SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY's POP MUSIC INFLUENCE IS A PERSONAL MUSIC, MEMORY TRAIL. BLOGGER DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO VIDEOS, AUDIO TRACKS AND IMAGES. THEY ARE UPLOADED FOR FUN, EDUCATIONAL, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND HAVE BEEN CREDITED. BLOG IS NOT SPONSORED NOR ADVERTORIAL IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. INFORM BLOGGER OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND POST WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT COPY THE POSTS; GET PERMISSION N CREDIT ME IF YOU DO. ANDY LIM LA (NOVEMBER, 2008) -
(新加坡六十年代安迪的流行音乐影响力), SUDI MAMPIR !
"When we discussed music and I informed him that I was a big band jazz vocalist he invited me to talk to a couple of the local band boys that worked at the hotel. I ended up singing with two of the bands in the E&O during the weekends.
Also posted in Penang at that time were the Royal Green Jackets. Some of the Regiments' bandsmen used to come to the E&O where I got to know a few of the lads that played traditional and modern jazz. With the help of the manager of the same hotel, we set up a Sunday Jazz Club and alternated to play the two types of music.
A member of one of the local bands that I worked with was called Gino, a vibes player. He did the arrangements for a 17-piece big band for the Soliano Brothers, who were playing for a radio broadcast and for the Kuala Lumpur Cricket Club (KLCC) in Malaya. I was invited to sing."
Are you familiar with the E&O Hotel in Penang, Malaysia? Does anyone knows Lance Raymond when he sang there in the 60s?
Check: December 29th, 30th for Postings 1 and 2 for on British Servicemen in Singapore.
It's not true that Servicemen bands in Singapore only started in the 60s. Even before Cliff Richard's landing in Singapore, there were some Britons, individuals and bands, playing at some of the local nightclubs in the 50s, including the Golden Venus at Orchard Road.
Lance Raymond (stage name/image) was one of them. He was with the British Army and got involved with the music scene in Singapore and Malaya in the late 50s. He knew some local musicians like the Solianos and played more Cha Cha Cha and Latin music. Besides some Britons, there was also a large population of Phillipino (Pinoy) musicians in Singapore during the 30s until the 50s. Below is his story.
"Prior to 110 Squadron RAF arriving in Singapore, it was based at Butterworth, Malaya and most of us in the squad with married families were living in Penang around 1962 to 1963. During my first few months in Penang I made friends with the manager of the Eastern and Oriental Hotel (E&O) in George Town, Penang." Comments please from Malaysians everywhere?
Check: December 29th/30th for Postings 1 and 2 on British Servicemen in Singapore.
Dr. Goh Poh Seng (73) who was born in Malaysia but lived in Singapore, has passed away in Vancouver on Sunday, January 10th. He was a medical doctor, novelist, poet, playwright and arts promoter.
More importantly, he helped to promote local musicians like Tokyo Square, etc at his clubs and was the Chairman of the National Theatre Trust. He also initiated an arts group called Center 65 and was the first author to write a Singapore novel in the English language called, If We Dream Too Long. Anybody knows GPS personally and wish to comment?
Information: Life! (13.01.10), The Straits Times Press, Singapore.
Tracy Huang is one of the 300 singers selected to appear and sing in this year's National Day Parade Theme Song for 2019. Question is. Is she Singaporean? Anyway, here's a look back at Ms. Huang when she was a pop queen in 70s Singapore. She was the singer with the most beautiful face and was Singapore's sweetheart in the 70's drawing sitting room audiences during her shows on local television singing love ballads. With her beautiful face, soft, sweet voice and sophisticated appeal, Tracy Huang (黃露儀) became a hit with Singaporeans. She became a good friend to all her fans interpreting their joys and sorrows on TV and on vinyl.
In the 70s, when the EP was in less demand, her Long Play (LP) records filled the vinyl shops along North Bridge Road. I remember seeing her albums dominating the shelves in the 70s and were beside Teresa Teng's bit hits.
Huang has two names. In Singapore, she is known as Huang Luyi, but back home in Taiwan, she is Huang Ying Ying. She became a popular singer at the exclusive American Club where audiences were necessarily limited, but enthusiastic. Her specializing more in English songs than in Chinese ones earned her a fan base with local Singaporeans who do not understand Mandarin.
Tracy Huang: Hello Darling
YouTube Video from Michael Lim
When she came to Singapore, the local television organisation contracted her as a compere for the Chinese Variety Show series. As an example, in one of the shows in April 1978, Tracy was the MC for Musical Showcase for Channel 8 and featured singers, Mimi, The Tang Sisters, Pai Sar, Ai Loon and the popular Ching Wai and Chopstick Sisters. She did well professionally and at that time also signed on with EMI to do covers of English songs.
Her popularity soared and she completed many albums up to the 80s. Name a chartbuster of yesteryear and she would probably have covered it. In fact, she has an album that covered only the sixties biggest hits like San Francisco (Flowers In Your Hair), Fool On A Hill, Hurt So Bad, To Sir With Love, If We Are Only Friends, Rhythm Of The Rain, Sound Of Silence and more.
No Singapore singer can be so demure and enchanting.
Many of her EMI vinyl was produced and arranged by The Quests' top gun, Reggie Verghese and engineered by Vincent Lim. Singapore's ability to produce vinyl of quality in the 70s brought many Asian artistes to our shore to record.
Her first English album Feelings was rewarded with a Hong Kong Gold Disc Award for outstanding sales and a similar trend followed with Mississippi and I Don't Want To Talk About It. She also became a hit in Australia.
Tracy Huang didn't forget her Mandarin followers and the quality recordings set new standards too. Her albums succeeded in the most difficult of markets and she soon became a household name in this region. Slow numbers or fast ones, her sophistication remains. And she has covered many songs, both in Chinese and English.
And if anyone doubted Huang's singing ability just listen to her with, On My Own a 1987 recording where she displays her vocal range, especially at the end of the song. Since 1974 Tracy Huang has recorded 49 albums.
Weirdo Records/Weirdo Weekly #100 carries an article on Carrie Ku Mei:
"Ku Mei, Carrie - The Lark/Phoenix/EMI - $10.00 LP 1965 (VG++/VG++) Happy go lucky Shaw Brothers musical, stars pop sensation Carrie Ku-Mei (the Connie Francis of Singapore) & Peter Chen Ho.
A light plot about mistaken identities wherein a journalist is told by his editor to get some dirt on a pop star. Even lighter songs, which have nothing whatever to do with the plot. I can't read the Mandarin, but songs include 'The Wedding Song', 'A Lover's Tears', 'Ave Maria', and 'OB Cha Cha'. "
Is Ku Mei the Connie Francis of Singapore because as far as Blogger understands, it's either Patricia Pestana or Veronica Young. Can anyone comment on this information?
UK/US BANDS IN SINGAPORE:
