The First Singtao Amateur Singing Contest took place in 1960. Among the thirty finalists was Wong Jum-sum, who had adopted the stage name ‘Wong Jim’ for fear of being embarrassed from losing.

The contest was divided into a Mandarin and a Western pop section, with, rather symptomatically, no Cantonese section. More than a thousand people joined. Their choice of songs reflected closely the musical leanings of the time.

Wong Jum-sum was ousted at the final 15, an event he regretted for life. By contrast his good friend Judy Jim comfortably got the grand prize in the Western pop section, by taking a leaf from the Patti Page songbook.

The winner of the Mandarin section was Cheung Hoi-wan. She received classical music training and sang the ever-popular Liang Le-yin composition ‘The Song about Selling Sweets’ with a tantalizing mix of inflections.

Very soon, singers from both sections would take a big stride forward, stepping into a brave new world we call the 1960s.

在那遙遠的地方 (1950s)

原作：新疆民歌
改編：王洛賓
主唱：田鳴恩

在那遙遠的地方　
有位好姑娘
人們走過了她的身旁　
都要回頭留戀的張望

她那粉紅的笑臉　
好像紅太陽
她那活潑動人的眼睛　
好像晚上明媚的月亮

我願拋棄了財產　
跟她去放羊
每天看著那粉紅的笑臉　
和她美麗金邊的衣裳

我願做一只小羊　
跟在她身旁
我願她拿著細細的皮鞭　
不斷輕輕每天打在我身上