Toy and Help Yourself are two Cantonese extended plays (EPs) by Chinese recording artist Faye Wong when she was based in Hong Kong. In 1996, the last year of her recording contract with Cinepoly Records, Wong recorded ten original songs in Cantonese, all with lyrics by Lin Xi but composed by others such as Wong Ka Keung, Adrian Chan, and Chan Xiao Xia.
These songs were supposed to be released as an album in 1996 or 1997; however, Cinepoly decided to release the ten tracks separately on four occasions. Cinepoly later released eight of these songs in the two EPs entitled Toy and Help Yourself. The other two songs were included in later compilations.
Toy (玩具) | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | February 20, 1997 | |||
Genre | Cantopop | |||
Length | 19:06 | |||
Label | Cinepoly | |||
Faye Wong chronology | ||||
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Toy (Chinese : 玩具 ; Jyutping :wun6 geoi6) was released in February 1997, during Faye Wong's parental leave where she gave birth to her first child. The EP's cover photo depicts Wong in her home in Beijing, China, having moved back there after several successful years based in Hong Kong. [1] [2]
The five tracks on Toy would be Wong's most significant release of new Cantonese songs until her self-titled album in 2001. [3]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "暗湧" (Ngaam Yoong; Undercurrent) | 4:21 |
2. | "約定" (Yerk Ding; Date/Rendezvous) | 4:25 |
3. | "玩具" (Fu Yeen) | 3:00 |
4. | "敷衍" (Woon Gui; Toy) | 4:20 |
5. | "玩具" (Ngor Seun; I Believe) | 3:00 |
Total length: | 19:06 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong) [4] | Platinum | 20,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Help Yourself (自便) | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | May 29, 1997 | |||
Genre | Cantopop | |||
Length | 23:48 | |||
Label | Cinepoly | |||
Faye Wong chronology | ||||
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Help Yourself (Chinese : 自 便 ; Jyutping :zi6 bin6) followed in May 1997. [5] Although this EP (like Toy) contained new songs, including the hit ballad "On Time" (守時), and was welcomed by fans, it received lukewarm critical responses, particularly for the three remixes of songs from earlier albums. The album cover was a photograph of Faye Wong taken several years previously.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "守時" (Sau See; Punctuality) | 4:12 |
2. | "守護天使" (Sau Wu Teen See; Guardian Angel) | 3:38 |
3. | "自便" (Jee Been; Help Yourself) | 4:56 |
4. | "Di-Dar" | 3:15 |
5. | "誓言" (Shi Yan) | 3:55 |
6. | "夢遊" (Moong Yau; Sleepwalk (Universal Mix)) | 3:50 |
Total length: | 23:48 |
Cinepoly's first releases of their remaining original recordings by Faye Wong were as follows:
Be Perfunctory (敷衍) | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | November 22, 2015 | |||
Recorded | 1996 | |||
Genre | Cantopop | |||
Length | 42:03 | |||
Label | Chaotic Silence | |||
Faye Wong chronology | ||||
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Be Perfunctory is the last Cantonese album by Chinese singer Faye Wong. [6] In 2015, a fan of Faye Wong purchased the Hong Kong publishing rights from Cinepoly (now under Universal Music Group) and started a company called Chaotic Silence in order to issue the ten tracks together in one album.
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "敷衍" (Fuhin) | 4:20 |
2. | "自便" (Amjung) | 4:21 |
3. | "心驚膽戰" (Samging daamzin) | 4:18 |
4. | "守護天使" (Sauwu tinsi) | 3:43 |
5. | "守時" (Sausi) | 4:16 |
6. | "不得了" (Bat dak liu) | 3:52 |
7. | "玩具" (Wun geoi) | 3:00 |
8. | "我信" (Ngo seon) | 4:48 |
9. | "自便" (Zi bin) | 5:00 |
10. | "約定" (Joek ding) | 4:25 |
Total length: | 42:03 |
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