Reunion StrayDogs, Pest Infested: Esplanade

HEADLINES TODAY: October 31st, 2009.

They will recreate the Singapore weekends with their R&B and blues numbers, some of which were very much in demand with tea dance enthusiasts back in the late 60s and early 70s.

The original hits in this concert will include songs like Born in Chicago, All Along The Watch Tower, Walking the Dog, It’s All Over Now, Cold Morning, NSU and Freedom among other tea-dance session favourites.

Straydogs Present Line-up:
Kiang: Bassist, Terry Tan: Vocals/keyboard/harmonica, Anthony Toh: guitarist, Lim Thian Soon: Guitarist, Hensen Beng: Drums

Pest Infested Present Line-up
Ernie Koh: vocals/guitar/ harmonica, Loo Zhen Hoong: drums, Chris Ong: lead guitars,Tony Cheong: guitarist, David Ng: bassist.

Reference: Esplanade Website: http://www.esplanade.com/

Image/Pest Infested/Original: http://www.kiwi-us.com/

Straydogs Are Here. Where Are Cells Unlimited?

HEADLINES TODAY from The Straits Times, Singapore - October 30th, 2009

Look out, they're all back on the prowl. And you can hunt them down at the Esplanade Recital Studio, Singapore, on November 6th at 7.30pm. Straydogs (image) will be there with Pest Infested performing their blues on parade. The only missing group in this particular genre are the Cells Unlimited. Cells Unlimited where are you?

These Singapore bands that specialise in R&B, inspired by The Rolling Stones, are making a comeback. Both groups, one with a new line-up, will play a one-off gig at the Esplanade.

So if you wanna watch Singapore 60s to 70s music renditions of John Mayall n The Bluesbreakers, The Who and Jimi Hendrix, come on over.

Reference: Eddino Abdul Hadi - Music Reporter.
Life!Music Section.

Image: Original/Straydogs: Times Edition/Singapore Press Holdings.

Santana, The Carpenters And Johnny B. Goode

CHUCK BERRY 3:

Nearly 4 million viewers have seen it on You Tube, so you don't discuss Chuck Berry without discussing his own 1958 composition Johnny B. Goode, sometimes mistakenly understood as, Johnny Be Good.

It's the most widely covered rock n roll song as about 70 pop singers and groups have recorded it. It's usually the starter or main dish but never dessert for many Singapore 60s bands when they appear on our Orchard Road belt to perform.

Elvis, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Shadows, The Tornados, Bill Haley, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, Jerry Lee Lewis, Santana, Elton John, Freddie & The Dreamers and the Carpenters are just some of them.

So listen to it because if you don't like this song baby, you don't like rock n roll. And watch out for that "cling, cling, cling jazz" in the middle.

You Tube Video by: Helminen1 (March, 22/2007).

Image: http://www.gibson.com/

Original article: Andy Lim.

Chuck Berry - O Rangutan, Orang Utan Vinyl

CHUCK BERRY 2:

CHUCK BERRY 1:

In one of Roger Poh's recent postings, he has a classic picture of a 'man of the forest' or 'orang utan' (literal translation in the Malay Language). Then a few days ago a wonderful lady friend came home from England and presented blogger with Chuck Berry's The Latest And The Greatest, not a CD but the original vinyl. And one of the instrumentals he recorded was, O Rangutang. 'O' is probably an endearment and 'rangutang' the English equivalent.

Flying under the PYE International R & B Series banner, Chuck Berry has most of his greatest recordings from his earlier days on this vinyl. Fraulein, with Berry's unique flavour is one of them. Another hit, No Particular Place To Go, is a favourite amongst our own Singapore 60s band members. It is their anthem during the long bus rides to Malaya when they tour up North.

The others include Things I Used To Do, Don't You Lie To Me, Driftin' Blues, Lonely All The Time, Jaguar And The Thunderbird, You Two and Bye Bye Johnny. They are all Berry classics.

The instrumentals are, Guitar Boogie, Liverpool Drive, Deep Feeling and O Rangutang. Oh the guitar rang and twang. Really great and it didn't cost $2.00.

Image from: http://www.footlooseinasia.blogspot.com/

Vinyl No: NPL 28031/Monaural

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

Britain's "Record Collector" Magazine: Our Singapore 60s Music Heritage - Great Collection

On: 100 Greatest Singapore ’60s.

It was very encouraging to read a review in Britain’s Record Collector Magazine on how great this collection was, making it a pride and joy for us in documenting the golden age of Singapore music.” Apparently album sales for local English music rarely cross the 5,000-unit mark making the last compilation a success, according to Universal Music, Singapore.

On: More Singapore ’60s: Treasures From The Vault.

Unlike its five-disc predecessor, this is a double-disc affair, featuring more music from artistes like The Silver Strings, The Checkmates and The Crescendos, as well as tracks from the Girvin Sisters, Ernie Djohan And Her Buana Suara, Ray Johnson And The Diamond Four, and Aida Mustafa (image).

Edited From: Tuesday October 27, 2009, Page 31: TODAY Singapore Newspaper.

Image: National Heritage Board, Singapore.

Acker Bilk - Clarinet Stranger On The Shore

Acker Bilk, in his 80s now, has won immortality on rock oldies radio for his 1962 hit Stranger on the Shore, "an evocative ballad featuring his heavily quavering low-register clarinet over a bank of strings".

To the jazz world, though, he has a longer-running track record as one of the biggest stars of Britain's trad jazz boom, playing in a distinctive early New Orleans style. Several other British hits followed, but none bigger than this one single, which Bilk wrote for his daughter Jenny.

It stayed 55 weeks on the British charts and crossed the sea to America, where it hit number one in the radio era. He once said that it's for "my old-age pension" and till now remains a beloved standard of jazz and popular music alike.

On 22nd April 1963, he came to Singapore and was interviewed with this story. He recalled how he played the clarinet to pass the time in an army prison in Egypt in the 40s. "I had been court martialled for falling asleep on guard duty and got three months detention to pass the time and practised 5 hours a day. By the time I was released I was so interested in jazz I joined a band and played at army concerts.

The band has appeared in three films and has broadcast hundreds of times on the radio and TV in Britain. It has made several hit records. They appeared at the Goodwood Park Hotel and also gave a public concert at the Singapore Badminton Hall.

Image: http://www.brindley.halton.gov.uk/

Article: Wikipedia/Acker Bilk Biography/Straits Times Press, Singapore.

(C) Pop-Star Idolatry - Angry Fans Too?

SINGAPORE IDOLS IN THE 60s:

Most times Singapore 60s idols, like Rita, Sakura or Lara (image), get bouquets but sometimes a few get brickbats. Even the most popular of singers or bands get negative remarks thrown at them while others get boos from an unpleasant group in the audience. At its worst, the really unlucky ones would get tiny missiles in their paths.

*"I was scared stiff and shivering. He wanted me to do a folk song called Scarlet Ribbons. When I performed that song in Chin Hoo Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, I had a stone thrown at me. It did not hit me but it hit my guitar."

*"I was nervous, scared and I wanted to pack up and go. No way was I going to perform to people who boo and throw stones... When I went up to Penang, I faced a more matured audience. I went down quite well with the audience and this made up for my disappointment."

It's similar all over the world and part of pop-star idolatry. Impersonator or otherwise, there's bound to be someone out in the audience who doesn't like the celebrity's face, his singing or his personality. And of course there are some who are just envious of his popularity.

*(The above was an interview with Henry Suriya of Naomi and the Boys, 3 August 1995 for a research by Lily Kong on, The Invention of Heritage: Popular Music In Singapore.)

Image from left: Lara Tan, Rita Chao, Sakura Teng.

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

Also check posting: June 21st, 2009.