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:: Searching For Love ::

:: Ave Maria ::

:: I Sing For You ::

:: Spring Tide ::

Note to self: Learn Chinese for to make my posts about Chinese pop 7"s better. As far as these things go, I was actually able to find some decent info related to this EP. It's from the 1969 Shaw Brothers production Dark Semester. I don't know what it's about, but it was a drama, and it was directed by Wu Jiangxiang, director of such films as Guess Who Killed My Twelve Lovers and City Fantasy. You may also know him as an actor, from such classics as Cloud-Piercing Swallow, The Strange Hero (parts I and II) and Gonna Get You. While I can't tell you who sings what, I can give a little insight about the two females listed on the front.

Betty Chung appears to have been an actress/singer, and evidently was in Enter The Dragon. She was also kind of a babe. Mona Fung is more famous; in fact infamous might be a better word. She began much like Betty Chung probably did, as an actress and singer, but is different in that she had a long and strange affair with Run Run Shaw, one that saw her jump rank and become the most powerful female producer in Hong Kong, all the while being known as Mr. Shaw's "second wife." It's been said that jealousy is the reason there were no action starlets in 1970's Shaw Brothers productions. She remained Run Run's mistress for many years, until his real wife died, around 1987. In 1997 the 90 year old Shaw finally married his mistress, who was by then a spry 63. As far as I can tell, the old guy is still kicking at 100, but he's probably more Shuffle Shuffle than Run Run by now.

So this is a mixed bag of songs. Searching For Love is definitely the dance number. The version of Ave Maria is strange and haunting. The last song, Spring Tide, is delivered by a male voice, adding further confusion.


Tony

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 02, 2007 at 6:17 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.