says Beyonce's Diana Ross type character got to be a star because she doesn't have any emotions in her voice and that what I feel about the latest canto-pop singers. They are pretty to look at, but if you really listen to them, there's no feeling expressed. I much rather listen to Deanie any time of the day.

Paula Tsui is another older singers from Hong Kong that people don't speak of anymore. One of my aunts used to love her, she even changed her name to Paula because of her. But when I listen to her now, it's a bit cheesy. Her songs are mostly borrowed Japanese melodies with heavy 70s feeling. Somehow I got into a discussion with ES about Teresa Tang. She hit it big back then in Asia, the whole Asia loved her. It is rare for a Chinese/Taiwanese singer to hit it big in countries that doesn't speak the language. Judy Ongg is another one of them. Teresa was regarded as a national treasure of China and later died of an asthma attack in Thailand. I remember that she had a much younger French boyfriend. And of course I still remember Jenny Tseng, the Kwans and a singer named Bao. One of my favorite oldies is the theme song of a kung fu TV series called "The Condor Heroes". I wish I can download it somewhere.