Pan Xiu Qiong 潘秀瓊 SK Poon: Lover's Tears 情人的眼淚

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Pan Xiu Qiong or Poon Sow Keng, the original singer of "Lover's Tears," is featured in today's Straits Times Life Section. Read about her life and the book she has published that will soon be available.

At the Monday Interview by Straits Times journalist Andy Chen, she explains why her fans must 'forget her not'.

She will be appearing in a concert in August at Suntec City. Also on May 21st, 2009 an article about her was posted on this blog. Check them out.

A Personal Experience:

My moments with this lady singer came about when I was introduced to her by a Chinese school teacher friend of mine. He was with me at a primary school in the East Coast. We got along fine; he wanted to learn more English, I wanted to learn about Chinese pops.

Lover's Tears was the first song he introduced me to. This was in the mid-sixties when I had already left the Silver Strings and was grounded at school. I was gently advised about singing in the evenings and doing vinyl recordings with the band. I didn't do any more singing nor played with any band, focused on my work and, as a hobby, set my mind on learning about our local Chinese singers.

My teacher friend interpreted the song to me line by line (remember there was no Google Translate nor any useful nor fruitful Chinese interpretation gadgets at that time except for the usual listen and repeat Chinese lessons).

Poon Sow Keng (Pan Xiuqiong) - Lover's Tears 1964 

潘秀瓊-情人的眼淚 . Video by zzenzero. 

I had tried to attend one of her concerts when she was here not many years ago but to no avail. Her concerts were usually booked full house weeks before her performance.

According to Ms. Pan, this song made her famous. For me, it made me learn a little Mandarin.

Thank you, my friend, wherever you are today and Ms. Poon for learning Mandarin using the lyrics of your songs.

Oh my gosh! I grow up listening to S K Poon! The Queen Of Bass with her unique and distinctive vocals is one extraordinary performer whose renditions will bring music souls on a beautiful reminiscing journey and a trip down nostalgia lane. 

I could still remember saving up quite a bit to get my first cassette tape, a compilation of her classic songs and I could play over and over in my black Sony Walkman way back in the ’80s. From cassette to this one favourite CD of mine, her songs have walked me through many decades and she is still one of my most favourite female singers. Brother Andy, great to hear this again. 

Thank you for posting!😊

Connect below to read the other posting:
http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2009/05/blog-post_21.html

Images and videos: Google and YouTube

COMMENTS FROM 2019:

Anonymous:
I have been listening to her songs since I was a teenager.
Her Lovers Tears song is, in my opinion, the best of the lot.

Heard she stays in Toa Payoh.

Andy replies:

I am sure all of us would like to wish her good health , happiness, and long life. Thank you very much, Anonymous. Yes I hear she stays at Toa Payoh Singapore
Together with you, we'd like to wish her happiness, good health and long life too. It would be nice if she writes to this blog so we can meet and chat with her.

Poon Sow Keng/Pan Xiu Qiong Chinese Pop 60s 潘秀瓊

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But for all her popularity, Xiu Qiong never had singing lessons and what "talent she has is God-given (Dave Dexter Jr, US record producer)." 

She was particularly successful in Singapore and Malaysia and up till today, her songs are still sold in CD shops all over S.E. Asia.Pan Xiu Qiong's - Poon Sow Keng song, "Lover's Tears," is another Chinese melody known among the English educated. 

The first is also a tear-jerker called, "Love Without End." Both are theme songs and "Lover's Tears" (there is love in every teardrop) is no different, coming from the Shaw Brothers' film, "The Lark" (1965).

She was born in Macau and moved to Malaysia with her mother when she was sixteen but had been singing since twelve.

When she was 17 she recorded for the first time and within weeks the Asian populace fell in love with her. Pan took up Singapore citizenship in the 1980s and with her signature (guess what) she became very popular in the 1960s and 70s. She has been known affectionately as Queen of Alto because of her fantastic voice.

                              Poon Sow Keng/Pan Xiu Qiong: Qing Ren Te Yen Lei

Her songs have English titles, "The Foggy Night," (a dense, thick, unmoving fog in the harbour provides natural cover for two lovers), "Little Darling," (the girl pleads with her lover not to give her the cold shoulders but to tell her he loves her) and "Book Of Life," (a philosophical statement about family life).

"A Caged Bird," "A White Handkerchief," and "On The Elephant's Back," are but a few translated titles from her Capitol Hi-Fi Recording on T10326 with an explanation in English for the uninitiated.

Quote “I have always led a simple life, and I feel that anyone can be happy if they keep things simple. Even so, I hope to be remembered. Please forget me not. I wish that the songs of Poon Sow Keng would be a part of everyone forever.”

Connect below to read another post about her:

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2009/06/pan-xiu-qiong-straits-times-press-today.html

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