Sands Singapore Or Elvis Club From Las Vegas?

The Elvis Presley vivalasvegas Fan Club has written to Singapore60sMusic on the GI Blues posting. Welcome to Singapore. Surfers can join them.

About The Club:

Established January 2004.
"Do you want to meet fans and celebrate the life of Elvis Presley in the Las Vegas area?

This club's goal is to commemorate the memory & legacy of Elvis in Las Vegas - his contributions to Entertainment and Charity. This club is for Elvis fans to have the opportunity to have fun, make new friends, and promote "The King of Vegas".

We focus our charity work LOCALLY, just like Elvis used to do when he had his souvenir booths at the Hilton International and out of state fans are most welcome, but much of the activity of this club is for local and Vegas area fans who can attend our meetings & activities. But no matter where you are, see what it's like to experience that Elvis/Vegas connection."

(Image/Article From: The Viva Las Vegas Elvis Presley FanClub Website.)

Key in: http://www.vivalasvegasclub.net/

Phil Spector Wall Of Sound Quests 60s Music

Legendary music producer Phil Spector created the famed *Wall of Sound recording technique during the 60s and is regarded as one of the most influential figures in pop music history. In the early 1960s, he scored hits including, Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, Baby and You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin. He was also famed for his work with The Beatles, Tina Turner, The Righteous Brothers, The Ronettes and The Ramones.

The Quests have recorded Da Doo Ron Ron on EMI/Columbia: DO. 4733 (image). The flip side is: I'll Be Looking Out For You

*Wall of Sound is a music production technique for pop and rock music recordings developed by Spector at Gold Star Studios during the 1960s.

Image/article: From Andy Lim Collection (image is a used vinyl cover and coloured by previous owner.)

Information from: Yahoo News Singapore/Wikipedia.

Deep Purple - Rock Band For Non- Rockers Too!

Deep Purple is one of very few heavy metal bands I appreciate and Smoke On The Water, Space Trucking and Highway Star are three of the very few rock songs I love. Formed in 1968, this magnificent English band is from Hertford, Hertfordshire.

Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members have tried not to categorize themselves as any one genre. The band also incorporated classical music, blues-rock, pop and progressive rock elements.

They were once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's loudest band and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Deep Purple was ranked number 22 on VHI's Greatest Artists of Hard Rock program.

Ian Paice, Deep Purple drummer, was featured in another posting on February 22nd 2009. Check it out.

Article from: Wikipedia

Image: Deep Purple Website

There are too many websites. Just key in: deep purple.

Sweet Charity Rock 40th Anniversary Esplanade

Sweet Charity, veteran rockers extraodinaire, has a gig this Sunday, 31 May 2009 at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Dubbed the Deep Purple of Singapore's rock connection that started in the late 60s, the band had, within 10 years, fan idolatry all over Singapore and Malaysia. And they are still rocking today, influenced also by Santana, Led Zeppelin and other rock musicians.

Ramli Sarip, well known to local Mat Rockers and most Singaporeans, led this group since 1969. And their success story is a rendition of fusion music , combining melodies from the west and ones from their own Malay and Indonesian heritage. And they are hot because tickets are sold out for the concert.

Ramli Sarip - Living Legend Of SE Asian Rock

His is a household name, not only amongst the Malay community but throughout Singapore and most of Malaysia, having established himself both as a guitarist, singer and the power behind the rock group Sweet Charity. In short, Ramli Sarip is a living legend.

Original albums called, Kamelia, Musibah, Zakiah and Pelarian became instant hits and today, they have become classics, "so much so that fans have forgotten that some of the numbers were cover versions. Altogether they had 7 albums and when Ramli Sarip went solo, he produced 8 more albums alone, selling 100,000 per album. From: (Amrantx3's Site)."

Ramli Sarip is as active as ever today. Unless you bought the tickets, you'd be missing a rocking good night at the Esplanade on Sunday.

Pop 60s - Sugiman Jahuri - Radio TV Singapore

September 7th, 2007: Mr. Lam Chun See from Good Morning Yesterday writes about the black and white programmes on Radio Television Singapore (RTS) in the early 60s. In reply, Peter remembers, The Rado Show with Tan Tock Peng and The Citizen Watch Show in 1972 with Larry Lai.

He continues, "The Talentime finals was beamed 'live' from the National Theatre. I remember one contestant who could make music from bending his carpenter's saw, The Bambinos and velvety-voice, Sugiman Jahuri who sang, Woman, Woman."

By coincidence another kind and close friend gave me his small collection of about 25 EPs of local singers and two of them were recorded on EMI by *Sugiman Jahuri (image).

The first one has, Woman Woman, Everytime I Fall In Love, If You Change Your Mind and Give Her My Love, while the second album features: Look At You, It's Not For Me To Say, You Make My Life Worthwhile and Born Free.

*Sugiman is known as, 'The Man from Bukom', 2nd prize winner of the RTS Talentime 1968.

(Image/Original Posting: Andy Lim Collection. )

Yes More Than One Pop 60s Band In Singapore!

Philips' label has released a CD box in Singapore by Universal Music. Shirley Nair and the Silver Strings are featured, including a host of other 60s bands.

Christopher Toh, journalist for Todayonline.com wrote on 21st May 2009, "I used to think that Singapore's music from the 60s started and ended with The Quests and their instrumental hit, "Shanty" but boy was I ever wrong."

Apparently Christopher Toh is not the only person unaware of Singapore 60s music. Why the ignorance then? During the 2009 American Idol finale last night, some 60s singers and musicians were featured singing with the current Idol group. Shouldn't it be done during the forthcoming Singapore Idol competition too? Make the younger generation aware of our 60s bands.

Please spread the information around. Talk about our pop music heritage. And let it also be known that there are many people in Singapore who are familiar with 60s pop music culture.

Find out and learn from the buskers on our streets, the older musicians playing in the clubs and those who have been part of the vibrant scene in the mid-50s, 60s and early 70s. They may not be around for long.

The Hunters - 60s Pop Music - British Invasion

The group originated with guitarist Brian Parker and the band from Hertfordshire, England, was called the Hunters, who recorded for the Fontana label in 1961. Parker left the Hunters in early 1962 and joined Adam Faith's (singing idol) backing band.

The Hunters from 1962

Hits From The Hunters was first produced in 1962 but the attraction was the music selection. Elvis Presley's, "All Shook Up," "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," Cliff's, "With A Girl Like You," and The Everly's, "Walk Right Back," and "All I Have To Do Is Dream," were instrumentalised and a standard oldie, "Misty" brought to life by the uniqueness of The Hunter's composition and rendition.

Like many Singapore re-union gigs, there was a short come-back with the group in 2001 in England, with Parker playing lead. For the audience, it was really emotional to listen to so many old tunes, especially the perennial hit, "Runaway."

Hits From The Hunters Fontana Records (Cover)

Runaway was definitely a favourite with the guitar groups in Singapore and played as many times as there were 60s concerts. It was always in the repertoire. I have taken the liberty of posting this article because I have the original copy  of the above record. Quite a find for $2.00.

"Another instrumental on the same record, Teen Scene was pretty well known. It had been written by singer Teddy Randazzo. The Hunters gave it a real punchy treatment and used an added vocal chorus to boost up the sound. The Hunters grew up in the Cheshunt locality, the boyhood home of Cliff Richard.

Line-up:
Brian Parker (Fender Jazzmaster, Gibson GA-5T amp , Watkins Copycat echo)
Norman Stracey (Gibson ES-175)
John Rogers (Fender Precision Bass)
Norman Sheffield (Trixon drums)

Dedicated to the late Brian Parker (also member of Unit 4+2 and co-writer of Concrete & Clay)".
Above information from You Tube by: yellowitoms61

Image: You Tube Video from SirBasildeBrush.

mp3 Player - Singapore 60s Radiogram Music

Grundig, Normende, Siemens, Philips? It was the centrepiece furniture in the living room in the grand old days. Before the television set peeked round the corner and engulfed the Singapore home with its *"one big-eye" and *"one long-horn," the ultimate entertainment machine was the radiogram.

It had a record player with two speeds, a smaller 45rpm Extended Play function and the larger, more popular 33rpm Long Play. Beside it, (image) in another compartment, was the radio, the source of inspiration for many people then, when Elvis, The Beatles and Connie Francis sang their lives out on Maisie Conceicao's, "Calling All Hospitals," at nine o'clock in the morning.

If you chose to spin your own selection instead, there was a spacious area below the player and radio where black vinyls were placed neatly, single file for storage. With about 12 songs per Long Play record and storing about 200 records or so, you would have about 2,400 songs on the playlist. Not too bad, considering the number you could store now on your mp3 player. It was the 60s and valves were the craze. Not chips.

"When I was young/I listened to the radio/Waiting for my favourite songs..." Comment anyone?

*Sheb Wooley's, "Purple People Eater (1958.)"

(Image courtesy of: http://www.radiograms.co.uk/)

Poon Sow Keng/Pan Xiu Qiong Chinese Pop 60s 潘秀瓊

UP TO 9,100 VIEWS

But for all her popularity, Xiu Qiong never had singing lessons and what "talent she has is God-given (Dave Dexter Jr, US record producer)." 

She was particularly successful in Singapore and Malaysia and up till today, her songs are still sold in CD shops all over S.E. Asia.Pan Xiu Qiong's - Poon Sow Keng song, "Lover's Tears," is another Chinese melody known among the English educated. 

The first is also a tear-jerker called, "Love Without End." Both are theme songs and "Lover's Tears" (there is love in every teardrop) is no different, coming from the Shaw Brothers' film, "The Lark" (1965).

She was born in Macau and moved to Malaysia with her mother when she was sixteen but had been singing since twelve.

When she was 17 she recorded for the first time and within weeks the Asian populace fell in love with her. Pan took up Singapore citizenship in the 1980s and with her signature (guess what) she became very popular in the 1960s and 70s. She has been known affectionately as Queen of Alto because of her fantastic voice.

                              Poon Sow Keng/Pan Xiu Qiong: Qing Ren Te Yen Lei

Her songs have English titles, "The Foggy Night," (a dense, thick, unmoving fog in the harbour provides natural cover for two lovers), "Little Darling," (the girl pleads with her lover not to give her the cold shoulders but to tell her he loves her) and "Book Of Life," (a philosophical statement about family life).

"A Caged Bird," "A White Handkerchief," and "On The Elephant's Back," are but a few translated titles from her Capitol Hi-Fi Recording on T10326 with an explanation in English for the uninitiated.

Quote “I have always led a simple life, and I feel that anyone can be happy if they keep things simple. Even so, I hope to be remembered. Please forget me not. I wish that the songs of Poon Sow Keng would be a part of everyone forever.”

Connect below to read another post about her:

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2009/06/pan-xiu-qiong-straits-times-press-today.html

Images Google.
YouTube Videos

Silver Strings - Rehearsals - Hamming It Up!

Before the show at Vivo in November 08, we were at a recording studio, synchronizing and fine-tuning everything -vocals, tonsils, fingers, feet, guitars, keyboard and drums. The picture shows *Masrof and Danny Boy behind, Aloysius, Andy, Mike, Herb, Veronica, Audie with Bobo kneeling.

*Masrof has sinced passed on.
(Image: Andy Lim Collection/Courtesy of Mike & Herb from Cairns and Perth, Australia.)

Beatles Of Malaysia Mike & Herb With Audie

Mike and Herb will be in action again at the Orchid Country Club in July 2009. Here them sing the Beatles classics and compare them to the Austrian Beatles who will also be in attendance.

The image shows the VivoCity Concert in November, 2008. In the background is the band leader and Silver Strings bass guitarist Audie Ng.

(Image: From Andy Lim Collection/*Steven Farram in Darwin, Australia, who flew in with his wife just to see the show. Steven has postings on: garagehangover.com )

Skeeter Davis' Interpretation US 60s Pop Music

A name that's too familiar with 60's music fan. Skeeter Davis needs no introduction, as she came way before Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, Crystal Gayle and the rest of the female country singers in the 60's.

"The End Of The World" made her a country to pop crossover star in 1963 but the one album that is truly unforgettable, is her reply to each of these already well-known songs, "He'll Have To Go," "Tell Laura I Love Her," "I Really Don't Want To Know" and "Please Help Me I'm Falling."

"(I Can't Help You) I'm Falling Too," had the harmony done in three parts by Davis herself, and when the unique interpretation jelled, it became a topic for discussion among people in the industry. Again, her dynamism in taking command of all the songs and delivering the lyrics her way, sealed the Skeeter Davis brand.

Her record (image) was produced by guitar exponent Chet Atkins and originally pressed in Nashville, Tennessee. The RCA Long Play album from 1961, made her so popular that it sold out within weeks in Singapore. Hunting it in the 60's was not a problem, but looking for it 45 years later is difficult.

She has been here in Singapore. Any recollection of her concert?

(Image: From Andy Lim Collection.)

Hong Kong Pop 60s Music - Queen Kong Ling

Kong Ling (image) never looked back when she was the winner in an inter-school singing competition in the early 50s in HongKong. Within three years, she became just as popular in Singapore as she was in HongKong when she became a resident song bird in a local nitespot.

Like many singers in the 60s, Kong Ling gained popularity by covering pop English songs translated into Chinese dialects and Mandarin.

In 1960 she cut her first album, but her second Long Playing record, “Theme from a Dream," made her part of the 60s family when Diamond Records had a full studio orchestra to back her.

Like Sakura Teng, Rita Chao and other Mandarin pop singers, Kong Ling has this distinguishable Cantonese diction and grammatical swings when she sings her English covers, but it's part of the Eastern charm many fans find enduring. She's best singing in Mandarin and dialect. "Roses are red, my love, violets are blue." Off beat and cha-cha-cha! But definitely not off-colour!
(Image: A rare find indeed).

Hong Kong 60s Music - The Fabulous Echoes

UP TO 2,000 VIEWS, 30 COMMENTS, CHATS

The Fabulous Echoes were three Filipinos, a Scotsman and Sri Lankan lead singer Cliff Foenander. They were the most successful of these early 60's bands in Hong Kong, appearing on two Diamond Record albums fronted by Kong Ling and on four other albums proving themselves as a rock n roll show band.

The Fabulous Echoes line-up was: Tony Ruivivar (guitar), Bert Sagum (tambourine, vocals), Terry Lucido (piano), Stan Robertson (bass), Danny Ruivivar (drums), and Cliff Foenander (lead vocals). 

Cliff Foenander, their lead singer, was Sri Lanka's "crooner king" in the late 50's and 60s. He joined them and their first hit, "A Little Bit of Soap" (1964 - Diamond Records) was for 25 weeks at #1 on the Hong Kong Charts and a hit in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, The Philippines and Sri Lanka.

Some of their more familiar hits were: "Dancing on The Moon," "Sukiyaki," "'The Wedding,'" "Skip to My Lou," "Way Back When" and "This Land is My Land." They have also accompanied Hong Kong singer Kong Ling with the Diamond Music Company Studio Orchestra.

The group changed their names in 1968 and called themselves The Society Of Seven. They were contracted to play in Las Vegas and became as familiar as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Pat Boone.

Ed Sullivan signed them up for two shows and when telecast, was seen by an audience of more than 40 million viewers. The group played in Vegas and for more than three decades, kept the pace. Foenander passed away in late 2000 but the group, with a new line-up, are still playing.

Images Google.

A Little Bit of Soap: Fabulous Echoes.

YouTube Video by: candy60s1

Broadway Musicals - 60s Music Influence

For further information on Broadway musicals, the above book (image) is a must-read, as it provides much information on most of the musicals that have appeared on New York's famous stages.

From, "Annie" to "Zorba," they come in large, colourful and bright images with sufficient data for the enthusiast.Written by Ken Bloom and Frank Vlastnik, both well-respected writers on musical productions, this particular 2004 edition is available in our libraries [782.14097471 BLO (ART)].

The book though, is mostly on musical theatre and not on musical films, but there is a complete song-list for each production featured.(Image: Amazon.com)Original article: Andy Lim

Sound Of Music - Julie Andrews - Do Re Mi

This 1965 musical, with Julie Andrews/Christopher Plummer, needs no introduction. The 8-year-old knows the tunes of almost all the songs that the 80 year hums with the grandchild. "The Sound Of Music" (image) came right after the success of numerous other musicals that invaded Singapore in the 50's and 60's.

Besides the 2 musicals posted, "Kismet" (Stranger In Paradise), "West Side Story" (Maria), "Oklahoma" (Oh What A Beautiful Morning), "Fiddler On The Roof" (Sunrise, Sunset) and "South Pacific" (Bali Ha'i) were only a few musicals that burst on the scene during Singapore's youth. These images came way before "Cats", "Phantom," and "Miss Saigon," flirted with our population.

There is no need to list the songs from TSOM because anyone who knows 60's music, knows them. Remember the 5 year old? He or she could have learnt "Do Re Mi," one of twelve songs in the musical, before the other hits. "Edelweiss," is another pop classic. This musical, ironically, became popular on Broadway only after the film version was embraced by the public in the U.S.

Local group, The Quests recorded a 45 vinyl single of "Sound Of Music" (Rodgers/Hammerstein's title song, EMI/Columbia: DO 4638) with Reggie Verghese, "Love Has Gone," on the flip. What about other groups? Have they recorded musicals?

Image: Sound Of Music website
Original article: Andy Lim.

My Fair Lady - Audrey Hepburn - Li'l Bi' Er Lah

Another movie musical that hit the big time in Singapore was in the mid-60s when "My Fair Lady" (1964) was shown at the Lido at Orchard Road. Thousands flocked to the cinema to enjoy the film with songs that became household tunes. "Getting To The Church On Time," "The Rain In Spain," "I Should Have Danced All Night," and "On The Street Where You Live".

Audiences who were familiar with the plot, knew it came from George Bernard Shaw's play, "Pygmalion," and with Rex Harrison's version of, "Why Can't The English?" had local fans rollicking on the floor. Of course Singaporeans in the 60s remembered the red-nosed cockney swagger, "Wih a l'il bi er luck".

With this invasion of a musical by Lerner & Loewe and Audrey Hepburn as the icon, the American cast with the British posh made the movie another memorable, watchable event. Such melodies became templates in the minds of our local musicians and another side of Singapore 60s music was established.

Image: http://www.lovefilm.com/

Original article: Andy Lim

King & I - 60s Music - Precisely My Cup Of Tea

No music blog is complete without discussing musicals, especially the ones that have been made into movies. In Singapore in the 60s, there was hardly any theatre or stage to accomodate musicals from Broadway in New York or the West End in London.

Audiences in Singapore depended on movie musicals imported from the United States of America. Some of these were so popular that they could run for weeks in the larger cinemas in town like the Odeon or Capitol at North Bridge Road. The Cathay too had its selection of musicals.

One of the most popular was "The King And I", produced in 1956, which starred Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr (image). Many Singaporeans may remember the songs that became hits on the radio. The ones usually aired were, "Shall We Dance", I Whistle A Happy Tune," the hauntingly beautiful, "Hullo Young Lovers," and the singalong, "Getting To Know You."

The record shops along North Bridge Road sold out their Rodgers and Hammerstein's Long Play vinyls very quickly and the nightclubs and cabarets played the melodies from this musical.

Image: http://www.lovefilm.com/

Original article: Andy Lim

Beatles Unlimited Austria Orchid Country Club

Beatles Unlimited will be appearing at "Those Were The Days Concert" at Orchid Country Club. They are the Beatles lookalike band from Austria. Not only do they look like the Beatles, the group also sounds like them with similar guitars to match.

The image was taken from Rod Davis (image, lst left) Scorpion Publication Website. He teams up with Doug Turner to produce guitar instruction books in England.

(Image: Rod Davis Scorpion Publication Website)

"Young At Heart" Lyrics - 32 Million Hits On Net

Image: The Senior Silver Strings Family (from left): Veronica, Mike, Andy, Danny Boy, Bobo, Aloysius, Audie. (Seated): *Masrom, Herb, Louis.

This song generated 32 million searchers on Google today:

Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you
If you're young at heart
For it's hard, you will find, to be narrow of mind
If you're young at heart

You can go to extremes with impossible schemes
You can laugh when your dreams fall apart at the seams
And life gets more exciting with each passing day
And love is either in your heart on on its way

Don't you know that it's worth every treasure on earth
To be young at heart
For as rich as you are it's much better by far
To be young at heart

And if you should survive to a 105
Look at all you'll derive out of being alive
Here is the best part
You have a headstart
If you are among the very young at heart!

Music: Johnny Richards/Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh (1953)
Song covered by dozens of singers, including: FRank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Connie Francis, Bobby Vinton, Willie Nelson, Barry Manilow...

Go to: http://www.jango.com/music/franksinatra

*Image: Masrom - former keyboardist, Sweet Charity - has since passed on.

Ambassador Hotel Thanks For The Memories!

Anonymous commented on May 7th posting under Comment Page on May 13th, 2009 at 1.06pm: "How fab to find this photo of the Ambassador Hotel. As a child in the 1950s I lived next to the hotel at number 44. I would lie in bed listening to the music coming from the roof, often in a language I didn’t understand (I’m English), enjoying it immensely.

One of my other memories is when I would walk by the hotel on my way home from the school bus. The foyer doors were open and the sound of the juke box would waft out as I passed.

I recall ‘Oh please stay by me Diana’ was that Paul Anka? That song should pin point the year. I see from Google Earth that sadly the house and hotel no longer exist, nor the sea view we were lucky to have from our balcony."

(Thanks for writing. Here's another image of The Ambassador Hotel from National Heritage Board, Singapore.)

Melayu Pop Yeh Yeh 60an Rahimah Rahim

Rahimah Rahim, daughter of Rahim Hamid (Singapore's Nat King Cole), will be singing some Malay and English songs during the concert at Orchid Country Club.

In 1962 at age six, she acted in a Malay movie, 'Korban Kasih' with Cathay Organisation and another in 1963 called, 'Masuk Angin Keluar Asap'.

She first appeared in 1963 on b/w Television Singapore singing, 'Burung Kakak Tua'. She was singing and acting on television and by 1972 released her first Malay EP, "Mana Ibu-nya" distributed by Panda Records.

Through the years she pursued her singing career and released Malay albums with Senada Records. In 1974 Rahimah won her first award overseas in a singing competition by Fuji TV in Tokyo, Japan and sang for the first time in Neptune Mandarin Hotel in Singapore and for three years was alongside Anita Sarawak. 

She has since won many contracts and awards as a songstress. Now Rahimah sings occasionally in the region but only by invitation.

Image: A personal collection.

Those Were The Days Orchid CC Concert July 09

The above poster has been distributed by Audie Ng for the forthcoming get-together at Orchid CC.

British Pop 60s Invasion - One Singer One Song

Dusty Springfield - Wishin' And Hopin' - 1964. Irish-born, she made it big both at home and in the U.S. Another famous song, "The Look Of Love" by the Bacharach/David duo, was nominated for an Academy Award and featured in the James Bond movie, "Casino Royale" (1967).

Peter and Gordon - World Without Love - 1964. The duet that invaded the U.S. with their Paul McCartney hit and one of more than a dozen singles they recorded. The song was a world-wide phenomenon and a personal favourite. Peter (Asher) became boss of Apple Records to record Cher, Diana Ross and James Taylor.

"(1) John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote this. It is the biggest hit they wrote that was not released by The Beatles.(2) This song was written by Lennon/McCartney. They gave the song to Peter and Gordon because John would always start laughing at the first line of the song. 'Please lock me away...'

60s Pops With Mobile Phones MP3 Status Today

Lulu - To Sir With Love - 1964. It is truly a classic and students, who have somehow learnt it, will play it during assembly on Teachers' Day in Singapore.

Lulu is a Scottish singer/songwriter and everything else rolled into one. The song was an international hit in the 60s and one with the best first liner: "Those school-girl days/Of telling tales and biting nails are gone..."

Freddie and the Dreamers - I Understand - 1964. Freddie Garrity, with his team of Merseybeat, who actually came from Manchester, not Liverpool. The song, a personal favourite, is one of about two dozen singles recorded by this group. All these songs would have achieved mp3 status today!

Vietnam: We Gotta Get Out Of... The House

Eric Burdon: 

We gotta get out of this place!/If it's the last thing we ever do/We gotta get out of this place/Cause girl, there's a better life... for me and you. (Music/Lyrics by: Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil.)

The Animals greatest hit is, The House Of The Rising Sun, with many local bands playing it repeatedly in the various nightspots all over Singapore. Eric Burdon was in Singapore a couple of years ago and was still singing his whopper.

The House of the Rising Sun is a traditional folk song, sometimes called Rising Sun Blues. It tells of a life gone wrong in New Orleans, many versions also urge a sibling to avoid the same fate. The most successful commercial version, recorded in 1964 by the British rock group The Animals, was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and also in the United States and Canada. The song has been described as the "first folk-rock hit.

From songfacts.com
Reaching top of UK pop singles chart in July 1964. It topped the U.S. pop singles, breezed into August and chart two months later, on 5 September 1964, where it stayed for three weeks: 


Historians have not been able to definitively identify The House Of The Rising Sun, but here are the two most popular theories: 

(1) The song is about a brothel in New Orleans. "The House Of The Rising Sun" was named after Madame Marianne LeSoleil Levant (which means "Rising Sun" in French) and was open for business from 1862 (occupation by Union troops) until 1874, when it was closed due to complaints by neighbors. It was located at 826-830 St. Louis St. 

(2) It's about a women's prison in New Orleans called the Orleans Parish women's prison, which had an entrance gate adorned with rising sun artwork. This would explain the "ball and chain" lyrics in the song.

(Image: The Animals: Vietnam War -"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" - 1965)

60s Music Influence Vietnam War Protest Songs

While browsing through Roger Poh's postings (image) on his recent visit to Vietnam, the images show a peaceful and serene city with people going about their daily business. Readers very well know the situation in the 60's was the exact opposite, when the Vietnam War (1959 - 1975) was at its most explosive.

.

Many songs in the 60's have been written about the war and its aftermath. The list is endless but the one below shows some of the songs that have been etched in the memory of those who understand the music influence during that period:

1. Detroit City - Tom Jones - 1967
2. Galveston - Glen Campbell - 1967
3. Leaving On A Jet Plane - John Denver - 1967
4. 96 Tears - The Mysterians - 1966
5. Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay - Otis Redding - 1967

6. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place - Animals - 1965
7. Yellow River - Christie - 1970
8. Johnnie B. Goode - Chuck Berry - 1958
9. Don't Cry Daddy - Elvis Presley - 1969
10. Where Have All The Flowers Gone? - Peter, Paul n Mary - 1962
11. Bad Moon Rising - Creedence Clearwater Revival - 1969

.

Wikipedia explains that well known American protest songs include "We Shall Overcome", first associated with labor organizing and later with the Civil rights movement; Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" and Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On". John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" referenced the American anti-Vietnam war movement and the arms race, although he was British.

.

Image: From Roger Poh's Collection and Google.

British 60s Pop Music Invasion & Influence

Without doubt, there was a large invasion of British pop music to Singapore and the US during the 60s but personally, only a number of these songs were appealing. The singers, groups and one particular melody that still keeps spinning in the head today, include:

1. Gerry & The Pacemakers - How Do You Do It - 1963
2. The Animals - House Of The Rising Sun - 1964
3. Petula Clark - Downtown - 1964
4. Dusty Springfield - Wishin' and Hopin' - 1964
5. Freddie & The Dreams - I Understand - 1964
6. Peter & Gordon - World Without Love - 1964

7. Swinging Blue Jeans - Hippy, Hippy, Shake - 1964
8. The Rolling Stones - I Can't Get No Satisfaction - 1965
9. Dave Clark Five - Catch Me If You Can - 1965
10. The Hollies - Bus Stop - 1966
11. Lulu - To Sir, With Love - 1967
12. Herman's Hermit - There's A Kind Of Hush - 1967

Many of the above songs have been performed by our own groups during the 60s.

(Most extracts ie, Dusty Springfield to this one from: Wikipedia & Singer/Band Website. Edited by Andy Lim.)

Singapore Pop 60s Music Today - Silver Strung

(From: http://www.cartoonstock.com/)

60s Pop History In Detail - Nick Johnstone

This book, available in our libraries, is a simple read but so chock full of information about the mid-50's pioneers of rock n rollers that no 60s music enthusiast would want to miss it.

The writer is Nick Johnstone, journalist, writer, lecturer and pop guru who engages details about Elvis, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, etc in his lively and entertaining book. Find out how, "Blue Suede Shoes," (Carl Perkins) was conceptualised and why it didn't succeed with Elvis the first time around.

Rock n Roll was born in 1956 when Elvis released "Heartbreak Hotel", way after "That's All Right Mama", Chuck Berry sang, "Roll Over Beethoven", Little Richard blurred boundaries with "Tutti Frutti" and pop music hit the big screen with "Rock Around the Clock", featuring Bill Haley and the Comets.

According to Towerbooks review, the writer delves, " into the mainstream and explores its African-American roots. He also shows how the DNA fused in that one burst of creativity has persisted for the next 50 years." Like I said, simple to read but thick with details.

Image: Amazon.com

Review: Andy Lim Collection

British 60s Pop Influence With Russ Hamilton

R19 January 1932 - 11 October 2018.

Russ Hamilton was a superstar in Singapore 60s. His songs were so dear to the hearts of many Singaporeans that his records sold out within days.

In the UK, it was "We Will Make Love" that caught record buyers attention, whereas, in the USA, it was the flip, "Rainbow". Imagine a single reaching the top 10 in the UK while its other side made waves across the waters. "Rainbow" reached Number 4 in the US**.

He received his Golden Disc for a million copies sold, very soon after its release on Friday, October 4th, 1957. In Singapore, many of the songs he released reached the Hit Parade Charts and "WWML" stayed on for some time.

Russ Hamilton composed his own songs, and one was written for his girl. "Wedding Ring" managed the top 20 but was "insufficient to consolidate his position as a major pop star."

An album of Russ Hamilton's songs that most fans would own. He was very popular.

His fortunes with his hit songs faded after a while and were not on the airwaves in recent years. Apparently not only were the songs "unfashionable in style, but the meaning of the lyrics had suffered from the changes in word usage."

Singapore youths today may find his songs 'mushy'. Seniors though are still playing the beautiful ballads with the lilt, soft and quiet that only Russ Hamilton could deliver. All his songs are classics now, all. Some of them are, "*My Mother's Eyes," "I Had A Dream", "*Little One" and "I Still Belong To You". Russ Hamilton was backed by Johnny Gregory and His Orchestra. Golden oldies for that relaxing evening. 

(When my grandson Joshua was only 2 years old, he recognized many nursery rhymes that I used to sing before his afternoon naps. But he knows his pop songs better and learned "Little One" before others. Meaningful lyrics and soothing music make this one of the best songs for little children. Try it out because Joshua is asleep within 10 minutes.)

Dr. Lee Yan San was a close friend of Russ Hamilton, having visited his home in Penang and meeting Dr. Lee's family.

Dr. Lee Yan San, (image above) who hails from Penang and who used to write to me about his love for pop music, was a close friend of Russ Hamilton. There are other articles of them on this blog. 

* Children songs.

**Cliff Richard never achieved this kind of hit status in the United States. In 1960, he toured with The Shadows in the U.S. and were well-received; however, lackluster support and distribution from the record company proved costly, and the chance was lost.

(Extracts from 45rpm.org.uk, Wikipedia and Oriole Record cover EP - 7005 literature/image.)

Singapore 60s Music. Singapore Blue Diamonds

Off the cuff: After winning the Singapore Blue Diamonds contest, James Choa and the rest of The Gaylads (popular 60s group with The Flamingos - Posting: April, 9th, 2009) were given a singing contract and arrived in style at the Merlin Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, to be resident vocal group at the Harlequin Room with a full band to accompany them.

They were driven all the way, by car from Singapore to KL, by Tan Swee Leong at the helm of his Ford Anglia. Mr Tan, a celebrity himself, was also the MC for their shows and James remembered they had a fascinating 3 weeks at the hotel.

Since it was the 60s they had time to see the sights in KL during the day and had comfortable accommodation at the hotel itself. Besides a full allowance, The Gaylads were also provided with whatever creature comfort they needed during their stint at the Merlin.

(Image: The real Blue Diamonds with Anneke Gronloh. From National Heritage Board, Singapore.)

Naomi & The Boys - 50 Songs For 60s Music

Henry, Robert and Naomi are part of the famed Suriya family that had engulfed Singapore 60s music. While Henry recorded his music solo, Robert and Naomi recorded as a group called, "Naomi and The Boys".

But they don't really need an introduction because the songs, "It's All Over" (image), and "I Know" both originals, were right at the top of the Singapore and Malaysian Hit Parade Charts then. Besides, Naomi's, "Happy Birthday Baby," was more popular than other cover versions.

Robert Suriya, singer, songwriter and lead guitar with The Boys had Peter Thomas on rhythm, Moses Tay on bass and Alphonso Soosay on percussion. This final re-grouping of passionate musicians went on to produce and record about 50 songs altogether.

While on the hunt for Singapore 60s vinyls, I managed to buy a few of their records, but all of them are bootleg copies. The copyright laws were not in place in Singapore during the 60s and had affected people in the music industry significantly.

More about Henry, Robert, Naomi and The Boys in future postings.

60's Music Website Is Linked To: yesterday.sg

From yesterday.sg Website:

"Ever wondered what local music in the 60s was like? Andy Lim, formerly known as Andy Young writes about popular music in Singapore and Malaysia during this period, not to mention the musical influences from Europe, US and Hong Kong that also helped shaped the sound of the times.

You might have heard of Andy Young because he *sang with the band, The Silver Strings and graced many a nightclub, hotel, theatre and cinema during the early 1960s. Just reading about the memories of The Silver Strings alone gives you an idea of how vibrant the music scene at the time - and all this without Youtube and Garageband!

So take a walk down to the groovy 60s in the Singapore 60s Pop Music Website and rediscover a colourful musical past.

Thanks to Victor, one of our FOYers (Friends Of yesterday.sg) who discovered this site."

*Please read Comment by blogger overleaf.

What yesterday.sg is about:

"First launched in March 2006, this site has helped us unearth a treasure trove of stories and memories of the Singapore of old. With the support of a group of heritage enthusiasts called the Friends of yesterday.sg (FOYers), the site has proven to be immensely popular with the younger generation who are interested in discovering their unique heritage here in Singapore.

As you go through this site, we hope you enjoy this journey back into the past. The site was revamped and relaunched as a social media portal on February 6 2009 to heighten that ethereal feel of travelling back in time. We’ve also added new elements such as a multimedia platform to enrich your surfing experience."  Do visit the site.

The a - Infos Radio Project - DJ Carlito's Blog

Hi Andy,

Thanks so much for the reply, and thanks for checking out my blog! Ive definitely been listening to Singapore and Malaysian music for quite a while now...

If you ever get the chance, please check out the weekly radio show (image) that I do in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. via the podcasts that I post too. Here's a good one featuring some Singapore/Malay/and Indonesian pop with rock and Hindi film music: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/32168

Regards,

DJCarlito

(Andy says: Please visit this radio station for Singapore, Malay, Indonesian and Hindi film and music. It's quality stuff!)

The Antarctics Eunos Rahmat Talentime Winner

Eunos Rahmat, rhythm guitarist for The Antarctics (image: 2nd left) and his friend, won the 2nd prize for The Singapore Blue Diamonds Competition held in the 60s. The first prize went to the Gaylads (check out earlier post).

The singer and drummer for The Antarctics, S. A. Vinton, (image: 4th left) was another talented musician who composed numerous songs that were later recorded by The Quests, Sakura Teng and other top artistes in Singapore.

Singapore was an island of plenty in the 60s, where talents were raw but one which generated into a successful music industry that is now forgotten.

Eunos Rahmat is now a successful food entrepreneur dishing out delicious Malay/Padang cuisine at MacPherson Road. The restaurant is always crowded.

(Another successful Manhunt completed.)

Singapore 60s Music Talentime For The Masses

A singer and his accompanying band participating in a Singing Contest in Singapore. The group is formatted with Cliff Richard and the Shadows ideal but it is not a regulation. 

Various organizations in Singapore, both public and private ones, held talentime competitions regularly. The Housing & Development Board was no exception. Image shows a talent contest held in 1964 as bands were many and singers in demand.

Winning a talentime competition could make an exciting but unstable career for musicians and singers. Some of them participated for the fun and excitement it provided. The Quests, The Jets, The Burns, The Antartics, Gaylads, were some of the groups that had won a talent competition.

The term 'talentime' was coined by radio personality Kingsley Morrando [above] in the late 50s when he organized such shows to promote singing talents those days. Morrando was a broadcaster working at Radio Malaya (Singapore) studios. He was also a popular radio announcer (term today is 'DJ' = Disc Jockey) in a pop music request programme called, 'To Each His Own'. He even had a company called, ‘Talentime’ at Shaw House. Good friend and well-known Rediffusion broadcaster Larry Lai confirmed this information. An on-line article mentioned that it was one Tony Beamish, the Radio Malaya English Programme Supervisor then, who coined it. 

Among the music youths in the 60s, it was an important word but whether it is accepted officially as part of the English Language vocabulary is another question, either in the UK or in America. Anyone?

Image: The National Heritage Board, Singapore.

Original Article: Andy Lim.

Ambassador Hotel As Lovers Move In Shadows

 UP TO 3,000 VIEWS, 40 CHATS,

COMMENTS, 80 LIKES. THANKS. 

8IEWS T,ODA,Y

The Ambassador Hotel, opposite Katong Park at Meyer Road near the East Coast beaches, was the rendezvous for lovers. The hotel had a roof garden, with Singapore 60s guitar groups or combo bands playing music by The Shadows, Cliff Richard, Elvis, The Beatles and other superstars.

Many combos and local bands used to entertain patrons in this hotel with "Wonderful Land", "Sleepwalk" or rebel rousers like, "Shindig", The Young Ones", "Guitar Boogie" and "Twist And Shout." Dancing under the stars was always the theme and youth had its days when the bands floored the dancers with both hot and cool music.

Sleepwalk the original Shadows version that reminds me of the sweet times we had at the Ambassador.

I remember going there with some good friends where we spent the evening over one or two drinks that cost about $6.00 a glass. My favourite drink is rum and coke, a drink I am told that attracts medical problems like diabetes. The ladies we came with were friends and colleagues that had come to support guest bands that played on a particular weekend.

There was an evening where we made floor space for the versatility of the Sunny Low Dancers, the slim young man with the built, grace and charm of Gene Kelly. This particular dance place or nightclub was on another floor in the hotel; correct me if I am wrong, the sixth floor if I remember.

Oh yes, Katong Park and the beach were downstairs and it was a slow, five-minute walk to seclusion and privacy. The hotel is gone now but the memories remain.

Image: National Heritage Board, Singapore.

Original article: Andy Young.