Monthly Archive for August, 2005

JET Magazine September Issue is available at the newsstand now! Click the photo or here to read the full article and full scans. Get your copy now, I checked the newsstands near me, some of them has it sold out already!

They have also interviewed Dick Lee, Anthony Lung, Wyman, Mark Lui, Paco, Miriam Yeung, and sandyandme.com webmaster!! Of course, two full pages of Sandy interview, she talks about the up coming album and concert, and most importantly she has answered some of our questions about using Mark Lui as her new producer.

Summary:

Q: When did you realize you need to improve?
A: After Grey, the song itself had some kind of achievements, but the stage performance was not qualified, so I went on studying singing and dancing with many different teachers. Such learning period lasted really not, even until Wildflower when everyone thought I was doing great, I didn’t stop there. yet, I haven’t done the same now, I guess it really depends on practicing on your own, after learning so much in the past, I have already known what’s it all about.

Q: About the MP3 and download songs era.
A: Technology changes everyday. In the old days, music is one big entertainment to us all, our living style was much simple then. All we wanted was to save money, buy a cassette tape, bring it home, and entertain ourselves all night long. But nowadays, things have changed and there are too many entertainments out there, while they are so easy accessible, there is no value in them anymore, that’s one of the reasons why making music is so difficult. I do believe, however, if we can stick to our principle and do our best, let’s try not to let these matters bothering us.

I think live performance is getting more and more important now, because we can download a song anytime, we don’t treasure the music like before. We don’t go to CD stores and ask this and that anymore. Supposedly, music is an element to heal our heart, a way to express our feelings, it has its importance. But our lifestyle has changed so much, we want more and just by listening to music on a CD is not enough. That’s why live performance is more important now.

Q: Does it mean you will do more live performance? How about musical?
A: I love live performance! After all these years, sometimes, I prefer doing live than doing recording. However, I can’t do it by myself, it is a team effort, you need a really good team. As for musical, I would love to do it, but it takes a long time, and it depends on the market’s maturity. I think Hong Kong people are much open about it these days, which is good.

Q: About the coming concert.
A: The concert in 2002 was great, I had a really good time doing it. After all, it took six years before the 2002 concert, and because of the expectation, I had more room to do that concert. This year, some thought it’s 20th anniversary now, and some say I should sing all the oldies this time! But I have done it in the last concert already, so I hope to begin a new page and give a new energy in it. I don’t want it to be another concert with old or regular song, but the details are not confirmed yet, things keep on changing. (Would you sing more side tracks?) I would love that!

Q: About her fans.
A: To my fans, I truly appreciate them following me and supporting me all these years, this is something really makes me happy and touches my heart. I believe fans around the world are the same, but different places like the different side of me, for example, in Hong Kong, they prefer to see me as a performer, they love to see me dance; in Taiwan and Mainland, they like the opposite side of me.

Q: What do think about being a gay icon?
A: Perhaps people who likes me are more sensitive, and they don’t know how to express themselves. I guess I have some kind of quality that they could find something similar in my music. It doesn’t matter to me which side my fans prefer, this is not important. What’s more important is what do we really appreciate. We should have a standard on what we are chasing for. Perhaps we want a better lifestyle, a better way to express our feelings, and I think my music can bring them to a better place.

Q: About the new Cantonese album.
A: I must say I am a little afraid of making a concept album. I have done a few in the past, and it is not an easy task. Nowadays, I just want to take it easy and produce whatever I feel like. This coming Cantonese album means a lot to me, because my last Cantonese album release was in 1996. Many people ask me why would I spend so much time in it while the market is shrinking. But that’s where I begin! This year suppose to be my 20th anniversary, it’s something really exciting. I want to take it easy and do it for my fans. Of course, I have a lot of pressure, because there are much expectations. How can I meet everyone’s expectation? It is impossible. But I will do my best with my heart on every details, I would give my best.

Q: What kind of music would it (Cantonese album) be?
A: After all these years, I don’t want to divide music in categories anymore, because pop music is a mixture of all kinds of music in there. As for the production team, things have changed, people I used to work with, most of them, are not active anymore. All I can say is Dick Lee wrote a up beat song for me, it should be exiting to some people. But please don’t compare this song with Crazy, it’s not the same kind of song, it’s something more Retro, a little disco era like. (Would it be like Mercy?) See! That’s the problem, making this album is really difficult, it falls into difficult holes all the time. (Perhaps we know your songs too well!) And that’s the difficult part. I told myself not to think about it. Nothing is more important than doing my best.

(Would this song be first plug?) We don’t know yet, because the album is behind schedule for a month already, especially on the lyrics. There are lots of changes during the making process. Sometimes, we plan who and who to write this song, but can he/she got the feeling of the song? Is it something I want? It really takes time. It happens all the time, so I can’t tell you which song is the first plug yet.

(How it the making process? Feeling good?) I am really happy, when I can put down some pressure. My very first album was recorded in the same studio (JIR Studio). When I was in SONY, this is where I cried during my recording session. (How do you feel?) It’s quite sentimental, the music scene has changed so much all these years in Hong Kong. It’s amazing I can record in this studio again, many similar studios have disappeared already. This (window) curtain seems to be the same, and it hasn’t been washed since! (Are you serious?) It seems whiter before… Haha!

Q: About using Mark Lui as producer.
A: I long to work with some new and up raising producer, and Mark Lui is clearly one of them, and Eric Kwok is another one. It is quite easy working with Mark, he is someone so easy to communicate with. I like the way he works, very mature, I am very happy about that.

Q: About signing with Paco again.
A: Things worked out really well in WEA era back then, and after that, we were off to different things. I was spending a lot of time in Japan, Taiwan, and China market. Last year during HKPO, Paco got in touch with me already, he takes his work very seriously, and he wouldn’t waste his time on things that are not important. After going through different people, I have the most confident in him.

(But why did you guys work together sooner?) Well, things don’t happen all of a sudden. Back then. I had my own production house, Stardust, before I had more freedom on the production matters, and I wanted a record company (WEA) that could work things out. I left (Paco/WEA) not because of anything bad, it’s like I signed with CBS to WEA, and in Japan I signed with Amuse, and Capital Artists in Hong Kong. I spent lots of time in Japan and Taiwan, that’s when I signed with Rock, everything was a deal through the production house.

Q: About avoiding the media.
A: All this years, I have been the same quiet me, even when I was at the busiest years. This is the way I am. I like to work rather then appearing in entertainment news, and I don’t like to talk much about my own business. In fact, I was spending a lot of time in Taiwan and Japan, other than Hong Kong. I have learned a lot all those years. So I didn’t go away or try to avoid the media, disappear or not, it is not important.

Q: What are you looking for in life?
A: I want to be happier! I am quite a serious person. Every time we go travel, everybody got so excited and everything, but I would think about how to sing and how to perform. When people go take picture or go discover where to eat, I just wouldn’t have the same mood. I must learn to relax myself a bit, try to have some fun, and try to enjoy life.

Q: Which album you like the best?
A: Drifting/夢了 瘋了 倦了. I was quite lonely during that period of time, yet at the same time, I grew up a lot. There are a few songs that really went right into my heat like 破曉/A New Day, and I loved 讓我笑吧/Love And Life And You And Me, 多謝/Thanks For Your Love and 夢了/Drifting. These were the song that was telling my stories. Of course, there are many not being plugged but songs I really like too. I am glad many fans told me they love those songs too! Like 戲假情真/True Emotions in the early days, 痴纏/Happy Ever After and 微涼/So It Goes, but I have sung 微涼/So It Goes for a few times now, it has become a regular.

First Posted on August 29, 2005