Saturday, June 6, 2009

董佩佩的私房歌

第一次听到董佩佩的歌声,是从‘春闺怨’开始。‘春闺怨’来自于素秋的武侠片‘江湖奇侠’。片中是于素秋的角色唱的,由董佩佩幕后代唱,究竟有多适合,见仁见智,不过,此曲旋律优美,富中国深闺情调,一听就爱上了。我喜欢‘春闺怨’,更甚于董佩佩的传世之作‘第二春 ’。

‘江湖奇侠’还有一首插曲‘人间天堂’,也是董佩佩唱的。曲调酷象李丽华的名曲‘天上人间’,至少音乐过门给我这个印象。董佩佩唱来娇滴滴,嗓子圆润,给人的印象就是一个‘甜’字。当时,还不知道已经有人把她称为‘小周璇’呢!

就因为她和周璇在歌唱上有着某些共通点,因此,后来有制片家要拍以周璇故事为题材的‘金嗓子’,就选了董佩佩作女主角。董佩佩四十年代加入歌坛,也拍过电影。1949年。有一部‘千钧一发’,由路明,吕玉堃,严化(即秦沛,姜大卫的生父),平凡主演,董佩佩也有份演出。这应该是她的第一部影片。

1953年,王豪,陈燕燕南下香港,自资拍了一部‘恋歌’,客串演出的歌星列了好几位,包括屈云云,董佩佩,李晶洁和张伊雯。年前,我抓紧机会,在香港看了旧片,结果,只看到屈云云大姐露面,唱了‘湖畔女郎’,其他几位都没看到踪迹。是不是最后给剪掉啦?

我们现在想起董佩佩演戏,只会想到 ‘金嗓子’这部片子。说是周璇的故事,其实,大部分都避重就轻,离开真实的情节蛮远的。要知道周璇的故事,看这部影片会很失望。不过,‘金嗓子’令人满足的,是董佩佩给我们留下了几首难忘的歌:‘金嗓子’‘琵琶怨’‘红花相思’‘吹泡泡’‘嘻嘻哈哈’和‘春天是我们的’。除了‘琵琶怨’是走周璇的小调形式,‘吹泡泡’好象取自旧曲之外,其他几首都是新谱的,可以说是董佩佩的私房歌。

在五十年代中,这六首‘金嗓子’的插曲,曲曲流行。影片没什么,倒是红了歌曲。‘金嗓子’的那句‘什么都完了’,唱得人人都像周璇那样的绝望,心碎的人唱起来,更加心碎。董佩佩的歌来自周璇,可是却以她自己的风格,唱进人们的心坎里。她和小生黄河合唱的‘春天是我们的’更是石破天惊,树立了歌坛情侣的典型。由于歌词题材充满喜感,这首歌日后竟成了贺岁歌曲,每逢过年过节,必定有人点播。董佩佩,黄河也一而再,再而三地搭档炮制了‘花前对唱’‘小妞妞’和‘妈妈把我许配他’,不让林黛和严俊专美。

董佩佩只演了那么一部主角戏,后来被邀在钟情的‘哪个不多情’里客串演出,唱了‘花生米’和‘花开蝶飞来’。大概认为演戏这行饭不好吃吧,因此,此后只唱而不演。

说起她的招牌歌,不禁想起李丽华,因为‘第二春 ’正是来自李丽华的影片‘恋之火’。按照惯例,李丽华的电影歌曲都由她自己唱的。可是,那几年,李丽华偏偏不唱,因此,很多好歌都拱手让人。‘恋之火’中的‘第二春 ’和‘爱情的花朵’就成了董佩佩的囊中物。‘第二春 ’辗转得到洋人的青睐,谱上英文歌词,成了英文歌‘The Ding Dong Song’。那是作曲者姚敏的能耐,董佩佩也由此得益良深。

在灌唱片的后期,董佩佩曾为静婷唱的电影歌曲‘花田错’录了一段念白,影片中是丁宁演的小姐所念的,董佩佩念起来,几可乱真,让人以为是丁宁本人念的。

大约是六十年代中期,董佩佩应邀在新加坡国家剧场演唱,当时据说她是从菲律宾赶搭飞机到新加坡的,因此并非在最佳状况中,听她唱‘我一见你就笑’,声音有点暗哑,而且也不是她的名曲。那是我看她演唱的唯一的一次。她当时也已经没灌录唱片好久了。踏进廿一世纪,我接获她的死讯,不过已经是过时的消息,详细日子和情况皆不详,似乎很低调。五十年代的 ‘金嗓子’,从此便永别了。

10 comments:

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

Do you think this movie 恋歌 will be released in DVD/ VCD in the near future?

I believe 黄河 had passed away. Do you know which year? Was it in Hong Kong or Taiwan? Did he marry another actress?

I hope you will write a more detailed column of 黄河 in the near future. He was very famous and considered a goodlooking actor in that era.

Thanks for your answers in advance.

Kun said...

Chris,

I don't think 恋歌 will ever be turned into the DVD format by any company because of its market value. A VHS copy though can be viewed at the Hong Kong Film Archives at a small fee.

黄河 just passed away a few years back in Hong Kong. He has a very long and varied career. I think I can only cover part of his works, but not in the near future as I'm rather tied up now. I think he was never married though there was reputedly a romance with a celebrity. Anyway, this is only hearsay, nothing to confirm.

Kun

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

But can you loan OUT 恋歌 from the Hong Kong Film Archives OR you have to watch it there and pay a fee? It is so depressing that these valuable movies are NOT released in DVD or VCD. Sigh!

I found an article about 黄河 and I would like to share it with you.

http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:lHzBcj6HGTEJ:eladies.sina.com.cn/amusement/news/acternews/2000-03-03/20937.shtml+%E5%B0%8F%E7%94%9F%E9%BB%84%E6%B2%B3&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

I have NEVER been to the Philippines. But I heard that there is a Chinatown in Manila, Philippines. So I assume that they are many Chinese who live there.

Have you been to Manila? Is there a big market for Chinese songs there like Singapore and Malaysia?

Thanks for your answers.

Regards,
Chris Tan

Kun said...

Chris,

You have to watch it there at a small fee. The last time I was in HK, I spent a good part of 2 days there watching old films. It closes at 8 or 9 pm.

Only some of Shaw and Cathay productions are made into DVDs. When they show their banners, they are very particular about quality and marketability. They would decide not to produce them when the film has the slightest scratch (at least, that's what I think). That's why films like ‘龙翔凤舞’‘人财两得’‘提防小手’etc are not made into DVDs. These companies don't realise that old movie fans are not that particular about technical quality. As long as they do not affect the storyline, we don't really mind. As it is, we cannot get to see a lot of movies,esp.B&W movies, just because they are not perfect technically. Many of the Shaw DVDs are swordfighting movies in colour. They may think that these will attract more of the younger set. But we of the older school don't really care for such movies (I for one don't).I hope the big companies will change their outlook and give us more of the B &W variety .

There are Chinese in the Philippines, but I think the market for Chinese songs is not as big as Singapore or Malaysia.

Kun

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

Too bad that you cannot borrow those old movies and make copies of them at home.

I believe Hong Kong TVB and Asia Television have many copies of these Black and White movies.

As to your knowledge, do you think RTS (Radio and Television of Singapore) ever play 恋歌 on TV in the 60's?

Do you think 陈燕燕 and 歐陽莎菲 ever sing in movies?

Has 张伊雯 ever perform in Singapore in the 50's and 60's? One of my favorite songs of her is 为什麽不想寻找爱 电影- 喷火女郎 - 插曲.

I heard that singer 方伊琪 is one of her student. 方伊琪 is a friend of my godsister in Singapore. She came to visit us in Upper Serangoon in the 80's when she was performing in Singapore. She wasn't that popular at that time.

I hope you do NOT mind that I have so many questions for you. Thanks in advance.

Warmest Regards,
Chris Tan

Kun said...

Chris,
Mediacorps will never show a film as old as '恋歌 ’。 There's no commercial value too for such B & W movies. And advt. are all that they think about nowadays. With the batch of young crop deciding on what viewers can watch, I bet they won't even consider showing it in early mornings. Moreover, I don't think they can get hold of a copy.
陈燕燕和欧阳莎菲有灌录过唱片,不过,是否有在电影中唱过歌,我就不得而知了。
张伊雯好象没来过新马登台。在我看来,她的
最佳作品来自乐蒂的影片‘妙手回春’,叫做‘恋爱经 ’和‘葬花’。
黄河的文章,我找不到,不知是哪个人的website?
Kun

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

Are you referring to this newspaper article about 黄河?

http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:lHzBcj6HGTEJ:eladies.sina.com.cn/amusement/news/acternews/2000-03-03/20937.shtml+%E5%B0%8F%E7%94%9F%E9%BB%84%E6%B2%B3&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

"第二春" was first sung by actress Li Lee Hua in the movie and 董佩佩 subsequently recorded in her album. 靜婷 also recorded this song eventually after the death of Yao Ming. May I ask: have you heard the three versions? Which do you prefer?

I believe I saw you at Kreta Ayer Community Center a few years ago when I went back to Singapore for a visit. Were you the host on stage of 屈雲雲 when she released her new CD? I remember that you had a great voice if I did NOT mistaken to be the one. Were you once a radio deejay? If NOt, do you know the name of the radio deejay who host Chinese oldies programs in RTS and SBC in the 60's, 70's and 80's where one can write in and request a song? Thanks for your answers.

Kun said...

Chris,
I.ve read the article on 黄河 by following the website you gave.Thank you.

Of the 3 versions, I'm still partial to the original version by 董佩佩。

I was the one who helped 云云姐 to launch her album a few years back.If you were there,you would have indeed seen me. That's life!

Kun

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

I found a picture of 严化 and I would like to share with you and all your fans and readers.

http://data.yule.sohu.com/star/pic/star/21/21883/default.jpg

Regards,
Chris Tan

Chris Tan said...

Kun,

This is a picture of 路明

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jiangminjie796888/3343090848/

Regards,
Chris Tan