RLPF.ar

"The Mouse Loves the Rice" is a song Chinese love to hate. At least, the younger generation regard it as outdated and treacly (it certainly is that), and my students take it as an example of exactly what they want not to do in their careers. But I suspect that many of them hold a secret affection for the song's simple and naïve vision of love. (Alice Cooper's admiration for the Bee Gees' songwriting and production skills would have been equally shameful in his heavy-metal circles. Or maybe it was Dee Snyder of Twisted Sister -- I don't remember exactly.)

On my first trip to China in 2005, I was at the MusicAcoustica festival at the Central Conservatory in Beijing. One short presentation was by the British record producer Clive Bell. He had made an English-language version of the song, as part of an album called London Listens to Beijing Top 10. When this song came up for discussion in one of my lessons this past week, I thought immediately of this version, but I couldn't play it for the students since I didn't have a copy and I very much doubted I could find it.

I found it. http://www.clivebell.co.uk/sonidos/the_mouse_loves_the_rice.mp3

I have to admit, it sounds worse for wear six years after hearing a clip in the Conservatory lecture hall. The mixing balances are a bit careless (I could do better) and the saxophone... no idea what effect he was after. Perhaps it's meant to sound naïve and "charming" but it errs on the side of incompetent. Mr. Bell might have been after a lo-fi aesthetic, but there's a difference between lo-fi and rush job. It's a shame. It's a clever idea, such as someone might scribble down on a pub napkin at 10 PM after a couple too many pints. (Occasionally such ideas really are clever.) But executed this way, it may have been better to blow one's nose on it and leave it in the bin.

There are a couple of other tracks from the same album on that site: http://www.clivebell.co.uk/mp3.htm. I haven't listened yet, so "at your own risk," "parental guidance suggested" etc. etc.