Hong Kong English pop

Hong Kong English pop (Chinese: 英文歌) are English language songs that are made, performed and popularised in Hong Kong. Known as simply English pop by Hong Kong people. The height of the English pop era in Hong Kong was from the 1950s to mid 1970s.

As English was the only official language from 1843 to 1974 in Hong Kong, it was spoken widely, especially in formal context, by Hongkongers in the 20th century. As a result, pop songs performed in English language were very popular among both ethnic Chinese and British Hong Kong citizens.

Many of the bandleaders and musicians were Filipinos. Lobing Samson, who led the house band at Ciro's for many years, later made his way to Hong Kong as did Fred Carpio, Vic Cristobal and many others.

In 1951, Frankie Laine recorded "Rose, Rose, I Love You" in Hong Kong, which is an English version of the popular Chinese song Mei gui mei gui wo ai ni composed by Chen Gexin (陳歌辛), and first recorded by Yao Lee in Shanghai 1940s. In 1959 Tsai Chin recorded an English version of Yao Min's "The Second Spring", which featured in the London stage musical The World of Suzie Wong.

Imported pop music in English language from the West such as The Beatles, Elvis Presley and Johnny Mathis enjoyed much popularity in the city. Inspired by many imported pop music from the West, Hong Kong artists started to produce Hong Kong’s own pop music in English in the 1960s. The Kontinentals, a schoolboy band originating at King George V School, is often credited with being the first Hong Kong band to record original compositions in the style of British pop of the early 1960s. Lead singer and bassist Anders Nelsson and lead guitarist Roy Davenport, composed I Still Love You and I Think of Her, respectively, and the songs were chart-topping hits on the indie Orbit Records label owned by British jazz singer Gery Scott.

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