翻唱的秘诀 [how to do a winning cover]

since we do many cover versions, we have to be good at it. btw, chinese music industry treat cover versions with disdain because they don't understand that many good singers can give a new lease of life to covers. on the other hand, western singers get credits for reviving oldies and doing good covers. examples are diana krall, michael buble, jamie callum and many others.

we are not ready to do an album with 100% original compositions yet. our standards are very highs; if we don't have good compositions to showcase, we rather sing other people's songs and sing them well.

there are 3 major things to bear in mind when doing covers:

[1] if you can't compete on singing (e.g. if the original version is already definitive and can't be surpassed), then re-arrange the song innovatively. when the arrangement is creatively different, people tend not to compare that harshly. a prime example is when singing cai qin's (chinese audiophile queen) songs - never never compete with her on singing because she is way way up there!

[2] inject personality into the song as if you are the original singer. when you sing as if you own the song, critics will shut up.

[3] if you can't compete on technique (against the original singer), enhance on the emotional delivery and vice versa. most singers are good in either technique or emotional delivery, seldom both at the same time.

now, some excellent videos on how to do a fabulous cover version...

[1] video #1 is a cover version by aska yang. this chap pours so much emotions into the song that everyone who hears the song for the first time (me inclusive) has wet eyes throughout. of course, some critics say aska is overbearing and too pretentious. but i personally think he is great and this is a definitive way of doing a cover version. btw, the judges gave aska full marks, 25/25!

[2] video #2 is by the real mccoy, stefanie sun. stefanie has a great tone and her rendition is beautiful, perhaps a bit understated in terms of emotional delivery, but very touching no less. stef is natural, without the overpouring of emotions of aska. i like this original version very much.



JZ8 and 2V1G projects are starting soon and i have to keep reminding myself and my arranger(s) to excel in doing covers. it is a daunting task to emulate the original version but if you can do it, the results are immensely satisfying!

被遗忘的时光 [oblivious time]

my vote for the most deliciously arranged and sung song in the gig.

金亮的话 [chow says]

自知的魅力---给2V1G

从事演艺、创意和领导的人们，首要事件是：自知。

从来没有一个不懂自知之明的人，可以在大事业上得以达到大成就。

一个真正名留千古的名字，在世时，是永远和忍辱负重、卧薪尝胆相依为命的。

因为自知，所以自信，因为自信，所以坚强，因为坚强，所以勇敢，因为勇敢，所以无惧，因为无惧，所以能为人之不能为，成人之不能成，完人之不能完。

2V1G的小成就到底还是小成就，不需激昂如斯，两个晚上的喧哗也只不过是两百人的宣泄，当然，这一棵投入湖中的小石子，肯定会有涟漪，但能否掀起汹涌波涛还得看后续的力量。

既然身为2V1G一员、我们必与之息息相关，一切给予2V1G的荣耀都是我们的荣耀、所有降临到2V1G身上的耻辱都是我们的耻辱，因此2V1G是我们的幸福，也会是我们的痛苦。

Leslie写了那么一篇文字，基本上是正面的，但要如何消化这篇文字，需要智慧和胸怀。不应该有任何人会因为这一篇文字而感到被伤害或膨胀。

芸妮的付出和努力是我从事这一个行业以来所见的一个最杰出的例子，她对自己的要求和期许都让人感到欣慰；而丽津一路走来的尽责和忍辱，是她的风格，因为性格上的差异，导致芸妮和丽津在舞台上的角色可以显示各尽其责的搭配，芸妮的理性主动、丽津的感性迎向相互争映，都为2V1G冠上漂亮的花环，二者缺一则色彩尽失。

NBT两晚的演出之最扣人心弦的地方，皆来自对比：歌曲的选择、芸妮和丽津钢柔并济、Roger的吉他和人声的相互冲击，再加上环境和歌手历年来在舞台上的磨练等等，这一切的一切，绝对不是偶然，而是必然，既然是必然，那就更不应该过于陶醉其中。同志们，请记住，成功的路还有很长，大家尚待努力。

自知本来就是人的一生中最难掌握的智慧。当你有了自知，你就会是那个不为一切外来因素所掌控的可怜的被动者；当你有了自知，你的骄傲将会是你最具魅力的风采。

没有人可以打败你，除非你自己放弃。

[金亮 chow kam leong]

热忱不死 [it is passion that never dies]

终于圆满的结束了 2V1G 的第一次两晚的售票演出，忽然有一点点的惆怅......

是不舍？是心情的激动？只知道一早醒来，脑里还回荡着你们给予的掌声、喝彩，甚至陪我们落下的眼泪。

观赏过演出的朋友纷纷给金亮老师和Leslie 留言，谢谢 2V1G 给了他们一个难忘的夜晚，我们亦然，深深感激你们成全了 2V1G 第一回的演出。若有不足的地方请你们见谅，我们一定会求进。

很快的， 2V1G 就要投入第二张的专辑制作了，我们幕前幕后的班底无时无刻期待给你们更好的音乐和表演。

谢谢云妮，Thank You Roger ，让我感受到音乐无私的分享和投入。

It is PASSION that never dies :) ...

2V1G 有一种默契在滋长着, 我期许世界会慢慢的听到...

[regine tai]

芸妮的话 [winnie says]

[unforgettable moments- regine delivering tempting hearts, with winnie tearing up]







[many thanks to horng yih and see fei for the amazing shots!]

一直以来，都是以观众的身份拜访 No Black Tie。这一次，却要站在舞台上唱歌。那种兴奋和雀跃，我大概没办法具体的形容。

紧张吗？是的，紧张。比起迎接室外大型的表演还要紧张。可是，当音乐响起的那一刻，我只记得，我要唱歌给大家听。

到场的人，是全心全意来观赏我们的表演的。台下是何等的安静。每一个人，都在专心聆听我们的每一颗音符。仿佛随时都会随着歌者的情绪，高涨与坠落。谢谢大家如此的尊重我们的音乐。

有许多做音乐的朋友也到场了。让我们一起加油吧！但愿不久的将来，你们也能站在梦想的舞台，呈现属于自己的乐章。

我是如此的幸福啊。有那么多的人在聆听和祝福我的音乐。

[芸妮 winnie]

太美好了! [oh, what a night!]

the ambience in NBT at the end of the 2nd gig at 12:30am this morning, before we said goodbye to this magnificent stage, was one of unreal peace and serenity. it was a great contrast to the electrifying atmosphere just 2 hours ago. when the lights are switched off and curtain drawn, what is left is fond memories of a great performance that one would cherish forever.

2v1g gave a stellar show on the 2nd night. the first night was great too but it was filled with a bit of tension and nerves, and there were mistakes throughout. but the 2nd night, the 2nd night, oh my god, was absolutely fabulous, a near-perfect performance by the 2v1g trio. they were so natural on stage; the chemistry between regine and winnie was so good, as if they have been singing together for ages. i don't have to say much about roger wang because he is god, a guitar god. there were many young guitar players among the audience and they were all speechless after seeing the way roger played his guitar.

my clients who were there on the 2nd night, were all enthralled by such a superlative performance. one actually ushered me to one corner and tell me "i want them to do my show next year".

there were some defining moments on the 2nd night. time stood still and many people cried (yes, they told me) when regine belted out her tear-jerking "tempting hearts", even winnie shed some tears. and when it was winnie's turn to sing "coming home", the last song before the encore, she packed the song with such emotional intensity that the entire audience was totally absorbed and went completely silent. the silence from the crowd during these two songs were deafening - everyone is so engrossed in their performance. and when she ended her last note, the audience was already spent emotionally. such is the power of ballads.

there were so many definite winners in the repertoire. regine's "i have a date with spring" was tailor-made for her. winnie's "lover's tears" & "what a difference a day made" were so good that it won't embarrass the original singers. roger's arrangements and guitar solos in "oblivious time" (cai qin's classic), "getaran jiwa" and "lover's tears" were sublime; it gives me goose bumps everytime i listen to his arrangements. very likely, i will include these few songs in the 2nd album.

there are so many things that amazed me. the girls and even roger were only "good" during the practice but when they went on stage, they were totally transformed and sang like there's no tomorrow. they love the stage and they belong there. roger's focus and concentration are truly amazing; he played a near-perfect performance on the 2nd night. even he admitted that the chemistry within the trio is so rapidly build-up that they already feel like good friends having fun on stage. worthy of mention is how well the girls rendered english numbers; they harmonize beautifully on "you needed me" and "always on my mind". vocal training sessions with mia palencia have certainly paid off handsomely for the girls.

24 hours later, the euphoria of having watched 2 superb performances by 2v1g has somewhat died down and i am back to "normal" life again.

i wouldn't say it was once-in-a-lifetime but it was close to me because they are my babies. i was nervous on the first night because i am afraid that my first-born would screw-up. but after witnessing how they commanded the stage on the second night, i can say that they are ready for the world.

i am so proud of you, 2v1g!

劲爆! [ what a blast!]

some famous blogger beats me to writing a review on 2v1g's gig last night.

check it out here!

劲爆音乐会 [it's gonna be a cracker!]

we just finished our first round of rehearsal tonight and i can tell you, 2v1g's maiden gig is gonna be a cracker.

many people, especially roger wang's fans, who bought the 2v1g cd commented they didn't see the true roger wang at play. this is partly true because it was roger's first foray into chinese ballads. he needs time to familiarize himself with this genre.

it is a different story this time. some of his arrangements we heard tonight are simply gorgeous. song like lover's tears and oblivious time (bei yu wang de shi guang, cai qin's classic) are all given a cool jazz/bossa treatment; they sound totally different and refreshing. we were nodding our heads in total approval of his superb arrangements.

frankly, if you are a mandarin pop lover, you must not be miss this gig. it is gonna be a really good one.

p/s there are still some "staircase" seats left for the two gigs. the seats offer good view of the stage but you have to sit on parquet flooring :-(

谢谢你, patrick [thank you, patrick]

Roger，Winnie和Regine好，

我不是樂評人，只是一個喜歡用「心」聽音樂的平凡小民。找到了您們的Blog，想告訴您們，有幸買了2V1G這張CD，真是美麗的緣分。

當天只是匆匆路過CD店，突然想買張高音質的CD，就進去轉了一轉。架上雖擺滿了琳瑯滿目的CD，但卻只有這張看來樸實無華的CD吸引了我的視線，感覺裡面所鐫刻的音樂，會有如封面一樣，充滿清新的感覺。CD店裡有得試聽，我也抱著期待的心情戴起了耳機。

一 聽之下，我都忘了當初是為了什麼走進店裡的了，傾聽著Winnie投入演繹著當年曾經讓我迷了順子好久的回家，Roger那手輕快但充滿了抑揚頓挫的吉 他，還有Regine那甜入人心，繞樑不絕的歌聲演繹情雪；入耳，不，入心的已經不再是音樂，而是三位在演繹每首歌時所注入的那一份深情，那一份心意。當 天離開CD店的時候，除了手中的CD之外，心中還洋溢著適才試聽時被牽動了的那一份喜悅。

在翻版及過度商業化的音樂充斥市面的今天，真的 非常高興還能見到仍然有像三位對音樂如此有熱忱的人，用心和誠意打造出了這一張動人心弦，値得擁有的專輯。也謝謝所有幕後的工作人員：大家對於力臻完美的 努力和要求，我這位市井小民都聽到了。希望2V1G能夠在不久的將來，再與我們分享更多好聽的音樂。

昨晚與內人相約在客廳欣賞這張CD（第一次正式邀請太太在家裡客廳約會，挺有意思的），雖然有些歌詞略帶一絲落寞，但對於聽歌聽其意的我們而言，三位所帶來的悠揚旋律為我們的小小的斗室注滿了甜蜜的感覺，在此再次向三位說聲謝謝！

最後：
1. 新不了情太棒了，Roger的Bossa Nova編曲編得恰到好處，琴聲挑動著心中每一分的情感，既沒有濫用的感覺，也不落於俗套。Regine甜美的音色和Winnie成熟的唱腔互相交織，帶出了絕美的意境，真的讓人回味無窮。

2. 由於以軟體進行簡繁體互換易有錯誤，在歌詞的文字校對這方面尚有改善的空間，但瑕絕不掩瑜，這只是我個人的一個小建議，請勿介意。

3. 在此也希望向唱片業者以及音樂人抒發小民的心聲。唱片業如今前景低迷，實不應完全歸咎於翻版。如果每張唱片，每一首歌都能夠用心和誠意製作，為其注入靈魂和値得典藏的價值，相信社會上願意收藏高質音樂的消費者，是絕對不在少數的。願與各位共勉之。

patrick, you made our day! thanks for such brilliant comments. we are so happy because we have an appreciative fan like you!

我们都给你正面的评语感动了。　是的，2v1g 会做更多更好的音乐！　

星报报导 [The Star]