the Wynners
{{Short description|Hong Kong pop band}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2021}}
{{infobox musical artist
| name = The Wynners
| image = WynnersReunion2007.jpg
| alt =
| caption = The Wynners reunion in 2007
| location =
| years_active = 1973–2023 (intermittent reunions since the late 70s)
| module = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| t = 溫拿
| s = 温拿
| p = wēn nā
| j = wan1 naa4
}}
| module2 = {{infobox musical artist|embed=yes
| alias = The Loosers (former name)
| background = temporary
| origin = Hong Kong
| genre = Hong Kong English pop, Cantopop
| label = Philips, Polydor, Universal Music
| current_members = Alan Tam
Kenny Bee
Bennett Pang
Danny Yip
Anthony Chan
| past_members = Natalis Chan
Chan Pak San
}}
| origin = Hong Kong
| landscape = yes
}}
The Wynners are a Hong Kong pop band formed in the 1970s. The group consists of Alan Tam (lead vocals), Kenny Bee (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Bennett Pang (lead guitar), Danny Yip (bass), and Anthony Chan (drums).
History
Beginning as a Hong Kong English pop band, The Wynners were assembled by manager Pato Leung in 1973 out of an earlier incarnation of the group, the Loosers. Bee, who was with the Sergeant Majors before joining the Wynners, was the only one not part of the original lineup.
The group soon became one of the most popular teen idol groups in Hong Kong at the time. The group's first studio album, Listen to the Wynners, released in 1974, was a commercial success. It included the Walkers' hit Sha-La-La-La-La.{{cite web |url=http://www.releaselyrics.com/7e21/the-wynners-sha-la-la-la/ |title=THE WYNNERS - Sha-La-La-La Lyrics |website=www.releaselyrics.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221222905/http://www.releaselyrics.com/7e21/the-wynners-sha-la-la-la/ |archive-date=2014-02-21}} The next albums were equally successful, such as the 1976 release Some Kind of Magic, which included hits such as Save Your Kisses For Me,{{cite web|url=http://decoda.com/the-wynners-save-your-kisses-for-me-lyrics|title=The Wynners - Save Your Kisses for Me lyrics|publisher=}} a cover of the 1976 Eurovision winner by British pop band Brotherhood of Man.
Their success in music was mirrored other forms of the popular media, including a television show on TVB, the Wynners Specials (1975), and three feature films, Let's Rock (1975), Gonna Get You (1976) and Making It (1978).
In 1978, members of the group went their separate ways to develop their solo careers.
Alan Tam and Kenny Bee went on to become two of the most popular stars in Hong Kong in the 1980s.
Never formally disbanded, the Wynners have since reunited on stage every five years to sold-out crowds. On 1 April 2011, they reunited at the Artistes 311 Love Beyond Borders fundraising event set up by Jackie Chan in Hong Kong to help tsunami victims in Japan. Most recently, they held a benefit concert for Family Bridges at the Oracle Arena on 8 November 2014.
In 2023, the Wynners announced their final concert in Hong Kong commemorating their 50th anniversary, and formally disbanded shortly after.
Music
The group sang exclusively in English in their early days, mainly covers of popular songs from other parts of the world, most notably "Hey Jude" by the Beatles.
In 1975, the group collaborated with songwriter/lyricist James Wong and released a number of original Cantonese songs for the soundtrack of the film Let's Rock, which Wong also directed.
With lyrics in a light-hearted, colloquial style along the lines of those from Sam Hui, these songs defined the signature style of early Cantopop.
Awards and honours
- RTHK Top 10 Gold Songs Awards
- 1988 RTHK Golden Needle Award
References
External links
{{commons category-inline|Wynners}}
- [http://mojim.com/us102120x7.htm The Wynners music database]
- [http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1270893/rewind-album-listen-wynners-wynners Rewind album: 'Listen to The Wynners', by The Wynners]
{{s-start}} {{s-ach|aw}}
{{succession box
| title=Golden Needle Award of RTHK Top Ten Chinese Gold Songs Award
| years=1988
| before=Chen Dieyi
| after=Paula Tsui}}
{{end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wynners, The}}
Category:English-language singers from Hong Kong
Category:Cantopop musical groups