Album buy up and Fans base
Recount of Sun’s EIC of May 19, 2015
Chew: Sun, were you aware that for the Mandarin albums, five Mandarin albums, that Xtron was purchasing your own albums?Sun: Your Honour, I wasn’t aware of that. I only remember that it must be “Lonely Travel” after the concerts, that the board [Refers to church board not Xtron board] did make the decision to buy some albums for evangelism, for other ministries and churches.
Chew: Were you aware that for the English singles, there was a team that was buying up the singles through the iTunes cards?
Sun: Your Honour, for that matter, I believe that it was told to me that it’s a marketing strategy and it’s meant for the fans, your Honour. And at that time, “Fancy Free” hasn’t gone full steam yet in the radio promotion, so they just wanted to maintain some kind of momentum. And it was said that at that time in Singapore, the fans couldn’t really buy iTunes, so these are meant for the fans.
Chew: Were you aware that Mark Kwan sent an email to Tan Ye Peng expressing his concern over your real fan base?
Sun: Your Honour, I remember this incident. This is concerning Wyclef wanted to tap into my Taiwan fans, because he wanted to do a tour in Taiwan, in the clubs.
Chew: So how did Mark Kwan come up with 1 to 2,000 fans, excluding the church?
Sun: Your Honour, I don’t know how Mark Kwan come up with 1 to 2,000 fans, because Mark has been there in all the concerts. He has seen the people, he has seen the fans are connected with the songs, bought the albums. I don’t know why he said that.
Chew: And he never shared this concern with you?
Sun: As in shared this concern with me?
Chew: Yes, while he was in the US with you.
Sun: I know that this matter was being brought up. In terms of what he said to me in details, I cannot remember. But I know that it was Wyclef’s show, it wasn’t my show. And my fans in Taiwan are Chinese-speaking, and many of them also got converted, your Honour, to being a Christian. So perhaps Ye Peng wasn’t so confident, you know, that this Christian fans that got converted, that their pastors or their parents will be willing for them to come, you know, for the show. And it’s Wyclef’s show, it’s not my show, and Wyclef is an English artiste, your Honour.
Chew: Sun, over the course of this trial, we have seen evidence, which you don’t have to open up, that towards the end of 2006, the album sales was projected at 900,000 copies for your US album. Sometime in May 2007 to the end of 2007, it was projected that 1.5 million copies. And in early 2008, the projections had gone up to 1.9 million copies. Was there anything that happened in the US from December 2006 all the way to January 2008 that would cause the projections to fluctuate from 900,000 to 1.9 million?
Sun: I believe, your Honour, it is because of my collaboration with Wyclef Jean in 2008.
Chew: How about 2006, when it was 900,000 copies? Who were you talking to?
Sun: Wyclef has also come in sometime in the middle of 2006. And I remember that after my Chinese album promotion, at the end of 2007 after I came back from China and I went on tour with Wyclef, from end 2007, your Honour, to beginning of 2008, and Wyclef saw how positive the audience, the US audience, is connected with me and the songs. That’s the reason why he wanted to rework and re-record the album, and that’s why he reached out to Lisa Ellis. Perhaps these are the reasons that contributed to the increase in projection.
Chew: Your Honour, I’ve finished with my examination-in-chief.
Sun cross-examined by Senior Counsel Edwin Tong.
SC Tong brought up a blackberry pin messages that Chew sent to Sun. (Timeline: around 28 May 2010)Kong wrote to Chew and he told him that Sun was super discouraged by the comments in the blogs.
Chew replied
“These are the minority who try to amplify their few voices. Do let Sun know the truth is that we have thousands in and outside the church who support and love her….
Don’t think too much of these minority bloggers. They only a handful speak with malice but without full knowledge of the things they attack, be it Suntec, Amac, Xtron or yourself. We showed videos of your works at Asia Conference and it touched everyone, and that’s the real stuff”
“These are the minority who try to amplify their few voices. Do let Sun know the truth is that we have thousands in and outside the church who support and love her….
Don’t think too much of these minority bloggers. They only a handful speak with malice but without full knowledge of the things they attack, be it Suntec, Amac, Xtron or yourself. We showed videos of your works at Asia Conference and it touched everyone, and that’s the real stuff”
Sun: To the best of my recollection, your Honour, no. I don’t remember having a discussion with Eng Han about this.
SC Tong: Had Mr Chew questioned the success of the Asian Crossover previously?
Sun: No, your Honour. I don’t remember Eng Han questioning the success of the Asian Crossover previously.
…..
SC Tong: That’s his true view, isn’t it?
Sun: Your Honour, I have always felt supported by Eng Han and Janet, up till Eng Han and the family left the church. So I would believe that that is his true view, yes.
SC Tong: These messages written in his own hand, as at end of March 2010, they were consistently his views all the way until this point of time until he left the church. Correct?
Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.
SC Tong: And then he suddenly questioned, like this morning: 4 million, 150,000, maybe you were not as successful in Asia as you made it out to be. Right?
Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.
SC Tong: But until then, he was talking about how you touched everyone and that’s the real stuff, and how that’s why the church support and love the Crossover Project. Correct?
Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.
SC Tong: Thank you. Your Honour, I have no further questions. Thank you, Sun.
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