Rebirth in America

? A jungle somewhere in the outskirts of the city.

Alex is personally leading the team, and he wants to shoot the MV for "If I Die Young" in the shortest possible time.

When they were filmed carrying the boat to the lake, there was a little trouble. Karen's constitution particularly attracted mosquitoes.

Even if you spray insect repellent, there is no way to stop the mosquitoes from attacking.

She doesn't have to carry the boat, but she still needs to hold the flowers with both hands. When bitten by a mosquito, she can't help but reach out and pat them.

"Snapped!"

"Stuck! Reshoot!"

"Snapped!"

"Kah! Do it again."

"Snapped!"

"Ka...oh, does anyone have a way to get rid of these mosquitoes?"

Alex was helpless, so he had to clean up all the mosquitoes in the area first, and then go shoot this MV.

He was a little worried, because there was a later scene where Karen was lying on the boat, motionless as a corpse. If there were still mosquitoes to harass her, it would be difficult to film the MV.

However, there are not only grass and woods near the shooting location, but also a large lake. This environment breeds many mosquitoes.

Finally, Alex remembered that there was something that could suppress mosquito bites, so he sent someone to buy some "cooling oil".

"Cool oil? What is that?" The crew was very unfamiliar with this kind of medicine and had never heard of it.

"Well, it's a plaster commonly used by the Chinese. It can repel insects."

Alex's explanation seemed strange to them, they thought. We have never heard of this plaster, why does he seem to know everything about it.

This drug is rare in the United States, perhaps because it has not yet been approved by the Drug Administration. If you go to a normal pharmacy to buy it, you can't find it. Fortunately, they found a Chinese man who asked where the plaster was found, and soon came back with a large box.

Alex asked the crew to apply this plaster, especially on mosquito bites and itchy skin. Apply the cooling oil to the affected area, which can immediately activate blood circulation, reduce swelling, relieve pain and relieve itching.

"Oh, this plaster is really amazing! The area bitten by mosquitoes was much better immediately."

"Well, it also feels cool. It's very comfortable."

"It seems like mosquitoes don't dare to bite us anymore."

…

After Alex and everyone else applied plaster. He looked at Karen's hands and feet again and found that the redness and swelling caused by the bite had become so light that they were almost invisible.

"Okay! Stop discussing and get ready to start shooting!" Alex interrupted other people's discussions. Let the filming continue.

At this moment. Karen looked at Alex. Found a strange question: "Brother, why don't you also apply some cooling oil?"

Alex shrugged and replied, "I wasn't bitten by a mosquito, so there's no need to apply any plaster."

"Why? Do these mosquitoes know how to pick people when they bite? Richard and I have both been bitten. Almost everyone else has been bitten too. Brother Alex, you are the only one who has not been bitten by mosquitoes. It's really unfair."

Karen's words caused Alex to be slightly startled. It seemed that this was really the case. Could it be that mosquitoes also know how to choose people to bite? But if you think about it carefully, maybe it's because Alex has practiced kung fu. His pores are now tightly closed and he can hardly sweat, let alone attract mosquitoes.

But this was just a physiological factor. There seemed to be invisible electromagnetic waves surrounding him, making the mosquitoes afraid to come close.

Alex did not spend much energy studying this phenomenon. He kept the crew busy and soon finished filming the scenes of carrying the boat through the grass and roaming around the lake with flowers.

In fact, this MV is the simplest, almost no effects are needed, just one or two beautiful shots are enough.

After filming the MV, Karen was still lying on the boat reluctantly, refusing to get up: "The filming is done so soon? I still want to shoot for a while, doesn't this kind of scene have to be beautiful?" Just take more shots!"

Hearing such remarks, everyone couldn't help but sweat.

"Okay, let's take a few more shots!" Alex couldn't resist his sister, so he had to get people to take action again.

The people in the crew thought they could get off work. Who knew this would happen, but they had no choice. Alex's words were orders and they had to obey.

So I struggled here for more than an hour before the little princess Karen's wish was fulfilled.

During this process, Karen didn't have to do anything, just lay motionless on the boat.

She was wearing a white dress, holding flowers in her hands, lying down with her eyes closed. I saw her floating on the lake with the boat, shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun, like a fairy in the lake, which made people feel an indescribable feeling.

"Quickly, take this shot." Alex reminded in a low voice.

As a result, the last set of shots became the most artistic part of the MV. After it was broadcast on the TV station, the audience was infected by the atmosphere and had a deeper understanding of the song.

The album by the Carpenters was released to the public amid much publicity. At the same time, the TV station also began to play the MV in turn, and the first one to play was the song "50 Ways to Break Up."

Alex appeared in the supermarket, picking tomatoes. He was wearing a regular shirt and looked like the boy next door.

Just then, Elvis appeared.

Elvis greeted him and asked, "Hi! Alex."

Alex replied weakly: "Hi!"

The audience saw that two superstars had appeared at this time, and their interest in the plot of the upcoming music video was raised to the highest level, and they were very much looking forward to seeing something interesting.

Sure enough, Elvis asked intentionally or unintentionally: "Where's Brigitte? I haven't seen her with you recently."

People in front of the TV immediately pricked up their ears, hoping to confirm something from Alex's mouth.

"Uh..." Alex opened his mouth wide, unable to answer the question for a moment.

At this time the music starts. The sound of a trumpet. When the camera turned, three guys dressed as Mexicans appeared. They were the music video accompaniment band, standing in the middle of the supermarket shelves.

This melody sounds a bit familiar, but there is an indescribable atmosphere in it. Older people will soon know what this intro is. This is a soundtrack adapted from the classic movie "Phantom of the Opera". In addition to following the melody of the original song, it also adds refreshing lyrics and bright flamenco elements.

The song uses a trumpet sound and is full of playful expressions to bid farewell to an old lover, using humor to interpret the original heaviness of a breakup.

Accompanied by singing. The audience saw Brigitte die in various ways.

A plane crashed, I was scorched while sunbathing, I fell into a cement mixer full of sand, I encountered a shark in the water, I was buried in a mudslide, I was swallowed by a lion, I was hit by a broken purple car , lost his way in the desert, jumped to death of heart failure in an East End nightclub, drowned while soaking in a hot bath...

"impossible!()"

"Alex really broke up with Brigitte!"

The audience in front of the TV. While watching this MV, I had all kinds of strange feelings and thoughts in my heart.

More people laughed at this funny MV, and many people laughed until they shed tears. Especially men who have been dumped by their girlfriends will relate to this song. I couldn't help but sing along with the MV.

The turning point comes after singing. Elvis put his hands on Alex's shoulders: "This is so tragic. It's so tragic. What happened to you is so tragic!"

At this time, Brigitte walked up to them with a vegetable basket in her hand and said hello: "Hi. Alex!"

"Hi……"

The two men looked at Brigitte awkwardly, and Elvis didn't know what happened and looked at her dumbfounded. The audience in front of the TV had their mouths so wide that they could hardly close their mouths, and their minds were also at a loss at this moment.

"Please give way!"

Brigitte pushed the two of them aside and thrust in to pick the vegetables. At this time, Elvis looked at Alex and saw Alex shrugging and saying nothing. Then Alex went shopping with Brigitte.

The MV ended here, but it was not over yet for the audience: "What on earth is going on? Did Alex break up with Brigitte? Judging from the lyrics, they should have broken up. ?Then what happened when you came out in the end?"

As soon as the song came out, the focus of discussion in the news media immediately shifted to the relationship between Alex and Brigitte. People wanted to know whether the two of them were separated or not. As for those photos of Brigitte, who still remembers them now?

Obviously, Alex's plan worked. People's gossip mentality is like a dog that keeps chasing bones. If they want to change the direction of their pursuit, they only need to throw another big bone.

"50 Ways to Break Up" quickly reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, sparking a huge amount of gossip that was reflected in the number of times it was viewed and sold.

In addition to the song "50 Ways to Break Up", the song "If I Die Young" starring Karen is also very popular in the market. Especially after the MV was broadcast, people were immediately attracted by the beautiful and romantic pictures, and went to the record company to buy one and listen to it.

This era is a turbulent era.

The threat of the Soviet Union and the outbreak of the Vietnam War made young people in this era feel that their future was precarious. The song Karen sang just expresses the voices of people in this era, especially the young people who feel the same way about this song.

Soon in some gatherings, young people sang this song "If I Die Young" in unison. The scene of tens of thousands of people gathering together to sing a song really changes the color of the world.

“If I die young, bury me in silk and lay me on a bed of roses. Sink me in the river at dawn and bid me farewell with the words of a love song. Lord, please let me Turn into a rainbow, I want to shine on my mother.”

"When she stands under my colorful lights, she will know that I am so safe with you. Life is not always as gray as you expect, even though she buried her child. A moment of life. Sharp blade! I have lived long enough..."

"If I die young, bury me in silk. Lay me on a bed of roses. Submerge me in the river at dawn and bid me farewell with the words of a love song. The sharp edge of life in just a moment. ! I have lived long enough, and I will walk into your kingdom wearing pure white clothes, as green as the rings on my cold fingers..."

This song is a success. Young people with rich emotions are moved by it. Especially those young girls, they love it so much that they want to transform into the heroine of the music video and lie on the boat. Then wander around the lake.

At some anti-war rallies. People even sang this song to express their resistance to the war. They did not want themselves, their friends, and their families to go thousands of miles away to Vietnam for an illusory reason, and then die in a foreign land.

quickly. The song Karen sang became the anti-war anthem of this era. An anti-war trend formed. As long as there are such rallies or marches. You can always hear people singing "If I Die Young" in unison.

It became an era-specific phenomenon.

Alex didn't expect it to develop like this. He thought it was just a good song, but he really didn't expect it to have such a big impact. Various experts have analyzed this phenomenon. From people's psychology, the background of the times and the environment shrouded in dark clouds of war, etc., it makes perfect sense.

This phenomenon soon spread abroad. In the United Kingdom, Australia, European countries, etc., there were also people singing "If I Die Young" at rallies.

The British media "The Times" conducted a detailed report on this, telling a story from its birth to its development into a song that most people like. It said: "Karen Carpenter is only 11 years old this year, but she is already much more mature than other singers in singing. Even Alex, who is extremely talented, is not as good as his little sister Karen in some aspects. Judging from the popularity of this song "If I Die Young", in addition to the success of the song's melody and lyrical connotation, Karen's singing skills and emotional investment are also an important factor."

"News of the World" reported: "The Carpenter brothers and sisters are the best combination in the world. When the three brothers and sisters appear together, their brilliance will overshadow all the singers in the world. This album is the beginning of their singing career." Another milestone, sales set to break any record.”

Local newspapers in the United States even reported on this. Among them, the Los Angeles Times, known as the third largest newspaper in the United States, reported: ""If I Die Young" will definitely become the most profound memory of this era. As the Vietnam War continues to expand, Under such circumstances, young Americans feel that life is short and fleeting. Karen sings what people are feeling!"

The New York Times also reported: “Every collaboration between the three Carpenter siblings brings surprises to people. Although Karen is young, her position in the music world is higher than that of her two brothers. There are various reasons for this situation. The eldest brother Alex is busy with the family business and unable to take care of all aspects. This time, it is thanks to the French beauty Brigitte that people can enjoy such a beautiful song. 2. My brother Richard is gradually leaning towards composing, and with his eldest brother suppressing him and his younger sister Karen chasing after him, he is perhaps the one who bears the most pressure among the three.”

With so many newspapers promoting the record for the three Carpenter siblings, and the TV station constantly playing the music video, the record was quickly sold out, and various sales channels rushed to the record company for more supplies. .

Faced with such a heated scene, not only Rudy, Mark and others did not expect it, but even Alex himself did not expect it.

He had asked the record company's production line to ship at full capacity and fully arranged the production plan. Unexpectedly, he was still far from able to meet the market demand.

There is a reason for this phenomenon. Not only people in the United States want to buy records, but businessmen from other countries are also purchasing records in large quantities, and they are all sold out at once.

This is not over yet. When the audience heard the last song of this album, they were immediately attracted by the song "Hey, Beer". Among the previous songs, "50 Ways to Break Up" and "If I Die Young" are songs that have been promoted, but this song "Hi, Beer" is not mentioned at all, and it is very hidden.

At first, the funny song "50 Ways to Break Up" was ranked first on the Billboard. People's voyeurism towards gossip news is really strong. Many people want to understand what Alex wants to express from this song. .

In addition, the song itself is of good quality and can resonate with many frustrated men. It has been ranked No. 1 for the first week. After "If I Die Young" became popular, it took turns ranking first and second with this song.

After three or four weeks of this, another song on the album started to gain momentum.

This song is "Hi, Beer".

With absolutely no publicity or notice, its rankings skyrocketed, and it finally joined the competition for the number one spot.

Faced with this situation, other record companies and singers couldn't help but lament: "The top three names were snatched away by the Carpenter brothers and sisters. This makes people miserable!"

Yes, since the release of this album, the top three spots on Billboard have been exclusively occupied by the Carpenters. There was no exception, and it lasted for several months.

Since there is no one else in the top three positions, everyone will analyze these three songs to see who can occupy the first place for the longest time. The first to be defeated was "50 Ways to Break Up". Its appearance has quickly consumed and overdrawn people's psychology of chasing gossip. Soon people no longer pay attention to the news about Brigitte's scandal, allowing her to escape from it. go.

Many people believe that the song that will eventually stay at number one on the Billboard for a long time must be the song "If I Die Young" sung by Karen. After all, this song not only conforms to the characteristics of the times, but also was sung passionately by Karen, which raised the level of this song a lot.

But the result was very unexpected.

It was the song "Hey, Beer" that won the final victory. It had full stamina and kept sprinting forward unswervingly. Perhaps "If I Die Young" was too popular at the beginning. During that time, there was almost no place where this song could not be heard.

When you enter the restaurant, you can hear this song playing in the restaurant. You can also hear it when you go to the supermarket. Even on the street, you can hear people singing "If I Die Young". UU reading www.uukａnshu． net When I get home and turn on the TV, I can also see the MV of this song.

In the first month or so, the song "If I Die Young" overwhelmed the other two songs. But after people got tired of it, the other two songs began to catch up. In particular, the song "Hey Brigitte" quickly climbed to the top of the Billboard, and not just in the United States, but in other countries as well.

At over seven minutes long, the song was the longest ever single to top the UK charts at the time.

It also stayed at number one on the US charts for nine weeks, the longest stay at number one of any song, and tied the record for the longest time at number one, which was held until 1977 by Daisy. Than Boone's ";;" breaks.

In less than six months, the song has sold nearly eight million copies and regularly appears on professional music critics' lists of the greatest songs of all time. (To be continued...)

ps: The outbreak last month was so violent that we updated it from 10,000 to 12,000 every day. I have to take it slow this month. I may only be able to update 5k to 6k words a day. Today there is only one chapter with 5k words. I also wish everyone a happy Children’s Day!