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The Book and the Sword - 9Box Music

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Performers: Adam Cheng,Roman Tam,Liza Wang,Susanna Kwan Record Company: Entertainment Release Date: 1976 01. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge 02. Missing You 03. Never Satisfied 04. Allah,My Lord 05. Beautiful Universe 06. What More Can One Ask for in Life 07. Mourning the Fragrant Soul 08. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge 09. Wanderer's Lament 10. Choosing a Husband 11. Farewell 12. Green Water Ripples of Love 13. A Beautiful Night Under the Moon 14. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge (Theme Song Music)...

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Singers: Adam Cheng,Roman Tam,Liza Wang,Susanna Kwan
Record Company: Entertainment
Release Year: 1976


01. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge
02. Missing You
03. Never Satisfied
04. Allah,My Lord
05. Splendid Universe
06. What is There to Seek in Life
07. Mourning the Fragrant Soul
08. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge
09. Wanderer's Regret
10. Choosing a Husband
11. Seeing You Off
12. Green Waters,Rippling Love
13. Romantic Night,Floral Moon Love
14. Book and Sword,Gratitude and Revenge (Theme Song Instrumental)

On April 12,1976,(Commercial Television) aired "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," a series starring Bai Biao,Michelle Yim,and Leung Siu-lung. The drama immediately garnered rave reviews and rising viewership,bringing instant fame to CTV. "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was the first television adaptation of a Jin Yong novel,breaking TVB's long-standing dominance in drama ratings and sparking the first wave of competition for martial arts novel TV adaptation rights.
To counter CTV's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," TVB produced its first Jin Yong martial arts drama,"The Romance of Book and Sword," directed by Wang Tin-lam and starring Adam Cheng,Liza Wang,Gigi Wong,Yu An-an,and Louise Lee.
"The Romance of Book and Sword" was Jin Yong's first martial arts novel,originally titled "Book and Sword,Rivers and Mountains," serialized in Hong Kong's "New Evening Post" from February 8,1955,to September 5,1956.
On June 28,1976,TVB's "The Romance of Book and Sword" premiered,with Adam Cheng playing three roles: Chen Jialuo,Emperor Qianlong,and Fuk'anggan. Adam Cheng perfectly portrayed Chen Jialuo's gentleness and elegance,Qianlong's shrewdness and adaptability,and Fuk'anggan's cunning and treachery.
The "The Romance of Book and Sword" album released by Entertainment Records was the first complete TV drama soundtrack in Hong Kong's music scene,featuring fourteen theme songs and insert songs from the series.
All theme and insert songs in "The Romance of Book and Sword" were composed by Joseph Koo. The theme song lyrics were penned by Ko Shan Hei,while all insert songs were written by Lo Kwok-tsan. Ko Shan Hei is none other than the lyricist Wong Jim,one of the "Four Talents of Hong Kong," who also wrote the theme song "Who is the Great Hero" for CTV's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" under the pseudonym "Lau Kit."
There were two versions of "The Romance of Book and Sword" theme song in the series. At the time,the production team was in a hurry to record the theme song,but lead actor Adam Cheng was not in Hong Kong. Director Wong Tin-lam invited Roman Tam to sing it. After the recording was completed,Adam Cheng rushed back to Hong Kong and proposed that since he was the lead actor,he should sing the theme song. After some discussion,the production team decided to record another version for Adam Cheng. During the broadcast,Adam Cheng's and Roman Tam's versions of the theme song were played alternately every ten episodes,with Adam Cheng's version leading the way.
Adam Cheng's and Roman Tam's versions each had their own merits,and Joseph Koo arranged them differently to suit their respective performance styles. Roman Tam's rendition was steady and reserved,conveying a sense of grandeur. Adam Cheng's performance was free-spirited and majestic,combined with his popular portrayal of the character,fully embodying the spirit of a great hero. In 1986,at the "Adam Cheng Golden Hits Medley," the two performed this magnificent work together in ancient and modern costumes.
Liza Wang played Huo Qingtong in the series,and her performance was deeply moving. Liza Wang sang four insert songs,including "Allah,My Lord," "What is There to Seek in Life," "Choosing a Husband," and "Green Waters,Rippling Love," and also sang duets with Adam Cheng in "Missing You" and "Seeing You Off," leaving a lasting impression.
The then eighteen-year-old Susanna Kwan sang two insert songs,"Never Satisfied" and "Romantic Night,Floral Moon Love," delivering a meticulous performance.
As TVB's first Hong Kong martial arts drama adapted from a Jin Yong novel,"The Romance of Book and Sword" closely followed the original story. After its premiere in 1976,it swept Hong Kong,marking the beginning of TVB's adaptations of Jin Yong martial arts dramas. This series also propelled Adam Cheng to stardom,establishing his position as Hong Kong's leading martial arts heartthrob.

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