Andy 60's Mouse Year 2020: (新年快乐) Zhang Lu (張露): Speedy, Mickey, Jerry.

Zhang Lu (張露), born in 1932, was one of the better known singers from China my mother fancied. She made her worth in the middle kingdom, singing in clubs and on the radio but Hong Kong was her place. She made her name as a pop diva, had two children with her marriage to Singaporean Ollie Delfino. She died in January 2009 during the Lunar New Year. Her CNY song is featured below, another one I learnt as a child from mother.

This Post:

It's the Year of the Rat and this animal is the first on the list of 12 Zodiac characters from the Chinese calendar. Rat is actually second but after jumping off Ox's back, he claimed the turf before Ox. Rat has high IQ, EQ, is multi-talented, adaptable and can accumulate wealth. He gets along fine with his counterparts: Ox, Monkey and Dragon.

But this post is not about Rat; it's about my exposure to three fun mice I met when I was young and fancy free. And they are all from the West, my own Three Miceketeers!

Speedy Gonzalez and this year's Chinese Zodiac Rat

Rats or mice? They don't matter. Only one is bigger than the other. 

Rats or mice (unlike the Zodiac ones) have a reputation that's never positive. They are a nuisance in the home and considered pests.

A song by Pat Boone, Speedy (1953) is a sexy, Mexican mouse.

To get a song about mice isn't easy and nice ones are a challenge, unless you believe in the Zodiac sign. But there is one song that kept spinning in my mind and sung by a handsome crooner from the 60's.  The lyrics are funny and the perky song is about a sexy mouse and his wandering ways. 

The rodent with the Mexican sombrero is my hero this Rat Year 2020. Do you know him?  He hails from Mexico.  Apparently this rat is quite attuned to ladies and the plaintive cry of his young maiden haunted the haciendas, gauchos and cactus plants along the Mexican trail, begging him to come home.

Pat Boone's favourite mouse.

The other mouse that I love is Jerry, a good friend of Tom from Tom n Jerry cartoons (William Hanna/Joseph Barbera) and was born in 1940. If I am not mistaken he came earlier than Speedy Gonzalez (Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes/Merry Melodies) who came in 1962. 

Jerry (1940) with cheese and first famous mouse Mickey (1928).

Jerry the mouse is Tom's great friend but they scratch and get entangled with each other all over the place as household paraphernalia get rattled in the milieu. The action happens in the garden too.

Jerry being chased around by great buddy Tom the cat.

My third favourite mouse is Mickey - who hails from the mind of Walt Disney and his cartoonists many many years ago in 1928. Mickey filled my youthful years with much laughter with his good friends Donald Duck and Goofy.

So there, my three miceketeers friends from the West, Speedy, Jerry and Mickey, with this year's Rat from the East. They formulate what I am today from the point of view that rodents can be fun. Yes, but cartoon rodents.

Tom and Jerry Theme: Video from Harzy.

Wishing all my confused readers, Happy Lunar New Year of The Rat. 

My grand-daughter was born in the Rat year and she'll be twelve. This post is dedicated to her, the other 2J's and Mr Michael Bangar.

(Good friend Michael Bangar sends me yearly greeting cards filled with his favourite characters, two of which are Mickey and Jerry. Thanks Mike for your dedicated stories about Singapore music.)

(張露-迎春花) Zhang Lu: Flowers of Spring (Winter Jasmine) 1951. Zzenzero posts many videos on YouTube pertaining to classic Chinese songs. Thanks Zzenzero.

Images: 
Google and copyrighted by Warner Brothers/Looney Tunes, Walt Disney Pictures, Hanna and Barbera Cartoons.

GIF: From Ann Rowena Lim.
Thank you Ann.

Disclaimer:
If there is objection to the cartoons and videos being used, please inform by using the Comment page and they will be deleted immediately. Thank you.

Happy Lunar New Year 2020 - (年鼠年快乐) Year of The Mouse (Rat)

My mouse mascot this year is famous Speedy Gonzales who will appear again soon.  Have a jolly good holiday my dear friends and blog supporters who are on Blog-Spot, YouTube,  Facebook, Twitter and my personal email.

Enjoy life while you may and listen to all the music you love, because they don't make them like they used to during the 60's - earlier and afterwards.

Music and dance, with Lunar New Year songs from the 60's and traditional Chinese dances in colourful silk samfoos, gowns and CNY dresses worn today in China and elsewhere.

In traditional Chinese custom, everything you wear must be new. Hee Hee.

Zhang Lu (張露), who will be introduced in the next posting, sings I Want Your Love, Wo Yau Ni Teh Ai, (我想你的爱) a beautiful piece and one any Chinese educated person would have learnt in his or her lifetime.

(張露-我想你的爱) Zhang Lu: I Want Your Love: Wo Ai Ni Teh Ai. Video from Zzenzero. Thank you.

Disclaimer:
Images: Google. There is no intention to advertise any product on this blog. If there is any infringement of Copyright laws, let me know and make yourself known by writing on the Comment page. The images will be deleted immediately. 

The poster below is from Freda Hanum of The Teepees. Thanks Freda.

Roy Orbison BBC Concert Plus Sons Find His Lost Song

The Concert
ROY sings ORBISON, one of the best videos from his 'live' performances. This mega star has so much talent in him, he doesn't need to scream, shout or even move when he sings. His voice alone, with his strong and magnetic personality, silenced the audience as he sings his hits.

Also watch the antics of his bassist and lead guitarist in brown, when they perform their simple gymnastics behind him. This selection includes his version of Mean Woman Blues, different from the original Elvis piece. And his mouth-organ (harmonica) play is splendidly forceful. Don't miss his grand curtain closer.

Like his humble introduction, his unobtrusive short chats and his final good-bye, Orbison says them without fuss and fanfare. He's just there to sing.

Lyrics and chords of Roy Orbison's lost song found. 

The Lost Song
His sons found a 'lost' song he recorded. With new sound recording technology they backed his voice and produced it, a last final tribute to his legacy.

The humility this man displays on stage tells his person. Mr Orbison passed away at an early age, 52. He had a heart attack. 

'The Way Of Love': A lost song found, by Roy Orbison. Back up by family members.

Thanks to NottsUK for the video from BBC London.

Please enjoy.

At The Esplanade With The Silver Strings: 10 Years On, In 2010. Were you there?

An old friend called and requested if I could relive the Esplanade show on the blog and Facebook. So here it is again, LIVE.

If I remember correctly it was 2010 and my third gig with the Silver Strings in the 21st Century. Aloysius Soh played lead (Locomotion),  the late Bobo on rhythm, Mochtar (Neu Faces) on drums, Jalani (an accomplished pianist) on keyboard and leader and bassist was Audie Ng. 

But it was the audience that excited all of us. Were you there in the audience? Please tell us.

One of the best pianists in Singapore, Jalani 

played in a top hotel @ the Suntec City area.

Andy Young

We had our concert at the Esplanade and there was a good turn-out that evening. Henry Suriya sang as guest with The Silver Strings and Brian Richmond hosted. This gig happened 10 years ago and I have posted it again to show how time slipped like grease lightning. Of course, with a little nudge from that friend.

Henry Suriya was guest singer.

Audie Ng above and Brian Richmond.

Aloysius Soh (above), Mokhtar 

and the late Bobo below.

If you have been missed out, let me know.

A Chinese New Year 2020 Posting: Lin Dai (林黛): Love Without End (不了情)

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She was one of the greatest Chinese screen actresses from the 60's and graced the movie limelight for years. For many movies that she had appeared in, the shows became box-office hits. 

Chinese New Year 2020 this time around is exactly a month away from Christmas 2019. Our super star was born on the 26th of December and I remember that some of her movies were always shown around this season.

Lin Dai had a large following of fans many years ago and was credited with nearly 40 top films in her short acting history of about 15 years. In Singapore, her fans included those from the English, Malay and even Indian speaking groups. Now that's information to think about. 

She starred in blockbusters like, The Kingdom and The Beauty (1959). Madam White Snake (1962) and Love Without End (1961), and without an iPhone to book from home nor a credit card to *chope seats, a fan needed to follow a queue that wound around the Capitol building just to buy tickets for her show. 

Stamped and sealed as one of the most talented, delightful and beautiful actresses from China, Lin Dai made movies under the Shaw Brothers banner which was based mainly in Hong Kong. She could fit herself into many roles, being a classic beauty from Old China and a dancing belle in a modern nightclub. Lin Dai was versatility and adored by the masses.

But famous as she became Lin Dai passed away after taking her own life at age 29. That's youth in agony truly a tragedy. 

Her movies are still around to watch so whenever we listen to the first line, Wang bu liao, wang bu liao... (cannot forget, cannot forget) of the hit song, Bu Liao Qing (不了情) , we remember Lin Dai and still love her, without end.

A Happy Lunar New Year My Dear Readers.

*chope: Singlish (Singapore English) means: to reserve a place.

Lin Dai starred in The Kingdom and The Beauty (1959). It was in full technicolour. Below: Les Belles (1961) movie and Love Parade (1963).

Images: Google and Shaw Brothers.

Andy 60's Music Blog: NUS Students Meet Singapore Music Makers

Deborah, Hafizah, and Clifford with Andy Young (far left), Jerry Fernandez, Michael Bangar and Winston Koh

My name is Hafizah, and together with six other National University of Singapore (NUS) students, we had taken a module titled, Social and Cultural Studies through Music. This course was intended to provide a broad cross-cultural introduction to diverse music of the contemporary world. By the end of the semester, we were tasked to present our research and findings on any aspect of the Singapore music scene. 

During our initial discussions, we realized we had a common interest in the history of rock ‘n’ roll music in Singapore and was interested in doing an analysis on its evolution over time. Eventually, we narrowed our scope down to the history of rock ‘n’ roll in the 1960s. However, in order to depict the most accurate picture, we had hoped to reach out to musicians of that era and hear as much first hand experiences and insight.

Thereafter, our search began and we were almost left unsure of where to even find such musicians! I had been searching online until I came across Andy’s blog and was astonished as I scrolled through the many years of blog posts and articles regarding Singapore’s music scene. I later reached out to him and was very grateful he was agreeable in meeting and conducting an interview alongside Jerry Fernandez, Michael Bangar and Winston Koh. I am so incredibly appreciative as it had provided us with ample opportunities to hear from the musicians themselves and served truly as a wealth of experiences and knowledge. 

We gained so much insight just from those several hours such as hearing first-hand how the western influence such as “The Shadows” has influenced rock ‘n’ roll music in Singapore and how popular local bands such as The Quests managed to achieve milestones such as topping the Beatles on the charts. From the interview, we were also able to share how the clampdown on rock ‘n’ roll music led to many instances of discrimination by the authorities which proved to be almost a surreal occurrence to us youngsters.

We were also able to highlight the impact of events such as the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis on the livelihood of musicians and the need to adapt to such environments. Most importantly, we were able to highlight the lack of support for local musicians then, which can even be seen in the current music scene today. This served as a point of reflection for our audience in hopes of encouraging them to support our own Singaporean artists, beyond the rock ‘n’ roll scene today.

I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Andy, Jerry, Michael and Winston for taking the time to meet us students, and for sharing their experiences with us. While I was elated that our professor was impressed that we managed to reach out to so many musicians of that era, I was more elated to have learnt so much. I was grateful for the opportunity to hear from individuals so driven by their passion and love for music, which was evidently seen in the stories shared. Thank you again for this opportunity. :-)

Image: A Personal Collection.
Thanks to Hafizah for the above article.
Much appreciated.

This blog will help students when it can. Write in if you have questions about SG
60's music. We don't promise we can answer all your questions, but we will try.

Andy 60's Music Says Thank You & A Happy New Year 2020

THANK YOU BLOG SUPPORTERS

LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER YEAR

OF 60'S MUSIC STORIES

Hi Dear Readers,
A Happy New Year 2020.
Have another great time with SG music stories and its influence.
Thanks for reading this blog.
Cheers.

Check these connections:
https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/search/label/Happy%20New%20Year

Andy 60's Music Happy New Year Photos 2020 Auld Lang Syne

YouTube Videos of Winston Koh and Perry Koh are included. 

These two gentlemen are not related.

November and December 2019 with earlier months thrown in were interesting times for the blog. Meeting new friends and a trip to camel and desert country made the year all the more exciting. I try to connect songs that I learnt as a child in Singapore with my recent adventure.

Music makers support one another: Pat 'King' Koh's (2nd right)

performance at the Esplanade 2019, had an audience of

friends like Gregory, brother Perry Koh, Rickie, Andy, Laurence

and Pat himself with Ernesto. Pat has a show in Hawaii currently.

My birthday candles sheltered by a gentle palm

as they were being lighted. It was November end...

These two pretty ladies sang too.

She's definitely the prettiest lady singer in Singapore.  Alexandra Hsieh 

hits beautiful notes singing the best selection of jazz classics.

And she tap dances too, exqusitely.

A wise quote from a man who knows his wife well.

Or learn it the hard way. You'll never win.

Tan Soo Khoon who's had a huge birthday bash

at his home this year. I missed the bash but caught him 

singing Sloop John B? on video.

Today: Anna Law from Girl Group The Teepees:

Singer, guitarist and cheer leader.

Hubby Vincent (below) is very supportive. Fantastic.

Jimmy Appuduria-chua, one of the most polite musicians.  Friendly, helpful, he is also a humble guy. So many write-ups about Jimmy in the international papers about his ability and prowess on the solid guitar. He's a living legend and lives in England.

Sheik of Araby by Michael Alf Trio: One of the best instrumental versions currently. Video from YouTube by ulivids: Uli van Royen.

Here's Belinda Poh who wrote two articles that made a sensation on the blog.
Her common sense approach to problem solving kept many people reading her posts. She had a few thousand readers in a short time. Thanks Belinda. We've yet to meet. And with her hubby too.

Steve Ho and Peter Han from Tokyo Square busk at a shop in Upper Bukit Timah Road. I managed to visit them. Together they are regulars at China Town and Kreta Ayer Chinese Theatre.

Steve Ho with his Busker Boys is on YouTube. Check him out soon.

Another unassuming musician who doesn't tell the world he's the best. Tony Ng is one great keyboardist and peranakan who gets along fine. He plays often for charity.

Jimmy Chan with Sandy Loo and friend. It's Ernesto again. He's appearing everywhere on this blog. Jimmy tinkles on the piano keys, Ernesto strums.

With Chew Hee Hong, after the cruise concert, a great lunch at the Mandarin and chicken rice. Hee Hong is a pop 60's music enthusiast and a fan.

Winston Koh sings Cliff. Always a health enthusiast, Winston has walked most of Bukit Batok and the Jurong greens. He knows Cliff's repertoire so well, he's sung 95% of them.

Winston Koh sings: Move It.

Here's Perry Koh again, a picture I stole from his profile. Perry, like Alexandra sings the jazz classics, crooning too like his dad, Walter Koh (Singapore's Pat Boone). They belong to a well known Peranakan family of entertainers. You should listen to him sometimes with 'Fly Me To The Moon' and 'New York, New York.'

A childhood friend, Paul Ibrahm (centre), used to sing with The Velvetones, then proceeded to fame with Tania. He's  still in touch when we said hello on the internet. Quiet and a lady-crusher with his good looks, Paul is still the usual nice guy. Next to him is Ahmad Albar, Indonesia's #1 rocker, from the band, Godbless and his wife, Dewi.

Yen has kept in touch for some time and organised a lunch recently. She is an independent thinker and helped me with some research on Chinese songs I posted, sometimes with her dad's help. Doesn't call me 'Sir' anymore. Also an art lover and artist. Thanks Yen.

He's a great man and reading Tolle helps us to consider that we need to control our Ego within. Suggestion that we separate E, from GO and let it go. From an old book, 'The New Earth'. Like my poster? It's original. 

It wasn't really an official visit. But he came all the way up to the 15th and there we were. The former President is 1.85m tall. I didn't mention if this scene is Singapore. Fun and games. I guess this picture is an ego booster? 😐

Here's someone who helped me buy the John Lennon semi-solid smooth and slim guitar I wanted. With Michael Bangar we were at Swee Lee where I met Helmi (left), the expert with drums and guitars. Thanks Charlie Yap. I have still to buy the guitar though. 

With the SGCC group at the Bar and Eddie in red.

I'm no drinker but just to support them as a coffee man.

Good friend Larry Lai, Rediffusion DJ (in a white jacket) and wife Selina.

The Sheikh of Araby. Great song. So is the car.

You know the 60's rock n roll term, "Dig that crazy chick". But there's also another term using dig, like, 'I'm just taking a dig at someone..."

Yes, we're just taking pleasant digs at everyone. Cheers.

Images:

Stolen from Facebook and

other sources all over the world

but mostly from my iPhone Collection