손석우 - Sohn Sug-Woo (Sug Woo Sohn)
손석우 - 손석우 앤솔로지 : 뷔너스레코딩 VOL.1
I prefer not to miss the limited editions of old musicians or pop composers. 200 were printed from this one. Sug Woo Sohn is especially known for this movie song “The boy in the yellow shirt” (sung by Han Myeong Suk). This compilation features the first reissue of one of the composer’s songs sung by Yvette Giraud. (like a few other tracks, reproduced from the original vinyl source on 10” because the master got lost).
Only 7 songs are added, but there’s also a 20-page booklet in Korean with lots of photographs. I had not much an idea what to expect. Included are for western audience really not too special pop songs that are more arranged but often more a bit like TV show music.
The first, possibly oldest song (Han Myung-Sook) has country violin blues folk lead with accordion and acoustic guitar rhythms, has a light female vocal song like a cabaret or country movie version, recorded as if the voice is important and the rest is recorded elsewhere. Apparently, this was the most known song "Boy in the yellow shirt" (1961). It was a super hit of the 1960s. It had been very popular among American soldiers in Korea at that time with which the singer Han Myeong Suk became popular not only in Korea but also Southeast Asia and Japan in 1960s. Never the less, now being completely out of its context for a foreign listener like me, it still shows little appeal on me.
The next track is perhaps even a bit more annoying and commercial, for its TV-show alike arrangement and style of trot music (Kim Sang-Hee), accompanied by accordion, humpapa electric bass/drums, flute, uhuu backing vocals. This is followed by another commercial chachacha with bass/drum/brass combo sung by Choi Hee-Joon (electric bass), perfectly suitable for cheap TV show entertainment.
This is followed by a more fully orchestrated waltz with trot associations sung by Song Min-Do. Equally TV-show arranged is a song in old man vibrato trot style, with backing uhuu choir, drums, bass and strings, again this remains rather annoying music to me.
The Yvette Giraud song is clearly taken from an old record sadly isn’t too different. It is commercial music, sung in Korean language and has once more Trot and TV cabaret associations.
The only song from the compilation, which stands the time at best for me, is performed by the boy harmony singers band Blue Bells. They have powerful healthy let’s say marine choir-alike men’s vocals, that reflects to be some great example of the fine vocal groups from the 40-onwards till the early 60s.
The rest of arrangements in it work pretty entertaining as pop music on TV can still be (with funny flutes and marimba fantasies, and some brass). The booklet makes this seem important, but for Western collectors in fact only the sort of contributions like those from Blue Bells work well.
01. 노오란 셔쓰의 사나이 / 노오란 셔쓰의 사나이 / The Boy In The Yellow Shirt
- 한명숙 / Han Myung-Sook 02. 삼오야 밝은 달 / Sanya night bright moon (??) / Apple Song
- 김상희 / Kim Sang-Hee 03. 우리 애인은 올드미스 / Old Miss Lover
- 최희준 / Choi Hee-Joon 04. 나 하나의 사랑 / Darling, I Love You
- 송민도 / Song Min-Do 05. 꿈은 사라지고 / The dream disappears
- 안다성 / An Da-Seong 06. 노오란 셔쓰의 사나이 / Nolan's Man (?)
- Yvette Giraud
07. 즐거운 잔칫날 / Happy Feast Day
- 블루벨즈 / Bue Bells
‘노란 셔츠의 사나이’로 도회적 감각의 신가요 시대를 연 작곡가 손석우! 60년대 직접 설립, 운영하였던 뷔너스(Venus)레코즈의 앤솔로지 시리즈 그 첫번째! 10월에 있었던 손석우 노래비 제막식을 기념하기 위해 소량 제작되었던 음반으로 작곡가 손석우와 그 노래를 사랑하는 팬들을 위해 한정 배포하게 되었습니다. 새로운 가요 시대를 열었던 전설적인 작곡가 손석우의 작품 세계를 직접 확인하실 수 있는 기회로 이베트 지로의 음원은 최초 CD화이기도 합니다. (일부 곡은 마스터 소실로 오리지널 10인치 바이닐에서 복각한 음원입니다) * 손석우 기념 사업회 제작 200매 한정 * 20페이지 책자 형태 CD 패키지 * 음반으로 최초 공개되는 작곡가 손석우 관련 각종 자료 사진 * 가요 평론가 박성서의 자세한 해설과 가사 수록
Sug Woo Sohn – The Boy In The Yellow Shirt Venus Record Co. – VL 202 Vinyl, LP Tracklist
A1 The Boy In The Yellow Shirt
A2 Apple Song
A3 My Love Julian
A4 Please, Knock Me For Love
A5 It Will Be Clear Tomorrow
A6 It Rains
B1Good Morning
B2 Darling, I Love You
B3 Yet The Wedding Bells Are Not Ringing
B4 The Pussy Cats
B5 Boating Song
B6 Cowboy Song
https://goldkoreavinyl.com/2012/05/02/han-myeong-suk-the-boy-in-the-yellow-shirt-1961/:
“The Boy in the Yellow Shirt” was actually very popular among American soldiers in Korea at that time and with that song Han Myeong Suk became popular not only in Korea but also Southeast Asia and Japan in 1960s. If you consider the lyrics of that song, they were pretty badass at that time.
