Ngoc Lan on Her Favorite Singers

Ngoc Lan was one of those people that if she didn't have anything nice to say about someone, she wouldn't say anything at all.  During the time I knew her, we rarely spoke about other singers.  I do recall only one occasion while she was driving me around to look for costumes for our video shoot that I just flat out asked her at point blank just who was her favorite singer.  She hesitated a bit to answer and then she said, "I think Kieu Nga sings really well."  And then I asked her, " Well, who was the singer that had inspired you?  Who was your idol growing up and before you became a singer?"  She paused for a bit.  Then she uttered, "Thanh Lan".  Of course, I had to put my two cents in and tell her how much I had also idolized Khanh Ha and Julie Quang, in addition to her.  I asked her what she thought of them.  All she said was that she liked them, especially Julie Quang whenever she sang in French.  Being the nosy person I am, I had really wanted to ask her which singers did she not particularly care for.  But I didn't dare go there.

Kieu Nga and Ngoc Lan 

When I asked Ngoc Lan who was her favorite Vietnamese male singer, she readily answered that it was Duy Quang.  I then told her I liked Duy Quang's voice, as well.  And then she said something to the effect that all singers are great in their own distinct way.  I could tell this was her way of closing out the conversation and hinting to me that we should move on to another subject.  Somehow I had gotten the feeling that she didn't like to be asked such questions.  I think perhaps she might have been concerned that if she were to disclose who she did and didn't like among Vietnamese singers, the word just might get out which might bring about tensions between some of her colleagues and herself.  I'd have to say that that was a quality I really admired in Ngoc Lan.  She was obviously smart enough to realize that in the world of showbiz what you say can easily get misconstrued and end up biting you in the back.  From that day on, I never asked her about what she thought of other singers ever again.

I did pay attention to one other thing during the times I had spent with her.  And that was, who she would listen to while she was driving me around, which cassettes were in her selection kept in her car.  Most of the time she would be listening to songs that she was in the process of rehearsing and about to go into the studio to record.  A few times I heard her listening to Olivia Newton-John.  And other times, she would play Elsa Lughini.  As for Vietnamese singers, I remember listening to one or two cassettes of Kieu Nga.  And there was one occasion when she made me listen to Nhat Truong and Thanh Lan on an old cassette recorded way back in Saigon prior to 1975 during the entire drive.  She kept playing over and over again, Nguoi O Lai Charlie and Mua Dong Cua Anh.  I do like Thanh Lan's voice.  But as far as Nhat Truong and his music, just imagine how I felt listening to it considering how I was a kid who had grown up in the United States and was then just familiarizing myself with Vietnamese music.  Nhat Truong's music is anything but even remotely close to that of American pop music.  A few months later, I finally figured out the reason why she had me listen to those two songs over and over that one day when I saw that Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang had just released another duet album which included their version of Mua Dong Cua Anh and again, on some compilation cassette of various artists produced by Lang Van that included their duet version of Nguoi O Lai Charlie.  It just goes to show how much of a hard worker Ngoc Lan was.  Even when driving around, rather than listen to music as a way to relax, Ngoc Lan was actually listening with her work in mind.

Ngoc Lan and Vu Khanh Duet Album Review

Diem Xua has been one music production label known for its high quality in production.  When Diem Xua came out with a duet album combining its top male vocalist, Vu Khanh, with Ngoc Lan, this was no different.  The album was entitled Nguoi Em Sau Mong and released in 1992.  Of the twelve tracks, the album included four duet tracks that were very well done:  Hoa Rung Ven Song, Con Quy Lay Chua both written by Pham Duy and Chieu Phi Truong and Bai Ca Hanh Ngo both written by Le Uyen Phuong.  My favorite of the three was Hoa Rung Ven Song.  Their voices blended beautifully with this song.  Of Ngoc Lan's solo tracks included a pair of songs written by Duc Huy, Xin Mot Ngay Mai Co Nhau and Mot Tinh Yeu.  When it comes to songs written by Duc Huy, you just can't go wrong with Ngoc Lan as the vocalist.  Ngoc Lan also did a fine job with her deliveries of Tuan Khanh's Noi Niem and Quoc Dung's Anh Da Thay Mua Xuan Chua, as well.  Out of Vu Khanh's solo tracks, my favorite on this album was Dan Trong Dem Vang (Johnny Guitar).  Although I prefer listening to duets between Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang, I must admit this was a very competent project that combined two very fine vocalists in a very pleasant style.  

Ngoc Lan Trivia

This is to all fellow devoted fans of Ngoc Lan out there.  How much do you know about Ngoc Lan?  Would you say you're an expert who knows a lot when it comes to facts about Ngoc Lan's career, music and life?  How read up are you about Ngoc Lan?  I challenge you to take our Ngoc Lan Trivia and try to answer the following questions.  It just might surprise you on how much you know about our beloved Ngoc Lan.

Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 1:

Here are the first five questions.  I assume these questions are fairly easy and that you don't have to be an expert on Ngoc Lan to know the answers.

1. What was Ngoc Lan's given birthname?  A) Nguyen Ngoc Lan  B) Jade Orchid  C) Nguyen Thanh Lan  D) Maria Le Thanh Lan  E) Tran Ngoc Lan
2. What city was Ngoc Lan born in?  A) Hanoi  B) Saigon  C) Nha Trang  D) Da Lat  E) Paris
3. Other than Vietnamese, Ngoc Lan was famous for singing in what language?  A) English  B) French  C) Chinese  D) Korean  E) Spanish
4. When and where did Ngoc Lan began her career as a professional singer?  A) After she left Vietnam for the United States first resettling in Minnesota  B) At the age of 20 while she was still in Vietnam at cabarets and nightclubs in Saigon  C) While she was in college as a foreign exchange student in Paris, France  D) As a child while still living in Nha Trang  E) In Hollywood during the 1990s where she also appeared on the Hollywood Night music video series
5. What was the cause of Ngoc Lan's untimely passing?  A) Cancer  B) Multiple Sclerosis  C) Suicide  D) Diabetes  E)  Automobile Accident

So, were you able to answer all five of the previous questions?  If so, then you're definitely a fan of our beloved Ngoc Lan.  But not so fast.  Just by knowing the answers to those five very easy questions about Ngoc Lan doesn't necessarily make you a devoted fan of Ngoc Lan.  The answers to those five questions are pretty much public knowledge.  Maybe that's putting it a bit too extreme there.  Let's say the answers to those previous questions are basic information about Ngoc Lan.  Therefor, one would have to be a fan of Ngoc Lan in order to know the answers.

Let's continue on to the next set of questions.

Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 2:

The following ten questions here are designed for those that are considered to be devoted fans of Ngoc Lan.  These questions are a bit harder and require fans to do a bit of reading about Ngoc Lan to know the answers to.  For those devoted fans who have followed Ngoc Lan's career closely through the years, you should have no problem answering these trivia questions.

1. When Ngoc Lan resettled in Southern California in 1982, what was the name of the music production label that she first recorded professionally for?  A) Asia Productions  B) Da Lan  C) Doi Magazine  D) Lang Van  E) Giang Ngoc 
2. During the 1980s, what was the name of the first major nightclub that Ngoc Lan had become an exclusive weekly peformer at for an entire year?  A) Majestic  B) Diamond  C) Dem Mau Hong  D) Ritz  E) Au Baccara
3. Ngoc Lan had recorded duets with a lot of male artists during the 1980s and 1990s.  Which one of these male artists did she not ever record a duet with?  A) Duy Quang  B) Don Ho  C) Trinh Nam Son  D) Lam Nhat Tien  E) Nhat Truong
4. What was Ngoc Lan's best selling studio album during the 1980s?  A) Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan  B) Nguoi Yeu Dau  C) L'amour Tinh Ta  D) Tinh Xanh  E) Nhu Em Da Yeu Anh
5. Ngoc Lan had also recorded many duets with other female artists?  Which one of these female singers did Ngoc Lan record the most duets with?  A) Kieu Nga  B) Khanh Ha  C) Nhu Mai  D) Huong Lan  E) Julie Quang
6. Ngoc Lan had come from a large family.  Including herself, how many children did her parents have altogether?  A) 10  B) 12  C) 6  D) 8  E) 11
7. Among her siblings, Ngoc Lan was ..... A) the fifth eldest.  B) the eldest.  C) the second eldest.  D) the third eldest.  E) the youngest.
8. In 1990, May Productions released Ngoc Lan's ground-breaking first solo music videotape which consisted of beautifully shot music videos for five of her recorded songs.  What was the title of her first solo videotape?  A) Ngoc Lan in Hollywood  B) Nhu Em Da Yeu Anh  C) Khi Co Chang  D) Lai Gan Hon Em  E) Ngoc Lan on Video
9. During her career as a professional singer, Ngoc Lan toured extensively and performed in concert for live audiences in many different countries all over the world.  Ironically, there was one country where her fans never did get to see her perform live in concert.  Which country was that?  A) United States  B) Australia  C) Canada  D) France  E) Vietnam
10. How old was Ngoc Lan when she passed?  A) 32  B) 50  C) 44  D) 36  E) 40

So how did you do with that last set of ten questions?  I told you they were going to be harder than those first five.  Well, if you had no trouble answering all ten of those questions, I must say then that you are definitely a devoted fan.  Actually, if you were able to answer at least half out of the ten questions, I'll say you still qualify as a devoted fan of Ngoc Lan.  How many of you are courageous enough to move onto the final set of questions?  If you can answer these next five questions without any problems at all, then you have my total respect.  You would then not only be considered either a truly devoted fan of Ngoc Lan or even an expert about her, but a qualified obsessive Ngoc Lan fanatic like myself.  Not to worry, it's alright to be one.  I should know, I've been an obsessive Ngoc Lan fanatic for years and proud of it.  

Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 3:

All I can say is, good luck on these last five questions, friends!

1. What was the name of Ngoc Lan's very first recorded song?  A) Nguoi Yeu Dau  B) Nang Chieu  C) Mua Dong Cua Anh  D) Lo Mai Sau  E) Oh, Mon Amour
2. Ngoc Lan's debut solo studio album, Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan, consisted mostly of covers she recorded of popular French songs and Vietnamese ballads.  Only one out of the twelve songs on this album had never been recorded before by any other artist.  It was a Vietnamese song written by a former beauty queen who had been crowned as Miss Vietnam - USA in the Hoa Hau Ao Dai Long Beach beauty pageant in the early 1980s.  What was the name of that song and who was the songwriter?  A) Sao Danh Xa Em written by Marguarite Pham  B) Sa Mac Tinh Yeu written by Khuc Lan C) Hay Den Voi Em written by Giang Ngoc  D) Song Xuan written by Que Phuong  E) Con Yeu written by Cam Van
3. Ngoc Lan's height has been exaggerated to as tall as 5' 8" by some unreliable sources, yet in reality, she was anything but 5' 8".  How tall was she?  A) 5' 6"  B) 5' 4"  C) 5' 3"  D) 5' 2"  E) Under 5 feet tall
4. During the 1980s, long before Ngoc Lan had gotten married to Kelvin Khoa, she had been romantically linked to a famous Vietnamese-American saxophone player and musician.  What was his name?  A) Vu Anh Tuan  B) Tuan Duc  C) Thanh Lam  D) Trung Nghia  E) Truc Ho
5. Ngoc Lan's first album, Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan, was released in 1986 available in the form of audio cassette.  A couple of years after, it would be reprinted and re-released available in the form of compact disc by the production label, Doi Magazine.  Which production label had released it back in 1986 available in the form of audio cassette?  A) Giang Ngoc  B) Da Lan  C) Asia Productions  D) Lang Van  E) Ngoc Lan

If you had no trouble coming up with answers to all 20 Ngoc Lan Trivia questions, I seriously tip my hat to you.  Way to go!   But if you did have trouble answering these questions, relax, that doesn't disqualify you as a fan of Ngoc Lan.  Who am I to say you are a fan or aren't a fan of Ngoc Lan anyway?  The fact that you've taken this trivia.... Actually, the fact that you've taken the time to visit this blog site, for that matter, already shows that you certainly are a true fan of our beloved Ngoc Lan.

Answers to Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 1 Questions:

1. D  2. C  3. B  4. A  5. B

Answers to Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 2 Questions:

1. B  2. D  3. D  4. B  5. A  6. D  7. A  8. B  9. E  10. C

Answers to Ngoc Lan Trivia - Part 3 Questions:

1. D  2. D  3. E  4. C  5. E

Ngoc Lan on PBN

When we think of Ngoc Lan in music videos, naturally May Productions would most likely be the first production company that would come to mind due to her lengthy association with the label and the two very memorable solo videotapes of Ngoc Lan that had been released in the early 1990s.  Asia Productions would probably come second in terms of a production company associated with Ngoc Lan's appearances in music videos.  It is only fair to say that Ngoc Lan's work on her first two solo music videotapes produced by May Productions truly revolutionized the Vietnamese music video production industry setting higher standards in quality.  The enormous success from both of Ngoc Lan's solo music videotapes produced by May Productions undoubtedly enabled the label to launch the Hollywood Night series in the early 1990s, in which its popularity for a number of years really had given the Paris by Night series produced by Thuy Nga Paris a serious run for its money.  With each volume of Paris by Night that Thuy Nga Paris was dishing out during those years in the early 1990s, May Productions would immediately right behind them coming out with a new volume of the Hollywood Night series with just as wide of viewer audience reception.  The competition between the two labels was quite stiff as the performances of each of their products out in the market were really neck and neck.  But then right around the mid 1990s, another competitor joined in on the race, Asia Productions.  Like the saying goes, only the strong survive.  That was the case with this war between Thuy Nga Paris, Asia Productions and May Productions.   Despite having Ngoc Lan on their lineup of regular performers along with the recruitment of several top players from the Paris by Night stage such as Lynda Trang Dai, Huong Lan, Y Lan, Tuan Ngoc and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, May Productions couldn't stand up to the fierce competition against Thuy Nga Paris and Asia Productions by the mid 1990s.  Following the downfall of May Productions, their biggest star, Ngoc Lan, would venture out and collaborate with Asia Productions as well as Thuy Nga Paris to make appearances on each of the production companies' live show music video series.  This move by Thuy Nga Paris of recruiting Ngoc Lan onto the lineup of Paris by Night performers came as of no

Ngoc Lan's Debut Appearance on Paris by Night
  Performing Duc Huy's Mua Xuan Trong Doi Mat Em 

surprise.  Afterall, Ngoc Lan was one of the most bankable recording artists among overseas Vietnamese singers.  Since Thuy Nga Paris has been the most prolific overseas Vietnamese music production label with its extremely successful Paris by Night series which has served as the primary stage for overseas Vietnamese entertainers featuring all the biggest names, why wouldn't Ngoc Lan be recruited?  Ngoc Lan certainly ranks as one of the biggest names ever among overseas Vietnamese singers.

Ngoc Lan on Paris by Night
 performing Con Mua Trong Doi

Ngoc Lan's tenure at Thuy Nga Paris, although brief lasting only from 1995-1996, would, however, entail performances on the Paris by Night stage that have been considered to be some of her most memorable.  Contrary to her performances on Hollywood Night, we see a more mature Ngoc Lan on the Paris by Night series.  The songs she had selected to appear on video for Thuy Nga Paris were more heartfelt and geared specifically toward a more mature adult viewer audience.  All five of her appearances on Paris by Night, Ngoc Lan was seen singing ballads.  Even her style of dress had changed.  Ngoc Lan would be seen wearing elegant evening gowns in all but one out of the five music videos for Thuy Nga which was a far cry from the days when she was either dressed in shorts singing and dancing to Joe le Taxi with a group of back-up dancers on the Hollywood Night stage or better yet, when she was dancing around in a lake dressed in a gothic all-black dress and wearing a hat in her music video of Johnny, Johnny.  It's not that she didn't look cute back in those earlier videos.  She certainly did.  But Ngoc Lan was an artist with enough wisdom to know how to dress and appear in a style that is age appropriate.  During the time of Ngoc Lan's collaboration with Thuy Nga Paris, although still quite beautiful, she was by then approaching 40.  She was fully aware that her days of being seen in skimpy shorts singing and dancing on stage to bubble gum music were well over and that a more sophisticated look and sound were evidently the appropriate image for her to now take on.  As it turned out, Ngoc Lan's calculations were dead on.  And because of that, she would only further gain the respect and adoration of her huge following of fans.

Ngoc Lan looking very sexy
while singing Duy Quang's Kiep Dam Me on Paris by Night  

All five of the songs that Ngoc Lan had performed on Paris by Night were nothing short of phenomenal beginning with her debut appearance on the series on Volume 33 with the song, Mua Xuan Trong Doi Mat Em.  Since this is a tune penned by Duc Huy, what other singer would be more well suited to record this song than our beloved Ngoc Lan, herself?  Ngoc Lan's performance of Kiep Dam Me was just flawless.  She looked incredibly sexy in that dress.  After hearing her rendition, I must say no other singer could even match Ngoc Lan's interpretation of this beautiful, heartbreaking ballad penned by her friend, the legendary singer/songwriter Duy Quang.  In Em Ve Nao Co Hay, written by composer Hoang Trong Thuy, Ngoc Lan really pours her heart and soul into the song.  Again, I can't think of another singer's version of that song I'd rather listen to.  Con Mua Trong Doi, a song that was originally written in Japanese and given Vietnamese lyrics written by Khuc Lan, was another flawless performance from Ngoc Lan on Paris by Night.  And finally, my favorite of them all, Ngoc Lan's performance of Trinh Nam Son's Ve Day Em clearly exemplified why I had become a devoted fan of hers.  Ngoc Lan's delivery of this song was gentle and sweet, yet passionate and full of emotion.  I still get chills everytime I watch this video on YouTube.

Ngoc Lan and Ve Day Em on Paris by Night

I wish Ngoc Lan's tenure on Thuy Nga Paris had been a longer one.  As a matter of fact, I wish Ngoc Lan's life and career had been longer.  It is rather difficult to accept how such a great artist who was so beautiful and talented like our beloved Ngoc Lan is no longer with us.  But at least we still have her music and videos to remember her by.  The legend of Ngoc Lan definitely still lives on. 

Did You Know That Ngoc Lan Could Also Sing in Chinese?

When we think of Ngoc Lan and the several different languages that she could sing in other than Vietnamese, the first language that would come to mind would naturally be French with all of the beautiful French love songs she had recorded throughout her career.  We all loved Ngoc Lan's covers of French love songs not just because her pronunciation in French was rather good, but more so because of how she was able to put her heart and soul into the music with each recording.  She could easily just break your heart with her somber, yet sweet voice that just seemed perfect for such easy listening, romantic French ballads with the most beautifully written sad lyrics.  I still get goose bumps everytime I listen to Ngoc Lan's rendition of Je Pense Encore à Lui that was featured on her first solo studio album.  That was probably one of the most heartfelt performances I've ever heard.  Of course, there are countless others such as Vivre Pour Toi, Mourir Pour Toi, Viens M'embrasser, Ne Laisses Pas Ma Vie Sans Toi, and pretty much any of the rest of the songs she had recorded on her third solo studio album, L'amour Tinh Ta.  The songs she had selected along with her deliveries on that album were nothing short of perfection.  I could go on and on about Ngoc Lan and the long list of French songs she had recorded which I loved so much.  But this article is about another language that Ngoc Lan was able to sing in other than Vietnamese.  I'm not talking about English.  We all know our beloved Ngoc Lan had made many efforts to sing in English during her career, and although her English was pretty good as she was able to speak, read and write in English pretty well, when she sang in English, she just couldn't get beyond her thick Vietnamese accent.  That was rather odd, when I think about it, because when she spoke in English, she barely had any accent at all.  The language that Ngoc Lan was able to sing in that I find to be rather shocking was Chinese.  When we think of Vietnamese singers that were able to sing in Chinese, singers like Kim Anh, Tuan Dat, Lucia Kim Chi and Thai Doanh Doanh pop up in our minds.  Afterall, these singers are of Chinese descent and are able to speak Chinese.  But not Ngoc Lan.

During the era sometime in the 1980s, Chinese dramas had become so popular with Vietnamese people, as a matter of fact throughout all of Asia, this period became known as the Chinese Wave.  The Korean Wave is now in effect with the popularity of Korean dramas.  Haven't you noticed how a lot of Vietnamese are now listening to Korean music?  Well, during the Chinese Wave, many Vietnamese singers jumped on the band wagon and started to sing in Chinese.  Among them were Elvis Phuong, Kieu Nga, Hai Ly, Julie Quang, billed simply as Julie,  and even our own beloved Ngoc Lan.

I've found three songs that Ngoc Lan had recorded in Chinese.  The first was a song featured on Asia Productions' third volume cassette, Da Vu Xanh.  The name of the song in Vietnamese was Cung La Buon.  I wasn't too crazy about the song.  But I did, however, like Ngoc Lan's vocals on it.  I found it a bit surprising to hear Ngoc Lan sing in Chinese the first time I heard it.  The other two were released by Da Lan.  One of them was a song she had recorded on a compilation album entitled as Co Gai Do Long, which consisted of 12 popular Chinese love songs recorded by various Vietnamese artists such as Tuan Anh, Huong Lan, Kieu Nga, Luu Hong, Nhu Mai, Tuan Dat, Duy Quang, Hai Ly and Bich Ha.  The Vietnamese title for the song Ngoc Lan had recorded on this album was Dong Song Ly Biet 2.  I especially loved this song.  Ngoc Lan did an excellent job with this recording.  I don't speak any Chinese, myself, to know whether her pronunciation was good or not.  But the other day, one of my good friends, Richard, who is Chinese was listening to it.  He smiled a bit.  When I asked him what he thought of her pronunciation, he just said he thought it was very cute.  By the way, there is one other track on Co Gai Do Long that is worth mentioning.  Singer Luu Hong had recorded a track featured on this album entitled as Lau Dai Tinh Ai which really took my breath away the first time I listened to it.  I still get goose bumps whenever I listen to Luu Hong's outstanding performance with this song.  I'd say out of all the tracks featured on Co Gai Do Long, the two tracks recorded by Luu Hong and Ngoc Lan really made the entire album.  The last out of the three songs that Ngoc Lan had recorded partially in Chinese was featured on Da Lan Volume 22:  Nhac Phim Bo Chon Loc.  Like the previously mentioned compilation album released under the Da Lan label, this album would also consist of 12 tracks, all of which were covers of popular Chinese love songs.  Ngoc Lan had recorded two tracks on this album; a duet track with Vu Khanh, Tron Kiep Yeu Nguoi, and a solo track, Cuoc Doi Phu Du, in which she had recorded about half of the song in Mandarin.  I neither cared much for her delivery of this song, the melody of the song nor the Vietnamese lyrics that had been written for Ngoc Lan to record.  As a matter of fact, this entire album was rather disappointing.  Despite the impressive lineup of various artists featured on this compilation album which included Vu Khanh, Ngoc Lan, Kieu Nga, Duy Quang, Nhu Mai, Mai Huong, Thanh Phong, Luu Hong, Hai Ly, Thanh Mai, Tuan Vu, Kim Tuyen, Tuan Anh and Bich Ha, the entire production just seemed like a sham.  I tried my best to listen to the entire album from beginning to end, and I couldn't even come up with the slightest compliment for anything.  Not the sound quality, photo cover, vocals, arrangements, song selections were even of mentioning.  Overall, the quality level of production for this album was poor.  If it were to be given a grade, I would give it a C minus only because I'm rather generous.  It should really get a D grade.  

Author's Selection of Ngoc Lan's Best Duets

Ngoc Lan had recorded many duets with many different singers throughout her career, both male and female.  Ngoc Lan's soft, gentle singing voice can be described as the epitome of femininity.  Perhaps that is why her voice was so compatible for duets with male artists.  Among the male artists Ngoc Lan had recorded duets with were Don Ho, Huy Sinh, Jo Marcel, Trung Hanh, Elvis Phuong, Nhat Truong, Vu Khanh, Chau Dinh An, Si Phu, Duc Huy, Trinh Nam Son, and of course, Duy Quang.

There was a pleasant melange, like a perfect blend of the male and female voice, which came about when Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang paired up to record a duet.  The chemistry between the two voices was undeniably magical. This was proven with the high sales these two artists experienced with their first duet album together, Bien Mong, released in 1987 by Kim Ngan, and again with Tinh Phai, released in 1989 by Dream Musical Productions.  Both Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang were aware of how compatible their voices were for duets. That is why they recorded duet albums together a total of three times.  Their last duet album recorded together was entitled Ta Say, released in 1994 by Ngoc Lan Musique.

Nhu Mai and Kieu Nga had each recorded duets with Ngoc Lan.  Similar to the popularity Ngoc Lan had experienced on duets with Duy Quang, her duets with Kieu Nga were widely received by Vietnamese audiences everywhere.  The most popular duet song recorded by these two ladies would undoubtedly be Anh Thi Khong (Toi Jamais).  The music video to that song alone was reason enough for the song's popularity with Vietnamese audiences.

Here are my selections of the best duets Ngoc Lan had recorded with another artist.

1.  Anh Thi Khong (Toi Jamais) - Ngoc Lan & Kieu Nga

Of course, this song had to be included.  Who doesn't like this version recorded by the top two Vietnamese queens of French music?  This song was featured on Ngoc Lan and Kieu Nga's duet album released by May Productions, Paris Van Doi.  Vietnamese lyrics for this song were written by Vu Xuan Hung.

2.  Neu Xa Nhau - Ngoc Lan & Duy Quang

Featured on their first duet album together, Bien Mong, released by Kim Ngan (1987).  This Duc Huy penned love song was done best as a duet by these two.

3.  Mua Dong Cua Anh - Ngoc Lan & Duy Quang

I loved this song ever since I heard the original version recorded by Nhat Truong and Thanh Lan prior to 1975.  But I must say, Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang added a certain distinct charm of their own with their version featured on their second duet album together, Tinh Phai, released by Dream Musical Productions (1989).  This song was written by Tran Thien Thanh AKA Nhat Truong, of course.

4.  Tren Dinh Mua Dong - Ngoc Lan & Nhat Truong                                 

Featured on the Ngoc Lan and Nhat Truong duet album, Chan Troi Tim, released by May Productions, this has been one of my favorite songs writeen by Tran Thien Thanh ever since I can remember.  I love how Ngoc Lan's voice blended so well with Nhat Truong's, similar to that of Thanh Lan and Nhat Truong's recorded duets together from way back in the day.

5.  Nguoi Lia Xa (Tu T'en Vas) - Ngoc Lan & Elvis Phuong

Elvis Phuong had recorded many great albums in the 1980s.  Among them was this unforgettable album, Lady Nguoi Toi Yeu, released in 1988, which comprised of a collection of French love songs he recorded with several female vocalists such as Kieu Nga, Minh Xuan and Ngoc Lan.  Vietnamese lyrics to this song were written by Nhat Ngan.

There you have it.  That was my selection of the top 5 duet songs recorded by Ngoc Lan.  What were some of your favorite duet songs Ngoc Lan had recorded?

Author's Selection of Top 10 Ngoc Lan Songs

Selecting which are my favorite songs recorded by Ngoc Lan is definitely a difficult task.  There are just so many.  It has been documented that Ngoc Lan had recorded a total of 800 songs throughout her career.  I don't exactly know just how many of those songs I've heard.  But since I do own quite a few compact discs and old audio cassettes of Ngoc Lan that I probably have heard most of them. Right off the top of my head, I can already think of over 30 songs recorded by Ngoc Lan that I really love and consider to be my favorites.  But I do realize that this is not a book I'm writing here, but just only a post for this blog that shouldn't be too long and boring.  So I've narrowed it down to a list of my favorite 10 songs recorded by Ngoc Lan.

Each of these songs on this list holds some sort of special memory for me.  Tell me what you think about the songs on this list.  I'd love to know what  your favorite songs recorded by Ngoc Lan are. Let's see if our tastes are similar.


My Top 10 Favorite Ngoc Lan Songs

1. Tinh - Written by the legendary great Vietnamese songwriter/ composer Van Phung, this has been one of my favorite songs with its jazzy melody and brilliant lyrics.  I first heard this song from Ngoc Lan's 2nd solo album, Nguoi Yeu Dau, when it was first released only on audio cassette in 1987 by Giang Ngoc.  Her performance on this song really impressed me, especially with her ability to effortlessly keep up with the arrangement's bouncy tempo.  To this day, I've yet to hear any other singers match Ngoc Lan's flawless rendition of this Van Phung classic.

2. Noi Buon - Another great song written and composed by Van Phung that was also featured on the same album, Nguoi Yeu Dau.  Ngoc Lan's sweet gentle voice was just perfect for it.  What do you know?  This is another great song written and composed by Van Phung and sung perfectly by Ngoc Lan. There may be a connection here.  Actually, I've heard Ngoc Lan's recordings of other Van Phung songs, and I've loved them all.  These two just happen to be my favorites.  

3.  Hoi Nguoi Tinh - Translated Vietnamese lyrics for this song had been written by none other than our beloved, Ngoc Lan, herself.  Ngoc Lan shocked a lot of her fans with her other talent as a lyricist with this song.  How could anyone not be mesmerized when hearing her sing, "Hoi nguoi tinh, van biet anh khong he yeu, sao em van doi cho trong hat hiu" (Oh my love, though I know you don't love me, why do I keep waiting for you in sorrow).... This song was also featured on the album, Nguoi Yeu Dau.  Therefor, it is fairly obvious that Nguoi Yeu Dau is one of my favorite albums of Ngoc Lan ever, given how 3 songs from this album are on this list.  

4.  Neu Vang Anh - Lyrics by Nguyen Sa and Music by Anh Bang.  I had heard this song recorded by several other singers before and frankly, I really didn't care much for the song until I heard Ngoc Lan's version.  She sings this song as if she is telling a story.  I find her delivery especially charming and really pleasant to listen to.  This recording was featured on a compilation cassette with various other artists produced by Phuong Hoang in 1988.  The album title was, Mua Thu Paris, and featured the gorgeous model, Thanh Hang, on the cover.  

5.  Ngay Ngat Ben Anh (Je M'envole) - Ngoc Lan covered this French tune originally sung by Nicole Riu in both French and Vietnamese translated lyrics that were written by Pham Duy.  As often been the case with many of Ngoc Lan's recorded covers of French love songs, I liked Ngoc Lan's version much more than the original.  This recording was also featured on a compilation album with various other artists, Nhac Phap Tru Tinh (Les Chansons d'Amour), produced by singer Trung Hanh and released by Nguoi Dep Binh Duong in 1988.  Other artists included on this compilation album were Kieu Nga, Julie (Julie Quang), Elvis Phuong, Minh Xuan and Trung Hanh. 

6.  Hanh Phuc Noi Nao - This was the title track to her 10th solo album.  The lovely Vietnamese lyrics sung by Ngoc Lan on this French love ballad was written by the late Trinh Lam Ngan.  All I can say about this beautiful song is how can anyone not love it?

7.  Mua Tren Bien Vang - Ngoc Lan had said it herself that this was the song she felt closest to the audience whenever she had performed it at her live shows.  Unfortunately, I did not ever see her perform this song live.  But just from listening to her recorded studio version, I can just imagine how she would enchant the audience as they watched her serenade this song to them.

8.  Khi Nang Yeu (Une Femme Amoureuse)  -  Originally titled as Woman in Love, this song was written by Barry Gibb for Barbra Streisand.  Nobody can compare to Miss Streisand's original recording.  However, judging from Barbra's past attempts to sing in French from Je M'appelle Barbra, let's just say I'm glad she didn't decide to record this song in French, as well.  I believe Mireille Mathieu was the singer who had recorded the French version to this song.  I've never cared much for Mireille Mathieu's tormented vibrato, so reminiscent of Edith Piaf.  I preferred Ngoc Lan's interpretation in French and Vietnamese.  By the way, this song was on Ngoc Lan's 3rd solo album, L'amour Tinh Ta, and the Vietnamese lyrics were written by Pham Duy. 

9.  Em Van Nho Toi Anh (Je Pense Encore à Lui) -  I loved Mimi Hetu's original version.  But Ngoc Lan's cover of this song was just as beautiful.  Featured on her first solo album, Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan, since then no other Vietnamese singer has ever recorded this song.  I wonder why.  It's so beautiful.  

10.  Phu Du -  Written by Phan Kien, I've only heard one other artist record this song.  And that was Khanh Ha.  Although Khanh Ha had done a fine job with her recorded version, I prefer Ngoc Lan's version which had been featured on Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang's 1st duet album together, Bien Mong (1987).  

Ngoc Lan and the Men She Loved

During the time of my friendship with Ngoc Lan, she was still a very young woman.  Beautiful, young, successful, classy, educated, but she had yet to have a ring worn on her finger.
As a single woman, who was also young and beautiful, it was not surprising that Ngoc Lan would have her fair share of suitors pining away for her heart.  But this young, beautiful single woman also had a very successful career, another quality that made Ngoc Lan an even better catch to potential suitors.  But there was one other quality she had that would send her over the edge, and that was....besides being a young, beautiful and successful single woman, she was also Ngoc Lan.



Duc Huy and Ngoc Lan

Like she had explained to me, being who she was, and having such tremendous fame and success, many men found her to be intimidating.  Please keep in mind that I didn't write this post with any intention of dishing out any private details about her personal life.  But I did get to meet a nice man by the name of Thanh Lam, a famous saxophone player in the Vietnamese community, who was then her boyfriend.  He was very charming, as well as good looking.  Together, I thought they were an attractive and classy couple.  But Ngoc Lan was extremely busy with her career, as he equally was with his. However their relationship ended, that is between them.  Unlike many other females, Ngoc Lan never was the type to be talking endlessly on the telephone or writing notes to her boyfriend. I never once heard of any story from other singers of Ngoc Lan ever causing any public scene fighting with a boyfriend.  That was not Ngoc Lan's style.  She was much more mature and always carried herself like a lady.



Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang on their
last duet album together.

Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang
recorded some of the most
successful duet albums in the
overseas Vietnamese music industry
throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

Ngoc Lan and Duy Quang paired up
for the second time on a duet
album that had been produced
and released in 1990 by Dream Musical
Productions.

When someone looks the way Ngoc Lan did, it is expected that members of the opposite sex will tend to take notice quite often.  I saw this happen quite a few times whenever I had gone places with her.  Now, as far as the places that we went to where we were surrounded by Vietnamese people everywhere, I really can't say that Ngoc Lan would have men cluster to her trying to ask her out on a date.  Afterall, she was Ngoc Lan.  I'm certain that many Vietnamese men wanted to, but this was Ngoc Lan we're talking about here.  Her fame in addition to her beauty, although were attractive qualities, simply intimidated a lot of Vietnamese men.



Ngoc Lan and Tuan Ngoc



Tuan Anh and Ngoc Lan -
What is there to say except that
the Vietnamese rumor mills
can be quite creative at times?

Trinh Nam Son and Ngoc Lan at a live performance.

I do remember one particular occasion when she and I had gone to Neiman Marcus so she could try on this dress she had recently purchased there and had sent back for alterations.  While she waited for the sales clerk to return from the stock room with the dress after the completed alterations, this handsome Caucasian man who was also a patron at the department store obviously was deeply enchanted by her beauty.  As he struck up a conversation by saying hello to her, followed by "You are very beautiful."  I was amazed at how she handled it.  Up until then, I had only seen how most other Vietnamese girls usually responded in similar situations.  It was either one of two ways, both of which I don't particularly care for.  The first way is really annoying.  For some reason, a lot of Vietnamese girls tend to think that it is cute if they should talk in the most meekest volume as if they were trying to impersonate the voice of  an infant.  They would usually respond with, "No, I'm not" in a whispering voice, followed by a shrug as if someone had just forced them to gulp down a glass of pure lime juice without any sugar.  The other way, I guess, would be how the more liberated Vietnamese female would respond.  And that is, upon receiving, they would give them a mean look immediately to make sure that the man realizes that what he just said was beyond deplorable.  And if he knew what was good for him, he should never even think of saying that to another Vietnamese girl, or he just might end with a few bullets through his window sometime soon.  I realize I might be in the minority, but I really don't care much for either of the two ways I've seen Vietnamese girls respond whenever they've been paid a compliment on their beauty.  I was really impressed with Ngoc Lan's response to that man.  She looked up at him with a friendly smile, and said, "Thank you.  I'm very flattered."  I could tell that she wasn't interested in him, yet she remained pleasant and kept her composure. Like any man who was already smitten, he proceeded anyway to ask if she would be busy this coming weekend.  Ngoc Lan smiled again at him, and answered, "I'll be out of town this weekend."  He asked again about the following weekend, and she responded with the same answer.  Before he was about to ask about the weekend after that, Ngoc Lan replied with, "I'm actually going to be out of town every weekend for the rest of this year and all the way until March of next year I'll then have a weekend off."  The man thought she was joking.  But she really wasn't since she did have a booking each week for the rest of the year to do one night shows all around the world.  As she said her goodbye to him, she briefly explained why her weekends were all booked by disclosing her profession.  Ngoc Lan's reason for the explanation was so that he would not think she was blowing him off in a rude manner.  She also told him that she was not interested because she already was in a relationship, and thanked him again as she said goodbye.  I thought that was really classy.  Now, why can't other Vietnamese girls carry themselves like Ngoc Lan?  Maybe, that's why she is Ngoc Lan. 

Ngoc Lan had managed to reach to the very top in her profession.  She was a celebrity.  Unlike most other professions, a singer that is successful in his or her career is synonymous with a singer that has become famous.  Ngoc Lan was well aware of that.  In her own words, she once taught me how "fame is like a double-edged sword and should always be something that a singer should always try to maintain with the most caution."  I must say, she definitely knew exactly what she was talking about. 

Ngoc Lan and the real man in her life, her husband, Kelvin Khoa, at their wedding.

Most people who knew Ngoc Lan personally will agree with me when I say that she was one very candid individual.  Rather than resort to similar habits and activities partaken by most other singers, Ngoc Lan was rather reserved and had better things to do.  Never would anyone find Ngoc Lan carousing around late at night at bars and parties.  In fact, the only times Ngoc Lan could ever be seen at any nightclub was when she was there to fulfill a singing engagement.  Now that I think about it, even if she had wanted to hang out at bars like how many of her colleagues frequently do, she wouldn't be able to even find the time to hang out because of her extremely busy non-stop work schedule.  Despite the precautions Ngoc Lan had taken in order to avoid becoming a target of gossip or scandal that the public seems highly capable to start as quickly as circulate, her celebrity status was also not immune to falling victim to the vicious rumor mills.  I guess the same applies with celebrities of all different cultures.  The public just loves to gossip about famous people, and rumors do spread around quickly.  Perhaps I'm a bit biased, but when it comes to comparing how fast rumors can spread around among different cultures, the Vietnamese mouth more than likely would take the cake in that marathon. 

Like most other singers who pair up with another singer of the opposite sex as a duet, rumors of Ngoc Lan having dating Duy Quang, as well as Duc Huy, Trung Hanh, Jo Marcel, Elvis Phuong, Tuan Ngoc, and Trinh Nam Son were in full circulation within the Vietnamese gossip mills.  There were even rumors of Tuan Anh and her.

I remember how she would just laugh at how ridiculous these rumors were.  As a matter of fact, besides Thanh Lam whom she had dated over ten years ago before she would meet one other fellow that she would become romantically involved with.  It was a fellow by the name of Kelvin Khoa, whom she ended up marrying.  Since I had become friends with Ngoc Lan and really had gotten to know her, I must say, that there are such singers out there who simply are nice and proper.  Not every singer lives his or her life filled with scandal after scandal.  From what I know, Ngoc Lan was a talented, beautiful singer with a lot of class and was always a lady.

As for the rumors about herself that had been well circulated among Vietnamese rumor mills in all four corners of the world , Ngoc Lan pretty much took them with a good attitude.  That was when she started borrowing a phrase I often said, "That's Vietnamese people for you.  You just gotta love them."