Wednesday, October 07, 2009

(1) Sincerely Learning The Blues, Cherry Pink, Yellow Rose, Autumn Leaves, Let Me Go Lover

(1) TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1955/1956. First in this series of 8 postings:
It is important to realise that Postings 1 - 7 under Top Tunes Influence is written to explain that the songs featured on the music charts in the mid-50s have in many ways shaped Singapore 60s music. Surfers need to realise that Cliff Richard just didn't materialise from thin air and appeared at the Badminton Stadium with his Shadows.
My own ideas revealed:
Like most teenagers who love pop music, the mid-50s in Singapore was an exciting time for them especially if their home radio was tuned to English language broadcasts. In 1955, when the rock n roll era began, the following songs were heard often on the radio.

Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
Sincerely - McGuire Sisters
The Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Fess Parker
Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado/Orchestra
Unchained Melody - Les Baxter

Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Learnin' The Blues - Frank Sinatra
The Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller & His Orchestra
Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing - Four Aces
Autumn Leaves - Nat King Cole (1956)
Sixteen Tons - Tennesse Ernie Ford

Autumn Leaves, Learning The Blues, Let Me Go Lover, Sincerely, Unchained Melody and A Many Splendoured Thing had English-educated women, swooning as they listened to these tunes from the kitchen. These songs were categorised under 'sentimental love songs'.

Splendoured Thing had patrons rushing to the cinemas to watch William Holden and Jennifer Jones hold hands and fall in love. Sighs and theme music mingled in the cinema halls as the images kissed (image). Cabarets at the amusement 'Worlds' were playing the same tunes to crowded dance floors.
Cherry Pink and Yellow Rose were being whistled all over the country as listeners fell in love with the Latin flavour of the first and the marching beat of the second.

Image: http://www.thewoundedbird.blogspot.com/
Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember as a boy I sang this song as Oh let me go, laba, laba or spider.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

It was a popular song indeed and covered by almost 20 singers that included, Dean Martin, Connie Francis,Peggy Lee, Ann Margret, Ruby Murray, Patti Page, Billy Fury and many more.

Teoh said...

"Cheery Pink and Apple Blossom White" was a song that I like very much during the 70s. Yes, I only knew how to whistle but didn't know much of the lyrics.

"The Yellow Rose of Texas" is one of my favourite song. It has been recorded by many singers. I have an LP of Wilf Carter which contains this song. Wilf Carter yodels in this song so well.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Cherry Pink was very popular and covered by about 35 singers and bands including Pat Boone, Stanley Black, Hugh Montenegro, Edmundo Ros, The Ventures, Lawrence Welk and even Liberace.

Yellow Rose was also a hit from the '20s and made commercially popular by Mitch Miller & Orchestra.