Beyond

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This article is about the rock band; for the magazine, see Beyond (magazine). For the Lucio Fulci film, see The Beyond. For the New Zealand film, see Beyond (film).

Beyond is a very famous rock band in Hong Kong, founded in 1983. Like their hero Sam Hui, they have always identified with the people of Hong Kong, as reflected in their songs about social issues, pursuit of dreams, politics, and peace. Wong Ka Kui's " 海闊天空 (Boundless Oceans Vast Skies) & 光輝歲月(Glorious Years) are two of their best known works.

Beyond stands out in the Hong Kong music industry due to the fact that they are one of the very rare groups who compose and write their own music. With the exception of a single song, a tribute to their hero Sam Hui, Beyond has never recorded a cover in the studio.

Image:Single93.jpg Beyond consists of:

Wong Ka Kui vocals, guitar
Wong Ka Keung vocals, bass
Paul Wong Koon Chung vocals, lead guitar
Yip Sai Wing drums

Formed in 1983, the original members were Wong Ka Kui (vocals, guitar), Yip Sai Wing (vocals, drums) and Lau Chi Yuen (keyboards). Ka Kui's younger brother Wong Ka Keung (vocals, bass) joined in 1984 followed by Paul Wong (vocals, lead guitar) in 1985. Other members for brief periods have included Chan See On and Kubert Leung. Lau Chi Yuen left the band in 1989 to pursue studies in the US (though he made a return later playing instruments and helping to produce 1998's Surprise).

Beyond were initially part of the "band boom" which occurred in Hong Kong in the 1980s, alongside other groups such as Grasshopper, Tat Ming Pair, Tai Chi, Blue Jeans, Fundamental, and Radias.

In June 1993, Wong Ka Kui sustained massive head injuries after falling from a broken stage on a game show in Japan. Consequently, Wong Ka Kui fell into a coma and passed away shortly after. He was only 31 years old. News of his death had a great impact on not just the music industry in Hong Kong, but with his fan base all over the world. His funeral procession caused traffic in various major city streets in Hong Kong to grind to a standstill, and almost every famous Hong Kong Cantopop singer was in attendance to pay their respects.

The Japanese will never understand, for us and for Hong Kong, that the incident was not merely about the loss of an artiste. It was about losing a music revolutionary, and an age of time. - Paul Wong on the death of Ka Kui

At the time of his passing, they were signed to Japanese record label Amuse, having already released several Japanese language singles and an album. The following album, This Is Love I, initially intended to be the first of two parts, was released the day after Wong Ka Kui's death.

There was debate as to whether the remaining three members would continue the band without him, but speculation ended when they reappeared on the 30th of November 1993 in Hong Kong at the Composer's Tribute Night concert. After Ka Kui's death, Beyond's first album produced was 2nd Floor Back Suite (二樓後座). Within this album was a stirring solo tribute to Ka Kui that was written, composed and sung by his younger brother, Ka Keung.

The post-Ka Kui albums have a more 'alternative' feel to the progressive rock sound that preceded them. 1997's Please Let Go of Your Hands (Hong Kong post-97 sentiment abounding) and 1995's grunge-inspired Sound are examples of this.

At present, the band has parted ways, with each member pursing his own solo career. They played their last concert in Hong Kong under the Beyond name on 1st February 2005, before embarking on a world tour, including stops in Toronto, Canada and various cities in mainland China, after which the band officially disbanded.

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