Chapter III - The Long March of Rock'n'Roll (Der Lange Marsch des Rock'n'Roll)

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Chapter III - The Long March of Rock'n'Roll (Der Lange Marsch des Rock'n'Roll)

Draft translated version

Contents 1 General information 2 Translation 2.1 1984-1988: The beginnings 2.2 Cui Jian and 'I have nothing' 3 See also 4 Remarks by the translator 4.1 General remarks 4.2 Referencing and Footnotes 4.3 Additions to the original works 4.4 Copyright 5 References

General information

Original works author: Andreas Steen

Original works title: Der Lange Marsch des Rock'n'Roll

Translation: Max-Leonhard von Schaper (Azchael)

Translation

Following the at the beginning (of this paper in chapter I) mentioned observations of Jin Zhaojun, the development of Chinese rock music shall be described along the three periods of its pioneer phase (chuangye jieduan). The consideration of these by decisive events separated episodes grants an insight into the at the 'negotiation' of this musical form participating factors and interests, which, embedded in a historical context and supplemented by respective song lyrics and interview contributions, let eventually the radical new moment of musical practive be in the public eye.

1984-1988: The beginnings

In the year 1979 students of the 2nd foreign language institute in Beijing formed the band Wan Li Ma Wang and organized concerts in the universities of the city.^[1] Their (song) programme consisted mainly of songs of the Beatles, Bee Gees and of Paul Simon (Xue 1993:253)^[2]. Financial difficulties, the shortage of available music instruments and the small circle of in rock music interested musicians in the city led inevitably to close contact and mutual support between the individual bands. So e.g. Wanli mawang worked also together with Bu Dao Weng ('Skipjack' or 'roly-poly'), when they (Budaoweng) were supported by a work unit (danwei) with instruments. Budaoweng, formed 1984 by Li Ji and friends of the spoken theatre school (Quanzhong huajutuan yuan), existed only for a year, but is in so far notable, as that it combined all 'Altrocker' (lao yaogun), e.g. Qin Qi, Wang Yong, Li Li, Yan Gang, Sun Guoqing, Ding Wu, Zang Tianshuo and Wang Di (Xue 1993:279)^[2]. The band played popular Japanese and Western pop music. Qin Qi says about that time:

Until 1982, there was only the music of Deng Lijun, (...) and until 1984 there were only a few people, that did something else. Then there was Bu Dao Weng, and nearly everybody, that made rock in Beijing, played in it. After Cui Jian's Qi He Ban was disbanded, he also came often over (Xue 1993:178)^[2].

Qi He Ban existed from November 1984 until June 1985 and covered played pop and rock songs. The band had already given concerts and consisted of the musicians Cui Jian, Liu Yuan, Yang Yueqiang, Wen Bo, Zhou Xiaoming and Li Xiuli.^[3] Of certainly not little influence must have been the at the end of 1983 by in Beijing living foreigners formed band Dalu yuedui (Mainland band), that played a mixture of rock, reggae and African music and which since autumn 1984 performed often in the 'Club International' (Guoji juelbu) and in other hotels (Xue 1993:290)^[2].

Many of the above mentioned musicians studied in the beginning classical Western oder Chinese instruments, such as e.g. Qin Qi, who started in the age of 13 with violin lessons (Xue 1993:178)^[2], or Wang Yang, who already in the age of 9 played the Guzheng (finger board zither) (ebenda:138)^[2]. Ding Wu, nowadays singer and guitarist of Tang Chao (Tang Dynasty), during his studies at the worker art high school (Gongyi meishu xuexiao) came in contact for the first time with the music of the Beatles andother musicians, before he joined Budaoweng as a singer in 1984. About this time he says:

After the long time of isolation was ended in our country, several adolescents came in contact with this music. They started to listen to this tapes and to learn them, as also to understand the life of musicians through films and magazines. These adolescents betrayed at first their families, because between them and the family or just within the family was no common language left anymore. They spent their time mostly with the listening to foreign tapes, clung at them at the same time, by inputting all their energy - very inflexibal. Later they found some like-minded friends, with whom they exchanged tapes and also shared the opportunity for a joint guitar practice. They didn't care about politics, it didn't matter. It seems as if the circle of rock musicians was isolated for a long time from its surroundings. They have relied completely on their individual interests, they wanted to hear this rhythm and to play this music. At that time everything happened in the underground, there were neither concerts nor financial sources. They were artificially isolated from the world (Xue 1993:15/16)^[2].

One of the few musicians, that was already relatively early involved in numerous musical activities and who should suceed in breaking out of this isolation, was Cui Jian.

Cui Jian, born on August 2nd 1961, grew up with his younger brother in Beijing. The parents, both of a Korean minority, were active in the artistic area. His mother worked as a dancer in a state folk dance ensamble (Zhongyang minzu gewutuan), his father as a trumpeter and 'meritorious background musician' in a military orchestra (Kongzheng wengongtuan) (Zhao 1992:106)^[4]. The father paid attention, that Cui Jian started early with learning of playing a music instrument, because

many in that time started with the learning of playing a music instrument, in order to build up after the cultural revolution next to their life as peasent in the countryside also another main pillar in the city through easy means (Zhao 192:109)^[4].

Cui, who decided for learning the trumpet, played with 14 years on an event the at that time popular song Wo ai wo de Taiwan (I love my Taiwan) and received a year later, 1976, offers of several orchestras. After graduation from middle school he worked for various music ensembles in Beijing, before he joined in 1981 the Beijing sing and dance ensemble (Beijing gewutuan) (Zhao 1992:112)^[4]. As many other adolescents Cui had meanwhile borrowed money from his parents for a radio recorder, was captured by the pop wave at the beginning of the eighties and discovered his interest for guitars. The first teacher was a Mongolian worker, who however only knew three songs by himself. While Cui rehearsed during daytime with the dance orchestra, he practiced at night for himself and started composing his own songs (Zhao 1992:115)^[4]. After separating from the band Qiheban he recorded his first song: Menzhong de qingsu (To unburden one's heart in the dream). The song was published next to other songs from that time on a 1994 published tape.^[5] It is similar to many of these songs of American offspring and - according to the fashion at that time - wholesome or partly sung in English. By Cui himself composed and texted is only the song Jiannan xing (A hard way), which already let one recognize his will for freedom and the desire, respectively courage for change:

Insert original lyrics

1986 he eventually records his first solo LP with ten compositions: Langzi gui (Return of a vagabound).^[6] The LP has mainly been a success for Huang Xiaomao, who had written all the lyrics. At that point of time he had written already ca. 1000 texts for various musicians. Bored with texting he used the from the publishing of Langzi gui resulting offers of various record companies to work as a consultant for the music industry.^[7]

The LP itself shows clearly the influence of the at that time the country conquering gangtai music, 'reflects exactly the style of that time' (Weng 1992:207)^[8] and is far away from rock. During the selection of Huang's written lyrics, Cui Jian was by far more innovative, as he started already here to express communication problems, the loneliness of a rapidly changing society and private emotions - topics that he is going to attend to later on by himself in detail (Chong 1991:56)^[9].^[10] The title song Langzi gui was deemed excellent already at that time (Zhao 1992:118)^[4]:

Insert original lyrics

Described were feeling and situation of a generation of adolescents, that were sent during the cultural revolution to the countryside and now, alienated from their own family, by and by are returning into the cities. The relevance to the current situation was immediately sensible, because in April 1985 hundreds of Chinese, which were deported 17 years earlier into the province Shaanxi, came illegally to Beijing in order to gather in the name of more than 20000 deported in front of the headquarter of the CPC and to demostrate for the return of their families (Spence 1990:713)^[11]. Caused among others by corruption scandals within the parrty and protests against the increasing economical influence of Japan, at the end of the eighties preperations started for further protest demonstrations.

Two also for the Western world until that time unusual multimedia events let the only slowly progressing felt opening up to the West become especially sensible. Denselow states:

1985 was an exceptional year for political pop, the year of 'Live Aid' and 'We are the world', in which for a moment a portion realism and idealism was animating commercial mainstream (Denselow 1991:268)^[12].

'Live Aid', organized by Bob Geldof in England, was aimed against the apartheid in South Africa and was broadcasted live as 16 hour double concert out of the Wembley stadium in London and the J.F. Kennedy stadium in Philadelphia with over 45 famous singers and musicians into over 160 countries through TV via satellite on July 13th 1985. The mood influenced even the UdSSR, in which through Gorbatschow, who acceded the office as general secretary a few months earlier, even the Russian band 'Autograf' could participate at the concert via satelitte (Denselow 1991:342)^[12]. Even tough world-wide nearly two billion people were 'unified' by this event, it was depressing for China's adolescents, espcially for music friends: 'Not only a few felt lost and humiliated, because the event wasn't allowed to be received in China' (Zhao 1992:123)^[4].

In the year 1985 Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson composed the megahit 'We are the World' for the by the UNO initiated 'International year of peace 1986'. The idea also fruited in the PRC, in which the uniting power of music was rerecognized and from now on similar events were organised.^[13] Through a cooperation of the 'worker units' of the Chinese Studio Publishing House (Zhonglu Chubanshi) and the Music and Dance Ensemble of the East (Dongfang gewutuan) with the state-owned TV channel in Beijing /Beijing dianshitai) 128 famous male and female singers, under whom also Cui Jian was included by recommendation of a friend (Zhao 1992:125)^[4], could be signed for a concert after initial complications. The into all provinces broadcasted concert happened under the name Rang shijie chongman ai (literal: Let the world be full of love) in the Worker's Stadium Beijing on May 9th 1986 and marked a separation from the norms of gangtai music and the beginning of rock music in the PRC (Jin 1989a:32)^[14].

The surely for new imitations of gangtai and disco music prepared organisers were quite astonished, when Cui Jian entered the stage in the uniform of a soldier of the People's Liberation Army and hit his guitar. He sang two own compositions, Yiwu suoyou (I have nothing) and Bushi wo bu mingbai (It's not that I don't understand). 'I have nothing' was the song, which not only transcended the aesthetic feeling and the age difference and won the hearts of the people' (Li Yuzhou 1988:28)^[15], but which was also the first rock song, that reached the public sphere from the underground and which should become a kind of national anthym for a whole generation of young people.

Cui Jian and 'I have nothing'

I have asked you endlessly, When will you go with me?
But you always laugh at me with, Nothing to my name
I want to give you my dreams, And give you my freedom.
But you always laugh at me with, Nothing to my name.
Ohhh…. When will you go with me?
Ohhh….

The earth beneath my feet is moving.
The river beside me is flowing.
But you always laugh at me with, Nothing to my name.
Why do you always laugh at me so?
Why don’t I give up?
Why do you see me as, Forever having nothing to my name?
Ohhh…. Just go with me now!
Ohhh….

Solo: Suona

The earth beneath my feet is moving.
The river beside me is flowing.
Listen - I’ve waited so long,
So I’ll make my final request.
I want to grab you by the hands, And take you with me.
Now your hands are trembling, Now your tears are falling.
Perhaps you are saying, You love me with nothing to my name
Ohhh…. Just go with me now.

(Guitarsolo)

The earth beneath my feet is moving.
The river beside me is flowing.
Ohhh…. Just go with me now.^[16]

With this song, a well-done composition of Chinese melodies and instrumentalisation, in which a strong Western rock rhythm as well as a guitar solo is integrated, 'Cui Jian broke through Chinese composing methods (xiezuo fangshi) in the middle of the eighties' (Li Tianyi 1989:26)^[17] Content-wise the song demands two different interpretations: First of all it is the story of a man, who is not loved by the girl he loves, but who is laughed at, because he has nothing.^[18] The lyrics are addressing a at that time very actual topic. For the first time the real situation, respectively conflict, of many adolescents, especially of men, was addressed in a by state-owned media broadcasted song. The with the 'have nothing' related problems were mostly a result of the reforms and of the rapidly changing society, in which due to the increasing individualism especially in bigger cities everybody was on taking care of his own situation respectively his own advancing. The 'Four Musts' (bicycle, radio, clock and sewing machine) from Mao's times did not promise social acceptance anymore. Furthermore should also the title of the song, whose four characters are a Chinese saying, be known to most Chinese from another song. In the lyrics of the from French-translated communistic 'International' (song) (1871): 'Don't say, that we have nothing, because we are going to be the lords of the world.'^[19] In how far this association can be followed, can be read from the arguments of official criticism of that song: 'The Chinese youth has socialism. How can one say, that one has nothing?' (Bai 1988:94).^[20] In the year 1986 this view resembled more than ever utopia, as the following words of a rock musician prove:

We really have nothing. The earlier generation had Mao, what do we have? We have no idol.... Today we have neither idols, nor do we own something; if that is not 'have nothing' (yiwu suoyou), what else is it then? (Zhao 1992:255)^[4].

That this relationship (possibly unknowingly) was topiced in Chinese rock music, shows at a concert during the demonstrations in Beijing June 1989 on the Tiananmen square, in which both the 'International' (song) as well as 'I have nothing' were part of a rock concert.^[21] A further interpretation of the song concludes itself, when one is basing it on a special interpretation framework:

... a framework of poetics, historically conditioned, which has as one of its characteristics a tendency to look for indirect, yet powerfully oppositional, political statements in ostensibly innocuois lyrics (Brace 1991:54)^[22].

Brace further suggest to replace the pronoun 'I' with 'we'.^[23] Therefore Cui Jian would speak for a whole generation of adolescents ('We have nothing'), who feels not laughed at by a beloved one, but by the Communistic Party, and thereby also requests this (party), also begs this (party), to listen to the voice of the People, respectively to follow it.

If one understands content and situation of 'have nothing' as a result of the cultural revolution, then the song is the musical equivalence of the at the end of the seventies quite populär 'scar literature' (shanghen wenxue), in which many authors processed their experiences from the cultural revolution:

Full of dramatic art, with great immediateness, with little distance in time young authors tried payoff with the cultural revolution, marked by inner trauma. Without first revealing the deep causes, accusations were made (Müller: 1988:888)^[24].

Cui Jian however does not only accuse, he wants to do something, because the hope for a 'Come along' is not sufficient: 'I want to grab you by the hands, And take you with me.' The opposite one is trembling and cries, lets the protagonist sense, that he is possibly only loved, 'because he has nothing.'

The conclusion would be, that in order to be further loved, he is not allowed to have something or have something in future.

Soft consumability and the by the musical element more emotional expression of rock music versus literature are further reasons that this song, as an expression of new 'scar music' (shanghen yinyue) exceeded in influence everything else in this time (Zhao 1992:272)^[4]. So, around 100000 adolescents, which movedd enthusiastically southwards to support the construction of the new special economics zone on the island Hainan, said: 'You have to go to Hainan, to understand that song!' Due to government misplanning they found themselves in a situation afterwards, which one of the students described as 'have nothing, look during the day for work and sing songs at night' (Ma Mu 1990:6)^[25].

Three years after the release, the expression of the song had to be interpreted as 'we still have nothing'. The resentment about the inequality of economical and politcal reforms resulted on the Tiananmen square in a, in such dimensions not expected, collective expression of 'We have nothing' feeling.

However back to the concert of 1986. The second song, Bushi wo bu mingbai (Not, that I don't understand), reflects the fast pulse of a rapidly changing world:

I never knew what it was to be magnanimous.
I never knew there was so much peculiarity in the world.
The future I’d envisioned is nothing like the present.
Only now does it seem I’m clear about what the future is.
Ohhhh….
I can’t tell if all the things I’ve done were good or bad.
Past times fade and I can’t recall the years.
The things I thought were simple I now can’t understand at all.
I suddenly feel the world in front of my eyes is not where I really am.
For more than twenty years it seems the only thing I’ve learned is endurance.
No wonder all the women say I’m not genuine.
I shake off the numbness and wake up from the dream.
But upon waking realize how quickly this world has changed.
Ohhhh….
In the distance rows of tall buildings like fields of wheat.
In front of me oceans of people and traffic jams.
I take it all in from every direction but still can’t grasp the size of it.
This thing and that thing - the more I see the stranger I feel.
It’s not that I don’t understand.
It’s just that the world is changing fast.^[26]

This song represented, similar to I have nothing, not only the feeling of the youth but of the whole population. For an interpretation of the song, two levels offer themselves: The protagonist, helpless and without orientation, awakes as of a dream and, according to Cui Jian, realizes that the world is changing rapidly and only China is stagnating in its development (Terrill 1992:26^[27]). In other words, Cui sees in the PRC a internally immobile and stiff coloss (due to the power of Confucian traditions), which suddenly looks upon the dynamically developing world. On another level the earlier history of the PRC itself is put in focus. The economical opening is put in line with rapidly changing political guidelines, slogans, cleansing actions and campaigns, whereby on the rapid change it is answered 'Not, that I don't understand, ...'. Jin Zhaojun underlines this interpretation, by stating, that many people of the elder generation expressed, 'that this song is really well written, as it is not, that we already live 40 or 50 years and still haven't understood?' (Jin 1993:214).

See also

• Wan Li Ma Wang
• Bu Dao Weng
• Cui Jian
• Qi He Ban
• Mainland band
• Guzheng
• Tang Dynasty

Remarks by the translator

General remarks

The above translation of the original works were excercised in the best means according to the principle: as close to the original as possible, as free as necessary. The German and English language are tricky ones and whereas in one language there are often numerous words describing a single situation in the other there is plainly one, none or two with not exactly the right meaning. I recommend every able person to also read the German original to catch all respective connotations, but hope that for those not able to read German I have offered a valid English translation.

Therefore, in case of variations between the English translation and the German original, the German original prevails.

In case you have found a better option for a specific translation situation, please do not hesitate to contact the translator.

Referencing and Footnotes

Within the original text two ways of referencing had been used:

1. Footnotes, in which certain aspects of the text had been explained in prosa form
2. Citing including referring source information, e.g. (Feigon 1994:127)

For the later form of referring additional references have been included in this translation to make sure, that the referring literature and its bibliographical citation is reflected (for the complete book is spread over several pages). Therefore the original numbering of footnotes is not the same one, as the the reference numbers below.

Additions to the original works

All images, pictures and other graphical works have been added to the translated version by the team of RiC to further utilize the original works and efforts by Mr. Andreas Steen in transferring his work to the digital age and the benefits of digital contents. Examples for the additions are linked articles to complete song lyrics or the portraits of mentioned key persons and bands.

Copyright

References

1. ↑ The name Wan Li Ma Wang is a combination of the family names of the four members: Wan Xing, Li Shichao, Ma Xiaoyi, Wang Xinbo (or: Lao Ge, who is today as head of recording of the baidai studios, i.e. EMI, responsible for many rock productions) (Xue 1993:253).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6} Xue Ji (1993): Yaogun mengxun - Zhongguo yaogunyue shilu (On the search for the hidden dreams in rock music - a catalogue of Chinese rock music), Beijing.
3. ↑ Qiheban is the name for a out of seven pieces consisting Chinese square puzzle, with which several figures can be constructed.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8} Zhao Jianwei (1992): Cui Jian zai yiwu suoyou zhong nahan - Zhongguo yaogun beiwanglu (Cui Jian's screaming I have nothin - A memorandum of Chinese rock music), Beijing.
5. ↑ Cui Jian yanchang zhuanji: Cui Jian '85 huigu (Cui Jian song selection: Flashback '85), China Record Company, 1994.
6. ↑ Langzi gui was rereleased in August 1989 by 'Gunshi' after the success of the second LP: Langzi gui, BMG Pacific Ltd.
7. ↑ At present he works as producer and planer in the shortly afterwards by the popular texter and friend Liu Zhuohui in Hongkong established record company 'Dadi' (Daidi changpian youxiangongsi), which aim is the distribution of Chinese rock music (Xue 1993:257-259.
8. ↑ Weng Jiaming (1992): Cong Luo Dayou dao Cui Jian (From Luo Dayou to Cui Jiao), Taibei.
9. ↑ Chong, W.L. (1991): 'Young China's Voice of the 1980s: Rock Star Cui Jian', in: China Information, Jg.6, Nr.1:55-74.
10. ↑ At this point it shall be noted, that Cui Jian tries to distance himself from his earlier compositions and refuses to bring these compositions in relation to his later works (Steen 1993). Nevertheless with noting these songs his 'way' is becoming more clear. Furthermore were they newly published and are - if one believes Chinese charts - more popular than his new LP Hongqi xia de dan (Eggs under the red flagg, 1994). In October 1995 reached e.g. the LP Cui Jian: Flashback '85 the third place on the popularity ranking of the in the PRC produced LPs (Yinxiang shijie, 1995, Nr.12:42).
11. ↑ Spence , Jonathan D. (1990): The Search for Modern China, London, Sydney, Auckland, Johannesburg.
12. ↑ ^{12.0 12.1} Denselow, Robin (1991): The Beat Goes On - Popmusik und Politik, Geschichte einer Hoffnung, Reinbek bei Hamburg.
13. ↑ 'We are the World' was broadcasted 1985 in the 1982 founded series 'Stereo Friends' of the channel Radio Shanghai and immediately afterwards was recorded by ten male and female singers in Chinese with the title Tianxia yi jia. At the same time the music magazine Qin yinyue (Light music) published the lyrics, whereby the song gained further popularity (Hamm 1991:28/29).
14. ↑ Jin Zhaojun (1989a): 'Cui Jian yu Zhongguo yaogunyue' (Cui Jian and the Chinese rock music), in Renmin Yinyue, Nr.: 4:32-33.
15. ↑ Li Yuzhou (1988): 'Hegu 'xibei feng' cong dongnan gualai' (Why the 'Northwest Wind' blew from the Southeast), in Renmin Yinyue, Nr.: 11:32-34.
16. ↑ Note by the translator: This English version was taken from the homepage of Cui Jian, as part of Cui Jian's record Rock'n'Roll On The New Long March, translated by kemaxiu. It slightly varies from the German version as translated by Andreas Steen in his book. For the most appropriate meaning I would refer back to the Chinese version of the song.
17. ↑ Li Tianyi (1989): 'Tongsu gequ heyuan luoru digu?' (What cause the downfall of tongsu music?), in: Renmin yinyue, Nr. 11:26-27.
18. ↑ Note of the translator: Andreas Steen translated the phrase yi wu suo you to "I have nothing", whereas the official translation by kemaxiu is "nothing to my name", hence the different interpretation.
19. ↑ In Chinese: 'Buyao shuo women yiwu suoyou, women yao zuo tianxia de zhuren.'In: Geming lishi gequ jinghua (Selection of songs from the revolutionary history), Shanghai, 1992:1-2.
20. ↑ Bai Jieming (1988): 'Yaogun fanshen le?' (Rock liberates itself?), in: Jiushi Niandai, Nr.: 11:94.
21. ↑ Cui Jian and Tang Chao (Tang Dynasty) arranged a concert on a truck. Cui Jian sang Yiwu suoyou, while Tang Chao sang their, meanwhile on LP released, version of the 'International' (Ding 1994:85).
22. ↑ Brace, Tim (1991): 'Popular Music in Contemporary Beijing: Modernism and Cultural Identity', in: Asian Music, Jg.22, Nr.2:117-146.
23. ↑ A replacement of the pronoun seems already possible due to its absence in the title. In a literal translation this would mean "have nothing" and therefore not point towards any grammatical subject.
24. ↑ Müller, Eva (1988): 'Chinesische Erzählprosa 1977-87', in: Weimarer Beiträge 34, Nr. 6: 885-903.
25. ↑ Ma Mu (1990): 'Yiwu suoyou', yaogun yu touji' ('I have nothing', rock music and opportunism), in: Xiju Shijie, Nr.3-4:2-11.
26. ↑ Note by the translator: Similar to the first song of Cui Jian in this chapter 'I have nothing', this English version was taken from the homepage of Cui Jian, as part of Cui Jian's record Rock'n'Roll On The New Long March, translated by kemaxiu. It slightly varies from the German version as translated by Andreas Steen in his book. For the most appropriate meaning I would refer back to the Chinese version of the song.
27. ↑ Terril, Ross (1992): 'Rocking the Old Guard', in: World Monitor, Nr. 5, 1992:25-28.

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