CHANKRABEE !

Mattithep Mark Chankrabee

Ms. Orana Meenongwha

English 10/10:06

May 25, 2017

Thongchai McIntyre

Introduction

In 1958, One child was born in one of the slums inside Bangkok to parents James

McIntyre and Udom McIntyre. He was born as the 9th child of 10 siblings, his life in the

Bangkae slums did not give him much of a head start, his family were poor, and his childhood

was filled with struggle to supplement the income of his family. As a child, he sometimes taught

English to other children in the slum in exchange for 5 to 10 baht. Sometimes he collect plastic

bags or used milk can for selling. He lived in music-loving family, He loved to sing and dance.

School stage was the first place that his talent shined. His father died when he was still a child.

He start to win the competition with his small band when he was young. When he grow up, He

started working as a bank officer with 6000 baht per month salary, This person is actually Albert

McIntyre or Thongchai McIntyre. He enter to entertainment commercial when he was 25. Start

from being an actor in Channel 3 Thailand, but he want to be a singer because singer is the

happiest job in the world. The purpose of this research is to show the way to be all time singer of

Thongchai McIntyre, as we knew him, P Bird. He can get up to 20 million baht per event. He is

a No.1 Popular singer in Thailand for 34 years. He always the role model of children to be a

superstar without scandalous acting. Being successful is very hard for entertainment career
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because the trends also change everyday. Why Thongchai McIntyre can be on the top of singer

for a long time ?

Vocal Skills

One of the factors that make Thongchai to be an all-time favourite singer is his

singing skills. When he was young, he started practicing singing by himself. Because of poor

family background, James McIntyre, his dad need to taught him to sing using his musicianship

skills. Until James died, he practiced by him self by singing follow the music that came from

neighbors radio, because of he had no money. He began gaining his reputation in singing from

small singing competition such as school competition, At the age of 26, he competed in Siam

Motor Music Foundation Award 1984 and was voted as a popular voted singer, best singer, and

Award from Dr. Thaworn Phornprapha, Director of Siam Motor. After that he played his first

movie named Love is Love, he concentrate to the acting for movies. Until Rewat Buddhinan

produced Thongchais First Album, he started to use his own talent to create powerful work

again. After that By his diligent, he always practiced his singing skill by always listening to the

music in different styles. After his first albums released, he wanted to develop his vocal skill

more and more. Rodj Dullapan, his vocal coach develop him using Speech Levels Singing

Technique, which is the same technique that used with Michael Jackson, Madonna, Stevie

Wonder. Rodj use this technique because it can stretch the vocal cords safely, and it help singer

to find their own actual signature sound(Lersakvanitchakul, 2011). Bird had wide vocal range, so

he can sing every styles of music. His voice can be followed the trends easily, so this is a reason

why he always in the first place. His music is always catchy by his producer and promotor. His
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first vocal style was in 1985 to 1989. He sang with low larynx technique which project large and

smooth sound. It makes listener feel calm and relax same as his song in 1987, Sabuy- Sabuy. In

90s, his sound get clearer and sharper. When he sing ballad song, he can express his emotion

directly to the music with that sharper sound. This is one of the reason s that he got first 3

million copies in Thailand. After that in millennium period, his main style in album is Dance, but

have some of soul song. His voice become lighter and sound happier since Smile Club(2001).

He also started to show his talent which is Thai Traditional Style style in a collaboration with

Jintara Poonlap, Kataleeya English, and Nat Myria in Fan-ja(2002) which brought him to the top

of Thai singer that have the best selling albums. And Bird-Sek(2004) that is a collaboration of

pop superstar and rock superstar. He changes his style to Rock for one album, and this album

was a best collaboration at that time. Until now, his sound signature doesnt change much, but

the music instrument does change a lot. Because of sickness and ages that goes up, His live

concert may not sound like CDs same as the past, yet he contain higher quality than some of new

generation singers. His vocal skill is very unique and valuable. Every young singer respect him

about the way he practicing everyday and maintain his fame.

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Acting & Dancing Skills

Bird also has an acting and entertaining skill which attract attention from audience in

every household. He act for 28 stories on Channel 3, Channel 5, and Channel 7. In 1983, his

starting job is not a singer, but he was an actor. He was invited by famous TV producer of

Thailand, Kai Varayuth. His first TV drama was Numtarn-Mai on Channel 3. After that, his

rating rising up to 40 units in Koo-Gum, which is the highest viewers rating that no one can

break this statistic until now. Koo-Gum fever was happen with every age. Every boy wanted to

be Kobori, and girl wanted to be Angsumarin. After that he brought his acting skill to show at his

concert as Musicals in Concert in 1994, 1999, and 2012. His dancing skill was also good. He

started being cheerleader when he was in Matthayom. He started to show on his concert in 1990,

when Boomerang, his 6th studio album was release. At that time, he was dancing in his

concert at MBK Hall. M.L.Sawasdiwat was his first choreographer. He choreographed famous

song in the past. He created a lot of incredible show in Birds concert. Until Mr.Sawadiwat

passed away. Premjit Amnuckmanee, Sawasdiwats disciple, she was a dancer in first Concert of

Bird Thongchai when she was 13. Until she was 22, she became Thongchais choreographer,

most of Thai people known her as Kru Auu D-Dance. She came up with new creative styles that

she have learned from England. After that, Thongchai has many pop dance song that every one

can enjoy such as Long-Si-Ja,Fan-ja,Oh-La-Nor My love, and Too muchso muchvery

much. The best dance show of Bird was Jub-Mue-Gun-Wai, his song in 1989 used again in Babb

Bird Bird Show 2008. The performance need more than 100 dancers on stage with gymnast,

drummer, jumper in addition to fantastic laser and light effect. He also learned with International

choreographer too. Hence, Dancing is a skill that make him charming on stage. Every audience
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want to dance when they see him dancing. Singing, dancing, and acting skill are complement

that make him succeed in singer.

Success

He is the most successful singer in Thailand. His albums were sold more than 25

million copies which is most sold in Thailand. His first recorded song in his debut album in

1986, Hardsai Sailom Songrao (Sand&Wind), he get attention from his movie fans. Love and

Bind also the name of famous movie that he acted with Kanjana Jindawat, famous actress of

Thailand. His first album was successful but not that much. Until 1990, his 6th and 7th studio

album sold up to 3 million copies. In 1991, he announce a bad news to his fans that he will take

a rest for a while. His last concert before he stop working is Babb Bird Bird Show 1991. This

concert was show 27 times in Thai Cultural Centre Hall. The song about missing of his fans

released when he came back in 1994 with his 8th album, Thor-Thong. After that, his album got

more than million copies selling for 9 albums in a row, till the illegal music download was wide

spread. His album Chud Rab Khaek (Fanja Album) is a significant album of Bird. He has a sales

record of more than 8 million copies while the illegal disc was easier to buy. He could sing just

about anything, and millions of people will listen. As unbelievable as it may seem, some fans

simply cry, when he gave them a hug. Tickets to his concerts are always sold out in 1 hour.

Business companies would pay as much as he demand to have him as their presenter. Who

would have thought that almost 20 years after his beginning, he would still be Number One artist

to millions of people. No one has ever stayed at the top this long. He reached the top of his

musical career for 20 years. Westerners became aware of him in the mid nineties as he became

the first Thai artist to receive an International MTV Award. He was featured in the most high
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budget Thai film at the time, Sunset at Chaopraya which reached international acclaim in Japan

as well as the United States. He was featured on CNN and Variety magazine. In 2010, Bird made

his first international tour in Los Angeles and New York. It marks the first time in history a Thai

pop artist has made an international tour. Because Bird is one of the most beloved artists and

influential by all generations, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) chose him to be their

ambassador to boost up domestic tourist industry. One of the theme songs is called Pai Tiew

Gan (Happy Trip). The music video features Bird traveling to different regions of the country

and enjoying the superb unseen and amazing destinations of Thailand. Bird is not only popular,

but he is also respected by many of his fans and people in the showbiz. That was one of the

reasons he was honorably chosen to sing the songs which are all dedicated to His Majesty King

Bhumibol Adulyadej including Ton Mai Kong Por (Fathers Tree), Kong Kwan Jak Gon Din

(Ode To the Strength of the Land), and Roob Tee Mee Took Ban (Picture At All Home). The

latest song was composed for the celebration of his majestys 80th anniversary on December 5th

2007. It is about the grateful feeling that Thai people have for our beloved king which

represented by his picture which can be seen at every household. In 2011,He released his new

album, new clothes, new hairstyles. Alone is a song that talk about people that have to live alone

As well as Too much so much very much, a song that come from this album. He worked with

Thai and Chinese actress in his Music Video. He celebrate his concert Asa-sanook which

mean happy volunteer by using slogan Alone together. The concert was staged 8 times with

80,000 audiences. His MV was in Top 1 most viewers in Youtube. Bird have accepted to be

representative of Thailand in domestic and international because of his success is a guarantee

sign about his fame and his skills.

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Conclusion

At starting, his childhood was not good but he developed himself to be better and

better by his own. He brought all of his family to be wealthy and happy by his pure talent. First,

his vocal is mesmerizing and it is powerful when people listen. His voice maintain good

characteristics because he always learning and practice. Second, his dancing is very unique

choreography by his main choreographers, Mr. Sawasdiwat and Mrs. Amnuckmanee. Third, his

acting skill also gain a lot of attention from viewers. His acting was natural and easy to

understand. All of these skills provided that, his success is a guarantee of No.1 Superstar of

Thailand. He is the only one who made best selling album and best rating drama in Thailand.

Because of Thongchais variety of skill, he can make money easily when he succeeds. But that

doesnt make him spend money extravagantly. He used self sufficiency economy theory of the

King Rama IX to make his own plantation. The King has talked to Thongchai You are the best

singer, and also the best farmer. In addition, the researcher had a chance to get an advice from

him by his choreographer, Mrs. Amnuckmanee . He use this attitude Always happy and be

yourself. Most of singer doesnt have this characteristics Bird said, Dont pretend to be

someone, look at yourself on a mirror and be who you are. It not necessary when you are being

fans of some superstars, but you have to be yourself. If singer sing bad technique or dance

awkward, they must be proud of themselves. Key to success of Thongchai is to succeed

everything along the way. Dont have to set only one target, but succeed everything along the

way is the best. Believe in our staff make good teamwork. Therefore, Thongchai McIntyre is the

No.1 singer in Thailand, and he also No.1 singer in researchers heart.

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References

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" 1 1". Retrieved from

http://morning-news.bectero.com/entertainment/20-Oct-2016/89562

LEGENDARYPEPPER. (31 October 2016). ""

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http://music.sanook.com/2382565/

Lersakvanitchakul, L. (08 October 2011). Resonance of range. Retrieved from

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/life/music/30167171

Sanook Team. (12 Oct 2012). : http://

gossipstar.mthai.com/gossip-content/39470. Retrieved from

http://gossipstar.mthai.com/gossip-content/39470

TENSENSE. (12 December 2010). 2010. Retrieved from

http://music.sanook.com/63985/
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Appendix