이용복 - Lee Yong-Bok

Jigu 이용복 (Lee Yong-Bok) : 오리지날 힛송 총결산집 (1987 (?),re.1995)*°° (ok->vg)

* 01. 그 얼굴에 햇살을 / Sunshine on that face

02. 잊으라면 잊겠어요 / I can't forget

03. 너를 부른다 / I call you

04. In 1943

3 월 Month

4 일생 (Born on March 4, 1943)

05. 친구 / Friends

06. 어디선가 눈빛이 / Somewhere to be seen

07. 순아야 / sun-A

08. 이별은 그리움을 / Farewell nostalgia

09. 다정한 친구야 / A good friend

10. 사랑의 모닥불 / Bonfire of Love

11. 마지막 편지 / The last letter

12. 영일만 처녀 / Young-Il, the last virgin

13. 잊었다하리 / I forgot

14. 마음은 짚시 / The heart is decisive

15. 소녀의 편지 / Girl's Letter

16. 꽃사연 / Flower Story

* 17. 아들 / Son

Tracks with * I consider essential listens or classics, or tracks to check out for sure. It are tracks that makes them also very suitable for western radioshow airplay. Tracks that are only underlined can be considered fine tracks you might better check out as well, but I am not sure how essential they are.

I can’t think of any popular singers of 30s-70s in Korea that does not show its qualities in voice and singing. When I heard a few tracks of popular singer Lee Yong-Bok, I must admit that also for this popular singer, this is once more true.

The songs are nice, somewhat commercial, but sound inspired enough and attractively enough arranged to entertain well each time. It’s range of arrangements are occasionally in a folksier area (acoustic guitar leads), more often with extra electric band (and electric picking) and keyboards, more than once with a bit of brass and strings too, occasionally with additional female choir singers or a violin solo, overlapping quite a bit into mainstream areas, in a rather pleasing way. Just track 9 show a more up-tempo and somewhat danceable and more commercial R&B approach, suitable for evening ballroom or dance tent purposes. Track 12, with female singers has a funky trot element. All-in-all, an enjoyable compilation. My song of preference is the last track of the compilation, a powerful song with layers of pickings, oboe, flutes and some orchestrations.

P.S. I saw his face appearing on one of the better Shin Joong-Hyun releases with the Men, although this album should be with Yoon Young-Kyun instead, so I am not sure if this association was correct.

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On "Sunshine on that face" the singer can be a bit compared to a folkier version of Roy Orbison, with positive effect. Most tracks are more mainstream pop than being singer/songwriter related folk/pop. "Young Il" is a trot song but might be interesting for its use of wahwah guitar effects and female background choir arrangements and some keyboards mixed with mainstream pop/rock

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BIOGRAPHIES:

From Wikipedia:

Lee Yong-bok (June 27, 1952) is a singer of Korea.

He has a congenital pediatric glaucoma: when he was eight years old, he lost his sight in an accident. In January 1970, he made his debut as a singer when he was a sophomore in high school. At first, he became popular because of his disability. He was also a talented guitarist, so he played the 12-string guitar on Yang Hee-eun's debut album ``Morning Dew''. In 1972 and 1973, he won the MBC Top 10 Singer Awards.

As the first blind singer in Korea, he enjoyed an era with a bright brain, excellent knowledge and skill on the radio when there weren't many TVs yet. He appeared in the shows, gave a big laugh and surprised the audience with fluent recounts.

Songs: "Childhood" (Fan songs by Playground In My Mind) ; Hits: Born March 4, 1943, Evening Primrose, Sunshine on His Face, Lawn, Last Letter, Childhood, Forget If You Forget, Bonfire of Love, Rain.

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