The Most Popular Classic Tunes in the World 1970-2047?

Your hundred best Tunes” advised and presented by Alan Keith, has for some years been a very Popular BBC Radio programme, Broadcast each Sunday evening Radio 2. The programme is compiled from selection of world’s favourite melodies, base on Listener’s requests. From time to time, list of the top 100 most frequently requested tunes is produced and these records contain the top 25 tunes from the most recent list. Published in the Radio Times during 1970.
My favoruite includes:-
No. 1 Sibelius Finlandia London Proms Symphony Orch/Charles Mackerra
No. 2 Mascagni Cavalleria Rusticana-Intermezzo Orch/Zu Bin Mehta
No. 3 Johann Strauss Casanova- Nun’s Chorus Joan Sutherland/new Phiharmonia Orch/Ambrosian Light Opera/Richard Bonynge
No. 4 Bach: Cantata No.147-Jesu, joy of man’s desiring
Coventry Cathedral boys’ Choir/David :Lapine/Robert Weddle (organ)
No.5 Beethoven: symphony no. 6 “pastoral” –Shepherds’ Thanksgiving after the strom”
“L’Orchestre De La Suisse Romande/Ernest Ansermet
No. 6 Verdi: Nabucco- Chrous of the Hebrew slaves
London Symphony Orchestra/Ambrisian Singers/Claudio Abbado
No. 7 Elgar : enigma variations-Nimrod
London Symphony Orchestra/Pierre Monteux
No.8 Zeller:der Obersteiger-Don’t be Cross
Hilde Gueden/Vienna State Orch/Vienna Operetta Chrous/Robert Stolz
No.9 Bruch: Violin Concerto No.1 –Adagio
Ruggiero Ricci/London Symphony Orch/Pierino Gamba
No. 10 Beethoven :Piano Sonata No. 14. “Moonlight”- Adagio Wiheim Backhaus (piano)

This is everyone' favourite music, and they are Classic of the Tomorrow. When I did hiking , one of my friend told me that when you start to like listening to Classic, meaning that you are getting old. Well, I started listening Classical Music back to early in 1976, when I entered the HK Classic Music Centre in Prince Edward Road. It was the Tchaivosky Symphony No. 6 Pathique playing through a simple Marantz 1030 (30 Watts per channel) and Bose 301 Loudspeaker...a 8" two way book shelf. the Music was so melodic, passonate and romantic. nice and easy tune... It was the first moment I enjoyed Classical Music and I bought the LP of course...So to me Classic is the music, and if you still yet find out the quintessence of the classic... it is never too late!

If you have a chance to get this LP, try to put it on your turn table, turn up the volume at 10 oclock position. Open a half bottle of red wine, serve with a drumstick of Roasted Goose Left leg... you will understand that there is no need to be a millionaire to get to the closer point to enjoy the best essence of life... of course your wife should not be around...

HK Snob

A Decent Collections of 鄧麗君 Teresa Tang's Vinyl LPs on Sales

Teresa Tang (鄧麗君) has a special Angel’s sweet voice, she sang when she was 13 only started in Taiwan. I have been listening for her LP for many years and I started to collect her LP in 1990.
I was a bit regret that I sold of my precious LPs (Actually Three of them to one folk in Singapore in 2008. and I had never able to get them again!)
Well, my love to appreciation to Teresa has not been diminished after time, in fact, I like her more than the past. In China , more and more people are going to search for her LPs and the price is rising year by year, when I first bought the Japanese pressing in 10 year ago, it was about HKD350. Now it is about HKD$2,000. And some of them reached HKD$3,000. I am speculating that one day this Japanese pressing LP will reach 10 times as of today in China in 5 years time. Let’s watch out…Amongst those, I love the one she sang in Japan in 1973 most. (the top Right one of the first picture)

HK Snob

The Legendary Chinese Hits Vol. 1 by Chow Hsuan

Since I have already mesmerizied Chow Hsuan from her Vinyl, I had searched for her CD Today in the shops at Mong kok. I found one set of Vol.1-Vol 4 in Record Shop today. I bought Vol.1 Only at HKD$350.00 I am glad that this is Toshiba issues, Printed in Japan 1992. very Sentimental songs, the recording quality is very good, only one thing is Mono but who cares?

Mong Kok Snob

The Largest Vinyl Shop in HK

Record Shop is running by Yau who has been selling LP for more than 25 years in HK.
He spends 3 weeks a month in searching good Vinyl in Japan. His Sister is helping him at the shop. He has probably 20,000 Lps or more… Now he is focusing on selling CDs.
His most Expensive LP in the shop is Dark Side of the Moon special limited copy selling HKD$12,000.00!
The shop is located in 7/f. Shun Wo Centre Mong Kong, 10 minutes walking distance from MTR Mong kok Station. Open 1500-2000 only. Telephone: 27825035

Mong Kok Snob

More about Xhou Xuan DMM LP

I have been listening to this LP since I bought it from Sonata Club… I did not feel regret to buy it, instead I feel regret not to buy this earlier…!
The LP is embedded with all kind sweetness tone from this beautiful lady, and her unfortunate life… that died only in the age of 33… Is that the God's jealousy to her sweet voice?
The music as good and the record quality is excellent; do not forget the recording was done in 1940-1947. Of course they were recorded in mono… Thanks for the new technology of German Pauler Acoutics Studio to re-adjustment and mixing on the old master tapes, and the German Pallas Group for pressing the Vinyl…You will see this Little Angel is in fact singing in front of my two Harbeth HL-5 Compact loudspeaker powered by Marantz 8B power amplifier….

If I could, go back to 60 years ago, I would like to go to the Shanghaiese theater and listening to this Angel's singing. Who has been listening to Xhou Xuan was one of the most luckily chaps on earth…

I listen to some of the Shanghai Night I appreciate that kind of music and organ arrangement, … when I listen to the 7th song on side two… “When will you come to see me again” I feel my tears is going to drop off because of the sweet songs, great music and the great singer … the Germen Recording technology, if one of them is missing will not have such creation of fantastic music reproductions…

Too late to buy this great Album!!

To the Singapore Music LP loves Uncle Jack, Ben, other Vinyl Collectors... Pls get this Album ASAP before they are sold out…..
Kowloon Snob

Roger Williams' Nadia's Theme

Roger Williams Plays Nadia's Theme and Music of the Most beautiful girls in the World Including Nadia, Aubrey, Gigi, Jean, Mona Lisa, Pat, Leica, and Ice...!

Wonderful Tunes that no written words with my English Standard could possibly able to describe...it is very Easy listening, romantic and make me think of Some one...

It Contains:

Nadia's Theme,

Mexicali Rose,

Aubrey,

Lara's Theme from "Doctor Zhivago",

Dulciena,

Mona Lisa,

Theme for Elvira,

Sweet Leilani,

Gigi and Jean.

"The Album is something special, not that it was planned that way; it just happened. Perhaps the combination of ten beautiful songs about ten beautiful girls was all ythe inspiration I need. In any event, these cuts turned out to be some of the warmest most feeling playing I've even done on record. Best of all, the piano just seemed to play itself! When that happens; when I can not get out of the way of whatever pours out of me during a recording session, then I know something special has happened". Warmest Regards, Rogers Williams.

MCA Records 1976.

To me that is more than ten beautiful girls...

HK Snob

Xhou Xuan's most beautiful pieces of Song

Zhou Xuan 1920-1957 A Shanghai Singer and actress. Who had made many memorial and melodic song... of the 1930’s This record was made from the original master mold plate of 1930-1940 stored in Shanghai Record company , passed to Pauler Acoustics Company in Germany for Further DMM master audio processing and touch up.

 Then sent to Pallas Group pressing company in Germany for mass production, The Vinyl is quiet, you would bother it is mono, it would create a lot of old Memory through the easy going melodic of the famous song like Shanghai Night (EMI B966 Record No. EMI 3565A Recording date Sep 21 1946, issue Date Jan 15 1947). And many other beautiful tunes! 

You would be amazed on what kind of sweet musical that was picked up by the tiny stylus drawing along the swinging grooves on the slow moving 33-1/3 RPM Disk… That is the Analogue Music … from the beginning to the End, pure Analogues… for all kind of sweet nostalgic memory of your first love. 

That warm tune is a kind of attitudes towards the master piece of the song writer sung by the most famous and Pretty Shanghais Singer Zhou Xuan in front of the Vacuum Tubes Microphone… in the Audio Recording room in Shanghai… 

The world was jealousy about this little talented singer and took her life away at only 37 years by a tumour in her brain! 

That was the tragedy.., for my idol.


Shanghai Snob

Eric Clapton - Unplugged / After Midnight

Eric Clapton's Unplugged was responsible for making acoustic-based music, and Unplugged albums in particular, a trend in the early '90s. Clapton's concert was not only one of the finest Unplugged episodes, but also some of the finest music he had recorded in years. The music was straightforwardt, alternating between his pop numbers and traditional blues songs. The result was some of the most genuine, heartfelt music the guitarist has ever committed to tape. And some of his most popular - the album sold over seven million copies in the U.S. Unplugged won the 1993 Grammy Awards for Album of the Year, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. "Tears In Heaven" won the Grammy for Song of the Year and "Layla" was named Best Rock Song. Mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering. Two 180-gram LPs pressed at Pallas. Packaged in a two-pocket direct-to-board gatefold jacket at Furnace.

Never been released on vinyl in America before. Import copies came and -went, quickly becoming collectible. Now spread over two LPs!

Available in Sonata Kowloon.

HK Snob

One of my beloved Piano Music Frederic Chopin 10 Nocturnes No. 11-20

This is a very dynamic, vivid, clear, melodic Chopin Piano Music Played by Tamas Vasary Recorded by DGG in the year of 1959 I guessed! I used to listen once at least when I am at Home every week end.

I have 4 copies...

Highly Recommended!

HK Snob

The Japanese Romantic Guitar Delight for a Blue Afternoon

This is one of the favourite Guitar Music from JVC SVLP-1002, Paul ( the Hong Kong No. 1 Vinyl Collector sold me 3 year ago. This is a Japanese Pressing, Very Quiet, dynamic, the recording could pick up a lot of hidden detail of the Guitar under the delicate finger of Shoji Yokouchi and His Allstar Latin Combo.
Look at this Playing list.
1. History of Lover (historia de un amor)
2. Kiss me more (besame Mucho)

3. One Rainy night in Tokyo

4. Sway( quien Sera)

5. Save the last dance for me

6. Magic in the moonlight (te quiero dijiste)

7. With you darling (Sans toi mamie)

8. Littke Star (Estrellita)

9. Black Angels (angelitos negros)

10. Una Sera Di Tokyo (one night in Tokyo)

11. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps (quizas, quizas, quizas)

12. You belong to my heart (solamente una vez)

The First one History of love , is my favourite music of guitar, a bolero composed by Garlos Almaran of Panama in 1955.

“ One Rainy Night in Tokyo” in international big hit composed by Japanese Composer Domei Suzuki.

The last one side one “magic in the Moonlight “Te Quiero Dijiste” means ‘You said- I love You-“ This sweet and romantic cansion of love was written by a female composer of Mexico , Marcia Grever in 1932.

Why I said Sad Afternoon, because of the Japanese Earthquake plus and my lovely feeling to one woman… who has not been able to understand me … thoroughly!
HK Snob