1998

向張國榮取經 Figure It Out on Leslie

 1998-02-01

在本地樂壇屹立超逾二十年，著實殊不容易。在每年新人輩出，後起之秀不勝枚舉，「上位」歌手比比皆是的年代裡，每製作一張唱片都是極大挑戰，但在種種挑戰，層層負擔下仍能依然故我，來去自如的彷彿只有這位眾人哥哥——張國榮。

從九五年的回歸之作《寵愛》後，一向多產的張國榮決定減產，以質量行先，數量為次。像《紅》、又或是《張國榮跨越九七演唱會》，外界的評價皆一致向好，哥哥這一著行得真不錯。結集了廿載的演藝經驗的他，在九八年裡，決意再掀歌唱事業新一頁，除了負責主唱部份外，更兼顧其他位置，誓要向一個全能製作人的目標進發！   在國語專輯還未發表之際（預計四月推出，記緊留意！），哥哥為本地樂迷度身訂造的最新專輯，在九八年的情人節搶先面世。碟內四首歌曲的製作班底皆是現今港、台樂壇的頂尖樂手：包括負責創作張惠妹的《原來你甚麼都不要》的劉志宏及劉思銘、九七年最多產最炙手可熱的填詞人林夕、台灣當扎作曲人陳少霞、當然還有張國榮本人。所以無論是《這些年來》、陳少霞作曲的《My God》、抑或是張國榮粉墨登場負責作曲部份的《以後》，皆是高水準而不落俗套的流行作品。為了使你能盡享視聽之娛，心思細密的哥哥還特意收錄了《這些年來》的MTV隨CD附送，作為在「這些年來」不斷支持他的樂迷的一點點小回報。   儘管哥哥再不是位多產歌手，但他在九八年的工作還是排得密麻麻的。既有電影片約在手，還要顧及在春節期間當柏林影展的評審，及後還有個人寫真集的拍攝工作，還有……要成為樂壇的中流抵柱，要成為眾人的哥哥，要成為一個神話傳說，且取經自張國榮吧！

FigureLeslie

It's got to be a very tough job to stay popular in the entertainment business for twenty years. Especially in the local music scene, when numerous talented new comers debuted every year. It has to be a tough job for producing a new album: pressure from breaking previous sales records, and pressure from challenging one's limit to excel. It takes someone with the resistance experience to come through the pressure with flying colours.

One Step Further

Leslie releases his "come back" album in 1995 after his short break from the Hong Kong music scene. Thereafter, he has decided to reduce the number of albums he is going to made each year, and focus on quality rather than quantity. With stringent production quality, his RED and LESLIE IN CONCERT 1997 album, receive lots of encouraging critics and was also commercially successful. Riding on his twenty plus years' experience, in 98, he goes one step further in his music career: he will take care not just only the vocal part, but also the producing part in his upcoming solo album.

Showing His Appreciation

When we are waiting for his Mandarin release, which will be due in April 98, his Cantonese EP just jump the queue and released on Valentine's Day. In this album, he definitely has the best talents in town supporting him: featuring Lau Chi Yuen and Lau Chi Wan, who is the duo who produced and wrote A-Mei's smash hit Actually You Need Nothing, and also the hottest lyricist Lin Xin, as well as the fastest rising Taiwanese composer Chen Xiu Xia, and not surprisingly Leslie himself! So, no matter it is In These Years, Chen Xiu Xia's writing My God, or Leslie's composition The Future, you'll find pop songs with distinctive character. To show his appreciation towards the fans who have been supporting him in these years, the MTV of The Future will also be included in this EP.

Figure It Out

Even though he is no longer a multi-album per year kind of artist, his schedule in 98 is still a packed one. With several movie contracts on hand, he also found himself being invited as one of the judges in the Berlin Film Festival, and has to finish his solo photo album this year. Somehow Leslie got both his job schedule and career plan all figured out and still going strong in his popularity. If you think you can figure that out, too, you might probably become another legend after Leslie.  

KPS Entertainment Express