Golden 1st Album/Rock Will Never Die - Boohwal (골든 제1집/ Rock Will Never Die - 부활) - Episode 32/35
Front cover of the 1st Golden Album/ Rock Will Never Die by the authentic rock group "Boohwal"
Boohwal's debut album marks a significant milestone in the history of Korean heavy metal, positioning the band alongside Sinawe and Baekdusan as one of the genre's leading acts during its formative years. Released after the band did not qualify for the Gangbyeon Song Festival, the album achieved remarkable commercial success, selling over 300,000 copies through innovative noise marketing strategies. Notable tracks such as "Hee-ya" and "Rain and Your Story" exemplify the rock ballad style that continues to resonate with audiences today. The album, subtitled "Heeya, Rain and the Resurrection of Your Story, Doll," was released on October 3, 1986, under the production of Seoul Records, classified as a regular album with the catalog number SRD-5-077.
Early members of the Resurrection's predecessor, Diend
The band that preceded Boohwal was known as The End, consisting of members Kim Tae-won (guitar/vocals), Lee Ji-woong (이지웅) (guitar), Lee Tae-yoon (이태윤) (vocals/bass), and Hwang Tae-soon (황태순) (drums). Following the addition of Kim Jong-seo (김종서), the vocalist from Black Pearl, Lee Tae-yoon transitioned from vocalist to bassist and subsequently departed. To complete the lineup for Boohwal, the band enlisted Kim Byung-chan (김병찬), a guitarist from Bohemian, to take on the bass role.
Under the leadership of Kim Jong-seo, Boohwal launched the "1st Boohwal, Pagoda Rock Concert" at the Pagoda Theatre in October 1985. This concert, which took place twice on the same day, featured Bohemian as the opening act and included Sinawi as a guest performer. The Pagoda Theatre, with a capacity of 560 seats, experienced a complete sell-out, leading to many attendees being turned away, prompting the Jongno Police Station to manage traffic in the area.
Boohwal, Riverside Song Festival, and Kim Jong-seo
Following a notable performance at the Pagoda Theatre, Boohwal participated in the 6th Riverside Song Festival. Despite the mixed duet Ma-eum-gwa-ma-eum winning the grand prize with their song "Where You Are Far Away," Boohwal faced elimination in the preliminary round. Lee Seung-chul (이승철), the vocalist for Pioneer, also competed but similarly did not advance past the preliminaries.
Since their inception, Boohwal and Sinawi have maintained a significant rivalry. Interestingly, both groups sought the talents of Kim Jong-seo to ensure a reliable vocalist prior to the release of their debut albums. Although Boohwal was the first to secure Kim Jong-seo, he soon transferred to Sinawi. Ultimately, Kim Jong-seo did not participate in the debut albums of either band and later joined Little Sky.
Back cover of the 1st Golden album by the authentic rock group "Boohwal"/ Rock Will Never Die
Boohwal that caught the big fish called Lee Seung-cheol
Following Kim Jong-seo's departure from the band Boohwal, the group sought a new vocalist and encountered Lee Seung-chul during auditions, who had been recommended by keyboardist Yoo Seung-yeol. Lee Seung-chul performed renditions of Kim Hyun-sik's "I Loved You" and Deep Purple's "Soldier of Fortune," ultimately securing the position as Boohwal's new vocalist. However, original members Lee Ji-woong and Hwang Tae-soon expressed strong opposition to Lee Seung-chul's melodious voice, arguing that it was incompatible with the band's established style.
A successful album through a combination of skill, planning, and marketing
Boohwal distinguished itself from Sinawi and Baekdusan by pursuing a musical style characterized by sentimentality and technical proficiency. Their debut album, released by Seoul Records in 1986, exemplifies a successful heavy metal record that effectively merged the exceptional talents of its members with strategic planning and marketing efforts.
The album's title, inspired by the Michael Schenker Group's 1984 live album "Rock Will Never Die," resonated with rock enthusiasts, evoking a sense of familiarity and authenticity. Notably, a provocative statement on the album's jacket declared their intent to send the internationally acclaimed Japanese band Loudness "to hell," while a press release touted the introduction of bell sounds in the track "Hee-ya" as a groundbreaking achievement, claiming it was the first instance of such sounds being played on a guitar, a feat even Michael Schenker had not accomplished. These innovative marketing strategies significantly contributed to Boohwal's impressive album sales, surpassing 300,000 copies, outpacing both Sinawe and Baekdusan.
Front cover of the lyrics of the first album of the authentic rock group "Boohwal" Golden/ Rock Will Never Die
Leader Kim Tae-won & Shin Hae-chul's relationship during high school
The back cover of Boohwal's inaugural album showcases comments from five individuals regarding the band's music, including Song Young-hyung, the chief engineer at Seoul Studio, comedian-turned-MC-DJ Seo Se-won (서세원), and Lee Ho-seok (이호석), a third-year student at Gyeongbok High School. Notably, Lee Ho-seok served as the president of Boohwal's fan club and was a close friend of singer Shin Hae-chul (신해철). Inspired by Lee Ho-seok, Shin Hae-chul aspired to become a musician and was known to frequently visit Boohwal's rehearsal space, where he received significant musical guidance from the band's leader, Kim Tae-won.
The reason the title song was changed to 'Hee-ya'
The recording process for this album was notably extensive, spanning six sessions over two days, in contrast to the typical studio duration of three hours and thirty minutes. During these sessions, Kim Tae-won initially chose "Rain and Your Story" as the title track. Ultimately, however, the song "Hee-ya" was selected as the final title.
"Hee-ya" addresses the emotional turmoil experienced by Kim Tae-won's friend, whose girlfriend was diagnosed with terminal leukemia. At the time, a Gallup Korea survey identified 'Hee' as the most popular ending for female names, leading to the conclusion that a narrative centered on pure love would resonate more with women bearing such names. Consequently, "Hee-ya" was chosen as the title track.
Among the album's tracks, "Doll's Resurrection" stands out for its rapid tempo. Originally named "Doll's Friend," the band opted to modify the title to incorporate their team name. While the songs on the first album evoke a sense of mourning, they effectively capture the popular sentiments characteristic of Boohwal's music.
Back cover of the lyrics of the first album of the authentic rock group "Boohwal" Golden/ Rock Will Never Die
Popular music that led the golden age of rock
Boohwal elicited significant reactions by incorporating popular music appealing to women, as opposed to focusing solely on heavy metal. The versatility of Kim Tae-won's compositions, which embraced a range from rock to classical and contemporary pop, combined with Lee Seung-chul's captivating vocals, attracted a substantial female audience to both broadcasting stations and concert venues during Boohwal's performances.
This album, which successfully balanced artistic merit and commercial appeal, was instrumental in ushering in the golden age of rock during the 1980s. It achieved recognition by being ranked 18th on the list of '100 Greatest Korean Popular Music Albums.' Initially produced as a CD by Seoul Records in 2003, it was later reissued as a 180-gram heavyweight LP by Open Music in 2013.
Members
The ensemble consists of the following members: Kim Tae-won on lead guitar, Lee Ji-woong on first guitar, Lee Seung-cheol as the lead vocalist, Kim Byeong-chan (김병찬) on bass, and Hwang Tae-soon on drums.
Included Songs
The album features a collection of songs performed by the band Boohwal. On Side A, the tracks include 'Heeya,' with lyrics and composition by Yang Hong-seop (양홍섭); 'Rain and Your Story,' crafted by Kim Tae-won (김태원); 'Only You,' also by Kim Tae-won; and 'Lovers on the Roadside,' penned by Lee Seung-cheol (이승철).
Side B presents additional works by Boohwal, starting with 'The Resurrection of the Doll,' written and composed by Kim Tae-won. This side continues with 'Sad Fantasy,' another piece by Kim Tae-won, followed by 'Friendship Not Love,' composed by Lee Ji Woong (이지웅), and concludes with 'Traces of Love,' attributed to Yang Chang-seok (양창석).
Participant Credits
Arrangement was executed by Kim Tae-won, with recording taking place at Seoul Studio (서울 Studio). The keyboard parts were performed by Song Tae-ho (송태호), while mixing was handled by Song Yeong-heon (송영헌). Planning was overseen by Baek Kang-gi (백강기), and photography was conducted by Seo Gwang-goo (서광구). The design work was attributed to Lee Gyeon-woong (이견웅), with choral contributions from Ha Tae-hwan (하태환) and backing vocals provided by Kim Tae-won.
