To Friends And Surfers - Thank You Very Much!

Hullo everyone,

With the World Cup 2010, on tonight in South Africa, I thought I'd pause for a moment and reflect upon the musical merriment I experienced since November 8th 2008:

Part I:

When Audie Ng (managing director of a music event company and leader/bassist of The Silver Strings) approached me to sing with the group again on Nov 8th 2008 at the Vivo City Amphitheatre in Harbourfront, I declined his offer and remarked in all seriousness, "After 45 years it might prove fatal to perform again. Sure die lah, they'll boo me off the stage." But at the YMCA in Stevens Road, where we met for tea in mid-October that year, Audie cajoled, "You are the first singer... Just for fun what..."

After some persuasion, I relented and Audie proved me wrong. The audience was supportive that evening, providing an applause that was not only warm but thunderous. I knew I couldn't even croak but I guessed they clapped because I was gutsy enough to appear under the excruciatingly bright spot lights without any makeup. It was a kind and enthusiastic crowd that cheered for everyone who went on stage. I was no exception.

Part II:

With my own career behind me I realised I had the opportunity to fiddle with the digits on my mobile phone clock; time is in my hands. It had been more than a year since that evening at Vivo City. So with encouragement from some unbelieving friends (huh?), a push from computer techy Mr. Roger Poh and a nod from my wide-eyed wife, I decided to hit the cable and keyboard trail with my tired but cheerful 7 year old female companion Dell and her small, toughy, elder brother Nec.

Now, 17 months and 775 postings later, my multi-byte musings into the wild unknown of Singapore 60s music had come to fruition, not with money-making advertisements and future singing contracts but with the meeting of many friends, both silver and gold. I am re-living an experience I missed in the 60s.

Part III:

After nearly 50 years of a barren wilderness (my career, my career, what career?), I have now managed to accumulate, from generous friends, photographs and write-ups of both the professional and non-professional music people from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Britain, Canada and the US.

There are many friends to thank but will not name them individually (I might miss some) so if you want to know who they are, just go through the postings on this blog. My friends are all within.

Thank you once again for the encouragement and as long as these wicked fingers are nimble enough to hit the keys, I shall carry on with this blog.

Yours sincerely,

Andy

Naturally BBC: English Gentleman Without The Stiff Upper Lip - Larry Lai Interview - (Part II)

Backstage with Larry, songstress Frances Yip in silver, before a show. 

"You speak and behave like an English gentleman. All you need is a bowler hat, an umbrella with a whangee handle and polished leather shoes. Like John Steed in The Avengers?" That was the truth about this celebrity broadcaster because he did not have a phoney accent and spoke as naturally as the announcers on BBC. And according to him, "The BBC was where I learnt my trade... yes... listening to the station daily... from home." So as we started on our Katong laksa, Larry Lai, who never liked to talk about himself, reluctantly related in impeccable Queen's English his 18 year relationship with Rediffusion.

He came with his family from Shanghai, China, had his education at Pearl's Hill Primary and studied commercial subjects at Outram Secondary. He started as a Rediffusion announcer in 1960 with Tan Swee Leong. They had replaced Tan Hock Lye and Steven Lee who left for Radio Singapore. Being a broadcaster was challenging but he loved his profession at the station, working with the Rediffusion family until he retired as manager and producer in 1978.

Straits Times Advertisement 29th September, 1966.

Larry remembered how difficult the job could be. Besides doing the routines where he had to broadcast, make announcements, play music requests, prepare scripts, etc. in the studio, Larry had also to carry out extra curricular activities outside.

When his boss Len Thorne phoned him in December, 1961 to interview U.S. crooner Frank Sinatra at Singapore Airport, he lugged his heavy, bulky tape recorder and sped all the way to the tarmac hoping to get a scoop. He was excited when Sinatra finally emerged from the plane but before he could approach "Ol' Blue Eyes", the singer made an about turn and disappeared. Larry was so upset, he refused to play Sinatra records on air for a week!

On another occasion, he and Tan Swee Leong climbed a tree, risking broken bones, to catch a glimpse of 60s Calypso singer Harry Belafonte at the Raffles Hotel. When the singer saw them perching precariously beneath the pale moon and fearing their safety, he quickly agreed to the interview. It was an exclusive for Rediffusion and a pat on the back for the "terrible twins" (Lai & Tan).

Clockwise: Larry Lai with the late Reim de Wolffe [Blue Diamonds], 

Andy [Blogger/Silver Strings], the late Jap Chong, Vernon [Quests].

But then there were other moments of joy too when Larry compered game shows with beautiful, perfume scented ladies. Like when he hosted and interviewed Philippino songbird Teresa Carpio, Hong Kong superstar Jennie Tseng (sidebar image), Cathay Pacific's ambassador, Frances Yip (above image) and other glamorous celebrities during live shows at the National and Victoria theatres, cinemas, shopping malls and the Rediffusion auditorium.

At this point of the interview I interrupted him and asked, "And the lady in your life, Larry. Tell us about your very pretty wife. We've been introduced, so perhaps you'd like to recall how you met her the first time? "

"Oh," he said, "that's with Saloma and Ahmad Daud... at the Lido Cinema. And she was with this gentleman. But it's another story... "

Image: Larry Lai Collection: (The lady next to Frances Yip is Katherine Kan from an earlier metamorphosis of Media Corp, possibly RTS. It was backstage at the National Theatre during an end-of-year show in the early 80s.)

Original Article: Andy Lim.

Check out: Saturday, May 08, 2010
Larry Lai King Of Singapore 60s Airwaves (Pt I)