Tag Archives: song

You Were There

This is the current hit song in my choir (SMU Chamber Choir).

You Were There by Libera.

I hope I’m not the only person that thinks the video is cheese sandwich. I mean, ugh. It’s like somebody just took their pictures and tinkered around with iMovie or the likes (Windows Movie Maker? Eeks).

But it IS a really beautiful song, kudos to Takatsugu Muramatsu. I just think that the song (at least in the mp3 I got) got too much enhancement, echo and stuff, that it lost some of its magic. Also, the strings. Ugh, the strings. The piano was fine, but the strings was downright “ordinary” for the amazing song.

By the way, this song is actually a soundtrack of a Japanese movie called “Dare mo mamotte kurenai” which seems to be a very interesting movie. This is the plot summary (from Eigapedia)

When the older brother of junior high school student Saori is arrested for murder she is separated from her family for her own protection. She ends up living with a police detective named Katsuura and his family. Katsuura has to get information from her without making her already-troubled mental state any worse.

Can’t seem to find the trailer with English subtitles, but I think the movie (trailer) is powerful enough without subtitles.


Intriguing, eh? I wonder where can I watch this movie…

Btw I found another video.. I believe this was the opening of the movie?

BTW, I totally have a crush on You Were There’s soloist. Hehe! His name is Tom Cully.

Tom Cully Pictures, Images and Photos

Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence for The Leap Years… Not.

Actually I’ve been meaning to post this even before I watched The Leap Years (which is so sappy I don’t want to further review it).

As many other people, I was very interested in the trailer’s background music.

I first heard it on a bus, when the trailer is playing on that super disturbing TV Mobile. My first thought “Wah Singaporean so cool ah can make a song so good!”. And the trailer is not bad. It’s good. The beautiful scenes.. So photographic. I especially like the end part. You know, when the paper plane is thrown? The piano sound is just perfect!

I then found out from Rinaz that the song is actually a song composed by a Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto titled “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence”. (In case you don’t know it, I have soft spot for Japanese composers. You know those Final Fantasy songs??? If you don’t know, never mind)

It didn’t take long for me to realize that.. They’re not the same!
You want to try? Just play the first seconds of the leap years trailer, until about 00:13 (that’s the solo piano), and then stop.
And then play this video, just the first seconds too..Approximately until about 00:13 too.

Not yet?
That one might not be too obvious.
Now, play the leap years trailer from 03:20 until approximately 03:40. That’s when the strings/violin gets the melody. Remember the melody.
Play the “Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” from approximately 01:30. It’s when the violin comes in too.
Different?
Of course!

I can’t understand it. Why on earth must they rip this song? It’s not even using the song, okay. If they’re using the song and they have copyright problem, that’s more understandable. But ripping the song?

It can’t be just an “inspired” song. The structure is too similar. Piano solo at the front, followed by the melody by strings? (well okay merry christmas mr lawrence actually had the melody on the piano first before moving on to string. the leap years trailer song skipped this and changed it with some drum beats while people are talking in the trailer)
And especially this piano riff at The Leap Year’s trailer 04:10 and Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence at 04:08 (heh the timestamp is even almost the same)
No, it can’t be just inspired! It’s almost exactly the same. Especially the end part. Remember the part I said, when the paper airplane was thrown? That piano tunes. Is it a coincidence that both the composers (or rather one composer and one ripper) had the same idea about the piano tunes? Nah. I don’t think so.

I just.. I can’t understand it. Did you guys listen to Corrine May’s songs in the movie? They were awesome. So soothing, calm.. Really, they were good. I’m sure Corrine is capable of composing a good, catchy song for the trailer too. So.. Why can’t they just Corrine’s songs? Why? Why must rip Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence?

And maybe they just made a song similar to Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence to avoid copyright problems? Boy did the song get my attention! And I’m sure many other people too. I swear, my reason to watch The Leap Years was the trailer’s song. Ok I’m shallow, but, I don’t know, I think when you already have a boyfriend you tend to become more rational and realize that those romantic stuff are really not the things that matter. Hahaha.

Oh by the way, as I said, the film is good. Visually. The scenes are beautifully captured. As for the story.. I say, just let it exist in fairytale land.

*still can’t understand why they rip the song instead of make a brand new song*
*sigh*

btw, here’s a bonus. The trailer of the film Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. Looks quite interesting. (and of course interesting trailer background music =P)

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Now playing: Adele – Tired
via FoxyTunes