So incredibly seductive, passionate, talented, stunning! An authentic, unique individual, a true pioneer the world has unfortunately overlooked! Thank you, dearest Leslie, for sharing your undeniable gifts with us, for being entirely YOU! Remembered and celebrated, always and forever!✨🙌🏻
I can comprehend only a smattering of the Cantonese dialect ( I am married to a Khek ) but I listen to songs of any language big the music, tune and melody are listenable. I have read the sad story of Leslie's quite misunderstood gender leaning life and his eventual demise by suicide. Rest on in Eternal Peace Cheong.
leslie is really one of the greatest queer icon icon back then, being able to perform in glittery tuxedo and bright red heels in a country which does not recognize the queer community??? thats mother behaviour right there!! if leslie is still with us, he'd still be the best queer icon. period.
I love Leslie Cheung as an actor. He is phenomenal, possessed of great natural talent and charisma. However, I always find him underwhelming as a vocalist and I don't get what all the excitement was about. I admire his sexual openness which was likely influential in opening/loosening attitudes toward gay folks in HK, China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, etc. but I have yet to hear him sing a song on which he impresses as a vocalist. His stage presence and sexual elegance is undeniable but those are not about the singing, they support it. Loved the soft, sexual glamour of the second number above (it was like a slo-mo, laid-back version of Madonna's "Erotica" stage performance) but again I had trouble staying awake. What am I missing?
Hey. First of all I think your feelings are completely valid; whether you like his vocals or not is dependent on your personal taste. I think the reason you might find his voice underwhelming is because Leslie's vocal range isn't that wide and that he's a baritone. Whereas tenors like Anthony Wong Yiu Ming and Alan Tam can sing really 'bright' notes, Leslie's singing is more like murmuring. I would go as far as to argue that knowing Leslie, he probably intended for some of his songs to sound like nocturnos (hence the falling asleep effect). The reason why Leslie is such a prized singer is because baritones are really really rare in Chinese (im including the wider Chinese diaspora) pop music. Chinese audiences are frequently obsessed with high notes and 'impressive-sounding' songs like Celine Dion's etc. Another reason I can think of is that perhaps certain value is lost in translation; Leslie is really good at making his vocals fit the lyrics, which might be difficult to appreciate if one does not speak Cantonese. I hope this helps xx
@@Spooky123-f5f Hi there. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and perspective with me. Now I will have that information with me the next time I listen to Leslie. I really do adore him as an actor so I wanted to better understand what it was that made him so popular as a vocal performer. Since you mentioned it, and if you don't mind my asking, why do you think he WAS so popular despite the fact that he sang as a baritone in a market where people love "big" numbers? Stage presence? That would explain the concert sell-outs but not the record sales. I find this really interesting. I discovered Leslie as an actor only in the last few months and then when I finally took the time to read his bio, I was really saddened to learn of his suicide. Just writing this right now brings a heaviness to my chest. The world loses SO very many creative angels to suicide; I was kind of broken to find out he was one more. I am a big fan of Jonghyun-era SHINee, the K-Pop super-band, another act I discovered in the last couple of years. I found out about Jonghyun's suicide the same way as Leslie's and I know I will not "get over" that one. I had fallen in love with everything about him as a performer and personality by then but of course I only saw what he allowed everyone to see. Sigh...
Our exchange moved me to watch a video here on YT just now about Leslie's funeral. There were no English subs but the images of the tens of thousands of mourners and the mountains of floral tributes in response to his passing spoke for themselves. I understand why this happens in the entertainment field more often than elsewhere but I do think many depressed and desperate stars could be saved if more attention was paid when the symptoms begin to appear. 😭😭😭😭
@@morningsminion3242 Hi Tim. I think Leslie was popular as a singer because people just liked his voice? There is a concept in Chinese culture called doing something ‘with heart’, and I think that’s what people felt was unique about his music, that his voice was really suitable for storytelling. Additionally, just because he couldn’t sing high doesn’t mean he didn’t have technique; he was still a good singer nonetheless. That is the short answer. I think a more comprehensive answer would require a deep dive into HK and Cantopop history and the personal symbolism of Leslie himself. If you are interested, here are some of my thoughts: Leslie’s acting career started at the same time as his music career. His first TV show came out in 1978 when he was 21 and it was already fairly successful. Between 1978 and 1984 when he really established himself as one of the most popular singers, the HK audience had plenty of time to familiarize themselves with Leslie’s presence. Cantonese as the language for pop songs. Before 1970, Cantonese music consisted mostly of traditional operas. Sam Hui, who was a really talented lyricist, songwriter, and singer, started translating popular songs from around the world into Cantonese in the 70s. Through him, people were given the opportunity to enjoy pop music in their native tongue. Leslie’s singing career rode the wave of this huge Cantopop boom. He was one of the first Cantopop stars and really helped shape the identity of that music genre. I would call him a founding father. Leslie’s physical attributes. This might be hard to grapple with but HK had a culture of liking ‘aristocratic-looking’ men. Aristocratic not in the European sense but in a classical Cantonese sense (if that’s not too confusing). Leslie’s appearance in Rouge (1988) fit the public imagination of what a young master from a rich family looked like so much it became the quintessential gorgeous-but-good-for-nothing-rich-boy blueprint. A short description of what the Cantonese aristocratic look is: good facial proportions, a full forehead, slightly round face (biggest difference between classical and modern beauty standards), clear, lidded eyes, and good posture. If one is attractive, one could basically do anything cs most HK listeners were not that educated in music (if i dare say so). An English commentator once said that Leslie was one of the few singers who could have also had music careers in Europe/the US. Most singers in HK really weren’t that great, yet they still managed to sell hundreds of thousands of cd copies just because people thought they were good-looking (lol). That is characteristic of Asian fandoms. Do you know who Xiao Zhan is? Case in point (sorry not sorry). The unique sexually-liberating quality of Leslie’s songs. There is Leslie before 1995 and then there is Leslie 1995. As you may know, Leslie announced his retirement at age 33 in 1989 because he was tired of the paparazzi and the toxic fan-culture. In hindsight, he probably also wanted private space for him and his boyfriend Daffy. Homosexuality was only decriminalized in HK in 1991 so he was under huge pressure to pass as straight. However, after his return to music in 1995 Leslie started incorporating his identity into the lyrics of his songs. I would highly recommend the album ‘Red’ (紅 1997）because in that album he was as comfortable as we will ever hear him musically (in terms of incorporating his sexuality). Fun fact: Red has been the best-selling album in 2022 for over three weeks now since April 1st under the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association. So I guess there is a timeless quality to his songs. Especially since the situation in HK is a bit terrible socio-political wise. I think ppl really appreciate Leslie’s courage and vision to just be himself despite all the obstacles he encountered. That is my quick take on your question. I can comment some more if I think of something else. Hope this helps.
Leslie openly acknowledged Mr. Tong in his 1997 concert. He said Tong and his mom were the two most important people in his life. He then dedicated “the moon represents my heart” to his mom and Mr. Tong. That was one of Leslie’s bravest moments. And of course, his fans all supported him.
They never really addressed his bf as his bf. It's always as his "close male best friend". Everyone know but everyone doesn't really talk about it openly or truly acknowledge them. I think it really stresses him out. I also saw an interview where he he talk about the media coverage on his comeback to the entertainment business(after years of absent) wasn't about his songs, his performance but all headlines was about him wearing a dress. I also found that back then there's a lot of distasteful parodies of it as if everyone was mocking him. Maybe everything really adds on to his depression and he just couldn't take it anymore. Now that he's gone, suddenly those mocking became praises. Medias and haters are really just BIG bullies.
@Leigh Perry I don’t think it was a coming out performance, according to Leslie, performance is just performance, it was art, he said that he just tried to act as woman in that few minutes in that concert
Zhu Yonglong, Hong Kong manager, entertainment project manager, artistic creator and dance director. The main work is planning concerts and charity or public welfare evening activities.
哥哥永不過時❤愛他一生一世，下一世都愛😊永恆的回憶
2024~Miss beloved Leslie,a legend.永懷真善美的哥哥張國榮.❤💯👍
So incredibly seductive, passionate, talented, stunning! An authentic, unique individual, a true pioneer the world has unfortunately overlooked! Thank you, dearest Leslie, for sharing your undeniable gifts with us, for being entirely YOU! Remembered and celebrated, always and forever!✨🙌🏻
只要一個歌手的歌曲隔了多久還有人聽還有人播，就是永恒，没有過氣
我永遠為了張國榮不惜
영상 감사합니다~^^
영원한 나의 레슬리😭😭😭
I can comprehend only a smattering of the Cantonese dialect ( I am married to a Khek ) but I listen to songs of any language big the music, tune and melody are listenable.
I have read the sad story of Leslie's quite misunderstood gender leaning life and his eventual demise by suicide.
Rest on in Eternal Peace Cheong.
이런예술성을가진가수는홍콩에는없을거예요~보고싶네요 ♡장국영
leslie is really one of the greatest queer icon icon back then, being able to perform in glittery tuxedo and bright red heels in a country which does not recognize the queer community??? thats mother behaviour right there!! if leslie is still with us, he'd still be the best queer icon. period.
He is a great idol, He is human only.
我永遠喜歡張國榮，熱心幫助人，是天上星星下凡間的，他的沈默是金，是我的摧眠曲，歌詞句句充滿意義，叫人叫修口業，經過書經的教訓，等於是佛經的教訓，因為我們是人，不是神他說過感謝神仙天上對他照顧讓每個人喜歡他，那是他的8字命格他揚名國際，我們能嗎張國榮是演員歌星，和王祖賢鬼片是轟動的，歌又好聽我尊重張國榮
진짜 색기미쳤네ㅜ 세기의 천상계 예술가 청초색기퇴폐아련미 눈빛은 레전드❤08:10 09:00 11:00 11:50 12:22 13:11 15:10
Happy Birthday, Leslie, 12/Sept/2018
Now 2020 ma..
Now 2022
Legend ✨
This reminds me of 90's visual-kei
❤❤❤
I love Leslie Cheung as an actor. He is phenomenal, possessed of great natural talent and charisma. However, I always find him underwhelming as a vocalist and I don't get what all the excitement was about. I admire his sexual openness which was likely influential in opening/loosening attitudes toward gay folks in HK, China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, etc. but I have yet to hear him sing a song on which he impresses as a vocalist. His stage presence and sexual elegance is undeniable but those are not about the singing, they support it. Loved the soft, sexual glamour of the second number above (it was like a slo-mo, laid-back version of Madonna's "Erotica" stage performance) but again I had trouble staying awake. What am I missing?
Hey. First of all I think your feelings are completely valid; whether you like his vocals or not is dependent on your personal taste. I think the reason you might find his voice underwhelming is because Leslie's vocal range isn't that wide and that he's a baritone. Whereas tenors like Anthony Wong Yiu Ming and Alan Tam can sing really 'bright' notes, Leslie's singing is more like murmuring.
I would go as far as to argue that knowing Leslie, he probably intended for some of his songs to sound like nocturnos (hence the falling asleep effect).
The reason why Leslie is such a prized singer is because baritones are really really rare in Chinese (im including the wider Chinese diaspora) pop music. Chinese audiences are frequently obsessed with high notes and 'impressive-sounding' songs like Celine Dion's etc.
Another reason I can think of is that perhaps certain value is lost in translation; Leslie is really good at making his vocals fit the lyrics, which might be difficult to appreciate if one does not speak Cantonese.
I hope this helps xx
btw i think 'sexual elegance' is a great way of describing his charm :)
@@Spooky123-f5f Hi there. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and perspective with me. Now I will have that information with me the next time I listen to Leslie. I really do adore him as an actor so I wanted to better understand what it was that made him so popular as a vocal performer. Since you mentioned it, and if you don't mind my asking, why do you think he WAS so popular despite the fact that he sang as a baritone in a market where people love "big" numbers? Stage presence? That would explain the concert sell-outs but not the record sales. I find this really interesting.
I discovered Leslie as an actor only in the last few months and then when I finally took the time to read his bio, I was really saddened to learn of his suicide. Just writing this right now brings a heaviness to my chest. The world loses SO very many creative angels to suicide; I was kind of broken to find out he was one more. I am a big fan of Jonghyun-era SHINee, the K-Pop super-band, another act I discovered in the last couple of years. I found out about Jonghyun's suicide the same way as Leslie's and I know I will not "get over" that one. I had fallen in love with everything about him as a performer and personality by then but of course I only saw what he allowed everyone to see. Sigh...
Our exchange moved me to watch a video here on YT just now about Leslie's funeral. There were no English subs but the images of the tens of thousands of mourners and the mountains of floral tributes in response to his passing spoke for themselves. I understand why this happens in the entertainment field more often than elsewhere but I do think many depressed and desperate stars could be saved if more attention was paid when the symptoms begin to appear. 😭😭😭😭
@@morningsminion3242 Hi Tim. I think Leslie was popular as a singer because people just liked his voice? There is a concept in Chinese culture called doing something ‘with heart’, and I think that’s what people felt was unique about his music, that his voice was really suitable for storytelling. Additionally, just because he couldn’t sing high doesn’t mean he didn’t have technique; he was still a good singer nonetheless.
That is the short answer. I think a more comprehensive answer would require a deep dive into HK and Cantopop history and the personal symbolism of Leslie himself. If you are interested, here are some of my thoughts:
Leslie’s acting career started at the same time as his music career. His first TV show came out in 1978 when he was 21 and it was already fairly successful. Between 1978 and 1984 when he really established himself as one of the most popular singers, the HK audience had plenty of time to familiarize themselves with Leslie’s presence.
Cantonese as the language for pop songs. Before 1970, Cantonese music consisted mostly of traditional operas. Sam Hui, who was a really talented lyricist, songwriter, and singer, started translating popular songs from around the world into Cantonese in the 70s. Through him, people were given the opportunity to enjoy pop music in their native tongue. Leslie’s singing career rode the wave of this huge Cantopop boom. He was one of the first Cantopop stars and really helped shape the identity of that music genre. I would call him a founding father.
Leslie’s physical attributes. This might be hard to grapple with but HK had a culture of liking ‘aristocratic-looking’ men. Aristocratic not in the European sense but in a classical Cantonese sense (if that’s not too confusing). Leslie’s appearance in Rouge (1988) fit the public imagination of what a young master from a rich family looked like so much it became the quintessential gorgeous-but-good-for-nothing-rich-boy blueprint. A short description of what the Cantonese aristocratic look is: good facial proportions, a full forehead, slightly round face (biggest difference between classical and modern beauty standards), clear, lidded eyes, and good posture.
If one is attractive, one could basically do anything cs most HK listeners were not that educated in music (if i dare say so). An English commentator once said that Leslie was one of the few singers who could have also had music careers in Europe/the US. Most singers in HK really weren’t that great, yet they still managed to sell hundreds of thousands of cd copies just because people thought they were good-looking (lol). That is characteristic of Asian fandoms. Do you know who Xiao Zhan is? Case in point (sorry not sorry).
The unique sexually-liberating quality of Leslie’s songs. There is Leslie before 1995 and then there is Leslie 1995. As you may know, Leslie announced his retirement at age 33 in 1989 because he was tired of the paparazzi and the toxic fan-culture. In hindsight, he probably also wanted private space for him and his boyfriend Daffy. Homosexuality was only decriminalized in HK in 1991 so he was under huge pressure to pass as straight. However, after his return to music in 1995 Leslie started incorporating his identity into the lyrics of his songs. I would highly recommend the album ‘Red’ (紅 1997）because in that album he was as comfortable as we will ever hear him musically (in terms of incorporating his sexuality). Fun fact: Red has been the best-selling album in 2022 for over three weeks now since April 1st under the Hong Kong Record Merchants Association. So I guess there is a timeless quality to his songs. Especially since the situation in HK is a bit terrible socio-political wise. I think ppl really appreciate Leslie’s courage and vision to just be himself despite all the obstacles he encountered.
That is my quick take on your question. I can comment some more if I think of something else. Hope this helps.
Any chance of English translations subtitles on the songs? PLEEEEAAASE?
You may use google to translate the 'Traditional Chinese' lyrics:
1) 夢死醉生
當 雲飄浮半公分
是 夢中的一生
你 共我磨擦得天搖地撼
不開心 再睡到開心
當 留在唇上說話
像 在嘴邊拈花
愛 是闊是窄都不用代價
分與合 都不用驚怕
有一夢 便造多一夢
直到死別 都不覺任何陣痛
趁衝動 能換到感動
這愉快黑洞 甦醒以後誰亦會撲空
當 嚎哭和槍聲
是 夢中的歌聲
你 共我這一場夢裡的暢泳
比真實高興
有一夢 便造多一夢
直到死別 都不覺任何陣痛
趁衝動 能換到感動
這幻覺不去用 甦醒以後難道你會哭出笑容
也許生死之間也是個夢
無謂弄得懂
2) 紅
紅像薔薇任性的結局
紅像唇上滴血般怨毒
在晦暗裡漆黑中那個美夢
從鏡裡看不到的一份陣痛
你像紅塵掠過一樣沉重
HA 心花正亂墜
HA 猛火裡睡
若染上了未嚐便醉
那份熱度從來未退
你是最絕色的傷或許
紅像年華盛放的氣燄
紅像斜陽漸遠的紀念
是你與我紛飛的那副笑臉
如你與我掌心的生命伏線
也像紅塵泛過一樣明艷
3) 偷情
比引火更吸引
摩擦一剎火花比星光 迷人
比得到了的都著緊
[比得到了的更逼真]
比暗戀更黑暗
比掛心睡不安枕 但上癮
等不可預計的餘音
如果可以磊落 誰情願閃躲
如果可以快樂 誰情願忘掉心魔
如困可以快樂 誰願意關起了心魔
或者 偷歡歡算不上偷情
亦比 寂寞人值得高興
難共處 仍有權去憧憬
信不過感情 從未謀面才像愛情
或者 偷心要先去偷
為了 擔一個愉快罪名
能瀏覽遍好風景才去認命
才不再要突發事情
4) 月亮代表我的心
你問我愛你有多深
我愛你有幾分
我的情也真 我的愛也真
月亮代表我的心
你問我愛你有多深
我愛你有幾分
我的情不移 我的愛不變
月亮代表我的心
輕輕的一個吻
已經打動我的心
深深的一段情
教我思念到如今
你問我愛你有多深
我愛你有幾分
你去想一想 你去看一看
月亮代表我的心
โหว สมัยนั้น นางทำเวทีไฟลุกขนาดนี้เลยหรอ สุดยอดมากๆ
一輩子還是最愛謝君豪，哈哈我終究贏的最後一站要我走路去安康也好
Song 2, red shoes, was his coming out performance, wasn't it? Is there any record of the name of the young man he danced with during this song?
Leslie openly acknowledged Mr. Tong in his 1997 concert. He said Tong and his mom were the two most important people in his life. He then dedicated “the moon represents my heart” to his mom and Mr. Tong. That was one of Leslie’s bravest moments. And of course, his fans all supported him.
They never really addressed his bf as his bf. It's always as his "close male best friend". Everyone know but everyone doesn't really talk about it openly or truly acknowledge them. I think it really stresses him out. I also saw an interview where he he talk about the media coverage on his comeback to the entertainment business(after years of absent) wasn't about his songs, his performance but all headlines was about him wearing a dress. I also found that back then there's a lot of distasteful parodies of it as if everyone was mocking him. Maybe everything really adds on to his depression and he just couldn't take it anymore. Now that he's gone, suddenly those mocking became praises. Medias and haters are really just BIG bullies.
@Leigh Perry I don’t think it was a coming out performance, according to Leslie, performance is just performance, it was art, he said that he just tried to act as woman in that few minutes in that concert
Does anyone know the name of the dancer? Leslie looked so flash beautiful in the Red performance. THAT. TOOK. GUTS.
Zhu Yonglong, Hong Kong manager, entertainment project manager, artistic creator and dance director. The main work is planning concerts and charity or public welfare evening activities.
我永遠寵愛張國榮送走我入殮的小姑將來有一天我必定留債務給這些笨蛋
👍👍👍💜💜💙❤
What if Taehyung danced just like he was doing at that time as well
If V wants to come out i hope he is strong enough. And he feels we support him.
我怎么可能原量那個瘋子
我會寵愛你到死，我家阿豪總算唱追只可惜外面有女人好不容易我新店有點小成絕不實言🎉
你沒憂鬱吧!不肯面對現實
He was a version of Queen's Freddie. Gay got him killed. RIP.
Homophobia got him killed, Leslie wasn't gay he was bi.
He didn't have aids or hiv, invalid and honestly a rude, insensitive comparison.
shut up;-;
Wow male used Red High heels..😒
So?
Men wore high heels before it became fashionable amongst women. So stop being a sexist imbecile.
❤❤❤