Capital Artists Explained

Capital Artists
Parent:eSun Holdings, a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development
Status:stopped recording music in 2001; acquired by eSun Holdings in 2008; relabeled in 2010
Distributor:Media Asia Music, since 2012
Genre:Various, predeominantly:
Cantopop
Mandopop
Chinese opera
Chinese children's songs[1]
Country:Colonial Hong Kong
Location:Hong Kong

Capital Artists is a Hong Kong–based record label owned by eSun Holdings, a subsidiary of Lai Sun Development. Founded in 1971, Capital Artists signed some of the biggest names in the Cantopop industry, including Roman Tam, Anita Mui, and Leslie Cheung, among many others. During its prime in the 1970s and 1980s, Capital had dozens of artists under contract and was one of the biggest labels in Hong Kong.

In early 1996, Capital Artists was purchased by SCMP Group. In 2001, after four years of poor sales, Capital Artists ceased music production and dismissed most of its staff, staying in business solely to collect copyright revenue and issue compilations.[2] In late 2008, it was purchased by eSun Holdings.

The Capital Artists logo is a lower-case "c" merged into a lower-case, slightly larger, "a".

History

In 1972, Capital Artists began hosting concerts and placed music producers Chan Suk-fan (Chinese: 陳淑芬) and Chan Lau-chyun (Chinese: 陳柳泉) in charge of the events. In 1975, a records division was established.

Throughout the 1970s, Capital Artists focused primarily on producing music for television dramas. In 1982, however, Capital Artists shifted their focus to the Hong Kong–based television network TVB and began taking part in TVB's newly created New Talent Singing Awards (Chinese: 香港新秀歌唱大賽), or NTSA (renamed NTSA International Finals (全球華人新秀歌唱大賽) in 1997 and TVB8 International Chinese NTSA (TVB8全球華人新秀歌唱大賽) in 2005). The winner of the contest was guaranteed a recording contract with the record label.

Capital Artists has claimed many music superstars, and for a time, it was one of the top five record labels in Hong Kong, along with BMG, PolyGram (later sold to Universal Music Group), Warner Bros. Records, and EMI.

Chronology

List of singers (2008-)

Male singers

William So蘇永康Edmond Leung梁漢文

List of singers (1971–2001)

Male singers

List of male Capital Artists singers
English
name
Chinese
name
Year
signed
Year
separated
Reason for separationNew companyNotes
Bill Chan石修1971[Unknown]Crown Records (娛樂唱片)Signed with Crown in 1977
Roman Tam羅文19741989EMIDeceased
Leslie Cheung張國榮19821986PolyGramDeceased
David Lui呂方19841990Warner Music
Andy Lau劉德華19851985EMISigned with EMI in 1986
Tony Leung Chiu-wai梁朝偉19851992Music Impact (藝能動音)Signed with Music Impact in 1994
Jackie Chan成龍19861989Rock Records
Alex To杜德偉19861990Rock Records
Andy Hui許志安19861997Go East (正東唱片)
Adam Cheng鄭少秋19871987Crown Records
Leon Lai黎明19871990PolyGram
William So蘇永康19871987Time Record (時代唱片)Signed with Time in 1988
Rejoined Capital Artists in 2011
Anthony Lun倫永亮19881990Golden Pony (嘉音唱片)
Patrick Tam Yiu Man譚耀文19891994Dissolved contract with CapitalColorway Records (力圖唱片)Signed with Colorway in 1996
Edmond Leung梁漢文19892001Capital stopped recording musicGold Label RecordsSigned with Gold Label in 2003
Tsui Chun Tung 徐鎮東19901993Retired from music industry-
Aaron Kwok郭富城19911993Warner Music
Chang Kuan常寬19921992Retired from music industry-Retired in 1993
Phil Chang張宇19931994EMI Taiwan (科藝百代)Signed with EMI Taiwan in 1995
Michael Tong Man Lung唐文龍19941996Pony Canyon
Gabriel Harrison海俊傑19941997Retired from music industry-
Eason Chan陳奕迅19952000EEG
Cheung Ming-man張明敏19971997Retired from music industry-
Wilfred Lau劉浩龍19972001Capital stopped recording musicGo EastSigned with Go East in 2004
Louis Koo古天樂19982001MusicNationGroup (大國文化)
Patrick Tang鄧健泓19982001Go East
Ho Yin Leung梁浩賢20002001Retired from music industrySnazz (潮藝娛樂)Retired 2002-2006
Signed with Snazz in 2006

Female singers

List of female Capital Artists singers
English
name
Chinese
name
Year
signed
Year
separated
Reason for separationNew companyNotes
Lydia Shum沈殿霞19711971Life Records (麗風唱片)Deceased
19821983Crown Records (娛樂唱片)
Angie Chiu趙雅芝1971UnknownUnknownUnknown
Louise Lee李司棋1971UnknownUnknown
Agnes Chan陳美齡19821984Retired from music industry-
Anita Mui梅艷芳19821997Music Impact (藝能動音) (for Mandarin albums)Deceased
2001MusicNationGroup (大國文化) (for Cantonese albums)
Elisa Chan陳潔靈19821986Warner Music
Liza Wang汪明荃19831984Crown Records
Susanna Kwan關菊英19851987Retired from music industry-
Pui Ling Man文佩玲19861988EMI
Jenny Tseng甄妮19871988Sony Music Hong Kong
(新力音樂 (香港))
Elvina Kong江欣燕19881990Retired from music industry-
Gina Lam 林楚麒19881990Retired from music industryGo East (正東唱片)Came out of retirement in 1996
Sammi Cheng鄭秀文19891995Warner Music
Sandy Lam林憶蓮19921994Rock Records
Stephanie Che車婉婉19921995Dissolved contract with CapitalMusic ImpactSigned with Music Impact in 1996
Bak Ka-Sin白嘉倩19931993Dissolved contract with Capital-
Mao A Min毛阿敏19931994Retired from music industry-
Coco Lee李玟19931996Sony Music Hong KongDeceased
Tai Yan Ling戴恩玲19941996Retired from music industry-
Kathy Chow Hoi-Mei周海媚19951997Retired from music industry-Capital contract applied only to Hong Kong. Forward Music (豐華唱片) acted as agent and record label in Taiwan. Deceased
Donna Chu朱潔儀19951997Retired from music industry-
Chen Yi陳奕19951997-
Miriam Yeung楊千嬅19962001CinepolyRejoined Capital Artists in 2010
Josie Ho何超儀19961997Dissolved contract with CapitalAmusicCame out of retirement in 2006
Denise Ho何韻詩19962001EMI
Cindy Au歐倩怡19972001Capital stopped recording music-

Singing groups

List of Capital Artists singing groups
ChineseEnglishYear
signed
Year
separated
Reason for separationNew companyNotes
小虎隊Little Tiger Squad ‡19821984Retired from music industry-
張崇基 張崇德Cheung Shung-Kei Cheung Shung-Tak19931995Dissolved contract with CapitalPony CanyonSigned with Pony Canyon in 2001

† Artist signed with a different label.

‡ No official English name could be found. This is a direct translation.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: South China Morning Post.
  2. Web site: Allbusiness.com retail trade.
  3. Web site: VA / 成人兒歌 HITS FOR KIDULTS - HMV Hong Kong . https://archive.today/20130107165118/http://www.hmv.com.hk/product/canto.asp?sku=593218 . 7 January 2013 . dead.
  4. Web site: Archived copy . 2009-02-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090204213803/http://www.anitamuinet.com/album/album02.htm . 2009-02-04 . dead .
  5. Web site: YESASIA: 影視紅聲 (Timeless Soundtracks) CD - オムニバス, 張國榮(レスリー・チャン) - 広東語の音楽CD - 無料配送. www.yesasia.com.
  6. Web site: 張國榮/History,His Story . 2009-02-01 . 2004-09-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20040906005550/http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/audio/2004-04/01/content_1396121.htm . dead .
  7. http://www.brandrepublic.com/Asia/News/551912/HK+music+label+subway+deal+Anita+Mui+promo/
  8. Web site: Lai Sun Group.
  9. Web site: 9479威尼斯(中国)股份有限公司. batgwa.com.