J.D. Salinger: Family Connections With Allan Thompson

Dear Andy, 

I have been browsing through your most excellent Blog while the spring sunshine casts its light in our lounge, the wind blows through the bushes, the cat sleeps soundly in the sunlight on Mary's end of the couch, and the world faces an uncertain future.

I was reading the Salinger entries and wondered if I had ever sent you details of my very tenuous family connection with him.

My Father's only sister, Agnes Thompson, married a man called Sholto Douglas and they had no family.

I was conceived in West Africa where my Father worked for a gold-mining company as transport manager. My parents returned to Scotland and I was born in Dumfries (image below) in January, 1943. My Father went back to Africa soon after my birth and my Mother and I moved into a vacant flat belonging to my Uncle Sholto and Aunt Agnes who had moved to Greenock to work in a munitions factory as part of the War effort. This made Sholto exempt from military service which was probably his intention. One day, later in the War, my Mother and I returned from shopping to find all our belongings packed up and piled on the pavement and the door lock had been changed. Sholto, realising that he could make much more money by letting the flat to Army officers, had evicted us!!!! We were able to find other accommodation, thankfully, and my Father returned home in 1945 or 1946.

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2020/03/jd-salinger-catcher-in-rye-inspired.html?m=1 (JD SALINGER is well-known for his masterpiece, ‘THE CATCHER IN THE RYE’.)

I knew that my Uncle Sholto was related (probably a nephew) to Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Sholto Douglas, who was also Lord Douglas of Kirtleside, and was one of the earliest of very many children of Robert Langton Douglas by various mothers. Another of Robert Langton Douglas's children, born about 40 years after the others, was Claire Douglas, and she married J D Salinger and was mother of his two children. Very complicated stuff! If all these relationships are valid, then Salinger was my great-uncle by the marriage of my aunt to Claire Douglas's nephew. (Phew! is probably the most appropriate word with which to end this story).

Best wishes, 
Allan.

Written by 
Allan Thompson
England.

Letter From Springtime England Amid Covid: Allan Thompson

 

       UP TO 1,000 VIEWS 

37 CHATS, COMMENTS, POEMS.

Amidst the hurly-burly of the Covid-19 disaster, a good friend from the green fields and valleys of ole England writes to me after some years of solitude. No, that's not true. He's been writing to me very often, so I asked if I could post one of his private mails on the blog. He agreed; Allan Thompson always does. So here goes, a short but refreshing description to brief us Singaporeans about the situation in suburban England.

Dear Andy,

Glad to hear you are well and coping with the restrictions. We are having deliveries of vegetables and food generally. We both exercise at home a couple of times a day and I go for a long brisk walk every second day around the village which is quite spread out so it is easy to keep clear of any cyclists, joggers and other walkers.

It is good to hear the Spring birds singing while most people are closeted and not making human noise with traffic and machinery and loud music. We are permitted half an hour outside for exercise each day and are permitted unlimited fresh air in our gardens. 

We have a small garden and make full use of it with vegetables, flowers and herbs. The blossoms on the flowering currant bush attract all varieties of bees which make a soothing buzzing sound like an insect orchestra, and the birds sing loudly each morning to awaken us. 

It is pleasant when the sun shines but there is still a keen edge to the breeze which is forecast to change direction at the weekend and bring higher temperatures. 

I will be going for an extra walk in an hour's time and hope to tell you more about Springtime in England.

Afterwards:

I have just returned from my brisk walk around the village and I feel invigorated from the exercise. Not too many people around: three people jogging separately, a pair of cyclists, a lady riding a Clydesdale-cross work horse, two almost-empty buses, one or two essential delivery vans, and a few very sensible pedestrians keeping their distance. 

On the negative side: an elderly man balanced on top of a tall, rickety wooden step-ladder, hosing down the plastic corrugated roof of his car-port. If he falls and injures himself, that will mean an ambulance and possibly hospital treatment when the National Health Service is working at full stretch already. 

There are too many idiots thinking they can flout the Government's advice, including the far-too-many private cars on the main roads making non-essential journeys. 

On a brighter note, it was lovely to see the cherry trees in full bloom and daffodils thrusting their golden heads towards the sun, while the wild birds sing their cheerful songs in the trees and hedgerows. Many people, including us, are taking advantage of the fine weather to plant vegetables, prune shrubs, and do some weeding. 

Ours is a fairly small garden but it is enclosed at the back so it is very private and is protected from late frosts by high wooden fences and bushes. We also have a small polythene greenhouse where Mary grows vegetables from seed and later in the Summer it is full of tall, bushy tomato plants which usually give us a good crop.

Well, I must go out and prune some more hydrangea branches.

Keep well, old friend. 

Regards, 

Allan Thompson.

'Out of Town' by Max Bygraves: Allan Thompson's song that uplifts him.

Spring songs - hmm. 

There is an instrumental called "Spring Is Near" by The Outlaws which came out on a 1961 single on HMV. (NOT the later country supergroup of that name, but the British guitar group produced by Joe Meek). 

"Spring! Spring! Spring!" from the film, "7 Brides For 7 Brothers". 

Allan Thompson

I've also cheated by Googling songs about Spring: 

"Younger Than Springtime" (various artists have done this); 
"Spring Fever" (Elvis Presley); 
"Spring Rain" (Pat Boone); 
"Suddenly It's Spring" (Frank Sinatra); 
"Spring" (Serendipity Singers). 
"Out Of Town" (by Max Bygraves remains, oddly enough, one of my favourite uplifting songs.)

Elvis Presley sings 'Spring Fever' from movie, 'Girls, Girls, Girls' where springtime is adequately and pleasantly dramatised.

Spring Is Nearly Here :The Shadows / 春がいっぱい

Youtube Video from: masa777hokaido.

Suggested by: Johnny Yeow.

Images from Google.

Disclaimer: 
Blog is neither sponsored nor advertorial. If images have been copyrighted and should not be on this posting, kindly inform and they will be deleted immediately. 'Comment' section below has a connection on which to click. Thank you.

Singapore 60s Music Friends: A Letter from Allan Thompson

Hi Readers,

If you have this connection please write to the blog or Facebook page because three great friends want to meet again. This particular note below is from Allan Thompson who writes to this blog very often.

Can anyone out there help these music friends?

Dear Andy, 

I have just been browsing through your excellent blog and came across a post which I had obviously missed before.  Sometime after my very first contact with your blog, I asked if anyone knew what had become of Stevie Loraine.  

I have just discovered that one of your contributors, Kim Reay of Penang, wrote in to say she was a good friend of Stevie's (whose real name is Marion) and that Stevie often visits her in Penang.  

This is good news.  

I wonder if Kim knows my old colleague, Maurice Houghton, who is in his mid-70s and also lives in Penang?  Maurice was at Changi in the mid-1960s and is an excellent pianist.  He used to play for his friends in the NAAFI Club at Changi, Singapore and later played in an upmarket hotel in Bath, Somerset, England.  

Stevie Loraine n The Clansmen - If You Always Say Video by boylollipop1

He has lived in Penang for several years, on the north coast, although I do not know his address, and plays the organ at his local church, as well as playing for friends.  It would be nice if Kim and Stevie and Maurice were to meet up one day.  

I am hoping to send you a couple of stories concerning the New Penangway and Hernando's Hideaway soon.

Take care and very good wishes to you and I love reading the blog.

Allan C. Thompson.

May 2019

England, UK.

Sexy Underwear And Things: By Allan Thompson (RAF)

This product used to be very popular for many years since the 1960's.

It's been a while since Allan Thompson, (60's RAF Changi) wrote to me and contributed an article for the blog. A few stories are coming up soon. Here's a cute one when he and a friend discussed the above product.

ALLAN THOMPSON

Dear Andy, 

Many thanks for your reply and I will try to summon up the energy to rewrite and expand my barber shop story.  Actually, I can add a little (rude) anecdote right now:

One of my room-mates in Block 116 at RAF Changi was a slightly plump young man called Joe Hutchinson who came from Belfast in Northern Ireland.  

One day, when he was preparing to go out, he realised that his underwear had not come back from the laundry, so he went downstairs to the barber's shop outside the Airmen's Mess to buy a packet of Hings underpants.  

Things Ain't What They Used To Be: Ella Fitzgerald. Video by: Vws Vas.

When he returned, he ripped open the packet, removed one pair of pants, and went for a shower.  A little while later, he returned wearing his new underpants which were so tight, there were natural protrusions from either side.  As I chuckled at this ridiculous sight, Joe, with a perfectly straight face, said:

"Hings ain't what they used to be!"  

Best wishes,

Allan.

Images: Google.

Video: YouTube from Vws Vas.

Article: Copyrighted by Allan Thompson.

Inspirationally, with the story, two songs came to mind, 'Things Ain't What They Used To Be' and 'Things.'

Allan Thompson laughing away at his friend's remark. Or is it?

Allan has written nearly 3 dozen stories on this blog. Humorous too. Here are some connections:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/04/us-troops-from-vietnam-plays-motown-on.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2015/08/british-invasion-of-goodwood-park-hotel.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2015/06/raf-police-bilko-ben-casey-brands.html

'Things' by Bobby Darin (1962). Video from: Carl's Old Record Club.

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2015/04/where-have-all-record-shops-gone.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2014/05/part-1-equating-dh-lawrence-with.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2013/08/golly-whacked-by-brolly-allan-with-his.html

 Uncanny, Allan does look like Mr Putin. But who's the more handsome?
😄

Blog Statistics Record High: Singapore 60's Music Stories Appeal To International Readers

UPDATED TODAY: 7 September 2017

VIEWERSHIP: 1,432,419

Writers who contributed to this blog

Allan Thompson, John Cher, Michael Bangar, Henri Gann,

Crystal Abidin, Joey Koh, Fabian Foo, Steve Farram, Horace Wee.

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination
Makes it worth the while...
(Abba)

The number of supporters for this blog is staggering.
Readers and technical know-how from social networking services include:

Blogspot
You Tube
Google+ 
Twitter 
WhatsApp 
emails
John Cher's Facebook 
Larry Lai's WhatsApp

Because of these connections, this blog has blossomed by 20,000 viewers, from a mere 36,000 monthly reads in October to 56,000 by December. Big for a small niche like Singapore pops and its influence.

This year the writings, You Tube videos and local 60's music information from:

Allan Thompson (UK)
John Cher
Michael Bangar 
Henri Gann Trekkers (US)
Horace Wee
Steve Farram (Aus)

CYLin
Laurence Lim
Su Go (Aus)
Joey Koh
Crystal Abidin (Aus)
Fabian Foo 

Audie Ng
Mike n Herb (Aus)
Happy Tay (Can)

and others 

were contributing factors to the success of this blog. Names are not in any order and two ladies wish to remain anonymous. Let me know if I left your name out 😔.

                Larry Lai, Audie Ng, CYLin, Su Go, Happy Tay, Laurence Lim

                                              Mike and Herb

Of course when the big guns came in to support both directly and indirectly, the blog had a blast. 

Stephen Fry
Scott Page
Russell Hitchcock
Rick Astley
Rex Goh

and local stars like: 

Dick Lee
Jack Neo
Moses Lim
Chua En Lai

and Silver Strings' Singapore TV appearances helped much to boost the ratings.

Comments from regulars too played a great part towards increasing readership. A whole lot of you guys, thank you.

Less texting? Yes but more blog reading, especially this blog. I dare say, no other active Singapore 60's music stories than what you can find from here.
Short of boasting 😮...

You can see the wonders of a fairy tale
You can see the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see...


Thanks to local and international readers, contributors, friends and fellow countrymen. You made my dream.

Happy New Year 2017.

Songwriters: ANDERSSON, BENNY GORAN BROR / ULVAEUS, BJOERN K.

'I Have A Dream': lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

STATISTICS BELOW CAPTURED ON 2nd JANUARY 2017

Readers today:

1,158,364

31st December, 2016

57,000+ readers today.

24th December, 2016

54,000+ readers today.

TWITTER

Abba: I Have a Dream

GOOGLE +

Images: A Personal Collection and Google.

US Troops From Vietnam Play Motown On Jukebox

It has been a while since Allan Thompson wrote his tales of intrigue and suspense. Below is another, more thrilling than ever, as he takes us on his own trip down memory lane to investigate the juke-box joints in *decadent Singapore. We're back in the 60's now as we join him hunting down military establishments with his ang-moh kakis.

It is an exciting trip and what you're about to read is true. Thanks again Allan. 

Dear Andy,  

I seem to recall that juke boxes were not permitted in bars of other public places in Singapore during the 1960's.  I was told at the time that this was because of protection rackets over the supply of the machines and records.  (This was part of the plot of the Jayne Mansfield film, The Girl Can't Help It).  

Maybe you have *more information on this?  However, military establishments were allowed to have juke boxes, and I know they were installed in the NAAFI, the Chalet Club, and the Malcolm Club at RAF Changi.  

The Chalet Club also had a Scopitone film juke box which cost 50 cents for each play, which was more expensive than the normal record juke box.  There was also a delay between songs because the films apparently had to rewind after each number.  

The favourite selections on the Chalet Club machine were Robot by The Tornados, who were filmed in woodland wearing cheaply made helmets and dancing with girls while miming to the record;  Francoise Hardy on a swingboat, miming to one of her songs while her skirt blew up every time the swingboat swung;  and I've Got The World On A String which featured voluptuous bikini-clad American girls dancing on a beach while the lucky cameraman took some interesting and provocative overhead cleavage shots! 

Because of the juke box ban, many Singapore bars played music on record-players, tape recorders or the radio.  I remember one occasion when some friends and I went into a bar near Raffles Place and were met with the sound of loud Motown music on the record-player while six tall black American sailors in their white uniforms danced in a line in the middle of the room in the style of the Four Tops (image below).  

It was an unforgettable sight.  In those days many American servicemen used to visit Singapore while on leave from Vietnam, that terrible, pointless war which devastated that beautiful country and maimed and killed so many innocent people.   

If only the United States had let 'Uncle' Ho Chi Min run the country for the benefit of the Vietnamese people instead of flexing their muscles and causing so much destruction.  I think it says a lot for the dignity of the Vietnamese that they are so forgiving of those who oppressed them for so many years.  There ends my sermon for today!

Good wishes, 

Allan. 

NB:

(1) On 8th June, 1959, the newly elected PAP government launched a campaign against yellow culture (Chinese: huangse wenhua = decadent behaviour). Although there were attempts to eradicate it earlier, the campaign was a sustained and extensive enterprise, easing only in the 1980's. 

Spear-headed by the Culture Ministry, the authorities launched a nationwide clamp-down on Western culture seen as promoting anti-social life. So pornographic publications and films, strip shows, jukebox dens, pin-table saloons, rock music as well as long hair on men were banned. It promoted instead healthy cultural activities that focused on forging a common Malayan culture. 

From: HistorySG, an online resource guide.

                  'I've Got The World On A String' - A Scopitone Film Juke-Box

(2) Scopitone was a 1960's type of jukebox featuring a 16 mm film component. Scopitone films were a forerunner of modern music videos. The first Scopitones were made in France. 

*written tongue-in-cheek.

Images and Videos from Google and You Tube.

Kick-start words:
Vietnam War, Rest and Recreation, US soldiers, army

A Letter To All My Friends, Contributors, Readers

Why This Blog:

My profile page explains it all. 

"This blog is written to (a) relive my missing music years, (b) keep interested seniors posted about our local music scene, (c) encourage music stories from them and (d) keep our younger generation, especially my *3J's, aware of our pop music heritage. 

Although I have lived the age and participated in the music I am neither a music guru nor historian. No showing off past glories."

Today is November 22nd and this blog will be into its eighth year. My eldest grandson First Jay is nine and I remember he was two years young when I first thought about writing a blog. And it all started at Vivo City.

That was when I went on stage to offer a non-professional voice backing to the Silver Strings on 8th November 2008 and First Jay was there with my folks. Although he was still so young, I felt he was enthralled by the event, definitely by the loud guitar noise.

Friends And Readers Who Assisted With Blog:

Here is my list of friends who started me off with the blog:

1. Roger Poh
2. Victor Koo
3. Friends of Yesteryear (FOYERS) Group, Singapore
4. Larry Lai

Very kind blog readers contributed their stories to help boost its authenticity. The list includes writers, photographers and their country of residence:

1.   Allan Thompson: Norfolk England UK

2.   Barry Walker: England UK

3.   John Harper: York England UK
4.   Dino Martin Peters: USA

5.   Happy Tay: Vancouver BC Canada

6.   Matt Tan: Montreal Quebec Canada   

7.   Byrt Mallanyk: Sydney Australia

8.   Mag Jnne: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

9.   Peter Chan: Singapore

10. CYLin: Singapore

11. Mun Chor Seng: Singapore

12. John Cher: Singapore. 
13. Michael Bangar 
14. Stephen Han
15. Horace Wee
16. Henri Gann
17. SPYeo
18. Dr Steven Farram 
19. Winston Koh
20. Richard Seah 
21. Charlie Yap  
22. Joe Woon 
And many more...

Regular Commentators from Singapore include:

1.   FL 
2.   Ronnie See 
3.   Rickie Chng
4.   Audie Ng
5.   Jerry Fernandez
6.   Merlin Lim 
7.   Dato Dr YS Lee: Penang  Malaysia.
8.   Jimmy Chng
9.   Randy Lee
10. Erwin Maisch
11. James Seah
12. Dino Martin Peters: USA
13. BC Teoh: KL Malaysia
14. Dr Steven Farram: Charles Darwin University, Darwin Australia.

Translators for Mandarin:
1. Lim Kuan Min 
2. SPYeo.

Observations on Pop Yeh Yeh and Malay cultural matters:
1. Yusnor Ef.

Media for introducing the blog:
1. Majorie Chiew: STAR newspaper Malaysia
2. Brigitte Rozario: 3age Malaysia Website
3. Christopher Toh: TODAY newspaper
4. Singapore Chinese newspapers

Media Corp Singapore for telecast documentaries about blog and local pops:
1. Channel News Asia
2. Channel 5
3. Octo Channel

There are many regular contributors, so excuse me if I have not included your name. It is a long list and more will be added as the days go by. Apologies.

Helping Tertiary Students And Lost Friends:

Glad this blog has kept its pace and, most importantly, helped students at tertiary level who need to write papers about our 1960's music heritage for their media studies. Still meeting them at a Mall for interviews.

This blog has also got long lost band members and friends together. Some of them have either migrated to far off lands or had never been in touch since their last band practice :-) Glad this blog has put some folks together again.

With other books, blogs available in the market and websites, our youth have easier access to information about Singapore's Golden Years of Music and its western influence.

Thank you all for support.

Yours Sincerely,

Andy.

*3 grandchildren.

Images: Google.