The original K-pop stars came together… Legends who released new albums in their 80s

Jang Mi-hwa (78) from Korea’s first-generation female group sound ‘Lady Bird’, first-generation jazz vocalist Kim Jun (80), and Yoon Hang-gi (82), Kim Hong-tak (80), and Cha Do-gyun from ‘Key Voice’, a group called ‘Korea’s Beatles’. (84), Johnny Lee (86), who captivated the theater show stage in the 1960s… .

The names of first-generation K-pop legends who made a big mark in the history of Korean popular music are united together. ‘Yewoohoe’, a music group of veteran singers, released a joint album ‘Singing the Legend’ on the 25th. In addition to the above, a total of 18 people participated, including Gwang-jeong Kim, Seon Kim, Hye-jeong Kim, Hoon Kim, Ok-hee, Hyun-sang Yoo, Hee-sook Lim, Woo Jang, Il-seo Park, Gyu-hyeon Hwang, and Young-sook Oh. Singer Yoon Hang-gi said, “Originally, there were 50 members who met regularly, but we mainly selected people who were from group sounds and had solo careers,” and added, “There are many active members who are still busy, so we have been recording in our spare time over the past year. “Everyone became more energetic as soon as they stood in front of the microphone,” he said with a laugh.

The honor society, established in March 2006, is comprised of first-generation musicians who pioneered the domestic music industry through the 8th U.S. Army show and group sound activities after the ceasefire of the Korean War. The 8th U.S. Army Show, which started in the 1960s, was only able to stand on the show after passing a fierce grade-based audition, and discovered many first-generation musical talents. Members of the local group sound that was born around the same time laid the foundation for the creation of Korean pop music by acquiring instruments and sheet music that were difficult to obtain at the time at their own expense. If we go back to the original form of K-pop, which is loved all over the world, we will eventually come across the foundations laid by the members of the Yeuhoehoe.

This new album contains a total of 26 songs on 2 CDs, and was also released in USB format. The first chapter contains 12 new songs by the participants, including ‘Life’ (Yoon Hang-ki) and ‘Favorite House’ (Yoo Hyeon-sang). Even overseas, it is not easy to find new songs by veteran singers with an average age in their 80s or older in one album. Singer Lim Hee-sook released the song ‘Pilgrim of Love’, which she had only made sheet music for in 1984 but had not released, for the first time in 40 years with this album. He was active mainly on the 8th U.S. Army Show and the Walkerhill stage in the late 1960s, and is called the ‘godmother of Korean soul music’, which cannot be missed when naming black music pioneers in Korea.

It is also very fun to discover new songs by ‘new groups’ newly formed by elders who were popular in the same era. Kim Hong-tak, a former guitarist for the group Key Voice, performed the new song ‘Time to Smile’ as the ‘Kim Hong-tak Trio’ with Oh Young-sook and Kim Sun. Oh Young-sook is a member of the ‘JUNE Sisters’, which gained sensational popularity as ‘Woman with a Bag’ in the 8th US Army and live clubs in the 1970s. The beautiful voice of Kim Seon, a member of the rock band Babos and Shouters, was greatly praised when it was included in Shin Jung-hyun’s 8-minute arrangement of ‘The Person Who Must Leave (Original Pearl Sisters)’ in 1969. The music of elders who shared the 1970s era was circulated and gathered together in an album in 2024.

The second chapter contains newly arranged existing representative songs of participating singers. It is easy to overlook the second chapter of an album, also known as the ‘B-side’, compared to the first, but it is not easy to do so with the new album of Yewoohoe. ‘Plea’ (Kyu-Hyeon Hwang, leader of the rock group Shegrin), ‘Love that Followed the Fallen Leaves’ (Do-Kyun Cha), ‘At the Moonlight Window’ (Il-Seo Park of the group City Children), ‘Train of Life’ (Ok-Hee of the band ‘Seoul Sisters’), There are a series of hit songs that formed the backbone of Korean pop music history, such as ‘Orario’ (Kim Hoon of Hooni and Superstar).

Starting with this new album, the Yewoohoe is planning an album showcase and charity performance this year. President Jang Mi-hwa, who participated in this album with the representative song ‘The Day the West Wind Blows’, said, “It is a pity that the older members of the Society keep leaving over time, and we started this album with the thought that this could be our last CD.” From the song selection stage, we worked hard to match the song tone and musical color, and everyone had fun as if they were back in the early days of their debut. “I hope it becomes a valuable record,” he said.