Live N' Kicking
Isn't he a wonder! Not only is Mandarin pop prince Leehom a veteran recording artist (who's just released his sixth album), he's also very handy around the house and brill at reviving fainting friends! Golly! Any other hidden talents we should know about?
So, Leehom. What's new with you, fella?
Well, I have a new album, Impossible to Miss You. The biggest change in my life since we last met in December is that I've moved to Boston and have my own apartment! I've enrolled in the Berklee school of music for one semester already. So it's been a new city, new place, new school, new friends... I cook for myself, take the garbage out, do the laundry, keep the toilet clean.. (Pleased) Yup, my toilet is very clean.
What's school like? Any famous classmates?
Some of them are. One of them plays brass for Jamiroquai. Berklee is a pop music school and it has the highest rate of foreign students in the States. (Exaggerates) Nobody at Berklee speaks English! A lot of my classmates are very famous in their home countries. I have a friend who is a well-known Nigerian singer; another has albums out in Greece. It's cool, I feel very comfortable there! There are kids from about 16 and grown men who are 40, 50 years old!
Your last album Revolution won you awards like Best Male Singer and Best Producer at the Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. What's next, the Grammys?
(Shakes head vigourously) Oh no, no! I never aim for an award becaouse such things are out of my control. (Reproachfully) Besides, that's not why you get into music anyway. I want to do another CD pretty soon 'cos I already have lots of great ideas. Conceptually, it's very strong, probably the strongest of all my albums....
How is your new CD Impossible to Miss You different from your earlier works?
This time, the style is more pop. Before, I didn't want people to think I was a teenybopper idol. I'd be like, 'Okay, this album will have a jazz sound, Broadway, R&B, rock 'n' roll....' and I'd play lots of instruments so they'd know I can do different styles. I'm more confident and focused now. For this album, I wanted to concentrate on singing and producing it well. (Dreamily) I have this romantic notion about being an artist, like, this album is me, it's who I am. But I decided Impossible to Miss You doesn't have to represent everything about me. In the Mandarin pop market, artists release albums so fast - this is already my sixth! It's good, in a sense, 'cos you learn to make what you can out of the situation.
Is it true you worked your production people so hard, one of them fainted?
(Laughs sheepishly) When I'm really into a project, I just don't stop, I don't eat, I don't sleep and I work everybody around me. It was near the completion of the album and we hadn't slept much for a couple of days. This guy and I were at Mc Donald's. I was asking him what he wanted to eat and he just looked at me and bang! Collasped right there, in my arms! I was slaping his face, yelling, 'Wake up! Wake up!' Meanwhile, everybody at McDonald's was going, 'Eh, isn't that Leehom?' and I'm like dragging this body about! (Laughs heartily)
Does stuff like that happen to you all the time?
No! I have never had anyone faint in my arms before! Oh, there was this girl who fainted in front of me last month during a gig. But it was because she suffered a heat stroke!
Any other cra-zee fan stories you wanna share?
Most of my fans are very polite. I'm very lucky. I've seen singers who've had their shirts torn at and hair pulled! Once, a fan sent me a large amount of cash but I sent it back. I haven't had marriage proposals, I'm a little too young for marriage. (Shyly) But I've received other er... things that are rather kinky!
Your sound has been described as 'more manly'. What's the most macho thing you've done lately?
Washing my own toilet. And cooking meals! The last tie I cooked for a girl was in March. (Hurriedly) She's a classmate, just a friend. I cooked chicken, soup, salad and fish with orange sauce. (Boastfully) It was really, really good!
What's the fastest way to bore you?
History books! I really don't like memorising things - that's why I don't know enough history! I always end up mugging the night before a test, go for it and then forget everything! Do I get a good grade still? Erm... yeah. But so what? I didn't learn anything!
Who would you rather be: Bill Gates, Bill Clinton or er... a $1,000 bill?
Aha! It's Bill, Bill or bill! (Chuckles at own cleverness) Definitely Bill Gates, of course! He's the man! He's such an icon! He's representative of the American dream! (Straight-faced) I wouldn't want to be a $1,000 bill, I don't think so!
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The midi file that is playing is the courtesy of Robin's Chinese Midi Files Page. This is a song by Leehom and William So(also sung by Jacky Cheung and Roland Cheng), Zuo You Wei Nan.
