The New Topnotes 新特樂樂隊

The New Topnotes 新特樂樂隊是在七十年代中，前D'Topnotes 特樂樂隊的鍵琴手Danny Chung 鍾定一及結他手Majid Rahman，與樂隊骨幹成員的Samson姊弟班(Christine，Vikki及Michael Samson)拆夥後，結合其他本地華籍樂手Johnny Ip 葉振棠(低音結他及主唱)、Elisa Chan 陳潔靈(主唱)及兩位外籍樂手Andrew Oh(吹奏)和Roberto Petaccia(鼓及敲擊)所組成。Johnny Ip 葉振棠來自澳門，他是在位於崗頂現時已結束的聖約翰英文中學畢業後，才往香港發展的；到港初期曾以教人彈奏結他為業，其後獲朋友介紹，在灣仔的酒吧當低音結他手及兼任歌手。而Elisa Chan 陳潔靈則出身自無線電視(HK-TVB)的天才觀眾演藝節目〈聲寶之夜〉，年僅十五歲的她，於1970年9月中的節目總决賽贏得冠軍，惟掄元後卻未如葉麗儀般獲HK-TVB重視或被唱片公司青睞；其後她駐唱於九龍尖沙咀區的碧瑤(Bayside)夜總會，並曾在1973年末麗的電視(RTV)歌舞節目〈青春旋律〉中，與澳洲籍歌手Ben Leeman(李文賓)共任節目主持及常駐歌手。

1975年，EMI為The New Topnotes出版了樂隊首張的LP，由前星洲樂隊The Quests (六傑士)成員Reggie Verghese負責製作。

The New Topnotes                   (EMI (Regal) - 1975／SREG 9840)

Side 1

1. Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)
2. Slippery When Wet    (Thomas McClary)
3. Windflowers    (Dash Crofts．Jim Seals)
4. You Are Everything    (Thom Bell．Linda Creed)
5. Under Pressure    (Fred Gowdy．Larry Wilkins)
6. 'Cos We Ended Up As Lovers    (Stevie Wonder)

Side 2

1. We May Never Love Like This Again    (Al Kasha．Joel Hirschhron)
2. Pick Up The Pieces    (Roger Ball．Hamish Stuart)
3. Mandy    (Scott English．Richard Kerr)
4. Put A Little Love Away    (Dennis Lambert．Brian Potter)
5. Love Is A Message    (Kenneth Gamble．Leon Huff)
6. You Haven't Done Nothing    (Stevie Wonder)

"Harmour Love"

"Slippery When Wet"

"Windflowers"

"You Are Everything"

"Under Pressure"

"’Cos We Ended Up As Lovers "

"We May Never Love Like This Again"

"Pick Up The Pieces"

"Mandy"

"Put A Little Love Away"

"Love Is A Message"

隨後的1976年，他們為EMI灌錄了第二及第三張的LP，而隊中的鼓手換上了菲藉的Carlos Mendoza，唱片製作自此也全由Danny Chung 鍾定一負責了。

The New Topnotes      (EMI (Columbia) - 1976／S-33ESX-234)

Side 1

1. Walking In Rhythm    (Barney Perry)
2. I Feel A Song (In My Heart)    (Tony Camillo．Mary Sawyer)
3. Gotta Be The One    (Pierre Tubbs)
4. Leave Me In The Morning    (Paul Anka．Johnny Harris)
5. One Man Woman／One Woman Man    (Paul Anka)
6. Here There Little Firefly    (K. Nolan)

Side 2

1. At Seventeen    (Janis Ian)
2. You Got The Love    (Chaka Khan．Ray Parker, Jr.)
3. All By Myself    (Eric Carmen．Sergei Rachmaninoff)
4. Unborn Child    (James Seals．Lana Bogan)
5. Cut The Cake    (Alan Gorrie．Robbie McIntosh)

"Walking In Rhythm"

"Gotta Be The One"

"Leave Me In The Morning"

"One Man Woman／One Woman Man"

"At Seventeen"

"You Got The Love"

"All By Myself"

"Unborn Child"

"Cut The Cake"

Here Comes Love               (EMI Music - 1976／EMGS 6009)

Side One

1. Here Comes Love    (B.A. Richard．H. Bloch．B. Bloch．J. Carmen．M. Miller)
2. We Do It    (Russell Stone)
3. I'd Really Love To See You Tonight    (Parker McGee)
4. Mr. Melody    (Chuck Jackson．Marvin Yancy)
5. Muskrat Love    (Willis Alan Ramsey)
6. If I Ever Love This Heaven    (Leon Ware．Parn Sawyer)

Side Two

1. Kiss And Say Goodbye    (Winfred Lovett)
2. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine    (Kenneth Gamble．Leon Huff)
3. Sophisticated Lady    (Duke Ellington．Paul Francis Webster)
4. If You Walked Away    (David Pomeranz)
5. I Need To Be In Love    (Richard Carpenter．John Bettis．Albert Hammond)

"We Do It"

"I'd Really Love To See You Tonight"

"Muskrat Love"

"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"

"If You Walked Away"

1977年，樂隊的第四張兼精選LP《The Very Best Of The New Topnotes》面世。

The Very Best Of The New Topnotes               (EMI Music - 1977／EMGS 6024)

Side 1

1. Do You Wanna Make Love    (Peter McCann)
2. This Girl (Has Turned Into A Woman)    (Peter Yarrow．Mary MacGregor)
3. Love Theme From 〈A Star Is Born〉  (Evergreen)    (Barbra Streisand．Paul Williams)
4. Sam    (John Farrar．Hank Marvin．Don Black)
5. You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)    (James Dean．John Glover)
6. Don't Leave Me This Way    (Kenneth Gamble．Leon Huff．Cary Gilbert)
7. I Wish    (Stevie Wonder)
8. Here Comes Love    (B.A. Richard．H. Bloch．B. Bloch．J. Carmen．M. Miller)

Side 2

1. Windflowers    (Dash Crofts．Jim Seals)
2. Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)
3. Walking In Rhythm    (Barney Perry)
4. We Do It    (Russell Stone)
5. I Feel A Song (In My Heart)    (Tony Camillo．Mary Sawyer)
6. One Man Woman／One Woman Man    (Paul Anka)
7. Mandy    (Scott English．Richard Kerr)
8. All By Myself    (Eric Carmen．Sergei Rachmaninoff)

" Do You Wanna Make Love"

"This Girl (Has Turned Into A Woman)"

"Love Theme From 〈A Star Is Born〉  (Evergreen)"

"You Don't Have To Be A Star (To Be In My Show)"

"Don't Leave Me This Way"

"I Wish"

1978年，The New Topnotes應邀前往歐美及東南亞數地登台，開展了他們在當地一連串的巡迴演唱，其間深獲當地聽眾一致好評，反應極為理想，亦萌生了樂隊進軍外地發展的意念。惜樂隊回港後，Johnny Ip葉振棠以家庭不希望他往外地發展原因離隊，而樂隊的命運從此劃上句號。《Where Do We Go From Here?》也成為了The New Topnotes最後的一張LP。

Where Do We Go From Here?               (EMI Music - 1978／EMGS 6030)

Side A

1. For My Mama    (Charles Aznavour．Robert Gall．Don Black)
2. Just The Way You Are    (Billy Joel)
3. Emotion    (Barry & Robin Gibb)
4. Be Good To Me    (Fritz Baskett．June Deniece Williams．Clarence McDonald)
5. The Two Of Us    (Stephen O'Hara)
6. Streets Of London    (Ralph McTell
7. Thumpin' Music    (William King)

Side B

1. Where Do We Go From Here?    (Tommy Boyce．Bobby Bart．B. Richards)
2. Best Of My Love    (Maurice White．Al McKay)
3. Suddenly    (B. Hall．B. Richards)
4. Look What You've Done To My Heart    (John Footman．Terri McFaddin．Frank Wilson)
5. The Greatest Love Of All    (Michael Masser．Linda Creed)
6. We Got A Way    (Seawind)
7. Goodbye Once Again    (Richard Yung)

"Just The Way You Are"

"Emotion"

"The Two Of Us"

"Streets Of London"

"Where Do We Go From Here?／Best Of My Love"

"Look What You've Done To My Heart"

"The Greatest Love Of All"

"Goodbye Once Again"

The New Topnotes於1975至1978年效力EMI期間，除了上列五張LP専集外，EMI公司為旗下歌星及組合出版共九張的LP及卡帶精選合集，也有收錄了多首The New Topnotes曾已灌唱過的歌曲，如下：

Hit Sounds Vol. 4          (EMI (Regal) - 1976／SREG 9626)

• That's The Way I Like It    (Harry Wayne Casey．Richard Finch)
• Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)>

"That's The Way I Like It"

Hit Sounds Vol. 5      (EMI (Columbia) - 1976／S-33ESX-233)

• 'Cos We've Ended Up As Lovers    (Stevie Wonder)

Hit Sounds Vol. 6              (EMI Music - 1976／EMGS 6005)

• More, More, More    (Gregg Diamond)

"More, More, More"

Hit Sounds Vol. 7      (EMI Music - 1977／EMGS 6011)

• I'd Really Love To See You Tonight    (Parker McGee)
• Muskrat Love    (Willis Alan Ramsey)

Hit Sounds Vol. 8      (EMI Music - 1977／EMGS 6018)

• Love Theme From〈A Star Is Born〉  (Evergreen)    (Barbra Streisand．Paul Williams)

Best Of Hit Sounds    (EMI Music - 1977／TC-SPC3)

• Do You Wanna Make Love    (Peter McCann)

16 Motion Picture Greats For You    (EMI Music - 1977／SPR 1001)

• Love Theme From〈A Star Is Born〉  (Evergreen)    (Barbra Streisand．Paul Williams)

Star Hits                  (EMI Music - 1978／EMGS 6028)

• Down, Deep Inside  【Theme From〈The Deep〉】    (John Barry．Donna Summer)
• How Deep Is Your Love    (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)

"How Deep Is Your Love"

EMI Star Hits Vol. 2               (EMI Music - 1978／EMGS 6043)

• Emotion    (Barry & Robin Gibb)
• Best Of My Love    (Maurice White．Al McKay)

樂隊拆夥後，隊中的三位主要成員Johnny Ip葉振棠、Elisa Chan陳潔靈及Danny Chung鍾定一，很自然地各自去尋找他們在本地樂壇的發展及出路。 葉振棠於樂隊解散後不久，和前Ming樂隊的女鼓手Maria Wu鄔瑪莉及獨立鍵琴手黃正光，組成了一支名「馬正棠」的三人樂隊，駐唱於數間本地大酒店內的酒廊。EMI在1979年曾為他們出版了一張全粵語歌曲的LP，但唱片推出後，市場反應一般，其後這組合也告解體。

1980年，葉振棠以獨立歌手身份，首次在麗的電視(RTV)製作的武俠劇集〈大內群英〉，主唱該劇的主题曲。歌曲於螢光幕播出後大受歡迎，及後並繼續成為RTV多套電視劇主題曲及插曲的主唱者。1982年，他加入無線電視(HK-TVB)成為合約歌星，憑Chris Babida (鮑比達)作曲及鄭國江作詞的一首"再等待"，榮獲東京音樂節82'國際大賽「亞洲特別獎」。同年他主唱HK-TVB電視劇〈蘇乞兒〉的主題曲"忘盡心中情"，更同獲香港電台(RTHK)主辦的〈十大中文金曲〉及HK-TVB的〈勁歌金曲〉節目全年最佳歌曲獎，讓他走上了其歌唱事業生涯中的高峯，自此更奠定了他在當年代本地樂壇的崇高地位。

而Elisa Chan陳潔靈離隊後，亦以個人歌手身份活躍於本地樂壇。1982年，她為粵劇名伶阮兆輝經營的喜韻唱片灌錄的一張粵語歌曲LP，碟內的多首歌曲如"星夜星塵"、"今晚夜"、"白金升降機"等，推出後迅即大受樂迷歡迎。其後她加盟華星及重返華納，進一步延續了這實力派女歌星在本地藝壇的歌唱生涯1986年，她和葉德嫻及散芬芳合唱團合唱的"千個太陽"，更是當年膾炙人口的金曲。

至於Danny Chung鍾定一，他離隊後專注於唱片監製，至今仍是本地樂壇的重量級人仕。

1996年，EMI挑出了樂隊當年灌錄的十八首歌曲，出版了首張The New Topnotes的個體CD精選專集 《Let Their Music Play》。

Let Their Music Play               (EMI Music - 1996／724385553127)

這CD精選專集內的歌曲有：

1. The Greatest Love Of All    (Michael Masser．Linda Creed)
2. All By Myself    (Eric Carmen．Sergei Rachmaninoff
3. Streets Of London    (Ralph McTell)
4. You Are Everything    (Thom Bell．Linda Creed)
5. Windflowers    (Dash Crofts．Jim Seals)
6. Mandy    (Scott English．Richard Kerr)
7. Leave Me In The Morning    (Paul Anka．Johnny Harris)
8. One Man Woman／One Woman Man    (Paul Anka)
9. At Seventeen    (Janis Ian)
10. Just The Way You Are    (Billy Joel)
11. Emotion    (Barry & Robin Gibb)
12. How Deep Is Your Love    (Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb)
13. We May Never Love Like This Again    (Al Kasha．Joel Hirschhron)
14. Walking In Rhythm    (Barney Perry)
15. Unborn Child    (James Seals．Lana Bogan)
16. Cut The Cake    (Alan Gorrie．Robbie McIntosh)
17. The Two Of Us    (Stephen O'Hara)

1997年及進入新世紀的2000年代後，EMI 及繼承了其唱片業務的Universal Music (環球唱片)推出的多套CD精選合集內，也有收錄了多首The New Topnotes當年的灌唱歌曲；而時至2007年2月，市場上更出現了他們昔日首張LP専集的復黑CD版。

EMI 100週年珍藏系列之西洋風 Age of 70's             (EMI Music - 1997／724382124925)

• All By Myself    (Eric Carmen．Sergei Rachmaninoff
• Windflowers    (Dash Crofts．Jim Seals)
• One Man Woman／One Woman Man    (Paul Anka)
• You Are Everything    (Thom Bell．Linda Creed)

Uncle Ray Meets The Stars         (EMI／Universal Music - 2004／724356095427)

〔Disc 1〕

• Just The Way You Are    (Billy Joel)

〔Disc 2〕

• Emotion    (Barry & Robin Gibb)
• The Greatest Love Of All    (Michael Masser．Linda Creed)

The New Topnotes        (EMI Music - 2007／94638547525)

1. Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)
2. Slippery When Wet    (Thomas McClary)
3. Windflowers    (Dash Crofts．Jim Seals)
4. You Are Everything    (Thom Bell．Linda Creed)
5. Under Pressure    (Fred Gowdy．Larry Wilkins)
6. ’Cos We Ended Up As Lovers    (Stevie Wonder)
7. We May Never Love Like This Again    (Al Kasha．Joel Hirschhron)
8. Pick Up The Pieces    (Roger Ball．Hamish Stuart)
9. Mandy    (Scott English．Richard Kerr)
10. Put A Little Love Away    (Dennis Lambert．Brian Potter)
11. Love Is A Message    (Kenneth Gamble．Leon Huff)
12. You Haven't Done Nothing    (Stevie Wonder)

Recollecting Singapore 60s        (EMI Music - 2007／94638634324)

• This Girl (Has Turned Into A Woman)    (Peter Yarrow．Mary MacGregor)

Uncle Ray 101 All Time Favorites Hong Kong        (Universal Music - 2010／602488991896)

〔Disc 5〕

• The Greatest Love Of All    (Michael Masser．Linda Creed)

Hong Kong Muzikland Of The 60／70s        (Universal Music - 2011／602488980760)

〔Disc 5〕

• Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)

〔Disc 6〕

• Emotion    (Barry & Robin Gibb)

Hong Kong Muzikland Of The 60／70s II        (Universal Music - 2013／602488968331)

〔CD2〕

• ’Cos We Ended Up As Lovers    (Stevie Wonder)

〔CD 3〕

• One Man Woman／One Woman Man    (Paul Anka)

〔CD 6〕

• Cut The Cake    (Alan Gorrie．Robbie McIntosh)

EMI Hit Sounds Collection 8 CD    (Universal Music - 2021／602438243815)

〔CD4〕

• That's The Way I Like It    (Harry Wayne Casey．Richard Finch)
• Harmour Love    (Stevie Wonder)

〔CD5〕

• ’Cos We Ended Up As Lovers    (Stevie Wonder)

〔CD6〕

• More, More, More    (Gregg Diamond)

〔CD7〕

• I'd Really Love To See You Tonight    (Parker McGee)
• Muskrat Love    (Willis Alan Ramsey)

〔CD8〕

• Love Theme From〈A Star Is Born〉  (Evergreen)    (Barbra Streisand．Paul Williams)

Johnny Ip，Danny Chung & Elisa Chan於1997年更破天荒與The Wynners (温拿樂隊)合作拍了一輯MV，合唱了他們在七十年代曾各自灌唱Seals & Croft的著名作品"Windflowers"。

回顧當年的The New Topnotes，他們和The Wynners及Jade(玉石樂隊)，廣泛地被認為是本地流行樂壇鼎足而三的最受歡迎組合。在翻唱了不少受歡迎的外國普及流行歌曲之餘，The New Topnotes也有翻唱了好些極富水準的騷靈及慢板歌曲，如Stevie Wonder的作品"C'os We Ended Up As Lovers"及"Harmour Love"、Lou Rawls原唱的"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine"、Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.的"You Don't Have To Be A Star"及"Two Of Us"、The Manhattans的"Kiss And Say Goodbye"、David Pomeranz的"If You Walked Away"等。而筆者尤其喜愛Johnny Ip葉振棠那帶濃厚鼻音及富滄桑感的嗓子.....

不知不覺間，The New Topnotes已拆夥了接近廿年，其間從未聽聞他們如同期的The Wynners那般，偶爾復合舉辦演唱會，讓當年的歌迷懷缅一番。惟期盼透過最近Johnny，Danny & Elisa在上述MV的结合舉動，促使The New Topnotes能夠在不久的將來，再次在舞台上重現他們昔日的風采。

【原文於2021年9月9日更新】