Haebaragi's Joo Ho, "Everyone Loves is a Trot-style song... Yoo Ik-jong suggested we try it again"

The specific process behind the formation of the group Haebaragi, which led the golden age of folk music, and the birth of its masterpiece songs has been revealed. Through a recent interview, singer Joo Ho shared the stories behind the formation of the duet with Yoo Ik-jong in the early 1980s and the creation of era-defining masterpieces such as 'Everyone Loves' and 'The Person Who Gives Happiness'.

A melody from a dream became 'The Person Who Gives Happiness', while 'Everyone Loves' came from a chance suggestion

One of Haebaragi's representative songs, 'The Person Who Gives Happiness', started from Joo Ho's personal experience. Joo Ho revealed that on a spring day in 1976, while basking in the sunlight in his front yard when a friend visited, he recalled a melody he heard in a dream. The melody flowed out just like the picture he saw in the dream, and the beginning of this song was writing lyrics that contained his affection for his friend to that melody. Since then, this song has become a lasting masterpiece, being remade several times by junior singers.

On the other hand, the mega-hit from the 1st album, 'Everyone Loves', was born as a result of musical experimentation. Joo Ho recalled encountering this song while practicing with his acquaintance Park Seong-il during his 'Glass Wall' days. At the time, the song had such a strong popular color that Park Seong-il even asked, "Can you make a living by singing this song?", but after hearing it, Yoo Ik-jong suggested they try it once more, and it was completed as a Haebaragi song. Later, with lyrics added by drama writer Yoon Kyung-ah, it established itself as a song loved greatly by the public.

The meaning contained in the flower language and the record-breaking success of the 1st album

The group name 'Haebaragi' contains a special meaning. Joo Ho stated that he chose this name because the meaning of the flower language at the time, 'faith, worship, and reliance', was so beautiful. This name, decided after receiving permission from senior Lee Seong-seon, became the identity of Haebaragi, which was formed in 1983.

Haebaragi's 1st album achieved record-breaking success. Joo Ho mentioned that he remembers the 1st album selling over one million copies. In particular, the 'With Love' album released in 1989 enjoyed explosive popularity, recording sales of approximately 5 million copies. Joo Ho also expressed a special affection for the song by mentioning a personal anecdote where 'Everyone Loves' was used as the congratulatory song for his engagement ceremony.

Meeting Lee Gwang-jun and changes in 2nd album activities

The meeting with Lee Gwang-jun, who opened the second chapter of Haebaragi, also went through an interesting process. Joo Ho and Lee Gwang-jun first formed a connection when they were active as guests at 'Sunflower Hall' in the past. Later, the 2nd album, which featured Lee Gwang-jun joining, produced masterpieces such as 'Now I Can Love' and 'The Jewel Box of My Heart', receiving as much love as the 1st album.

Joo Ho emphasized that his musical chemistry with Lee Gwang-jun was very good during the 2nd album activities. The two, whose musical directions aligned, continued active promotions, and at that time, Haebaragi communicated with the public by actively participating in social contribution activities, such as helping patients with heart disease or leukemia and underprivileged neighbors through nationwide tours.

Source: original video (YouTube)