gitcloud -
Part 4: Path Towards Independence...
..In the skies a bird can be seen
Frightfully spreading its wings to fly
Soaring through the heavens to seek freedom...
~ Amani, Wong Ka Kui, 1991.
At this point Beyond had started doing things that were not even remotely related to music, such as movies and T.V. shows. And even when they were doing stuff related to music, it wasn"t necessarliy for themsleves. They were writing music for other singers in Cineoply. But soon enough they produced their next album, "True Testimony". This album had music that they had written for other people, but preformed by themselves (sort of proof that they didn"t need other people to sing their music) This was a true rock album, and what the older Beyond fans were waiting for. This CD also made it to Platinum status, how much of that was due to the "bandwagoners" and how much was due to real enjoyment of their music, is hard to say.
Slowly, they gained control of their expressions of music, especially in their next album, "Fate Party", in this album, a significant number of songs were message-based. One that stands out the most is the song, "Glory Days" (a song Ka Kui had written for Civil Rights Activist Nelson Mandela, current South African President, who was still in jail at that time) This song deals with apartheid, and racism, and how it"s hurting the world and the people that are caught in it. With this song, Beyond established themselves as one of, if not the best lyrics/song-writers in Hong Kong. Ka Kui won Best Lyricist of the Year for that song as well as Song of the Year. This album showed that they really subscribed to using music as a tool of sending messages, and the public responded greatfully, since this album surpassed Platinum status easily.
Soon after in 1991, Beyond went to Nairobi, Kenya, in Africa to seek new music inspiration. They helped many people there and also acted to many as their "ambassador" to Hong Kong, letting people know the problems in Africa. Also while in Africa they set up the "Beyond"s Third World Foundation" to donate money to the needy in Africa. Their visit to Africa inspired them to write the song "Amani" which means Peace in Swahili.
In their next release, "Deliberate", A few songs were more "commercial" based, but did not take away from the main messages in the songs. This album had many "movie songs" in it. I especially like the song, "Hesitate No More" (but joy yow yee). This release reached double platinum, and would be the last release under Cineopoly and Kinn"s management.
Their "Farewell, Kinn"s" Concert tour, was staged in Hong Kong"s Hung Hom Stadium, in September of 1991 (and onwards to Malaysia and Singapore in the following months). They wanted out of Cineoply and chose to ensure their musical freedom, so during the final months of the tour, they completed negotiations on a contract with Amuse and Fun House Records. They were moving their home from Hong Kong, to fight for a market in Japan...
Through their signing with Amuse and Fun House, Beyond decided to get into the Japanese music industry, which they hoped would act as a stepping stone into the international music scene. Their first Japanese album, "This is Love" (japanese), went platinium in Japan and they had gained recognition throughout Japan. Slowly, Beyond attained their own style in their music which was different and very unique from others. Though their primary objective was for expansion into the Japanese market, they never left their main objective out of sight, which was making quality music.
It was in Japan that Beyond finally forged a music that people could call "Chinese Rock", through their smash hit album in 1992, "Continue the Revolution" (cantonese). In this album Beyond had invited Kitaro (a famous Japanese new age musician) to perform with them. Beyond"s songs were now blended with New Age music which brings them out against other bands. The Song "The Great Wall" caused a lot of controversy in China. The song labeled The Great Wall of China as a permanent scar inflicted on the Chinese by the countless number dictators in the Chinese history. In its classic chorus, Beyond shouts for the downfall of the present Chinese leaders. This Song aroused so much anti-communist sentiments that China had put a ban to Beyond. (but that didn"t stop them from believing what they felt was right) Because of the controversey Beyond became even more popular and was even recognized internationally as a great band from Asia.
At the end of the same year, they released a Mandarin CD under the label, Rock Records. This would prove to be their opening for Beyond in the future: a semi-independent label with the potential to get them back to Hong Kong.
At the beginning of 1993, things had finally calmed down for them, after flying back and forth from Japan and Hong Kong to promote their CD"s, shooting videos, and constantly being invited to play in concerts. They were now ready to work on their next album, later to be released as "Rock N" Roll".
Part 6: The Accident
How many times, facing cold stares and mockery
Still have never abandoned my ideals
A moment of uncertainty, feels like something lost
Unknowingly diluted, is the love in my heart (Who understands me?)
Forgive me for loving freedom all my life
Also fear that I would one day fall...oh no!
Forsaking one"s ideals, anyone can do
Not afraid that one day it"ll just be you and I
~ "A Dream Far Away (Clear Skies Vast Oceans)", Beyond, Wong Ka Kui, 1993.
Beyond, under Amuse and Warner, had become relatively more free in their music writing than they had under Cineopoly. In fact things seemed ideal: they had a major label backing them, the freedom to publish (almost) what they wanted to, and an audience larger than they had every imagined. They were "on the top of the world", and happily, they produced their second (cantonese) album under Amuse/Warner titled,"Rock N" Roll". As the title suggests it"s a rock album. The style of music in this release was defineately much more raw than their recent albums, but with a new Beyond Sound. And the messages were defineately still there. An excellent example would be the song, "ba ba ma ma" (papa mama), where the U.K. is symbolized as the father, and China the mother, and Hong Kong the child that is left to its own devices due to the incessant squabbing between the two. This album could be loved by all Beyond fans, people who are looking for messages, and people that simply love rock music. (my personal favorite album).
However, this fairy-tale story soon came to a sad and tragic halt. Around the time of the release of their album, "Rock N" Roll", Beyond was participating in a Japanese game show called, "Uchan Nanchan No Yarunara Yaraneba!", in Japan"s Fuji Television Studios. Sometime during the "mock-battle", they heard someone say, "Someone fell off the stage!." By this time Ka Keung had already lost sight of his brother, Sai Wing and Paul were still being pushed to the ground. Wong Ka Kui and the host of the show had fallen off the stage that was about 8 feet high. They were both rushed to the hospital immediately. When the ambulence came, Ka Kui was still concious, and Ka Keung, embracing his brother, kept saying to him, "You"re going to be O.K.". The host was diagnosed with non-life threatening wounds in the chest, but Ka Kui was not as lucky. He fell unconsious from his fall, which resulted from his head impacting onto the ground. He fell into a coma shortly after diagnosis. For many long days, there was hope for Ka Kui, that he could be saved, and his wounds would heal. But unfortuneately hope was not reality. And finally, after 6 days, of critical, but semi-stable condition in the hospital, Ka Kui"s condition turned to the worse. On the 30th of June, 1993, at 4 p.m. local time, Wong Ka Kui left us forever...
"I would much rather have the accident happen to me." -- Ka Keung, days after the accident, before breaking down into tears. (The interview with Beyond only lasted about 3 minutes before everyone broke down into tears.)
Ka Kui was buried in Hong Kong together with his favorite guitar and a tape of his fans that was recorded earlier. Thousands of fans visited his grave and everybody believed that although he had died his love and devotion for music will never die. In his final album, "Rock N" Roll", he left us with two of his greatest songs to remember him by "Clear Skies Vast Oceans" and, "Lover".
Ka Kui"s death had serious implications on the band. For a time, many wondered if the band would continue or if they would break up, since Ka Kui was the main songwriter of the band, and in turn was the heart, soul, and voice of the band. Losing him, was like having no pulse, thoughts, or speech. The band negotiated a settlement with the Fuji Television Studio, and then expired their contract with Warner Management. And finally, they went back home; home to where it all started...
Part 7: A New Beginning
"I hope to use this song
To wash out the bitterness in my heart
To call out my rememberance of you
Holding back tears, I wish you happiness."
~ "Wishing You Happiness", Beyond, Ka Keung, 1994.
For a long time, Beyond mourned the passing of Ka Kui in silence. They were nowhere to be found. they chose not to respond to most interviews. They just kept to themselves, and let time do its thing.
Then, late in the year, the band came out and performed at a concert specifically for aspiring and successful orginal artists. They accepted an interview from one of the major magazines. And yes, it was confirmed that they would be putting out a new release as a band in the new year. The publisher would be Rock Records, the company they had dealt with earlier in Taiwan.
So, as expected, Beyond released their first new album with just the three members, in 1994, titled, "2nd Floor, Rear Block". (named after their band room in Hong Kong) In this album the style that they had forged originally was not as heavily used; rather, this album was more of theraputic album for the band and it"s fans, to release all those sad feelings they had inside of them. Most of the song"s were written in memory Ka Kui (namely "Wishing You Hapiness" a song Ka Keung had written in memory of his brother, and "Far Away Paradise" & "We Don"t Want to Make it Without You" Paul"s dedications to Ka Kui), but an important notice is the song "There is Always Love", which is a song in gratitude to all their fans who stuck by Beyond through think and thin. The success of this album was a surprise by many, but it rebuked the thoughts of the "non-believers" that believed Beyond would never be good without Ka Kui.
Soon afterwards, their contract with Amuse was coming to an end. Beyond chose not to renew it; instead, they decided to go independent. With this independence, the would be able to write whatever they wanted to, with no cares about having to bow down to any market. And their label of choice: Rock Records.
As time went by, their wounds slowly healed, Beyond put together another release in their "one-release a year" program. They had decided upon this because in the past, things were just too hectic for them; trying to make music while rushed for a dead line, and especially because they felt life was worth living. Through this, they didn"t have to worry about doing silly small-talk promotions on TVB, and they didn"t have ot rush their song writing (resulting in better songs). The release they put out in mid-1995, was titled, "Sound", an album almost as rock as their first album. There was a lot of controversey over the music in this album. Some thought it was a "show-off" album, but I thought it was the true Beyond.
They followed up their album with an EP titled, "Live (EP)" in March of 1996. (their song "Miss You" was voted one of Hong Kongs top 10 in 1996) 5 new tracks to begin their concert in Hong Kong. This started a concert tour for Beyond to Malaysia, Singapore and some other countries. The Beyond Live & Basic concert was a success in Hong Kong. The media gave praises for Beyond"s performance and regarded their concert performance as "stunning" and "of international standards". They had regarded Beyond as the Hong Kong music industry"s spokeperson.
In a sense, the passing of Ka Kui was a new beginning for the band. They were finally able to disassociate with any managing companies that cared only about money. They had the freedom to write the songs they wanted to, sign the labels they wanted to, and most importantly, make the facilities in their band room to become a full-force recording studio for aspiring bands as well as for themselves. Yet, the hard work of Ka Kui is not to be put aside, and will never be forgotten. As Ka Keung mention in their concert in Hung Hom Stadium in May 1996, "Beyond will always be a 4-person band".
Part 5: And The Revolution Begins...
Everday I yearn to hold you forever,
To forget the world"s saddness and pain.
No matter how far apart we are, I still hear you call
and forever I shall wait for you...
~ Looking A Far, Wong Ka Kui, 1992.
kikcik -
To
some,
Beyond
are
the
greatest
Chinese
rock
band
ever.
To
others,
they
are
inglorious,
latter-day
sellouts.
Indisputable,
however,
is
Beyond"s
surprising
longevity
in
Hong
Kong"s
fickle
music
scene.
In
May
the
band
celebrated
their
20th
anniversary
with
five
capacity
concerts
at
the
Hong
Kong
Coliseum,
and
they"ve
added
three
more
shows
at
the
same
venue
for
this
weekend.
There
is
good
reason
for
the
hype:
the
concert
series
represents
the
first
time
the
band
has
performed
together
since
they
took
a
solo-career
sabbatical
in
1999.
For
fans,
the
shows
have
been
especially
poignant.
Late
vocalist
Wong
Ka-kui?killed
in
an
accident
in
1993
at
the
age
of
31?has
been
resurrected
in
the
form
of
a
life-size
video
projection,
alongside
his
former
band
mates.
This
eerie
guest
appearance
takes
place
during
the
performance
of
Wong"s
Fighting
War
for
20
Years.
"Ka-kui
played
the
music
on
an
acoustic
guitar
and
hummed
along.
We
added
our
instruments
and
sang
the
lyrics,"
says
bassist
Ka-keung,
Wong"s
38-year-old
brother.
"This
then
became
a
song
that
our
full
band
performed.
So
we
got
the
idea
that
we
wanted
to
bring
him
onstage
with
us
as
well."
It"s
hard
to
overstate
the
importance
of
Beyond
to
Hong
Kong
music
fans
under
40.
In
a
scene
long
dominated
by
insubstantial
teen
idols,
Beyond
have
been
the
Beatles,
the
Clash
and
Oasis
rolled
into
one.
To
this
day
they
remain
the
only
Hong
Kong
band
to
have
made
the
transition
from
underground
obscurity
to
mainstream
stardom.
From
their
first
single?1987"s
Songs
of
Yesterday?they"ve
achieved
this
by
espousing
an
openhearted,
socially
aware
brand
of
rock
that
compensates
for
its
occasional
ham-fistedness
with
endearing
sincerity.
Through
27
albums,
their
songs
of
protest
and
peace
have
touched
on
everything
from
human
rights
to
China"s
social
contradictions
to
the
aspirations
of
ordinary
Hong
Kongers.
One
of
their
most
famous
songs,
1990"s
Days
of
Glory,
is
about
Nelson
Mandela:
"Today
there"s
only
a
battered
body
left
to
welcome
the
days
of
glory/
Holding
on
tight
to
freedom."
For
many
of
Hong
Kong"s
apolitical
youth,
it
was
the
first
time
they
had
heard
of
the
South
African
leader.
Today,
sitting
in
their
landmark
Kowloon
studio?where
the
walls
are
covered
with
two
decades
of
messages
from
fans?the
boys
from
Beyond
are
in
an
affable
and
unapologetic
mood.
"It"s
a
technique
to
be
able
to
strike
a
balance
between
rock
and
commercial
music,"
says
Paul
Wong,
the
band"s
39-year-old
guitarist.
"Once
you
decide
to
produce
albums,
undergrounders
call
you
rock
traitors,
but
the
public
doesn"t
even
know
who
you
are
yet.
Every
day
you"re
struggling
between
commercialization
and
your
dream,
which
we
had
to
remember
very
clearly.
[That
dream]
was
to
change
the
music
industry
and
the
situation
[in
Hong
Kong]."
The
record
companies
didn"t
make
things
easy,
either.
"It"s
like
they
kept
pouring
buckets
of
cold
water
over
our
heads,"
says
Yip
Sai-wing,
39,
Beyond"s
drummer.
"We
wrote
a
lot
of
songs
for
them,
but
they"d
always
say
the
songs
wouldn"t
work.
Some
wouldn"t
even
listen
to
our
songs.
They"d
just
take
a
look
at
us
and
reject
us
on
the
spot.
We
had
to
make
a
lot
of
compromises
to
meet
their
requests.
We
attracted
a
wide
public
[later]
...
then
we
were
able
to
slowly
turn
back
to
doing
what
we
wanted."
After
this
weekend"s
concerts,
Beyond
will
embark
on
a
world
tour,
playing
to
mainly
Chinese
audiences
in
Asia,
Australia,
Canada
and
the
U.S.
"When
we
feel
as
if
we"ve
performed
to
all
our
fans
around
the
world,
as
a
thank
you
to
them,
then
the
tour
will
end,"
says
Ka-keung.
But
it
looks
as
though
there
might
be
more
of
Beyond
on
the
way.
A
new
generation
of
devotees
is
emerging,
with
many
longtime
fans
now
bringing
their
children
to
the
shows.
"Our
dream
now
is
to
capture
the
third
generation?our
fans"
grandchildren,"
laughs
Yip.
"Then
we
can
be
the
Hong
Kong
Rolling
Stones."
For
now,
it
seems,
nothing
can
stop
Beyond?not
even
death.
不白九百 -
大地 – Beyond
The Earth --- Beyond
在那些苍翠的路上
Country roads like those
历遍了多少创伤
thriftily laden with sorrows
在那张苍老的面上
Aged face with frost
亦记载了风霜
Experiences thick-set
秋风秋雨的度日
Grim and rainy days
是青春少年时
Autumn goes, youth falls
迫不得意的话别
Farewell unwillingly comes
没说"再见"
and no bye-bye says.
回望昨日在异乡那门前
a door in an alien land long before
唏嘘的感慨一年年
yearly sighs still sore
但日落日出永没变迁
yet the sun still rises and sets
这刻在望著父亲笑容时
Looking through father"s smile
竟不知不觉的无言
No word is ready to tell
让日落暮色渗满泪眼
may twilight shine upon tearful eyes
在那些开放的路上
Those roads, open and free
踏碎过多少理想
Dreams stepped by how many
在那张高挂的面上
That head, holding high
被引证了几多
Models exemplified by and by
千秋不变的日月
Time proves its invariability
在相识里共存
Sun and moon acquaints in memory
姑息分割的大地
As the earth so badly marked,
划了界线
to tolerate, they are thus divided