The Dulcet Tones of Jackie Chan
From January 17 through January 21, Neon Splatter is celebrating all things Jackie Chan. His movies, his many other projects, and his impact on film as well as film lovers. This is #JackieChanuary.
Did YOU know that Jackie Chan is a very popular musical artist? Cuz I sure as shit didn’t. I knew he enjoyed crooning a tune or two, but was unaware that he has been making albums sine 1984. His latest release was LAST YEAR. 2020. With the song "壮志在我胸2020" / "Ambition in My Chest 2020".
whut.
Considering the fact that, as a musical artist, he’s huge in China (and a few other parts of Asia like Taiwan, Japan, and more), not to mention his fervent international film fandom, this probably is a well known fact that only I’ve stumbled upon. I noticed he did the theme song for 2017’s THE FOREIGNER when I reviewed it, but just assumed that was a vanity thing to help entice the actor or maybe as a favor to the cinematic (looking at you, end credits theme song to KISS KISS BANG BANG by Robert Downey, Jr.).
Well, nope. He’s done the theme songs and/or contributed to the soundtrack to 41 films. Including titles covered this week like POLICE STORY and RUMBLE IN THE BRONX.
Also, as he provided the voice of Shang in China’s version of MULAN, he also sang “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” in Cantonese.
Hey - let’s keep the Jackie Chan Disney train rocking AND rolling with Chan’s stirring 2017 rendition of “A Whole New World” from Disney’s ALADDIN (joined by Taiwanese popstar Nana Ou-yang).
Then there’s the stirring anthem “Believe In Yourself” for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He actually released a whole album to coincide with the massive event. And performed "Hard to Say Goodbye" at the opening ceremony (alongside Andy Lau, Liu Huan, and Emil Chau).
2018’s music video for “Thank You My Love” is kind of a glossy (coughcoughvanitycoughcough) version of Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”, with Chan in his advanced years revisiting footage and events from his past. The song was written by Jay Chou but is an ode to Chan’s wife, Joan Lin.
The fact is that Chan can actually sing fairly well (some of these notes are definitely out of his register, though). He seems to be more of a sentimental/romantic figure which works great for inspirational tunes and Disney songs, not to mention those sweeping epic songs used to cap his various larger-than-life movies.
This isn’t that surprising as Chan, along with Sammo Kam-Bo Hung and others of their generation, came up through the Peking Opera/Chinese Opera tradition. This is where students had to learn to dance, sing, act, and perform martial arts (usually taught by instructors who were…enthusiastic about corporal punishment as an incentive). And he has used that training to be incredibly prolific in his musical career. According to Wikipedia (I know, I know):
Jackie Chan is a prolific singer who started producing records in the early 80s. He started singing the theme songs over the closing credits of his films in 1980, when the film The Young Master was produced. Chan sang its theme song, titled "Kung Fu Fighting Man" entirely in English. Since then he has produced over 20 different albums, singing over 100 songs in over five languages, and has teamed up with singers such as Emil Chau and the late Anita Mui. His personal achievements also include winning Best Foreign Singer Award in Japan in 1984.
In addition to being a multi-hyphenate just in the world of filmmaking (actor, stunt coordinator, director, producer, writer) he extends outward into other areas of art and entertainment to continue his legendary status as a singular icon who achievements may never be matched again (your move, The Rock)!
Oh, and Chan covered Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep” in the 2016 film SKIPTRACE (co-starring Johnny Knoxville). So. There’s that.