1990: Starting from Baojia Street

Chapter 358: Here is a song for you to try

Although the audience evacuated the square, many of them did not leave. Some ran into the concert hall to shelter from the rain, while others ran to find a place to stay nearby.

Although the rain is heavy now, no one knows when it will stop. It may stop after a while.

If the rain stops early, there is still hope for the outdoor performance.

Zhou Yan didn't know it was raining outside at first. It was only when Wu Bai came over that he told him.

"I just saw the audience evacuating outside. I don't know how long this rain will stop."

Although Wu Bai looks cool, he is a very friendly person. Although he and Zhou Yancai met for the first time, as soon as they met, they spoke like old friends, with no warm-up time at all.

He had been in mainland China for some time, promoting his new album, and just came back today. After getting off the plane, he didn't go home but ran to the concert hall.

Zhou Yan looked at Wu Bai with a smile, "How was your trip to the mainland? Was it going well?"

"It went very smoothly. Mr. Xu and his team arranged it very well. I didn't need to worry about anything at all."

Wu Bai was speaking from the heart, he was very satisfied with this trip to the mainland.

Before deciding to join Zhou, he had many concerns, worrying that Zhou was a new company and he had no experience.

But this trip to the mainland dispelled all his concerns. Although Zhou did not have any advantages in Taiwan and Hong Kong, he was very successful in the mainland.

During this period, he participated in many activities, and all of them went smoothly without encountering any obstacles.

What impressed him most was the interview with CCTV.

Originally, his schedule did not include an interview with CCTV. He only had interviews with Yanjing TV and Su Province TV. However, their boss felt that this was not enough, so he temporarily arranged an exclusive interview with CCTV.

The big boss Zhou Hong called them the afternoon before, and the interview was confirmed the next morning. In the afternoon, CCTV brought a team over to do the interview for him.

Zhou's power was beyond Wu Bai's imagination.

He also asked Xu Junrong indirectly and learned that the Zhou brothers had an unusual background, but he was not very clear about what the specific background was, and Xu Junrong did not elaborate.

"I'm glad it went well. Now you can focus on preparing for the concert in September."

The company arranged six concerts for Wu Bai from the end of September to the end of October, three of which were in Yanjing and three in Shanghai, and all of them were large-scale concerts held in stadiums.

Wu Bai's new album released last month performed very well. Before Zhou Yan arrived in Hong Kong, he heard that the album had sold more than 300,000 copies in mainland China, and now it is estimated that it has exceeded 500,000.

With such good results, Zhou struck while the iron was hot and gave him a few concerts to quickly increase his popularity in mainland China.

Wu Bai has held many concerts before, but they were all small-scale. He has never held a large-scale solo concert like this one.

It is also this point that makes Wu Bai full of confidence in Zhou.

After joining Zhou, his career did develop rapidly, and Zhou was very happy to invest resources in him.

Wu Bai nodded, "Mr. Xu has arranged the concert very well, I just need to sing well."

"That's as it should be. With the company as your backing, you can focus more on professional matters. Also, don't give up the market on Taiwan Island..."

As Zhou Yan was speaking, there was a knock on the door.

The two looked towards the door, and Xiao Chen, Zhou Yan's temporary assistant, said with a smile, "Teacher Zhou, Wang Lihong is here."

Zhou Yan looked at his watch and couldn't help muttering, "You came so early."

At noon, Zhang Youan called and said that Li Shouquan contacted them and said that Wang Lihong wanted to meet with Zhou Yan to express his gratitude to Zhou Yan in person for what happened that night.

Zhou Yan also had something to say to Wang Lihong, so he agreed, and they made an appointment for six o'clock tonight. It was only five o'clock now, and Wang Lihong came an hour early.

"Invite him in."

"Ok."

Xiao Chen nodded and went to pick up Wang Lihong.

When Wu Bai heard that Zhou Yan had a guest, he pretended to stand up and said, "Since you have a guest, I won't disturb you."

Zhou Yan smiled and waved his hand, "It's okay, it's a young singer, please sit down."

After hearing what Zhou Yan said, Wu Bai didn't move his butt, and then asked, "Is he a new person signed by the company?"

Zhou Yan shook his head and said, "He is Li Shouquan's disciple. I just happened to meet him once."

"Oh, I heard from Mr. Xu that you were looking for new singers with creative potential. I thought they would be here soon. There are many young singers in Taiwan now, but not many of them have made it to the top."

This applies not only to Taiwan, but also to everywhere. No matter where you are, there will never be many young people who can stand out.

Everyone wants to promote newcomers, but it is not so easy to promote newcomers. It is considered good enough if you can promote a decent newcomer every few years.

Zhou Yan asked Wu Bai with a smile, "Have you ever met any newcomers who have potential but have not made it to the top?"

Wu Bai thought for a moment and said, "There is a small group that is pretty good. I've seen them in a bar before. The members are all students. Although they are very young, they have a good stage presence and are talented in creation."

After hearing what Wu Bai said, Zhou Yan became interested. "What is the name of this group?"

"It seems to be called 'so band'."

Zhou Yan frowned and thought about it. He had no impression of this name.

But he did not lose interest and asked again, "Do you know the names of the members inside?"

Wu Bai shook his head, "That's not clear."

Zhou Yan felt a little regretful, but then he smiled. If Wu Bai remembered correctly, these people could be found based on the name of the band.

Taiwan is such a small island, as long as the other party continues to sing in bars and other places, it will not be difficult to find him.

Silently noting down the name "so band", Zhou Yan said with a smile, "I'll have someone look for it later. Maybe we can really find a treasure."

"There is definitely potential. Young people always have unlimited possibilities, but no one can predict the subsequent development. Sometimes something may seem very popular, but it may become unpopular overnight."

Wu Bai's casual remark had a deeper meaning.

By the way, Wu Bai is also a singer from the Rolling Stones. He was first in True Words Records and later went to Magic Stone Records, another subsidiary of the Rolling Stones.

Magic Rock Records is now experiencing great ups and downs. Two years ago, Dou Wei and his group held a concert in Hung Hom, which caused a wave of popularity, and the Magic Rock trio was also at its peak.

But their development is like brilliant fireworks, which only last for a moment.

In the past two years, the Magic Rock Three have encountered many problems. Although there are still a lot of news about them, almost none of them are related to music, and almost none of them are good news.

It is really sad to see him build a tall building and then see it collapse.

Zhou Yan already knew the fate of the three heroes of Mo Yan, so naturally he was not troubled.

The rapid fall of the three heroes of Mo Yan was due to the times on the one hand, and their own reasons on the other.

The times meant that they could not remain popular for long, but their own problems greatly accelerated this process.

This year, He Yong was banned from performing because of his careless remarks during a performance, including mocking a model worker. This incident was a huge blow to He Yong himself, to Magic Stone Records, and even to rock music in general.

Some people say that He Yong's action directly ruined the future of Chinese rock. This is too much of an accusation. Even if He Yong had not done this, the future of Chinese rock would not have changed.

The two chatted for a few more sentences, and then Wang Lihong came over with an umbrella.

He came alone and Li Shouquan did not follow him.

After entering the office, Wang Lihong was slightly surprised to see Wu Bai sitting next to Zhou Yan.

Wu Bai was also quite famous, so Wang Lihong naturally knew him.

"Teacher Zhou Yan, Teacher Wu Bai."

Wang Lihong greeted politely.

Zhou Yan smiled and stood up, "Lihong, please sit down. I'll pour you a cup of tea."

"Mr. Zhou, you're welcome."

Wu Bai smiled and said, "You're welcome. The tea that Teacher Zhou brought is very good. It's rare to get to drink it. Come, take a seat."

Wang Lihong wasn't very good at being polite, so he could only sit down opposite Wu Bai.

When Zhou Yan poured the tea, he quickly stood up and took it with both hands. After handing the tea to Wang Lihong, Zhou Yan sat down and said with a smile, "It's raining hard outside."

Although Wang Lihong was holding an umbrella, his body was quite wet and his hair was also a little wet.

"Well, it wasn't very heavy at first, but now it's getting heavier."

Zhou Yan nodded, "You also know Teacher Wu Bai, so I won't introduce him anymore."

Then he said to Wu Bai, "This is Wang Lihong from Fumao Records. He is a very talented young man who studied abroad in the United States and studied at Williams."

"Williams, a top student."

"No, no." Wang Lihong was a little embarrassed by the compliment and waved his hands repeatedly. Then he said to Zhou Yan, "I have to thank Mr. Zhou Yan for what happened the night before yesterday. I only found out later that the reason why there were so many viewers that night was because of your recommendation."

"I just said it casually. Maybe I brought you some audiences, but it's your own ability to keep them. What I said on the stage was also sincere. You are really talented. You showed off your violin skills in the middle. I can see that you have a solid foundation."

"I am just showing off my skills in front of an expert. Everyone knows that you are a great violinist, Mr. Zhou." Wang Lihong smiled sheepishly. "Thinking back, the part about playing the violin was actually quite silly."

Zhou Yan waved his hand and said, "A newcomer is brave enough to show himself. He is not stupid at all. As for the saying that you are showing off your skills in front of an expert, you are just being modest. My violin level is far behind yours."

This is also Zhou Yan's heartfelt opinion. It can be seen at first glance that Wang Lihong's violin skills are acquired through childhood practice. Although he is not as good as professional players, he is definitely not just an ordinary amateur.

There are huge differences in the performance of an instrument like the violin, and you can't just play it casually.

Zhou Yan started learning the violin very late. If it weren't for his good ears and strong foundation in musical instruments, he probably wouldn't have been able to even get started.

Zhou Yan has an advantage in learning the violin because the pitch of the violin relies heavily on the ears.

But no matter how many advantages he had, Zhou Yan missed the best time to learn piano and he lacked practice.

Wang Lihong might have wanted to praise Zhou Yan, but this flattery was a bit like hitting the horse's leg, because experts can see that Zhou Yan's violin level is very average, and it is natural for a master like Wang Lihong to not see that.

Praising a person's weaknesses may backfire, which also indirectly shows that Wang Lihong is indeed not tactful enough.

Although this flattery hit Zhou Yan in the lap, he didn't care. He continued, "Originally, Teacher Chen said that you should come over to thank me in person. I don't think it's necessary, but I still asked you to come. First, I am willing to communicate more with talented young people like you. Second, I have something to tell you."

"It's my honor to communicate with a teacher like you. If you have anything to ask, please feel free to ask me."

Zhou Yan nodded, "Then I'll be frank. I have a song here and I'd like you to try it."

Wang Lihong was stunned. "Huh?"

When Wang Lihong heard Zhou Yan say that he had something to tell him just now, he thought Zhou Yan wanted him to help him with something, but he didn't expect that he wanted him to sing for him.

This made Wang Lihong feel like something fell from the sky, and when he reached out and touched it, it was a piece of pie.

Wu Bai squinted and smiled, then looked Wang Lihong up and down again.

Before today, Wu Bai had never heard of Wang Lihong's name. There are so many newcomers in Taiwan's music industry, and there are a lot of people like Wang Lihong in every corner.

After all, it was their first meeting, and he didn't see anything special about Wang Lihong.

Appearance is an advantage, but appearance is an advantage for a singer, but it can only be icing on the cake. If the work is not good, it is useless no matter how good-looking one is.

Also, Wang Lihong's academic qualifications are indeed an advantage, but this advantage does not seem to be that useful for a pop singer.

However, since Zhou Yan values ​​him, Wang Lihong must have some outstanding qualities.

Seeing Wang Lihong's surprised face, Zhou Yan smiled and said, "It's actually a song from my new movie. I was wondering who to let sing it, and then I met you. It's an English song, and your English level is an advantage."

This was Zhou Yan's real thought. After meeting Wang Lihong that day, he became interested in letting Wang Lihong try the song "How Long Will I Love".

Wang Lihong grew up in the United States, so he has no problem singing English songs.

At this time, Wang Lihong also reacted and nodded repeatedly, "Of course I am willing. It is my honor."

But then he added, "I might have to tell Teacher Li about this."

Zhou Yan nodded to show his understanding. Wang Lihong was a newcomer with little autonomy, so it was impossible for him to take on a job without authorization. Moreover, he was discovered by Li Shouquan, so he must ask Li Shouquan's opinion for both public and private reasons.

"How about this, go back and tell Teacher Li and give me an answer as soon as possible. I also need to tell you in advance that I'm just letting you try it out, and I'm not sure whether you'll be able to sing in the end."

"Yes, yes, I understand. I'll tell Teacher Li when I get back."

Zhou Yan picked up the teacup and said with a smile, "There's nothing else to do. If you're not in a hurry, you can stay and have some tea."

Although Wang Lihong didn't understand the ways of the world, he knew that it was time for him to leave. However, he felt that it was not a good idea to leave like this, so he raised his teacup with both hands to Zhou Yan and Wu Bai, "Then, teachers, I'll leave first."

"Go slowly, I won't send you away."

"No, no, I can go by myself."

After Wang Lihong left, Wu Bai said with a smile, "This boy is quite green, just like a student."

"It seems like he's only twenty years old. When I was his age, I was still in school."

Wu Bai smiled. Zhou Yan's words made it sound as if he was very old. In fact, Zhou Yan was only 26 years old this year, not much older than Wang Lihong.

It’s just that Zhou Yan’s rise was too fast, and he reached the top in just a few years.

Today, Zhou Yan's name has become a golden signboard. Anything related to him, whether it is a movie or music, will receive great attention.

Comparing yourself with others is really frustrating. Wu Bai's development is actually quite smooth.

He is two years older than Zhou Yan. They debuted almost at the same time, but his development was average in the first few years, and it was only in the past two years that it has improved.

Most singers, at their age, may not have made their mark yet.

It’s okay in front of the scenes, but it’s even worse behind the scenes.

Many people behind the scenes may have to wait until they are in their forties or fifties before they can reap any rewards.

……

After Wang Lihong left the concert hall, he did not go back immediately, but found a place nearby where he could make a phone call and called Li Shouquan.

After receiving Wang Lihong's call, Li Shouquan asked, "Have you been to Zhou Yan's place?"

"I've seen it, just came out."

"So fast?" Li Shouquan asked in surprise.

This is not good news. Li Shouquan asked Wang Lihong to meet Zhou Yan because he wanted Wang Lihong to get closer to Zhou Yan, which would be helpful for Wang Lihong's future development.

But Wang Lihong came out so soon, it’s likely that the conversation wasn’t very good.

"Well, we didn't talk for too long, but he told me something and I wanted to ask your opinion."

"whats the matter?"

"He wanted me to try out his new song, which I heard is the theme song for a new movie."

"The theme song of the new movie... How long will I love you?"

Previously, Zhou Yan held a concert in Hong Kong and played this song for a newlywed couple. This was reported by many media and Li Shouquan also paid attention to it.

Wang Lihong didn’t know about this. He shook his head and said, “They didn’t say what it was called, they just said it was an English song.”

"what do you say?"

"I said I wanted to ask for your opinion."

Li Shouquan was so anxious that he slapped his thigh. "Lihong, you are too straightforward. Why are you asking for my opinion at this time? Just agree to it. How can I not agree to such a good thing?"

"I'm not..."

"Where are you now?"

"Still near the concert hall."

"Hurry up, hang up the phone now, go back to Zhou Yan, and tell him you agree. Be quick, there's no time to waste."

"I……"

Just as Wang Lihong was about to say something, Li Shouquan on the other side had already hung up the phone. (End of this chapter)

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