Frances Yip
Hong Kong female singer. Entered the business in 1969 through the TVB singing contest "聲寶之夜", joined EMI in London in 1974, and in 1980 sang the title theme of the TVB series "上海灘".
In the catalogue: 1 work · 1 release of it
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About the artist
Frances Yip, a Hong Kong female singer, was born on October 22, 1947, in Hong Kong, ancestral home Chixi, Taishan, Guangdong, and is Hakka. In 1959 Frances Yip graduated from Tsuen Wan Government Primary School and the same year went on to St. Clare's Girls' School, among the first students at the school's new campus on Mount Davis. In 1964 Frances Yip took part in the third youth singing contest held by the Tsuen Wan Alexandra Community Centre. Before entering the business Frances Yip worked as a secretary at HSBC (before sitting the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination in 1964, the bank sent staff to the school to recruit) and also served as an auxiliary police officer.
In April 1969 Frances Yip took part in the TVB singing contest "聲寶之夜". Frances Yip sang "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" and then "Yesterday", and the judge Joseph Koo gave full marks. There are two accounts of the result: the Chinese Wikipedia records that TVB recruited Frances Yip into show business at once, so Frances Yip did not take part in the final of "聲寶之夜"; the English Wikipedia and Our China Story record that Frances Yip won the contest. Frances Yip recalled in an interview that Joseph Koo later asked her to sing advertising songs and film music, and introduced her to a record company for an audition. The same year "不了情" was released, and in 1970 the EP "臉兒紅心兒笑". In the early years Frances Yip covered songs by artists including 羅文 and Adam Cheng and collected them on disc, and also recorded in different languages in Singapore and Malaysia.
In 1972 Frances Yip went to Japan with Joseph Koo and took part in an international singing gathering at Nippon Budokan. In 1973, after appearing in Tokyo, Frances Yip was invited by Cathay Pacific to serve as a goodwill ambassador, promoting Hong Kong overseas as a tourist destination, and worked for Cathay Pacific for a year as a Hong Kong ambassador. The studio album "Discovery", released in 1974, was based on this travel, sung in nine languages to stand for the nine main destinations Cathay Pacific then served, and the album also led a London agent to seek Frances Yip out. The same year Frances Yip joined EMI in London. An introduction by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government says Frances Yip was the first Asian singer to sign an international contract with this record company.
In 1980 Frances Yip recorded an original Cantonese song for the first time, the title theme of the TVB series "上海灘", with music and arrangement by Joseph Koo and lyrics by James Wong Jim. Before that Frances Yip mostly sang Cantonese remix covers and English ballads, and so, under the guidance of record producer 朱穗萍, tried a different way of singing, and also spent a good deal of effort on enunciation. The themes "萬般情" and "上海灘龍虎鬥" of the sequels "上海灘續集" and "上海灘龍虎鬥", broadcast in 1980 and 1981, were likewise sung by Frances Yip, with music and arrangement by Joseph Koo and lyrics by James Wong Jim. In 1981 Frances Yip also sang the themes of the TVB series "紅顏" and "女黑俠木蘭花", both with music and arrangement by Joseph Koo and lyrics by 鄭國江, and the same year co-hosted "群星拱照顾嘉煇" with James Wong Jim. In 1981 and 1984 Frances Yip sang, in turn with 葉振棠, "願你待我真的好" and the title theme of the TVB series "笑傲江湖", the latter with lyrics by 鄧偉雄. The two later released the album "雙葉・笑傲江湖" and, with support from Commercial Radio Hong Kong, held "雙葉演唱會" at 大專會堂 and at the Lee Theatre, hosted by 俞琤. In 1982 and 1984 Frances Yip also released the albums "千金一刻" and "春的回响".
On June 30, 1997, the British side held the British Farewell Ceremony to mark the transfer of sovereignty, and the Hong Kong government chose Frances Yip to host with the British actor Brian Blessed, in English and Cantonese. In 1998 Frances Yip hosted "星光閃耀新里程 新機場竣工慶典".
The Chinese Wikipedia records that in 1999 "上海灘" was awarded "20世纪十大金曲" by RTHK.
In 2010 Frances Yip held a charity concert in Kuala Lumpur to raise funds for cancer research and treatment. In 2012 Frances Yip collaborated with 鮑比達 on the album "The Music and the Voice", and also took part in concerts Joseph Koo held in 2012, 2015 and 2016. In 2012 Frances Yip recorded a first Christian album, "Grace and Glory: Psalm 84", released in 2013. In 2015 the live album "45年香港情演唱會" was released.
In 2018 Frances Yip joined 原音樂公司 and released the SACD and vinyl album "葉麗儀48周年", with record producer 歐丁玉 as its producer. The same year Frances Yip held "葉麗儀萬般瑰麗2018香港演唱會". From February 15 to 16, 2019, Frances Yip and 葉振棠, with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, gave three performances of "動人心弦 - 葉麗儀·葉振棠香港中樂團情人節音樂會" at the Concert Hall of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the first concert the two had given together since "雙葉演唱會" in 1984. In June the same year Frances Yip held a charity fundraising concert in Sydney marking the 50th anniversary of Frances Yip's debut, for several local charities. In 2023 Frances Yip hosted "我們的煇煌金曲", released the compilation "葉麗儀金曲邁向55", and on September 22 and 23 sang "上海灘" at "情牽煇黃經典演唱會" in tribute to Joseph Koo and James Wong Jim. The 2024 radio song "感恩" is the theme of "葉麗儀感恩55周年香港演唱會2024".
Frances Yip also held three shows of "葉麗儀45年香港情演唱會" at Queen Elizabeth Stadium, and has worked with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, the Macau Chinese Orchestra, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and the Thammasat University Philharmonic Orchestra.
Overview
- Born
- October 22, 1947age 78
- Born in
- Hong Kong
- Career start
- Competition · 1969
- Active
- 1969 – present57 years
- Gender
- Female
- Aliases
- 叶丽仪, Frances
- Instruments
- Vocals
