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.  

Cho Nhau Kiep Nao (Forever Waiting) - Trinh Nam Son and Ngoc Lan Duet Album

This was a rather pleasant album combining these two great voices.  Other than Duy Quang, I'd have to say Trinh Nam Son is one very compatible male voice to duet with Ngoc Lan.  To start out the album, Ngoc Lan gives a very nice delivery of a Pham Duy classic, Mua Thu Chet.  Although I must admit, I'm a die hard fan of Julie Quang whose interpretation of this song is incomparable, in my opinion.  However, Ngoc Lan's delivery shows more than mere competence.  Ngoc Lan has a lovely way of phrasing that no other Vietnamese singer has been able to come even close to.  Trinh Nam Son gives an exceptional rendition of Lobo's How Can I Tell Her in translated Vietnamese lyrics written by Vu Xuan Hung and Ky Phat.  In the one song these two artists decided to duet together on this album, Gia Tu Tinh Yeu, their voices blended beautifully together.  I wish they had recorded many more duets on this album and throughout their careers.

The arrangements on this album were very well done.  Song by song, each arrangement was carefully crafted and very pleasing to the ear.  One of my favorites has long been Niem Dau Chon Dau.  Before hearing Ngoc Lan's version, I thought no other singer could top Khanh Ha's amazing rendition that had been featured on Khanh Ha Productions' Volume 2 of the Uptight.   I especially enjoyed Trinh Nam Son's harmonizing vocals in the background of this track.  This album is still available at Vietnamese music stores on compact disc.  If you haven't already checked out this album, pick one up soon.  It is highly worthy of listening to.

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).  

"L'amour Tinh Ta" Ngoc Lan Album of French Love Songs

By 1988, Ngoc Lan had definitely arrived as a star among overseas Vietnamese singers.  The tremendous success of her 2nd solo studio album, Nguoi Yeu Dau, released in 1987 and became then the best selling solo studio album recorded by any overseas Vietnamese.  It would hold that position of being the solo studio album with the most in combined sales for the remainder of the years in the overseas Vietnamese music industry before audio cassettes were replaced by compact disc as the most preferred form in duplication.  This was rather surprising considering how just two years prior to the release of Nguoi Yeu Dau, Ngoc Lan was still a virtual unknown in the Vietnamese music industry.  But for it to have reached such magnitude of massive reception really took everyone by surprise in the entire Vietnamese music industry and surpassed the expectations of all including Ngoc Lan, herself.

Almost immediately after the release of Nguoi Yeu Dau during the latter part of spring in 1987, hundreds of letters of fan mail poured in from all over the world to the Giang Ngoc music label's headquarters as fans wrote to show their appreciation and newly found deep fondness for Ngoc Lan.  Already, an anticipation was underway for the release of a follow up album from the fans as if they couldn't wait another minute for Ngoc Lan to finish with the recording.  The explosive sales of Nguoi Yeu Dau also carried over to boost the sales of her debut album that had been self-produced and released the year prior.  Ngoc Lan took notice in what many of her fans had written through the fan mail about how much they admired her ability to sing in the French language so effortlessly and although they had adored the songs she had recorded solely in the Vietnamese language on the Nguoi Yeu Dau album, somehow they had wished that the album would have combined the selection of songs with some French songs, at least, like she had done on her debut self-titled, Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan.  This prompted Ngoc Lan to make the decision to do an album comprised of a collection of French love songs for her third solo effort.  However, this decision at first was not met without hesitation from her advisers and Le Ba Chu, the owner of Giang Ngoc.  Fearing that an entire solo album of Ngoc Lan covering French love songs, and not one single track would be of Vietnamese origin or even sung in Vietnamese in its entirety seemed like a doomed project headed for commercial failure and minimal reception in the overseas Vietnamese music market.   Ultimately, Le Ba Chu took the gamble and gave the green light to produce and release Ngoc Lan's 3rd solo studio album that would be given the title, L'amour Tinh Ta.

While the Giang Ngoc label was still enjoying in celebration of record breaking sales from Ngoc Lan's 2nd solo studio album, Nguoi Yeu Dau, both Le Ba Chu and Ngoc Lan purposely delayed the release date of her next solo studio album to avoid the possibility of over exposure.  In an industry as fickle and unpredictable as the music industry, too much exposure or even tremendous success of unprecedented magnitude could easily result in being a double edged sword.  During this extra amount of time that the Giang Ngoc label had been given with the delaying of the release date for L'amour Tinh Ta, Le Ba Chu carefully planned out the marketing aspect to insure strong distribution in sales for the album to be comparable to that of Nguoi Yeu Dau for the sake of both Ngoc Lan's career and of course, to make profit for the Giang Ngoc label.  However, in an industry as fickle as the music industry, there really are no guarantees for anyone, not for the producers and certainly not for an artist.

Finally, toward the closing of the winter season early in the year of 1988, L'amour Tinh Ta was released.  To the delight of both Le Ba Chu and Ngoc Lan, the album soared in sales matching the success of Nguoi Yeu Dau from the previous year.  Ngoc Lan's calculations were correct.  Audiences warmly embraced her beautiful renditions of popular French love songs that she had recorded in both French and carefully polished Vietnamese translated lyrics.  Among the impressive list of songwriters that contributed Vietnamese lyrics to these selected French songs were the legendary Pham Duy, Nhat Ngan, and even Ngoc Lan, herself, who had penned the translated lyrics to 4 out of the 12 tracks.  Some of the most notable tracks were Ngoc Lan's covers of a tune originally written in English by Barry Gibb and made popular by American songstress, Barbra Streisand, Woman in Love, where Ngoc Lan had recorded the lyrics in French entitled, Une Femme Amoureuse, Pour En Arriver La, Vivre Pour Toi, Mourir Pour Toi, and of course, the most popular track on this album, Viens M'embrasser, which had been given a Vietnamese title from the translated lyrics penned by Pham Duy, Lai Gan Hon Em.  Ngoc Lan's delivery through all the tracks were subtle yet heartfelt, giving a softer vocal approach than that of the original versions.  When listening to the album, Ngoc Lan's beautiful, soothing voice can easily move anyone to tears.

Ngoc Lan's music video for the song, Lai Gan Hon Em (Viens M'embrasser), produced and released by May Productions in 1990 contributed significantly to the popularity of this song making it a cult classic for her millions of die hard fans around the world.

Ironically, the one track I found to be rather silly would become one of the most popular tracks to come out of this album for Ngoc Lan.  The name of the song is Comment Ca Va? where Ngoc Lan tries to sing in English during an entire, painstaking verse and then finishes it out in Vietnamese, with the chorus only in the first verse in French.  To some, this approach might have been considered as cute.  Others like myself found it to be rather laughable especially when you factor in the storyline from the song's lyrics.  Just in case you're not familiar with the song, it's about an American girl who doesn't speak much French and encounters a French local who would be her love interest.  When you think of it, it is a rather cute song.  But the concept didn't work for Ngoc Lan since she at that time had yet to grasp even the weakest command of the English language after having only arrived in the United States several years prior.  But audiences liked it apparently, which is probably why Ngoc Lan would choose to include it in her usual repertoire of songs to be performed at her live shows. 

Other than the Comment Ca Va? track, L'amour Tinh Ta is a collection of the loveliest, most romantic French ballads.  It is clear that Ngoc Lan had put a lot of effort into the production of this album, since it is almost impossible to either refrain from being hypnotized by her infectious singing voice or to even find the slightest flaw with her vocals.  That is why it really isn't much of a surprise that this album would match the level of success to Nguoi Yeu Dau.  For 2 years in a row, Ngoc Lan would end up having the biggest selling albumof the year produced under the Giang Ngoc music label.  Nguoi Yeu Dau was the best seller among overseas produced albums for the year of 1987.  The following year, Ngoc Lan would see a repeat of such success with L'amour Tinh Ta rounding out as the best seller of 1988 for Giang Ngoc.  Each of Ngoc Lan's first 3 solo studio albums would serve as major stepping stones in her journey climbing up to superstardom.  Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan, Ngoc Lan's debut solo studio album, was what had brought Ngoc Lan's name to prominence and fame.  Nguoi Yeu Dau, her second solo studio album, made her a star.  And her third solo studio album, L'amour Tinh Ta, solidified Ngoc Lan as a star that would shine even brighter.

Ngoc Lan Debut Studio Album Review

Self-titled as Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan, this debut album first released in 1986 available on cassette only would serve as the vehicle much needed to solidify for herself a firm, standing ground in the Vietnamese pop music scene.  Prior to the release of this album, Ngoc Lan had already generated quite a following with her recordings on compilation albums with various other artists on such labels like Da Lan, Asia Productions, and Kim Ngan.  This solo studio album was really what she needed in order to make a name for herself in the Vietnamese music market. 



This was the original cover photo for Ngoc Lan's debut album entitled as Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan that had been self-produced and released in 1986, available only in cassette.

Three years after its original release that was only available on cassette, Ngoc Lan sold the rights of Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan  to the music label, Doi Magazine.  The album was re-released in 1990, and was then available on compact disc.



One of Ngoc Lan's earliest cover photos
 on a compilation cassette featuring various artists
 produced and released by the music label, Da Lan

Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan included an impressive list of songs chosen by Ngoc Lan, herself.  Well aware of the fact that many of her fans had taken a particular liking to her interpretation of French love songs, Ngoc Lan cleverly selected a combination of contemporary French songs and popular Vietnamese songs for the 12 tracks on her debut album.  Among the French songs, I was particularly impressed with Ngoc Lan's cover of American singer Jeanne Manson's biggest hit in the French language, Avant de Nous Dire Adieu and Mimi Hetu's Je Pense Encore à Lui.  I personally prefer her version of Je Pense Encore à Lui a lot more than the original by Mimi Hetu, as I found Ngoc Lan's delivery to be far more heartfelt and poignant.  Another entertaining track on this album was a cover of Princess Stephanie's up tempo hit, Ouragan, titled in English as Irresistible, in which Ngoc Lan had recorded in all three languages; French, English and Vietnamese.

As expected, Ngoc Lan's deliveries of classic Vietnamese love songs would be nothing short of flawless.  I particularly liked her renditions of Trinh Cong Son's Bien Nho, that originally had been made popular by singer Khanh Ly.  Ngoc Lan had a softer and gentler approach to this song, making it more pleasant to the ear than Khanh Ly's husky interpretation.  Pham Duy's penned Tinh Ho was another noteworthy track on this album with a rather interesting updated arrangement.  Only one of the tracks on Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan had never been recorded before by any other artist.  The title of the tune is Song Xuan, written by former Miss Vietnam USA and songwriter, Que Phuong.  Ngoc Lan's soothing voice is the perfect choice to interpret this charming ballad of eloquently written lyrics. 

The only track that I found to be rather amusing was Ngoc Lan's cover of Bertie Higgins' Casablanca, in which she sang in both English and Vietnamese.  It was obvious Ngoc Lan had yet to acquire a command of singing in the English language.  Ironically, this track would become one of Ngoc Lan's most popular recordings among her fans.  I guess one can say that it is forgivable how Ngoc Lan sounded back then when she sang in English, considering that she had just arrived in the United States only a few years prior.  I, too, have learned to appreciate this track and over time, I've found her Vietnamese accent in the English language to be rather charming.

Although it sold quite well, Tieng Hat Ngoc Lan was by far not her most widely received album by Vietnamese audiences throughout her career.  Still, it remains as my personal favorite.  I particularly liked the rawness and natural style in her voice on this album.  Anyone who had never heard of Ngoc Lan before, when first listening to her recordings on this debut album, would clearly see that she was bound for superstardom.