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📕 About this Issue 一生献给音乐
📕 About this Issue 一生献给音乐
陈淑桦歌声成长的YouTube 视频。YouTube video comparing Sarah Chen's vocals across ages 9, 12, and 18.
A Lifetime Devoted to Music
A Lifetime Devoted to Music
Although early music training greatly aids the development of musical skills, few professional singers have recordings from early childhood. Sarah Chen is an exception, providing precious data for understanding vocal development in singers.
虽然早期音乐训练对乐感的培养有很大帮助，但专业歌手中极少有人在童年时期就有录音。陈淑桦是华语乐坛的例外，为了解歌声的成长提供了珍贵的资料。
🎶 Song of the Issue 本期歌曲
🎶 Song of the Issue 本期歌曲
Sarah Chen released her first single, Water Wagon Girl, at age 9. 陈淑桦九岁时以《水车姑娘》出道。Composer: 米山正夫; Lyricist: 叶俊麟. Note: The other girl on the cover of this video is a different singer, Jiang Lei.
🎵 Water Wagon Girl「水车姑娘」
🎵 Water Wagon Girl「水车姑娘」
Water Wagon Girl, Sarah Chen's debut song, was one of three she recorded at age 9. In it, Chen sings of a girl yearning for a boy she loves while working the fields with her father. She later re-recorded the song three times, twice at age 12 (in Taiwanese and Mandarin) and once at age 18 with different lyrics. With its mature theme, the recording documents both Chen's extraordinary early talent and the moral failure of the entertainment industry.
陈淑桦九岁时录制了三首歌，《水车姑娘》是她的出道曲，讲述一个女孩在帮父亲种田时思念心上人的故事。她后来三次重录这首歌：12岁的台语和华语版、以及18岁时改词的《春花开在你脸上》。主题太成熟，这首歌既是陈淑桦天赋的见证，也记录了娱乐圈在道义上的失格。
💬 Quote of the Issue 本期名言
💬 Quote of the Issue 本期名言
"我不敢唱爱情歌，分给我唱《交叉线》，真是谢天谢地。"
——陈淑桦, 1983 「电视周刊」回忆早期发展
“I grew afraid of singing ballads. Thank goodness they assigned Intersecting Line to me." -- Sarah Chen, 1983 recounting her early experiences.
Note: Chen performed live on a TV show "Golden Melody" at age 14. Although still about relationships, “Intersecting Line” was nearly age-appropriate. The warm reception from auience drover her to a singing career.
🗞️ From the Archive 档案精选
🗞️ From the Archive 档案精选
The 1983 TTV article recounted Sarah Chen's college years, when she secretively passed a singer's certification test and began performing at a hotel club. Concerned about the entertainment industry's unhealthy work environment, Chen's parents initially did not support her career choice. Her mother later became her manager out of necessity.
1983年《电视周刊》记录了陈淑桦大学时期，瞒着家人考取歌星证。她父母担心娱乐界工作环境不健康，起初并不支持她踏入歌坛。后来由于职业需求，母亲才成为她的经纪人。
🗨️ Fan message 本期歌迷留言
🗨️ Fan message 本期歌迷留言
Fan message (Sep 2025) left on Sister Abby's episode on Sarah Chen
Fan message (Sep 2025) left on Sister Abby's episode on Sarah Chen
"I really like Sarah Chen's songs. If I get a chance to watch her perform again, I'd be very happy and excited. But if fate has it that I won't see her again, I will always respect her and wish her a carefree life. Love you!"
📷 Photo Highlight 本期照片
📷 Photo Highlight 本期照片
陈淑桦14岁时，在电台"金曲奖"竞赛中被安排演唱《交叉线》。戴的是假发。来源：TTV 电视周刊。
Sarah Chen performing "Intersecting Lines" at age 14 on TV for the "Golden Melody" show. She wore a wig. (Source: TTV)
陈淑桦成年早期作电视主持人（左图），在1981年金马奖上现场演唱（右图）。来源：TTV 电视周刊。
Sarah Chen as a TV show host (left) and in a 1981 live performance (right). Source: TTV, 1983
✏️ Today's Blog 本期博客
✏️ Today's Blog 本期博客
Not a pea princess
Not a pea princess
不是豌豆公主
不是豌豆公主
陈淑桦一生独立，这是必然的。在一个有六七个孩子的家庭里，没有豌豆公主。
陈淑桦在家中排第四，有一个哥哥和四个姐妹†。父亲是高档家具的设计师，会造家具。母亲是陈淑桦的经纪人和事业伙伴。她的父母曾在日本受教育，家规传统而严格，注重礼节、晚上十点必须回家，交朋友可以但必须带回家。陈淑桦后来采访时说这些严格的规矩养成了她和兄妹们的良好习惯。
陈淑桦从小就对音乐很敏感，音乐一响便又唱又跳。童年即加入合唱团，接受音乐训练。小学时，下雨天是“陈淑桦日”，不能出门，所以全班听她唱歌。中学时，如果音乐老师缺席，她就给老师代课。她的才华很早便被发掘——八岁赢得全国歌唱比赛，九岁发行了第一首单曲《水车姑娘》。
不幸的是，台湾歌坛一开始在发展陈淑桦才华时犯了大错。她12岁时，七星唱片发了她的第一批国语歌曲，收了六首歌，由一位25岁的男士填词（他也是专辑下半部的歌手）。他要么不知道她的年龄，要么只想着自己，填的歌词令人毛骨悚然，是男人在妄想女人的感受。这样的词谁都唱不下去，更别说一个12岁的小孩。这么大的判断错误，唱片公司非但不阻止，还大作宣传，夸陈淑桦是天才童星，歌声久久不散；赞填词者经验丰富，歌声也不错。这些歌吓着了陈淑桦，听她含糊带过，匆匆地吞掉了一些句子，恨不得跳过去，尽快逃离。
从此陈淑桦开始害怕唱情歌。但她对音乐的热爱太深，天赋太强，怎能就此放弃。14岁时，她受邀参加电视上的“金曲奖”歌唱比赛，庆幸被分配到的是《交叉线》，虽然也是情歌，但歌词还可以接受。她的表演给观众留下了深刻的印象，把她推向了歌唱事业。
完成九年义务教育后，陈淑桦就读于中国文化大学，主修舞蹈。1975年，大二那年秋天，17岁的她瞒着家人，在南方城市考了歌手证。那个寒假，她开始在台湾饭店驻唱英文歌曲，唱了两年。
也许是因为她唱歌花的时间太多，学校要求她在学业和歌唱之间做选择，她选择了后者。休学后开始了她的职业生涯（一些报道说她后来完成了学业）。1976年，陈淑桦发行了成年后的第一张专辑《再会吧！心上人》。那时她已找到了对付情歌的办法——自由发挥。
由于她早期唱歌的星路平淡无奇，陈淑桦走上电视主持的路。1977年，陈淑桦与华视合作，主持了两年的《千里单骑》，骑着摩托车走访台湾各地。1979年，她开始主持《青青草原》和《星河颂》, 还与文帅合演了一部电影《此情可待成追忆》，但平淡的拍摄经历让她决定不再从事表演。
和网络上的说法相反，四十年前的资料表明，陈淑桦的父母对她的演艺事业并不积极，有时不得不帮她。1985年马来西亚杂志报道说陈淑桦的父母并不支持她小时候走歌唱这条路，说她八岁时是偷偷报名参加了全国歌唱比赛。1983年台视周刊报道，说她考歌手证是背着家人做的。1985年她获得金钟奖后打电话给父亲，父亲只问她什么时候回家——他想念的是女儿，而不是女儿得的奖。她的母亲也在她获得金钟奖后劝她将重心转到个人问题上。1992年的采访中，陈淑桦表明，与母亲的合作是她自己的选择。
陈淑桦一生独立，这是必然的。在一个有六七个孩子的家庭里，没有豌豆公主。生性倔强，又不是幺女，在兄弟姐妹竞争中成长，她成不了白雪公主，只能是“万事通博士”。
* 資料來源：電視週刊 TTV's 1983 陳淑樺專輯、馬來西亞八十年代報刊摘要、陳淑樺 1992 年的採訪、七星唱片宣傳文件，以及作者的分析。
Sarah Chen is the fourth of six children†. Her father was a designer and maker of high-end furniture. Her mother was Chen's manager and business partner. Her parents, educated in Japan, followed traditional and strict family rules, including good manners, a 10 p.m. curfew, and requiring all dates to be brought home. Chen credited these strict rules for shaping her good habits.
Sarah Chen showed a strong passion for music from an early age, singing and dancing whenever she heard music. She joined a choir and received music training as a child. In elementary school, rainy days were known as "Sarah Chen days" as she entertained her class with singing. In middle school, she would teach music to her class when the music teacher was absent. Her talent was recognized early: after winning a national singing contest at age 8, Chen released her first single, Water Wagon Girl, at age 9.
The development of that talent, however, began with a blunder by Taiwan's entertainment industry. Seven Star Records released Chen's first Mandarin songs at age 12. Yet they had a 25-year-old man (the co-singer on Chen's album) write lyrics for her. He either didn’t know her age or was egocentric, giving her appalling lines that reflected male fantasies about how women should feel toward men. Nobody should have been singing those lines, least of all a 12-year-old child. Instead of correcting the gross error, Seven Star praised the lyricist's experience in writing songs while promoting Chen as a rising star with an unforgettable voice. Terrified and wishing to skip some lines, Chen hurried through some and mumbled others, as if singing faster could help her escape.
Sarah Chen grew afraid of singing love songs. Yet her passion for music was too strong, and her talent too great, to give up. When she was invited to a singing contest on TV at age 14 (the "Golden Melody" competition), she was relieved to be assigned Intersecting Lines, as its lyrics were almost acceptable. Her performance left a strong impression on the audience, adding to her determination to become a singer.
After completing nine years of mandatory education, Sarah Chen went to college (Chinese Culture University), majoring in dance. In the fall of her sophomore year, at age 17, hiding her intentions from her family, Chen sneaked to a southern city to take a test for her singer's certificate. That winter, she began a two-year stint singing English songs in Taiwan hotels.
Perhaps because she was spending too much time away from college, Chen was forced to choose between school and singing, and she chose the latter, though some reports suggest she may have later completed her degree. In 1976, at age 18, Chen released her first album as an adult, the lovely Farewell, My Love. By then, she had found a way to handle love songs - expressing her feelings freely and deeply.
Her stardom in music, however, was slow to rise. Chen tried an alternative career as a TV host. In 1977, she started hosting a two-year-long show, Thousand-Mile Ride, with Hua-Shi, riding motorcycles to various places in Taiwan. In 1979, she began hosting Green Meadows and Ode to the Galaxy. She also co-starred in a movie with Wen Shuai (This Love Could Be Remembered), though the lackluster experience convinced her not to act again.
Original sources on Chen’s upbringing suggest that, contrary to widespread rumors, her parents took a secondary role in her career and were often reluctant supporters. A 1985 Malaysian magazine reported that Chen's parents were lukewarm about her childhood singing. She was said to have secretly entered the national singing competition at age 8. TTV reported that she obtained her singer's certificate without telling her family. When she won her first major music award in 1985 and called her father, he asked when she'd be home; he missed her, not her award. Her mother, too, helped out of necessity. In a 1992 interview, Chen made clear that the collaboration with her mother was her own choice.
Sarah Chen was fiercely independent all her life. After all, there’s no pea princess in a family of six or seven. Stubborn from birth and toughened by sibling rivalry, Chen was more a Doc than a Snow White.
* Sources: TTV's 1983 special issue about Sarah Chen, 1980s magazines from Malaysia and Singapore, Chen's 1992 interview, Seven Star album cover, and the author's synthesis of other sources.
Sarah Chen was fiercely independent all her life. After all, there's no pea princess in a family of six or seven.
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
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).
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