 Radio DJ Bae Chul-soo is releasing 100 albums with the help of music labels such as Sony BMG, Universal Music and Warner Music Korea. According to Bae, the 100 albums represent the history of pop. The records can be purchased both online and offline. /Courtesy of MBC |
By Han Sang-heeStaff Reporter
Bae Chul-soo, one of the most influential radio DJs here, is offering a special gift for his fans and music lovers who have been following his career for the last 20 years.
Bae is celebrating the 20th anniversary for his popular radio show ``Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp'' on March 19. The 57-year-old has delivered pop music to numerous homes from 1990 and thanks to him, the Korean public got to listen to music from around the world every day.
To add more meaning to the event, he has teamed up with global music giants Sony BMG, Universal Music and Warner Music Korea to release 100 albums he thinks represent our time.
``I can't believe how fast 20 years has passed by. We had a rough ride in the first couple of years, but they paid off. I've spent a happy 20 years,'' Bae said during a press conference at MBC, southern Seoul, Monday.
Bae's Big Project
The 100 albums were released on Monday at major bookstores and online music stores.
Thirty albums will be released after being cut for production thanks to Bae's project and fans can now purchase discs like Iron Butterfly's ``In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,'' Uriah Heep's ``Magician's Birthday'' and Elvis Presley's ``Elvis Presley.'' All of the albums include a short commentary written by Bae. Along with the repackaged records, Bae has also published a book called ``Legend: 20 Years of Bae Chul-soo's Music Camp and 100 Albums'' with music critic and writer Bae Sun-tak.
``The book title has `legend' in it, which is quite embarrassing. It is not about me, but about the albums. I first felt a change of emotion when I listened to `Sealed with a Kiss' and from then, I lived with music. After reading the top 100 albums chosen by music magazines and critics around the world, I wanted to bring something that was closer to the Korean public,'' he said.
Bae took note of various sources, including magazines like Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, the Grammy's Album of the Year and also international album sales.
``Music is very personal, and if anybody asks me why I chose a particular album, I would say `because I wanted to,''' he said.
20-Year-Old Show
Famous for donning a simple turtle neck and blue jeans, Bae has managed to bring the young and old together through music, and this was one of the most difficult tasks he had to overcome throughout the years.
``It's hard to find a balance. Songs from the '70s and '80s can be too old, but latest hits can also bring criticism from the older crowd. The show runs from six to eight. From six to seven, I choose pop numbers from the '70s, '80s and the '90s, and after seven, I choose the latest numbers for balance,'' Bae said.
When it came to coming up with a specific list of songs, Bae firmly said that he never gave in to requests from music labels.
``I have never aired songs that were chosen by my friends working for album labels. I listen to all of the songs myself,'' he said.
In the early 1980s to the 1990s, there were many radio shows that offered pop songs from around the world instead of K-pop, the opposite of the situation we are used to today. When asked what he thought about the lack of shows that feature pop songs, Bae said there was no need to find fault.
``Listening to K-pop is a good thing. But the music we are listening to is not traditional Korean music. It's Western music. If we fall behind the international music industry and close the windows that lead us to the world, our music will lose competitiveness,'' he said.
A former member of the famous rock and roll band Songolmae, the 57-year-old also mentioned the issue of plagiarism and the overall entertainment industry.
``The person who made the song knows best. He or she knows if it was done deliberately or a simple mistake. In the end, it's all about conscience,'' he said.
``I try to air bright and happy songs. If you listen to sad songs, you become sad. I want people to listen to the happy songs I choose for the show and start thinking positively.''
When asked how he has managed to retain his youthfulness after all these years, he smiled and said the key was communication.
``I love being with friends in their 20s and 30s. I get to know what they are thinking and we actually connect. I think it's because I'm not mature enough,'' he said laughing.
Bae's show is aired everyday on MBC FM4U.
sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
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