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Vivienne Chow

POPULAR CANTO-POP singer Hacken Lee will be one of the fans cheering the loudest when Japanese mega pop band Anzen Chitai return to Hong Kong to perform next week for the first time in 15 years.

'Their technique amazes me, especially when you hear Koji Tamaki live,' says Lee, who first performed in the mid-1980s, basing his style on Tamaki.

'But this was hard for people to tell because I sing in a different language,' he says.

Lee, one of the most popular singers in town, will attend at least one of the two Anzen Chitai concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum on October 24 and 25.

He reworked some of the band's hits including I Love You Karahajimeyou (Beginning With I Love You), Tsuki Ni Nurata Futari (Lovers Under The Moonlight)and Juliet. The band's concerts, he says, were some of the best he has seen.

'At one concert Tamaki sang non-stop, adopting various styles, changing abruptly from rough rock'n'roll to falsetto ballads.'

Anzen Chitai melodies are deeply rooted in Hong Kong people's minds through the endless list of cover versions by local stars such as Alan Tam Wing-lun, Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing, Jacky Cheung Hok-yau, Leon Lai Ming and Lee.

'In those days [the 80s], there was a high demand for cover versions,' says Ming Pao Weekly music critic Fung Lai-chi. 'Producers had to look for foreign songs that would suit the audience's taste, and Anzen Chitai's music had the qualities that appeal here.'

'Anzen Chitai's songs have pleasant melodies and are easily accessible,' Fung explains. 'Their music has an Eastern style, which often uses five notes instead of eight like the West does. The musical arrangements were progressive at the time, which made them an overwhelming success on the pop scene.'

Anzen Chitai is a five-piece band formed by Hokkaido natives Tamaki (vocals), Wataru Yahagi and Yutaka Takezawa (guitars), Haruyoshi Rokudo (bass) and Yuji Tanaka (drums).

They made their debut on February 25, 1982 with the single Moegi Iro No Snap (Ageing Picture), but shot to fame with their fourth single, Wine Red No Kokoro, the following year, their first No 1 hit. The song made the band a household name throughout the Chinese-speaking world. In 1984, Tam, one of the most popular Canto-pop stars at that time, and singer Ken Choi Fung-wah both covered the song in Cantonese. Tam's Wine Red Heart and Choi's Moon Eclipse became top hits.

Since then, music awards and top record sales have followed the Asian sensations. The number of the band's songs covered by other singers also rose. Anzen Chitai's soaring popularity saw them perform sold-out gigs in Hong Kong at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium in 1985 and the Hong Kong Coliseum in 1986 and 1987.

In mid-1987, Tamaki began his solo career with debut single All I Do after the band released Anzen Chitai Live.

The other band members went their separate ways with their own solo projects, but Tamaki was the most successful. In 1988, he represented Japan at a Beijing concert to commemorate 10 years of friendship between China and Japan.

After taking a two-and-a-half-year break, the band reunited and released Anzen Chitai VII in 1990 and Anzen Chitai VIII in 1991. A year later, they took another break, with Tamaki picking up his solo career which now comprises 17 albums. He remains one of Japan's most revered musicians.

This summer, Anzen Chitai reunited and released their ninth studio recording, Anzen Chitai IX, their 28th album in 20 years.

Lee says Tamaki 'set an example for local composers in the 1990s, with later songs consisting of chords similar to theirs. Their music has a lot of variety. You must be able to find one of their songs that is your cup of tea.'

Anzen Chitai Live In Hong Kong, October 24 and 25 at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

Tickets at $380 and $480 are still available from all Urbtix outlets. For inquiries call 2888 0018 or 2734 9009.



The boys are back