1990: Starting from Baojia Street

On December 22, "Yulinling" was released simultaneously in the United States.

But Hardison and Jessica searched several video stores and couldn't find the album.

Although the United States is also on the first release list, there is little publicity and limited distribution. It is indeed not that easy to buy. Many stores did not get the goods at the first time.

But the hard work paid off, and they finally bought the new album in a store.

It is a video store located in Hollywood. It mainly sells classical music CDs. The store area is not large, only thirty to fifty square meters, and there is only one owner looking after the store.

Initially, the two of them didn't have high hopes seeing that the store was small, but they didn't expect to actually buy it.

What made them even more unexpected was that this store actually sold twenty copies of "Yulin Ring" that could not be purchased in other video stores.

After chatting for a while, the two of them realized that the boss was a loyal fan of Y, so before the album was released, he started to pay attention to the purchase of the album.

"In addition to Y's albums released in the United States, I also have his other CDs and videos."

Hearing that Jessica and Hardison were also fans of Zhou Yan's music, the boss was very happy and began to share it with the two of them, with a bit of show-off in his tone.

He found a stack of CDs and tapes from the cabinet and introduced them one by one, "This is the live video tape of "Yanjing Silence". I specially asked someone to buy it for me from China. And this one is from Y in Neon Kai The live video of the concert, next to it, is a documentary produced by TV Asahi, which is related to the movie "Tree Hole."

"Tree hole?" Jessica asked curiously.

The boss smiled and said, "It's normal that you don't know. "Tree Hole" is a novel written by Y. It was later adapted into a movie by a Chinese director. The movie also won an award at the Berlin Film Festival. ”

"Did he score this movie?" Hardison asked.

The boss shook his head, "No, the soundtrack for this movie was composed by Zhao. It is said that Zhao is a good friend of Y and an alumnus. I also have the video tape of this movie, but I don't put it here."

"Is the movie good?" Jessica asked.

"It's a very interesting movie. After all, it won an award at the Berlin Film Festival. It must be unique. My friend said that the novel is better. The documentary I told you just now was recorded live when Y visited the crew. There are songs he performed live in it, and "Borrow a Cucumber" was composed live."

"Borrow a cucumber?" Jessica asked again.

"Well, this song is not included in the album, but it can be heard in the concert video, and the same is true for "Distant Journey"."

Jessica's eyes widened when she heard what the boss said. She claimed to be a loyal fan of Y, but now she found that she didn't know enough about Y at all.

There are so many songs that she has not heard.

Seeing Jessica's eyes, the boss also smiled and said, "I definitely can't give these collections to you, but I can show them to you."

"Really?" Jessica said in surprise.

j "Of course, there is a TV and VCR in the store."

The boss did what he said, led Jessica and the others to the TV, and then put the videotape into the VCR.

The first thing he played was the "Distant Journey" video.

This video was produced by TV Asahi. It was only in neon language and Chinese. Of course Jessica and the others couldn't understand it, but the boss acted as a translator.

"This host is introducing the Central Conservatory of Music, because Y graduated from this school and is now teaching at this school. Look at this gate, which is the door of the Central Conservatory of Music. Isn't it very historical?"

Jessica and the others were very surprised when they heard the boss translate.

"Boss, you actually know neon language?"

The boss shook his head and said, "I don't know Neon language, but I have watched this video many times and asked Neon friends, so I know what they are talking about."

"So that's it."

Jessica nodded, but she was not less surprised at all. How much does this boss like Y to do such a thing.

Thinking about it from another perspective, Jessica didn't think she could do this. The most she could do was pay attention to the music that appeared in it.

With the boss's explanation, the two of them finished the previous interview smoothly. Although they did not hear the music, Jessica found it quite interesting.

Learning about the deeds of celebrities is inherently interesting. After watching the interview, Jessica also understood better why Zhou Yan's creative styles are so diverse.

Zhou Yan learned bamboo flute in elementary school, piano in middle school, and later started studying violin in college, truly getting in touch with Western music.

When I was in college, I came into contact with movies again, and my style was influenced by movies.

When the interview ended, the screen changed, showing a mountain and three silhouettes.

The boss immediately introduced, "Next to Y are two very famous writers in China, both of whom are his good friends."

After a brief introduction, the boss stopped talking. He didn't want to delay Jessica and the others from listening to music.

The more Jessica listened to the two songs in a row, the brighter her eyes became.

This was not the first time she saw Zhou Yan playing the flute, but this documentary made her feel the most. The bamboo flute, the mountain scenery, and the people who stopped working in the distance formed a beautiful picture, which made her very happy. Feeling.

The song "Borrowing Cucumber" also gave her a new understanding of Zhou Yan's improvisational ability.

After listening to the two songs, the boss excitedly explained, "Do you know why this song is called Borrowing Cucumbers? It is said to be because..."

After hearing the story about "borrowing" cucumbers from her boss, Jessica also found it interesting that the life of an artist can be so interesting.

After watching this video tape, the boss took them to watch the video tape of "Oriental Legacy" Tokyo Station. Jessica heard a new song in it, which was "Ye Ming" played by Zhou Yan on the "Shakuhachi".

After watching the video of the concert, it was getting late and the boss was going home from get off work, so he made an appointment with Jessica and the others to come back tomorrow.

Only then did Jessica remember that after buying "Yulin Ring", she didn't even listen to it.

The two of them were not in a hurry, took the album back home, and listened to it at home.

Jessica has heard most of the songs in this album. It must be good to listen to, but it does have fewer surprises.

But at the end of this album, she still got some surprises.

Finally, there is a violin concerto. For more than half a minute at the beginning of the piece, it shows a kind of night-like tranquility.

Over the next twenty seconds, the pitch gradually became higher and the mood progressed, with some uneasiness and melancholy mixed into the tune.

After that, the sadness became more and more intense, and finally broke out suddenly.

In fact, the melody of this song is relatively simple, and the arrangement is nothing special, but it just sounds good.

Jessica looked through the catalog, and the last song was called "Moon", a very simple name.

From a musical point of view, this piece is definitely not as good as "Drinking the Yangtze River Water Together". Whether it is the arrangement technology or the overall narrative, "Drinking the Yangtze River Water Together" is better.

But Jessica knows that on the contrary, this song "Moon" may be more popular with ordinary listeners because of its simple melody and strong explosion in the middle, which can be remembered by listeners.

To confirm her idea, Jessica asked Hardison, "Which piece of music impressed you the most?"

"Of course it's "young and beautiful"."

"Besides this?"

"Except for this..." Hardison frowned and thought for a while before finally confirming, "That should be the last song."

As expected, Jessica nodded.

……

"Is there a story behind this song "Guanghan Palace"?" The day after the premiere of "The Spring of the Cowherd Class", Zhou Yan accepted an exclusive interview with TV Asahi. Reporter Horikita Takashi asked Zhou Yan this one question.

"Guanghan Palace" is the name of East Asia and other countries and regions. In the album released in the United States, it is called "Moon".

Because this song was introduced to the world for the first time, and the melody was also called "Guanghan Palace", Horikita Takashi specifically asked this question.

Zhou Yan explained with a smile, "The song "Guanghan Palace" is based on the traditional Chinese mythology of Chang'e flying to the moon."

Jue Beilong knew that Chang'e flew to the moon, so he nodded and said, "So, "Guanghan Palace" expresses the love tragedy between Chang'e and Hou Yi?"

"It's not just love. The perspective of this song is Chang'e. I think that for Chang'e, what she doesn't want to leave is definitely not just her lover Hou Yi. In addition to Hou Yi, she is full of love for many things in the world. Nostalgic. I think the emotion it expresses may be more complicated than love." At this point, Zhou Yan smiled, "Of course, after a song is released, the definition I give it is not important anymore. It’s what the audience can feel from it. If the audience can feel love, it’s love, if it’s family affection, it’s family affection.”

"I understand. You said before that the emotional expression of music is intuitive, but it is also free. Giving too many definitions is a kind of imprisonment."

Zhou Yan nodded, picked up the tea cup and took a sip of water.

The song "Guanghan Palace" is adapted from a song by Neon called "Night of Confession".

It is said that the creation of "The Night of Confession" was inspired by a neon literary work "The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter". The story is about a bamboo cutter who found a girl inside a bamboo and took her home for adoption.

And this girl is the princess from the moon. In the end, she could only bid farewell to her adoptive parents with tears and fly away.

Zhou Yan directly changed the background story to Chang'e flying to the moon.

Horikita looked at the small book and asked the last question, "When will the movie "Spring of the Cowherd Class" be released on Neon?"

Zhou Yan thought for a while and said, "It won't be long, probably in March. The specific time will be announced soon."

In fact, if it hadn't been for participating in the Berlin Film Festival, Neon would have been released in China this time.

The film festival requires that films participating in the film festival cannot be screened outside the production area.

Hearing that the movie will be released in Neon in March, Takashi Horikita was very happy, "I believe that Neon fans will definitely like this movie very much. When I go back, I will announce the good news as soon as possible." I hope that Mr. Zhou Yan can hold a concert in Neon again as soon as possible. The grand scene of "Oriental Legacy" is still fresh in my memory."

"Well, we are already talking about the concert, and it should be soon. In addition, I will hold a concert in Neon next year, and I will lead two orchestras."

"Two bands?"

Horikita was surprised by the news suddenly revealed by Zhou Yan, "Besides the Piano Boys Orchestra, do you have any other orchestras in your studio? Is it No. 43 Baojia Street?"

Horikita Takashi had also done his homework and knew that Zhou Yan Studio also had a band named No. 43 on Baojia Street. When Shizuka Kudo came to Yanjing for a concert, this band even performed as a guest.

However, he felt that his guess was unreliable. How could Zhou Yan bring a rock band to perform music?

Zhou Yan shook his head. "I won't tell you what band it is, just wait and see."

"Ok."

Horibeilong did not continue to ask. He was very satisfied to hear the news.

Their visit to Yanjing this time was fruitful. In addition to Zhou Yan, he also interviewed many people, including directors such as Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou, as well as writers such as Yu Hua.

Although these people are far less famous in Neon than Zhou Yan, they are by no means unknown, and they can be regarded as Zhou Yan's surroundings.

If you study carefully, you will find that these people have witnessed Zhou Yan's growth in all aspects along the way.

Zhou Yan's first appearance can be traced back to his participation in "Raise the Red Lantern". The director of this film is Zhang Yimou.

Later, he scored films such as "Heaven Replies" and "Farewell My Concubine" one after another. Then he became his own director, made feature films, and released theme albums.

In just a few years, Zhou Yan has achieved unparalleled results. It may seem like a short time, but he is very solid step by step.

When Horikita Takashi was studying Zhou Yan, he was also extremely amazed. In five years, Zhou Yan wrote, directed, and co-produced three movies and released three theme music albums.

In addition, he has also composed music for many movies and TV series.

After asking the questions, Horibeilong stood up and left, "Mr. Zhou Yan, thank you for taking the time to accept my interview today. I will not disturb you any more."

Zhou Yan looked at the time and said with a smile, "Lunch time is coming soon. There is no need to leave in a hurry. You can stay and have lunch before leaving. You can eat in the canteen of the studio."

Horikita smiled and said, "Does your studio's cafeteria have fried noodles?"

"Well, sometimes."

"Ms. Kudo mentioned the fried noodles in your studio cafeteria more than once in interviews. She said that whenever she comes to Yanjing, she must come to your studio just to eat fried noodles. Nowadays, there are many neon noodles People are very curious about how delicious your fried noodles are, including me.”

Zhou Yan smiled, Shizuka, this clever little girl, actually made excuses for herself to come to the studio.

"If you're curious, ask the chef to make some for lunch. I haven't eaten for a long time."

"Then I would rather obey your orders than be respectful."

……

After "Spring of the Cowherd Class" was released in the mainland, the response was very good, both in terms of market performance and reputation.

However, the specific box office data won't be available for a while, and Zhou Yan didn't pay much attention to it.

Because during this time, he still had a lot to do.

The Spring Festival Gala rehearsals will start in twenty days, and their rehearsal tasks have increased. However, most of the time they still rehearse in the concert hall of the Chinese Orchestra, because now the rehearsals are getting closer and closer, and the studio schedules are also getting closer. It’s getting harder and harder to get an appointment, as other shows are competing for time.

And compared to those language and dance programs, Zhou Yan's programs have to give in. It's not that those programs are more important, but those programs do require more rehearsals in the studio.

The positioning and fixation of those programs are particularly important. Unlike their music performances, there are actually similar places. It just needs some adjustment.

……

"Spring of the Cowherd" performed very well at the box office as soon as it was released. The reason why it got off to a good start was mainly because of the fame of Zhou Yan and Li Xuejian.

And because "The Sixth Sense" became a small hit in North America some time ago, the audience is very much looking forward to Zhou Yan's new movie.

This was expected by Zhou Yan, but he believed that "Spring of the Cowherd" would not have much stamina, because domestic audiences have begun to pursue blockbusters and do not have much enthusiasm for such relatively gentle movies.

But what Zhou Yan didn't expect was that a week later, the box office data of "The Spring of the Cowherd Class" did not drop significantly and was still very strong.

On January 15th, 25 days after the movie was released in mainland China, the box office of "Spring of the Cowherd Class" reached 48.5 million yuan.

Zhou Yan was shocked when he heard this data, because it completely exceeded his expectations.

In fact, the statistics of the data are lagging behind, which means that the box office of "Spring of the Cowherd Class" has now probably exceeded 50 million, and the movie has not been released, so there is still room for growth in the future.

The box office exceeded 1995 million, which means that the box office of "Cowherder's Spring" surpassed "Sunny Days" and became the third highest-grossing mainland movie in .

In front of it are "True Lies" with a box office of 1.03 million, and "Red Zone" with a box office of 9500 million.

Both of these films are imported films. If we only count non-imported films, "Spring of the Cowherd Class" ranks first.

At the end of last year, after the introduction of "The Fugitive", the effect was very good. This year, ten movies were introduced, and these ten introduced blockbusters all performed very well.

There were six imported blockbusters in the original top ten, including "The Lion King", "Speed", "Bad Boys", etc.

And because "Springtime of the Cowherd" rushed in, "Jedi Men", which was originally ranked tenth, moved to the eleventh place, and became brothers with "Forrest Gump" which was ranked twelfth.

It is precisely because of the popularity of "Springtime of the Cowherd" that the number of mainland movies and imported blockbusters is evenly split in the top ten. (End of chapter)