Life and Leisure

A rolling stone gathers no moss

By Chen Nan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-23 07:31

Evergreen Hong Kong idol Alan Tam promotes his latest album, Mr. Rolling Power, in Beijing. Zou Hong / China Daily

Alan Tam is 60 but is still one of the busiest celebrities on the circuit, with another album about to be released and plans for a new tour. Chen Nan reports

At 60, Alan Tam shows no sign of slowing down. The evergreen Hong Kong idol, who has been an actor and singer for almost four decades, returns with his latest album, Mr. Rolling Power, after his 2009 album, Mr. Tam, and eight sold-out concerts this summer.

"I will not give up singing no matter how busy I am," Tam says at a news conference held in Beijing last weekend to promote his new album. The entertainer, who says he will be "forever 25", is backed up by his popular Cantonese rock band.

"These young rockers remind me of my olden days," Tam says, referring to the famous Hong Kong pop band, The Wynners. The four members - Kenny Bee, Bennett Pang, Danny Yip and Anthony Chan - have been signature figures on Hong Kong's pop music scene since 1973 and were known for singing their hit songs in English.

"I decided to work with the young band because their music generates energy from a younger generation," Tam says. "I can feel the young band injecting new blood into my album, which keeps my music rolling with times."

The new album has 10 Cantonese songs and 10 Mandarin songs, and aims to attract fans in Hong Kong and the mainland.

"I am glad that I can keep making albums," he says. "Lots of people ask me when I am going to retire. But I just can't stop it."

Like many other singers of his generation, Tam entered an amateur singing contest and took first prize, which led him to a career in the entertainment industry.

Since he released his first album, Naughty Boy, in 1979, Tam has been one of Hong Kong's most celebrated and enduring performers. Since the early 1980s he has been associated with romantic ballads and modern arrangements. His contribution to developing the Cantonese pop scene won him the soubriquet, "Headmaster".

Also popular on the mainland and Taiwan, Tam has recorded numerous hits, produced more than 100 albums and starred in more than 40 movies. In addition, he has dabbled in radio dramas and hosted TV shows.

"I was racking my brain to bring something new and fresh to my songs because I have tried lots of avenues in music," he says. "I never feel tired when I make music. Even talking about it makes me excited."

When discussing the differences between singers from his generation and contemporary performers, Tam says his contemporaries tend to sing songs that are well written and convey meaningful messages. Singers today are required to be more expressive in terms of their emotion and sense of rhythm. However, he says, the songs they sing are often lackluster in content.

"Hong Kong has been short of a band like The Wynners and Beyond, which is a pity," he says. "I still have a rock dream in my heart, young and powerful, just like 30 years ago. So I want to work with young bands to find new music elements, as well as new musicians."

Tam says one of the secrets to looking good is to keep working and learning. "Making music helps you nurture a young and curious mind," he says.

Tam's tally of nearly 400 concerts is a record for a Hong Kong singer.

"I will keep singing, even if there is just one person in the audience," he says, adding he's looking forward to learning some new dance moves for his concert tour next year.

"I pursue perfection but don't ask for it in a stubborn way. I just give my best, and I'm optimistic. If I can't get what I want, I just let go or lower my expectations. But above all, you have to give it your best," he says.