庆祝《贺年》专辑和「马来西亚演唱会」四十周年
以陈淑桦和邓丽君都演唱过的「恭喜恭喜」祝福大家新年快乐。Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Congratulations, performed by both Sarah Chen and Teresa Teng.
Celebrating the Lunar New Year with Sarah Chen's music. Forty years ago, Chen released a Lunar New Year album, one of her two albums devoted to cultural preservation. She spent the 1986 Lunar New Year with fans at a concert in Malaysia, her only recorded full-length concert. In this issue, we welcome the new year and mark the 40th anniversary of the Malaysia concert.
新春佳节,我们以陈淑桦的音乐庆祝新年。四十年前,陈淑桦发行了《贺年》专辑,这是她两部传统文化专辑之一。1986年,陈淑桦在马来西亚举办演唱会,和歌迷共度新年。在这里,我们也为这场稀有的演唱会作四十周年纪念。
One of Sarah Chen's most mysterious releases is Lunar New Year Special. Issued by EMI in 1985/1986, it contains ten traditional holiday songs and was originally marketed only in Singapore and Malaysia.
The circumstances behind Lunar New Year Special remain unclear, though it may have been produced as a stopgap release. The album arrived during a transitional period in Chen's career. Her long-time producer, Tan Jian-Chang, had just left EMI, and the label was ending its partnership with Four-Oceans in Taiwan without yet securing another local partner. Warner Music Singapore reissued the album in 2012, adding two tracks with markedly better sound quality (Four-Season Flowers and New Year Happiness).
It is on this album that Sarah Chen stepped into Teresa Teng's repertoire, recording three songs that Teng had previously sung: Congratulations to Everyone, Congratulations, and Ten-Thousand Years of Prosperity. Heard side by side, their styles are notably different. New Year with Teresa Teng is bright and chirpy — pure joy, like drinking from a pitcher of lemonade. New Year with Sarah Chen is warm and cozy, celebration with a little reflection, like sipping old wine. Chen's music may not be for everyone, but for those addicted to her, there's no putting her down.
陈淑桦最神秘的专辑之一是《贺年》专辑,由百代唱片在1985年末/1986年初在新加坡和马来西亚推出。这张专辑制作背景不明,但它也许起到了暂时稳定陈淑桦产量的作用。
这张唱片发行于陈淑桦事业的转折点。那时谭健常刚离开百代,同时百代终止了与四海唱片在台湾的代理合作,但还没有找到新的代理商。《贺年》由郑江中制作,最初只有十首歌,伴奏音质欠佳。2012年新加坡华纳唱片重新发行了这张专辑,并添加了两首音质更好的歌(「四季花开」和「新年喜洋洋」)。
陈淑桦在这张专辑里录制了三首邓丽君也演唱过的歌:「大家恭喜」,「恭喜恭喜」,和「万年红」。摆在一起,她俩的风格明显不同。邓丽君的新年歌欢快轻松,跟喝一杯柠檬汁一样清新爽快。陈淑桦的新年歌是温暖的祝福,庆祝中带着一丝反思,像陈年老酒一样醇厚。陈淑桦的音乐没有邓丽君的那么大众化,但一旦你爱上了她的演唱,你可真放不下她的作品。
Four-Season Flowers is a 1940s folk song. It describes a young woman's first love as she invites her beloved to four seasonal activities, ending with a Lunar New Year's family visit. It is a popular song covered by many artists, adaptable to drastically different styles. Sarah Chen's rendition, a later addition to her New Year album, was likely recorded when she was in her early 20s, judging by how young she sounds.
Before encountering Chen's version, I had known this song for years, but nothing prepared me for the punch her version landed. No, she wasn't being dramatic – quite the opposite. Unlike many more dramatized versions, Chen sings normally and quietly, repeating the tune almost mechanically four times. Yet this minimalistic style, where the singer nearly disappears, best captures the song's essence: a love song from someone who wants to both show and hide her feelings. You can hear shyness beside boldness, reluctance beside eagerness, and pleading beside tenderness.
Some of that comes through in how Chen shifts the stress around "Little Ge-Ge" (young man), creating a repeated pattern of irregularity to which the listener's brain cannot quite adapt. Weeks on repeat, I still can't imitate it.
As Sarah Chen disappears into the performance, she brings the best out of the song, revealing an emotional landscape that I once couldn't imagine.
「四季花开」是一首四十年代的民歌,描述一个年轻女子的初恋:她在歌中邀请恋人和她一起参加四个季节的活动,最后一段是春节去拜年。许多歌手和合唱团都演唱过这首歌,风格各异。陈淑桦的版本是后来添加到《贺年》专辑里的,录制时间不明。但从她的歌声中听起来,也许歌曲是在二十岁出头录制的。
在接触陈淑桦版本前,我对这首歌已经非常熟悉,却没意料到她的演唱带来的冲击力。陈淑桦的版本乍听没什么特色。恰恰相反,和许多更炫耀的版本相比,陈淑桦的演唱平淡无奇,她静悄悄地把曲调重复了四遍。而正是这种不张扬的演唱方式,当歌手从歌中消失时,你才听出这首歌的精髓:年轻女子既要显示又想隐藏她的爱意。从陈淑桦的版本里,你可以同时听到羞涩和大胆,回避和期盼,恳求和温柔。
这些复杂的情感部分来自陈淑桦对「小哥哥」音节重音的转移,造成既重复又变化的模式,使得听众不能完全捕捉重点到底在哪里。我循环播放了这首歌好多遍,还是没学会她的唱法。
当陈淑桦消失在她的演唱中时,她衬托出了歌中最美的意境,一个我曾经想象不到的感情境界。
A magazine clipping from 1987 about Sarah Chen celebrating Lunar New Year by exchanging the Red Envelopes. 1987年杂志剪辑:陈淑桦庆祝新年,赠送和花销红包
Red envelopes, our favorite Lunar New Year tradition, the annual give and take. In a 1987 news piece (see image above), Sarah Chen reportedly received red envelopes totaling 10,000 TWD, and spent it all during the holidays!
Depending on where you live, it can be hard to observe Lunar New Year. But who can resist the lure of the red envelope? In our family, we keep it fun and a little mathematical: children's red envelopes scale with age, starting from one cent at age 0, then growing year by year, until they age out of the system.
What is one Lunar New Year tradition that you practice?
啊,赠送和收红包,我们最喜爱的春节传统,每年一次的你来我往。1987年新年的报道说(见上图),陈淑桦新年收的红包多达台币一万元,一个春节全花掉了。
在传统中国文化之外的地方,春节少了它的氛围,但谁能抗拒红包的诱惑?给红包是我们迎接春节的传统。在我家,红包是个小小的数学游戏:给小孩的红包随年龄增长,从零岁时一分钱开始,一年一年往上加,直到成年前“毕业”。
你家过春节有什么传统?
「唱歌唱了好多年,也唱了很多地方,真的,马来西亚的吉隆坡让我觉得很亲切。你们也非常的可爱。尤其是能够在这儿跟大家一起过年。相信会让我永远记得你们,永远怀念你们,谢谢你们。」 ——陈淑桦, 1986 马来西亚演唱会
"I have been singing for many years, in many places. Truly, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia makes me feel at home. You've all been so lovely. Being able to celebrate the new year here with everyone is so special. I will always remember you and cherish the memory of you. Thank you." -- Sarah Chen, 1986 Malaysia concert
「她歌声中的温暖给这些英文歌添加了另一种风味」。
File: E4.1986CYYongBWPhotos39大马秀报道抵达
Date: 1986
Source: 不明,来自马来西亚
Author: 本报依耳
Title: 看陈淑桦出色包装下演唱
Link: None. Magazine scans from Ms. Yong
People mentioned: N/A
Summary: 这场演唱会以「星光满天」开场,“带来热烘烘的气氛,紧接着气势磅礴的「海洋之歌」深深扣紧观众的视线。” 「海洋之歌」不仅是唱,还有六位舞蹈家身穿白纱,加上和音以及灯光配置,带来磅礴的气魄。这场演唱会里陈淑桦唱的唯一的英文歌是「Say You, Say Me」,联唱的歌是「失去钥匙的心锁」和「黑发变白发」,后者显出阵阵无奈。陈淑桦和另外两人合唱「恭喜发财」,以此给观众拜年。
演唱会还出人意外地有陈淑桦第一次唱粤语歌「少女慈禧」,“虽然有些咬词不准确,” 但记者认为第一次就唱成这样,她有条件攻香港市场。记者纳闷的是为什么加入台语歌「丢丢铜」,但说舞蹈员的装扮和陈淑桦的福建唱腔带来的风味不错。演唱会包括了那时陈淑桦在百代的热门歌「愚昧的等待」,「秋意上心头」,和「就让它吧」。
最后以「浪迹天涯」结束,又是热烘烘的。全场共50分钟,精美的舞装,乐队、和音和灯光都编排不错,虽然是陈淑桦第一次演唱会,给大家留下深刻的印象。
Context: 这篇报道讲述陈淑桦1986年农历新年(2/9-2/18)在马来西亚演唱会中的一场。那段时间她每晚开一场,一共约十天,曲目大同小异。后来百代发行的现场录音和这篇文章里的略有不同。
Comments:
(1)从这篇报道看来这场演唱会非常成功。虽然是陈淑桦的第一次全场演唱会,但彩排和编曲都获得好评,看来她花了功夫。
(2)在演唱「少女慈禧」前,陈淑桦和一位说粤语的观众有段粤语对话,她能讲,但不流利。现场演唱得全靠把歌词背下来。这首歌的歌词深奥,介于古诗和散文之间,在陈淑桦粤语不流利的时候,要全场记住每个字的发音绝不是易事。
(3)那段时间的采访中,陈淑桦提到百代希望她打入日本和香港市场,所以她在练习粤语。当时的报道还说她将录制粤语专辑。1986年年初演唱「少女慈禧」看来的确是一个考验。如记者的反馈,那时她的粤语可以上现场,但看来还没有达到做专辑的水准。
(4)事后不久,陈淑桦的国语音乐制作由滚石代理,1987年入滚石时,她的一大心愿是举办大型的”陈淑桦演唱会“,在新马台等地循演。这个愿望在1995年《淑桦盛开》发行后再次提起,但那时她担心体力不支。陈淑桦最后没有办成演唱会,而是录制了告别专辑《生生世世》,也许那里的歌是她会在离别歌坛的演唱会里唱的。1986年马来西亚的演唱会便成了她唯一的全场录音演唱会。
The heroes of Project Restoration are long-time fans of Sarah Chen who, in Chen's 30-year absence, have kept memories and documents about her. The 1986 Malaysia Concert is at the center of this project; without it, we simply would not have gained access to contemporaneous materials that are central to documenting Sarah Chen's career and legacy.
I first "met" a special Sarah Chen fan on the Sarah Chen Memory Gate YouTube channel, when we covered Chen's long-lost song "Tossing Copper Coins," a song performed live at the 1986 Lunar New Year's Malaysia Concert. She left a comment about her experience at the concert, recalling how Sarah Chen and her mother had warmly received them backstage. She even knew the exact dates and title of the concert and had taken photos of the event. The revelation was stunning: suddenly, we had an eyewitness to Sarah Chen's rare concert, and even more than that, to her character.
When I first started writing about Sarah Chen, I relied on online sources. Some were interviews, but many were fragments, distorted memories, and rehashed old stories. I thought that was all there was, as the possibility of finding old magazines from the pre-digital era felt minuscule. And gaining the trust of long-time Sarah Chen fans seemed even less likely: as a newcomer and outsider without any credentials, I expected to be received with skepticism.
But the shared love for Sarah Chen's music brought us together, and the shared goal of restoring her legacy overcame any skepticism. I am so grateful for the Malaysia concert that opened a brand-new, more truthful memory gate toward Chen's career than the one I started with.
When Sarah Chen promised at the concert that she would cherish the memory of her Malaysia fans, she probably didn't expect them to return her kindness after so many years. But you reap what you sow. And when Chen sowed love, humanity, and kindness, love and kindness grew.
「陈淑桦音乐史复原计划」的幕后英雄是追随她多年的粉丝。在陈淑桦谢幕三十年来,她的歌迷保存了她的资料和记忆。「复原计划」的导火线是1986年马来西亚演唱会,若没有它,我们不会找到和陈淑桦同期的报刊资料。
大约一年前,我们在YouTube频道上播出「丢丢铜」的视频,那是陈淑桦在马来西亚演唱会上录制的现场演唱歌曲。在视频的留言里,我有幸遇到一位特别的歌友,她不仅参加了这场演唱会,还拍了现场照片,随后在后台受到陈淑桦和她的母亲亲切的会面。这段留言改变了我们工作的性质:我们不再是纸上谈兵,而是遇到陈淑桦生涯的一手证人,甚至是她性情的见证者。
「记忆的门」工作的早期,我们接触的只是网上可寻的信息。其中有一些当年的采访,但大多数资料是残存的片段,扭曲的记忆,和不可信的陈年老调。陈淑桦的职业在互联网普及之前,能找到当年报刊资料的可能性几乎是零。要得到她长年歌迷的信任更难,毕竟我是个来历不明的外人,又是全新的歌迷,也许只是一时兴起。
但对陈淑桦音乐的喜爱最终将新老歌迷连起来,而我们共同的愿望——探寻陈淑桦的音乐贡献和她应得的荣誉——克服了对我的怀疑。我很感谢马来西亚演唱会:它开启了另一扇门,一扇比我最初打开的门更真实和可信的「陈淑桦记忆的门」。
四十年前,当陈淑桦在演唱会上对歌友说「我会永远记得你们」时,她也许没有想到这么多年后,他们将回报她的友善。但种豆得豆,种瓜得瓜。陈淑桦种的是关爱、人情、和友善,她收回的自然也是尊爱和关怀。
Legendary or ordinary, by plane or by dreams, we all find our way back home.
I left home years ago and drifted farther and farther away, yet Lunar New Year always brings me back, not physically but virtually, to the smell of my mother’s cooking, the sound of my father’s music, and the laughter of my siblings. Family, the one I left behind to find a place in the world, beckons my return as the calendar turns another year.
Sarah Chen’s story begins with her family. One of the first magazine reports on Chen was about her upbringing in a large household. Early sibling rivalry toughened her, while the discipline her parents instilled made her who she was. Chen was fortunate to have her mother’s company in her career, a partnership that supplied not only emotional support but also professional guidance.
After several years of spending the Lunar New Year away from family, Chen breathed a sigh of relief in 1987, declining all show invitations and spending the holiday season at home. When she quietly left music a decade later, Chen returned home, spending time by her mother’s side in her final years.
Legendary or ordinary, by plane or by dreams, we all find our way back home, leaving behind a memory, an imprint, even a New Year song or two.
In this Lunar New Year, I wish you good fortune, good health, and most importantly, a happy family life.
我离家多年,走得越来越远,但春节总是归家的时候,哪怕身在天涯,心却在家中,仿佛闻到我母亲做的菜,听到父亲演奏的音乐,和姐妹的欢笑。家乡远在天边,却总是在新年召唤着我。
家庭是陈淑桦故事的开端。最早的杂志报道说她成长在一个大家庭里,好几个姐妹使她性情变得坚强,而父母严格的家教塑造了她的品行。在事业里,陈淑桦有幸得到母亲的全力支持,既是她的精神支柱,也给了她职业指导。
连着几年春节在外面演唱,1987年春节,陈淑桦舒了一口气,推掉所有演出,终于可以和父母欢聚一堂过新年。十年后,她悄然告别歌坛,回到家里伴母亲渡过余生。
无论是名人还是普通人,归途万里还是梦回故里,我们终会找到归家之路。留下的是一段记忆,一些作为,甚至一两首贺年歌。
在这个除夕之际,祝福你新年好运无穷,身体健康,全家安康幸福。
无论是名人还是普通人,归途万里还是梦回故里,我们终会找到归家之路。
This site was enriched by the generosity of a long-time Sarah Chen fan from Malaysia, C.Y., who shared her personal collection of clippings and magazine articles spanning much of Chen's career (1983-1996).