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Monday, August 15, 2011

Chronicles Part 1

Yim Jaebum - From SINAWE's 1st LP (1986). His very first public photo.















Yim Jaebum (임재범, 任宰範) ㅡ



(*Also written as Yim Jaebeom, or Yim Jaebeum, latter one more legit because it's printed that way in some of his official albums)


Yim Jaebum, was born in Seoul 14th Oct. 1962. But on some documents it records 1963 (or even with a different date : 30th of Oct.), due to some complicated situations at the time of his birth. His father was Yim Taekgeun (임택근), a legendary and practically the first real announcer in Korean broadcasting history.


Yim is nearly 6 feet tall, 182 cm to be accurate. His weight is unknown but his stature proves that he is very well fit and athletic. It's reported that he enjoys sports activity and most recently he practices Gummdo (Korean for "kendo").

His birth and upbringing is complicated. This is his rather painful past which did a part in his personality and his later behavior, but it's all publicly revealed recently.

His father married a university professor of music, they wanted to have a child so bad but they failed to. Mr. Yim eventually got envolved with a woman outside his marriage and Yim was born. It is rumoured that his mother was a famous female folk singer at the time but this story isn't confirmed. He was left to an orphanage where he grew up his early years. Eventually he was brought home but never got his father's love and attention. He was brought up mostly by his grandmother. This kind of paths led to his moody personality and developed his love for music since a very early age.

He discovered music listening to the radio, and copied the songs being played. He had talent inside him, mind you who his father and his supposed mother were. He fell deeper into music. Which gave him an edge, later revealed in some old classmates' interviews, Yim was the class leader and also "leader of the pack". When they went to school picnics outdoors he was the one who only came in normal clothes (Korean students had to wear uniforms back then) and stood out from miles away. And when he took the mic he simply stole the show. (Note : There are more pictures of Yim Jaebum as a child or from his school days out there, Much earlier than his SINAWE debut. But this page declines to post them here, as a respect of his privacy)



He graduated Seoul High School, where he was along the partner of fate without even knowing yet : Shin Daechul (신대철), who later launches the very first Korean Heavy Metal band SINAWE (시나위), Shin Daechul is the eldest son of the Korean Rock legend and guitarist Shin Joonghyun (신중현). This "Royal family" of Korean Rock has their marks all over the Korean music scene still to this day. Before joining SINAWE, Yim is said to be a DJ at a music cafe near Sookmyung Women's University, hanging around Itaewon for live gigs and watching bands play. In a recent interview he said he also DJ'd, ran the lights and delivered water to the stage at Rock World as well, hoping to find the chance to get up on the big stage his dreams were made on.

In 1985, Yim joined SINAWE, plays shows, writes songs together and puts his Metal between the hammer and the anvil. Gaining some buzz from the underground, they are proposed to record an album. And thus, it does cometh. SINAWE's debut album (unofficially titled "Heavy Metal") is released. 1st of March of 1986. This album is not only the first, but still considered the best Metal album ever made. The album starts with the Korean Rock anthem "With the Radio turned up high" (크게 라디오를 켜고), which is a monumental song in itself and also a concert cover favorite for all Rockers in Korea and later featured in the hit movie "Radio Star" (라디오스타 2006).

1987, after leaving SINAWE to serve the military obligations that every Korean men must do, he formed WAYIN BUDAE (외인부대, 外人部隊 , FL : Foreign Legion) as he regained his civilian status. Along with a group of star players of the time. members from BOOHWAL (부활), DAASUT SON-GARAK (다섯손가락) and another guitar wiz who was unkown at the time : Sohn Moohyun (손무현). They released 1 album but soon broke up after a number of concerts. In frustration, Yim dissapears from the scene and not to be found for a while. This is probably the first time he does this.

1989, Yim teams up with former BAEKDOOSAN (백두산) guitarist Kim Dokyoon (김도균) (* See below), along with a super alliance of Rock warriors of the time. They release a project album called ROCK IN KOREA. Yim leads this super group that ranges members from WAYIN BUDAE, SINAWE, BAEKDOOSAN, H2O, CHARISMA and others. Also with 2 musicians from America to make it more colorful. Yim recorded an anthem that makes another statement, only this time internatioanlly, "Rock In Korea" and "Same Old Story". Yim co-wrote both songs with Kim Dokyoon and sings these 2 tracks in his live concerts still to this day. Later in 1993, this album came out in a "new" version (on a different label). It writes ROCK IN KOREA 2 : "Live Remix" as the title, but there's a catch : it isn't live at all. The tracks are simply remixed to enhance certain parts and has live crowd sounds dubbed in, all the songs and personnel are the same except for 1 track, but nothing related to Yim Jaebum. This came out probably to "cash in", as Yim's solo career (1991) as well as Kim Jongseo (김종서)'s debut as a solo singer (1992) was successful. On a good note, Yim's vocals are much louder and clearer than the "original" release. Sounding almost like that he's screaming right into your ears.

There was no tour or even a single concert for this line-up of superstars of Korean Rock at the time. It would have been a great showcase of where "Rock in Korea" is at and would've made a great show on stage. I'm sure there was at least an attempt for it though because I vividly remember an entertainment report footage of Yim singing "Rock in Korea" in a rehearsal studio along with Kim Dokyoon (I am not clear if this rehearsal was for for ROCK IN KOREA or was before the debut as ASIANA), this footage I've seen only once on TV and never saw it again. It's such a shame, but this project gave hint and the motif for another important chapter in Yim's career. Probably his last move in Metal.

After the release of the album "Rock in Korea", Yim was invited by Kim Dokyoon whom he just played with. Kim had already fled to London at the time to "study" Rock music from the land that chisled it "Hard and Heavy". Yim flies to London and he forms SARANG (사랑 : "Love" in Korean) with Kim and 2 Brits : Mick Curton and Jim Houghton and they play in clubs and pubs in and out of London. It is told that Yim and Kim wore traditional Korean wardrobe (Hanbok : 한복) during their gigs to show where their from and to add my guess is to give an exotic edge. It's been told that Yim learned to speak English pretty fluently in just 6 months. In recent interviews Kim Dokyoon told that the band toured up and down UK and they were featured in a show in BBC radio. And it's during this period when Yim gets most of his "Metal" tattoos on various parts of his body. He said in an interview that by engraving them, he wanted to be a Rocker forever. There is also a funny episode during this time, when Yim got fed of Kim's bad cooking, he runs out for some "real" food. But having no money, he walks himself into a church of Koreans and asks for a warm meal of mercy. The so generous people first asks him if he will "join" them, in other words, "NO free meal unless you sell your soul to the Devil". Yim's response was : "Well let me think about it while I eat".


Just when they are about to get some following (even a scheduled show at the famous Rock club MARQUEE), the 2 suddenly decides to return to Korea after a phone call. The then already world famous LOUDNESS from Japan was to play their first concert in Seoul, and they should be the opener, and also offered the opportunity for a world wide tour with them. The Korean duo gives deep thoughts and considers the options, and decided to come back. As a "world tour" was such a sweet offer for a Rock musician that's hard to resist.

The duo added Kim Youngjin and Yoo Sangwon to the lineup and forms ASIANA. They open for LOUDNESS and steals the show, giving what the Korean kids were waiting for for so long. And naturally makes a triumphant comeback to the Korean Metal scene. Stories told is that Yim vocals blew the backstage people's minds away who never seen him before and even the headliners themselves (LOUDNESS' singer was the American Mike Vescera at the time). But after this show the management/promotors of the 2 countries gets in some conflict and the plans were scraped.

Having totally giving up all the things they worked for in London and left them all behind, the 2 are frustrated. But decided to give this new project a try. They fly back to London and enter the studio to record their only album : "Out on the street" (1990), from SRB Records, the same label that Yim released SINAWE's album from. The album is such a power fueled, all out Metal album. But unfortunately, that was it. The support from the label didn't happen as they were promised and they weren't able to go on. ASIANA disbands without playing their own show.



Sadly, this marks the final chapter of Yim Jaebum's METAL endeavours.


Yim Jaebum's vocal range is very wide. He mostly uses chest voice with nasal and head voice added to switch the tonal characters. He adds some falsetto to his singing but very rarely, only to make the parts sound soulful and emotional, this started after his pop career.


His lowest tone ever heard was low E3(미) : same as the open 6th string of a standard tuned guitar (which was heard later during "I'm a singer" performance"), and the highest scream he ever hit was in the 2 tracks from "Rock in Korea". Where he hits the G6 (솔) note in both songs' climax. The screaming phrase rises from E6 to G6. So, you have 3 octaves in full and few more notes above in total. His voice gets pretty raspy and husky as it gets higher, but doesn't lose its thickness and meaty power and masculine grandeur. Another significant character is that as he gets higher, his voice will "devide"- not in a bad way, but adds spectrum and aura to the original tone he is singing. Almost like "overtone singing" effect. You can hear some sounds added an octave higher or lower even though he is singing 1 note. And the track is not overdubbed or FX'd. He did it many times in recording and even live. One just have to listen for himself to really "hear" it.


To hear the same note I'm talking about, just listen to the intro for "Ram it down" by the Metal gods : JUDAS PRIEST (You only need 5 seconds). It's the same 2 notes in the high register, only descending this time, from G6 to E6.


His voice is compared to David Coverdale (WHITESNAKE, DEEP PURPLE)(* See below) and the late Ronnie James Dio (1942~2010 : HEAVEN & HELL, DIO, BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW, ELF). He does possess this unqiue voice color that can't easily be found in Korea. I'd like to add Graham Bonnet (IMPELLITTERI, ALCATRAZZ, MSG, RAINBOW), Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN) and Geoff Tate (QUEENSRYCHE) to the list. Only because I sometimes felt flashbacks of all those greats listening to his powerful voice through the years. Some critics said that Yim Jaebum's voice can come out "once in a hundred years" in Korea. Although I hate music critics, I have absolutely no objection to that.



* When Yim Jaebum was working as a club staff (not performing yet, 1984) he saw Kim Dokyoon (김도균) play and Rock the house. This was BEFORE Kim formed BAEKDOOSAN (백두산) and Yim joined SINAWE (시나위). Yim asked Kim if he would play music with him. Kim asked "Well, what can you sing ?", Yim's answer was singing "Soldier of fortune" (DEEP PURPLE) that had David Coverdale's vocals. Kim told him :"whatever you do, DON'T sing dude". In frustration and anger, Yim practiced the song madly, It's told that he sang the bloody song over 2000 times, and recorded every take on a cassette player, perfecting his singing by picking out the flaws and comparing it with the original. Soonafter, Yim "mastered" David Coverdale's styles and determined himself to prove himself to Kim once again. When the time came Yim joined SINAWE and Kim was already in BAEKDOOSAN. But their paths does cross for the project ROCK IN KOREA, eventually blooming in ASIANA. There are clips of him singing the immortal track during his concerts on youtube.



- To be continued on Part 2 , following his solo years ----------------------





Note : This "Bio" was written personally in a VERY subjective manner, but based on facts and already verified information. Using various sources, data found in the web, and personal experiences and documents that I own. And posted directly HERE for the first time. This is meant for nowehere else. If there are false or newly verified facts I will change them. It's directly written into English and is not a translation, nor will be translated. The reference pages will be all lined up in 1 page after I review all of Yim's METAL albums in upcoming individual blog posts. With more detailed reviews, the history and background on the album.

Thank you for reading. Now, I insist that you copy the damn thing right now and take it anywhere without asking, PLEASE.