Regret (1995)
Mavis Hee
Last heard at a television drama theme song concert earlier this month, Mavis Hee’s soothing mellow voice is still in remarkably good form.
Never mind that her last studio album was 2000’s electronica-infused Heelectronic, or that her public performances have been sporadic since a public meltdown episode in 2006.
At the gig at Resorts World Convention Centre’s Compass Ballroom, Hee, 37, performed Sunshine Always Comes After The Rain from The Silver Lining (1997), Regret from Mirror Of Life (1996), the wistful title track to A Song To Remember (2011) and, of course, her signature hit Moonlight In The City from the period drama Tofu Street (1996).
Her gentle musical stylings sounded as assured as ever, and she had no problems reaching the low notes.
What was also clear is how closely her early career was linked to local TV dramas. Regret, Moonlight and Iron Window were all collected on her breakthrough second album Regret, which sold more than 50,000 copies here and in Malaysia. Window was the theme song to the women’s prison drama Beyond Dawn (1996).
While each song conjures up the opening credit montage for fans of the shows, they fit together well on the album as well.
It is not surprising when one takes a closer look at the credits.
Of the nine tracks (since there are two versions of Window included), seven are composed by her long-time mentor and producer Chen Jiaming. Singer-songwriter Jimmy Ye contributed one track and Hee herself penned one. As for the lyrics, Chen had a hand in all of the songs, while Hee contributed to three numbers.
There was a very strong point-of-view as Chen and Hee had a clear idea of her strengths and played to them.
On record, she was the queen of melancholia. Whatever passed through her pipes took on a patina of wistfulness, and burnished the tales of loss and regret told in the lyrics.
Even when the tempo quickened and the music became chirpier as on Ai Qing (Love), a chill clung to the lyrics: “Why bother who let whom down, there are no absolutes in this world/There are no regrets after loving, doesn’t matter if I get a little hurt.”
It was not all doom and gloom, though. Her best-known hit Moonlight In The City holds out the balm of hope and redemption: “The moonlight in the city shines on dreams, please keep watch by its side/If we should meet again one day, let happiness be scattered across the night sky.”
Regret was also pivotal for Hee as it was the album that introduced her to the Taiwanese market in 1996. The Taiwanese version of the album included two extra tracks – Ying Zi Qing Ren (Shadow Lover) and the title track from her Singapore-released debut album Ming Zhi Dao (Knowingly, 1994).
At a time when the pristine-voiced Faye Wong ruled the Mandopop scene, Hee stood out with her beautifully low voice. Her subsequent records would regularly notch up sales of more 200,000 in Taiwan. Even more impressively, she would successfully venture into the hard-to-crack Hong Kong market in 1997 with Listen Quietly, a collection of her Mandarin hits augmented with three Cantonese tracks.
The album ended Heavenly King Andy Lau’s reign at the top of the territory’s music charts with Love Is Mysterious and sold more than 100,000 copies there. For trumping a Heavenly King as well as Faye Wong on the charts, Hee earned the nickname of Heavenly Queen Slayer.
Her songs, like her voice, have stood the test of time. Other artists have repeatedly covered her tunes.
Taiwan’s Chyi Chin took on Moonlight In The City, while Malaysia’s Abin Fang and local singer Kit Chan have reinterpreted Regret. None though can replace Hee’s unforgettable originals.
Fittingly, her tentative comeback has been on the soundtrack to the TV series A Song To Remember (2011). She sang four songs there, including the title track and the gorgeous ballad Remembrance (Travelling Together).
Hopefully, she will gain enough confidence to release another album. And if she wants to make a comeback on her own terms – with no interviews and no publicity photos – that is perfectly fine. The only regret would be if she stops singing.
(ST)