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Summary: "Flowers" is not only a period drama that truly restores Shanghai in the 1990s, it is also a feast of classic old songs. The whole drama compiles 57 golden songs from the 1980s and 1990s, and The timing of the appearance perfectly fits the plot, and at the same time, the character's character and destiny are shown through these familiar songs.
Figure 1: 57 golden songs of the era in "Flowers"
"Flowers" is not only a period drama that truly restores Shanghai in the 1990s, it is also a feast of classic old songs. The whole drama summarizes the 1980s and 1990s. 57 golden songs of the era, and the timing of their appearance perfectly fits the plot. At the same time, these familiar songs are used to show the character and destiny of the characters.
In the play, the marketing campaign planned by Abao (played by Hu Ge) for Mr. Fan (played by Dong Yong)'s "Sanyang Brand" T-shirts was to invite big stars to sing "In Winter" live in the Hulian Commercial Building. "A Fire" immediately attracted a flood of people, and the sales of "Sanyang Brand" became popular in one fell swoop. It can be said that it was an instant hit.
"A Fire in Winter" was originally an English song "sexy music" first sung by the nolans in 1980. In 1982, it was covered by Taiwanese singer Gao Lingfeng into the Chinese version of "A Fire in Winter". In 1987, Chinese-American singer Fei Xiang sang on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala and quickly became popular across the country. Although it was said in the play "Flowers" that Fei Xiang came to sing live, it was not Fei Xiang himself who actually appeared. The content of this song is to sing about a blazing fire, which means prosperity, so it fits well with Abao's marketing activities. As a result, just like this song, "Sanyang Brand" became a hit.
When I saw this, I suddenly realized that there are many classic old songs from the 1990s in the drama "Flowers". After watching it carefully, as expected, as the plot develops, classic old songs from that era will continue to play leisurely, such as A Bao and Wang Miss (played by Tang Yan) was on the terrace of the Peace Hotel on New Year's Day, and "No More Hesitation" was played. The lyrics of the music were extremely appropriate to the scene at this time.
This song is a Cantonese song sung by the Hong Kong beyond band. It was written by Liang Meiwei and composed by the band's lead singer Huang Jiakui. It was included in the Cantonese album "deliberate hesitation" released by the beyond band in September 1991. It was the theme song of the 1991 Hong Kong movie "Beyond Diary: Don't Bully the Young and the Poor", and won the first place in the Hong Kong Metro Radio Charts that year.
Figure 2: "No More Hesitation"
There are many such situations, such as "What I Want in Life", "My Future Is Not a Dream", "Like You", "Toast Song", "Glory Years", "In the Night Wind" ...These golden songs of the era not only perfectly fit the plot, but also express the character and destiny of the characters very vividly. They are perfectly integrated with the entire drama and are excellent.
Corresponding to the male number one, Abao, is "Look Back Again", which was originally sung by Taiwanese singer Jiang Yuheng. It was included in Jiang Yuheng's album "Many Years LaterĀ·Look Back Again" released in June 1989, and won the "Top Ten Golden Songs" in the country in 1990. Jiang Yuheng is known as the "Prince of Melancholy" because his singing style has a touch of melancholy. This song "Looking Back Again" is his famous song, which best reflects his singing style. Although Abao has had all-powerful performances in the mall, In the highlight moments, there are also no regrets that finally turn around and return to mediocrity; but emotionally with the three women, they are constantly being cut off and confused. Just like the faint sadness in this song, it also has the insights after going through many vicissitudes of life.
As Po's mentor, the song corresponding to the old Master Ye Shu (played by Yau Ben-chang) is "Silence is Golden". This song is a Cantonese song written in 1988 by two Hong Kong music emperors, Xu Guanjie and Leslie Cheung. In the same year, they also recorded solo versions. The chorus version and Xu Guanjie's solo version were included in the album "Sam and Friends", and Leslie Cheung's solo version was included in the album "Hot Summer". In 1988, he won the 11th Hong Kong Top Ten Chinese Golden Melody Awards.
Uncle Lao Ye is a master in the business field and emphasizes "don't make any sound", which means not making any sound - silence is golden. The philosophy of life in this song is just like the teachings and guidance given by the old uncle to Abao.
Picture 3: Uncle - "Silence is Golden"
Mr. Fan's song is naturally "Annie". This song was written by Chen Lerong in 1987 and composed and sung by Taiwanese singer Wang Jie. Included in the album "A Game, a Dream" released in December 1987, this is also Wang Jie's famous song. It was written in memory of his first girlfriend who passed away, so the music has a deep sense of sadness. Although Dong Yong has always played roles such as police officers and soldiers, and his performance style is known for his seriousness, Mr. Fan who starred in "Flowers" went against his previous acting style, with a little comedy element, accent, demeanor, and general appearance. There's something so honest and honest that makes people laugh. The reason why this song is full of sadness is because Mr. Fan sang this song "Annie" at the celebration party for the successful sales of "Sanyang Brand". As a result, he sang this sad song full of joy. When he sang The expression was even made into Mr. Fanās exclusive expression pack.
Figure 4: Mr. Fan - "Annie"
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In the play, although Mr. Fan always has a naive smile and a humble expression, his thinking is always very clear. He knows what he wants to do when he comes to Shanghai from a small place. And although he is a businessman, he is not only interested in profit. He has always been affectionate and loyal. In the world of Shanghai, he has always maintained his simple original intention. When Ms. Wang resigned from No. 27 on the Bund and started her own business, she held her first investment fair on Huanghe Road. All the customers were not optimistic about it and no one came to support her. Except for Mr. Wei (played by Zheng Kai) who pursued Ms. Wang wholeheartedly, only Fan Always come to support. When Ms. Wang secured the factory for her first order, it was Mr. Fan who went to Shenzhen to contact the factory for her. He was busy all the time and had no benefit at all. It was just for the sake of Ms. Wang and Ms. Wang when she first came to Shanghai. With Mr. Bao's help, his "Sanyang Brand" opened up sales and became the most popular best-seller. Mr. Fan's catchphrase "We are friends" is indeed not just said casually.
People who think about friendship like this and know how to be grateful are really rare in today's materialistic world.
Speaking of Mr. Wei who pursues Ms. Wang wholeheartedly, it turns out that he is just a "rich second generation" who relies on his father's connections and financial resources to prosper in the business world. At first, he seems to be a very unreliable young man, but he has a deep affection for Wang. The young lady was indeed deeply in love, and was even willing to go against her father's wishes and work hard with Miss Wang. His corresponding song is "Red Lips Kiss". This song is a Cantonese song sung by the Hong Kong band Grasshopper. It is included in the album "Grashopper III" released in 1989. It is a dynamic rock song that is very suitable for Mr. Wei has an arrogant and impulsive character. Especially when Miss Wang was framed and sent to the factory, Mr. Wei took several of his little brothers and sang the song "Red Lips Kiss" on the dock of the factory to comfort Miss Wang and cheer her up. Under the sunset, several people A young man full of energy and a few wild and unruly motorcycles, the vigorous atmosphere blows towards his face.
Picture 5: Mr. Wei - "The Kiss of Red Lips"
There is also Abao's "dream brother" (played by Chen Long) Tao Tao (played by Chen Long). When the old man tested Abao, the first six thousand yuan was Tao Tao lent Ah Bao money despite his wife's objections. This is really commendable for a man who is managed by his wife like a "naked quail" - meaning that he has no hair on his body and all the economic power is controlled by his wife. It shows that the two brothers are indeed Very deep.
Like many men in Shanghai, I can barely make ends meet in my career, and my family is under strict control of my wife. I feel a little aggrieved and depressed. I used to be an ambiguous woman who had the evil intention but not the courage, but ended up getting married. This feeling is gone. Like a mournful bird, yes, the song corresponding to it is "I'm a Little Bird". This song was written and composed by Taiwanese music prodigy Li Zongsheng, and sung by Taiwanese singer Zhao Chuan. It was included in Zhao Chuan 1990 In the album of the same name "I am a little bird" released in August 2016. This is also Zhao Chuan's famous song.
In the play, Tao Tao sang "I'm a Little Bird" loudly on the road with some drunkenness. A man's grievances and depression were all reflected in the song. At this time, Zhao Chuan's original song was also synchronized. When it sounded, sadness slowly emerged. Tao Tao longed to fly freely in his heart, but when Tao Tao had the freedom to choose later, he hesitated and finally chose to be a "naked quail" whose hair was plucked by his wife.
Figure 6: Tao Tao - "I am a Little Bird"
Now that we have talked about the male characters, letās talk about the songs about the female characters.
The leading female lead Reiko (played by Ma Yili), her corresponding song is naturally "Sudden Love", which is the theme song composed by Japanese singer Oda Kazumasa in 1991 for the classic love drama "Tokyo Love Story". This TV series was very popular at the time, and the theme song was widely sung because of it. It became the double champion of Japan's sales volume and the annual golden song chart. The single sales volume reached 2.7 million copies, and it was also the eighth in Japan's history of single sales.
Although the song is in Japanese, most Chinese people don't know what the lyrics are about, but the music room knows no borders. The lingering pathos displayed in the music is so artistically appealing that even if you can't sing the lyrics, you can't help but hum a few lines of melody.
Whether it is the TV series title of this song "Tokyo Love Story" or the name of the song itself "Sudden Love", Tokyo, love, encounter, these keywords are exactly the keywords of Reiko and Abao's relationship, it is really too Couldn't be more apt. Back then, Abao went to Tokyo to find a Japanese customer to purchase machines. When he heard Reiko, who was on the phone with her home and speaking in Shanghainese, she was like a drowning person who found a life-saving straw. She hurriedly stepped forward to ask for help. When she heard the familiar voice With a local accent, Lingzi helped Po contact the customer without saying a word, and even took the hungry Po to eat a bowl of noodles. Finally, she "lent" the lucky charm she asked for from the shrine to Po, hoping to Good luck goes to him too. In this way, the two met and got to know each other in a foreign country. After Lingzi returned to China, Abao helped her open a restaurant on Jinxian Road called "Night Tokyo".
Picture 7: Reiko - "Sudden Love"
Reiko probably liked Abao very much, but she never broke the window. In her heart, she had been waiting for Abao to take the initiative to confess her love, but she never did. And Later, Abao had a big fight with Miss Wang over her pearl earrings. At this time, Reiko completely realized that Miss Wang's status in Abao's heart was greater than hers, so she left Ye Tokyo and drifted outside for a few months to heal her emotional wounds before she came back and talked to Abao. Clearly, she asked Abao to withdraw her shares and asked for the lucky charm back, which showed that she had already thought clearly about ending things with Abao completely. Then, raise funds again, renovate and reopen Tokyo, and start life again.
This is a typical Shanghai woman, smart, capable, decisive, self-reliant and tough, with a tender side: she asked A Bao to help her fix the leak on the roof, and the two chatted on the roof, although it could not be said to be affectionate, But itās also tender. There is also the determination of a strong man to cut off his wrist. Once he realizes that Po is thinking about Miss Wang, he can immediately cut off the water without retreating from the mud, which is very admirable.
The second female number, Miss Wang, is an export salesperson of a state-owned foreign trade company. She cooperates with Ah Bao for mutual benefit and win-win results. Not only does Ah Bao make a lot of money from the foreign trade business, but her own business is also booming. However, she is very principled and always follows the rules and regulations and does not accept gifts from A Bao. It was going smoothly at first, but he was jealous and cheated by others, and his promising future was ruined. But she was unyielding and decided to quit her job and start her own business. She drove overnight to Shenzhen to find a factory for her first order. However, in order to make a living, she was unwilling to accept A Bao's favor. She would rather rely on herself or lose money than work hard. This kind of Perseverance and perseverance are commendable.
For A Bao, I say it is a revolutionary friendship, but in fact I still have deep feelings in my heart, and I do my best to consider A Bao most of the time. I heard that A Bao went to Zhuji to look for a black factory. I was worried about A Bao's safety and drove all night to look for him, which resulted in a car accident.When A Bao faced the possibility of business failure, he resolutely expressed his willingness to sell tea eggs with A Bao. When A Bao was willing to give her a slap in the face in order to help her resolve the dispute - when Lu Meilin (played by Fan Tiantian) really slapped A Bao loudly, she yelled like crazy, "Why did you hit him?", and finally With tears on his face, he hugged A Bao and said, I must get this slap for you!
This is a sincere and true girl. Her corresponding song is undoubtedly "Unrepentant". This song is a Mandarin song composed by Yuan Weiren, written and sung by Faye Wong. There is also a Cantonese version of the same name, which was released in 1993. In the album of the same name "Unrepentant". It is also an episode of the TV series "Love Network". Won the 16th Top Ten Chinese Golden Melody Award for Best Original Song and the Top Ten Golden Melody Award in 1994.
The tenacity and perseverance revealed in the song "Unrepentant" is the truest portrayal of Ms. Wang.
Figure 8: Miss Wang - "Unrepentant"
As for the proprietress of Zhizhen Garden, Li Li (played by Xin Zhilei), she is a somewhat mysterious woman. Where does she come from, and why did she come to Shanghai? Where does the capital come from to open such a large-scale restaurant on Huanghe Road?
As the plot develops, her origin is gradually revealed. It turns out that she is the most capable subordinate of Mr. A in Shenzhen and the favorite woman of boss A. Later, boss Aās business failed, and A Bao took advantage of the fire and bought A at the price of the land. Mr. Wang made a lot of money from his stocks. Li Li originally came to Shanghai to take revenge on A Bao. However, due to fate, he and Po became partners, revealing stock market news to Po, and also contacted funders for Po to raise funds. The two turned from rivals into partners.
Her corresponding song is "You Are the Forever Pain in My Chest". This song was written by Ding Xiaowen, composed by Chen Xiunan, and arranged by Chen Zhiyuan. It was sung by Wang Jie and Ye Huan in July 1988 and was included in Wang Jie 1988 In the album "Forgot You Forgot Me" released in 2017.
There is no doubt that Mr. A is the "eternal pain in Li Li's heart". Even though Mr. A is dead, he has left an indelible mark on Li Li's life. In the end, she took action against Zhenyuan, and the money she got paid off all of Mr. A's debts. After that, he no longer had any worries, converted to Buddhism, and spent the rest of his life in blue lanterns and yellow scrolls.
This song also has a deep connection with Wong Kar-wai. It is the episode of the movie "Carmen in Mong Kok", Wong Kar-wai's debut film in 1988. "Carmen" won the Best Director Award at the 25th Taiwan Golden Horse Awards in 1988 and the Best Director Award at the 8th Hong Kong Film Awards in Hong Kong in 1989. Wong Kar-wai also made his mark in the film and television industry. The reappearance of this song in "Flowers" is also Wong Kar-wai's reminiscence of the past years.
Picture 9: Li Li - "You are the eternal pain in my chest"
Abao's first love Xuezhi (played by Du Juan) suddenly left without saying goodbye and married to Hong Kong. Ten years later, I returned to Shanghai to meet with A Bao and told him that he could earn 20,000 yuan a month. If he had followed A Bao back then, he would definitely not have been able to live such a life. They also agreed that they would meet again in ten years to see who has a better life. This obviously deeply hurt A Bao and made him determined to start a business abroad. Only then did he find his uncle and start working hard in the business world. A few years later, Po went to Hong Kong to discuss cooperation and had dinner with a client at the Peninsula Hotel. However, he met Xuezhi, who was working as a waiter in the hotel. It turned out that Xue Zhi was not doing well after all, but she was forced to do something in front of her family and Po in Shanghai. Just hold on. At this moment, he is far inferior to Abao, but he just asks Abao not to tell anyone that he has met him. And she died before the ten-year appointment.
The song corresponding to Xuezhi is "The Silent Ending". This song was written by Cass and composed by Liu Mingrui. It was originally sung by Malaysian singers Li Maoshan and Lin Shurong in March 1986. In September 1986, Taiwanese singer Luo Shifeng (big) Niu) and Lin Shurong's cover, and was released by Taiwan's Feiling Records.
Not only did the relationship between Xuezhi and Abao have a silent ending, but Xuezhi's life also had a silent ending in the end.
Figure 10: Xuezhi - "Speechless Ending"
If you want to ask which song best represents "Flowers"? Of course it is "Stealing Hearts". This song appears many times in the play. Every time the song is played, it will gently touch the heartstrings in the bottom of my heart.
"Stealing Heart" was written by Ding Xiaowen, composed by Guo Hengqi, and sung by Jacky Cheung. It was included in the music album "Stealing Heart" released in August 1994, and won the top 20 Chinese song list in the 1st Global Chinese Chart in 1994. prize.
The confusion, sorrow, and loss expressed in this song are very consistent with the main emotional atmosphere of the entire drama.
A successful film and television drama usually has a widely sung theme song, but a 30-episode TV drama like "Flowers" has brought together as many as 57 golden songs of the era, with an average of two songs per episode, and each The perfect combination of capital, plot and characters has never happened before. It can be said to be Wong Kar-wai's pioneering work. Thanks to Wong Kar-wai, while watching the show, we also have the opportunity to enjoy a feast of classic old songs. It is simply A wonderful story composed of 57 golden music videos.
(The pictures in this article are from the Internet)
Lao Zhou, whose real name is Zhou Ming, and who once used the online name Guangting, has been engaged in military history research for a long time. He has served as a guest on military columns on Phoenix TV and Shanghai TV for many times. He has published more than 20 military books, which can be purchased on the WeChat store "Zhibingtang Bookstore" and the online store "Zhibingtang Bookstore". Now there is a personal column "Lao Zhou Military" on Himalaya, which produces military audio programs. The "Lao Zhou Xin Observation" video account has been opened on all major video platforms to interpret military hotspots. Please support us.
