Pop veterans Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, the Air Supply duo, have been making hearts sing with their soft rock love ballads for three decades.

On Saturday, the Australians will return to Beijing to conclude their China tour of 2010.

Themed Love Never Ends, the tour is part of their world tour to commemorate their 35th anniversary.

The legendary musicians first met in 1975 while performing together in the Australian production of the musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.

Just a year later, they rose to the top of the Australian charts with their debut work. A sensation of the 80s, they continue to command a strong following to this day.

In the decades since, the dynamic duo has captured the hearts of fans across the globe, sold millions of records and had a succession of worldwide hits, including eight Billboard Top 10s in the United States. Air Supply was also named one of Billboard's "Top 100 Best Musical Acts of All Time."

Their second appearance in China is taking place after 15 years.

At their four concerts held in Hangzhou, Shanghai and Guangzhou, Air Supply offered numerous chart toppers such as Lost in Love, All Out of Love, Power of Love and Making Love Out of Nothing At All, which saw fans swaying their arms and singing along.

At their Beijing concerts, they will also perform songs from their latest album, Mumbo Jumbo. They especially recommend Dance With Me from the new album, which is the first Billboard hit since 1993, and a pop-rock track that mimics their signature ballads.

Their interest in Chinese music and traditional instruments, such as the erhu, has also driven them to explore traditional Chinese music.

With many karaoke ballads in their song list, it is no wonder that Air Supply was one of the first Western music acts to win over Chinese fans in the 1980s. Some local singers have even made Chinese versions of their classic songs.

The two singers have said the reason they have been able to last 35 years is that they insist on following what they like.

"I don't think we will change our music style for a breakthrough because we really love this style," vocalist Russell said during an interview at the Guangzhou concert.

When asked if they will retire after the tour, they said no. "We have never considered retirement. There are albums waiting for us to make and concerts to perform, so retirement is really not on our agenda."

By Chen Nan

(China Daily 11/12/2010 page20)