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Small Town Story (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Small Town Story"
Single by Teresa Teng
from the album Love Songs of Island, Vol. 6: Small Town Story
ReleasedMarch 23, 1979
Recorded1978
GenreMandopop
Length2:36
Label
Composer(s)
  • Weng Ching-hsi
Lyricist(s)Zhuang Nu
Audio
"Xiao Cheng Gu Shi" (小城故事) on YouTube

"Small Town Story" (Chinese: 小城故事; pinyin: Xiǎochéng Gùshì) is a song recorded by Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng.[1] It was officially released for her Mandarin studio album Love Songs of Island, Vol. 6: Small Town Story, which was released through Polydor Records on March 23, 1979.

Background

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"Small Town Story" was released for Teng's studio album Love Songs of Island, Vol. 6: Small Town Story on March 23, 1979. It is two minutes and 36 seconds long.[2] Teng first recorded it for the 1978 Taiwanese film The Story of a Small Town, directed by Li Hsing.[3][4] The film was well received in Taiwan and won Best Feature Film at the 16th Golden Horse Awards.[5]

CTWant described "Small Town Story" as "ditty" and "full of national color, expressing the hardworking, hospitable and optimistic nature of Taiwanese people." The publication added that "through Teresa Teng's gentle and sincere interpretation, the spirit of the song is brought out to its fullest, unparalleled potential".[6]

Live performances

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"Small Town Story" helped Teng attract an international following. She performed the song at the Los Angeles Music Center in 1980 when she became the first Taiwanese singer to perform at the venue.[7][8] She also performed it during her Teresa Teng Hong Kong Queen Elizabeth Concert in 1982 and 15th Anniversary Concert Tour in Hong Kong in 1983.

Legacy

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"Small Town Story" became popular in mainland China after the Cultural Revolution.[9][10] It is one of Teng's most famous songs and has been covered by Asian musicians into the 21st century.[11][12][13][14]

References

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  1. ^ Jie Jin Chinese Music - 2011 p126 "The songs of Teresa Teng, including Story of Little Town (Xiao Cheng Gu Shi), Sweetness (Tian Mi Mi) and I only Care about You (Wo Zhi Zai Hu Ni), were widely spread on the mainland. These pop songs from Hong Kong and Taiwan gave a ..."
  2. ^ "Xiao Cheng Gu Shi - Teresa Teng". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  3. ^ "《小城故事》是鄧麗君名曲 也是李行導演紅極一時的文藝電影" ["Small Town Story" is a famous song by Teresa Teng and a smash hit literary film directed by Li Hsing]. United Daily News (in Chinese). January 5, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  4. ^ "代表作《小城故事》造就鄧麗君名曲 台灣電影之父李行逝世享年91歲". Sing Tao Daily Canada (in Chinese (Taiwan)). August 20, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  5. ^ "16th Golden Horse Awards Winners". Golden Horse Awards (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Huang, Renqiang (May 8, 2021). "鄧麗君逝世26周年!回顧5首金曲 追憶一代傳奇巨星" [26th anniversary of Teresa Teng’s death! Looking back at 5 golden songs to remember a generation of legendary stars]. CTWant (in Chinese). Yahoo News! Taiwan. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Mike Levin. "Death of Teresa Teng Saddens All Of Asia". Billboard. May 20, 1995. p. 3.
  8. ^ Zhong Qiu. "2008-02-03 Teresa Teng". english.cri.cn. February 3, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  9. ^ Jie Jin (2011). Chinese Music. Cambridge University Press. p. 126.
  10. ^ Ma Yujia. "Chinese pop music since the 1980s". china.org.cn. December 8, 2008. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  11. ^ Qwok B. Chan (2007). East-West Identities: Globalization, Localization, and Hybridization. BRILL. p. 252.
  12. ^ Cindy Sui. "Hidden love". taipeitimes.com. November 27, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  13. ^ Carolyn Ooi. "Celebrating convo in style Academy grads put up spectacular makeup show". thestar.com.my. September 12, 2007. Retrieved June 22, 2012.
  14. ^ Lim Chia Ying. "Soprano Tan belts out Teresa Teng's numbers". thestar.com.my. September 27, 2010. Retrieved June 22, 2012.