URGENCY FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION: Pop Song Lyrics From The 60's

Newspaper Headlines From The Past:

More Floods In  Cities Today, Wildfire Spread Fast In Forest Area,  Illegal Timber Trade, December Monsoon Rain Kills Many, Massive Landslide In Hill Resort, Poisonous Chemical In Rivers Uncontrollable, Acid Rain All Over Countryside, Polluted Beaches...

'Don't Go Near The Water': Beach Boys. 

YouTube Video by: Angela de Lara.

This article has been re-posted from 10th August 2012, twelve years ago. Comments my dear readers? 

One Observation At Shopping Malls:

I have no quarrel with people who are paid by others to distribute flyers to pedestrians and passers-by.  But if we are truly going green this distribution of paper advertisements has to be curbed because the practice is growing worse by the day.

People who accept these flyers, possibly out of curiosity or otherwise, throw them away at the next bin they pass. Some even do so without reading the flyers.  And in our letter-box?  It's filled with the same junk. Tons of paper rammed down the throats of mail-boxes.  Meantime trees are destroyed.

Statistics:

"Paper is the most common type of waste in Singapore and about 1.26 million tonnes of paper waste was generated in 2008. The recycling rate of paper is 48% in 2008, and most of this paper waste is sorted, baled and exported overseas for recycling as there are no paper recycling mills in Singapore (zerowastesg.com)." And paper wastage is only one problem...

Sixties Song Lyrics:

[1] In the final verse of his song, Tapestry (1970), 60s music composer and singer Don McLean (American Pie, Starry, Starry Night) reminds his listeners about the destructive nature of man:

And every fish that swims silent, every bird that fly freely
Every doe that steps softly,
Every crisp leaf that falls, all the flowers that grow,
On this colorful tapestry, somehow they know
That if man is allowed to destroy all we need
He will soon have to pay with his life for his greed.

[2] The Beach Boys have the same message with Don't Go Near The Water (1970) warns the public:

Don't go near the water
Don't you think it's sad
What's happened to the water
Our water's going bad
Oceans, rivers, lakes and streams
Have all been touched by man
The poison floating out to sea
Now threatens life on land

Toothpaste and soap will make our oceans a bubble bath
So let's avoid an ecological aftermath
Beginning with me
Beginning with you...

[3] And one by Cat Stevens (Yusof Islam) asks his audience Where Do The Children Play (1970)?

Well I think it's fine, building jumbo planes
Or taking a ride on a cosmic train
Switch on summer from a slot machine
Yes, get what you want to if you want, 'cause you can get anything

I know we've come a long way
We're changing day to day
But tell me, where do the children play?

Well you've cracked the sky, scrapers fill the air
But will you keep on building higher till there's no more room up there
Will you make us laugh, will you make us cry?
Will you tell us when to live, will you tell us when to die?

Wastage:

I have noticed a slight change now. Tissue paper is not offered free in fast food restaurants and coffee houses.  You gotta ask for it! And that's good. But we got a long way to go.

Paper, water, electricity, food. What else are we wasting everyday? There are other songwriters who write about warning green. Remember any?

Just a reminder. Have we improved much since 2012. If we have, it's really great, so do write in... [4/12/2024]

Lyrics: from Lyrics Websites.
Images: from Google.

Quote from: http://www.zerowastesg.com/2008/12/08/paper-recycling/

Meeting Beach Boys n Wynton Marsalis In Singapore: Cindy Lai

YouTube video below with Eric Clapton

UP TO 200 VIEWS, 15+ CHATS & COMMENTS

This article has never been posted but written on May 4th, 2014.

Visits by the group and trumpeter could have happened in the 80s as no dates were mentioned in the articles.

I hope you read the previous post where I introduced my former neighbour, entrepreneur, fashion designer and health guru Cindy Lai, who took us back to London's Carnaby Street in the 70s and re-introduced us to Gilbert O'Sullivan's Clair, one of my favourite pieces.

When I asked her to be a regular guest blogger busy Cindy cheerfully agreed and promised to walk her memory trail with us whenever she's free.  Here are the latest, where she met up with a famous 60s boy band and a renowned trumpeteer...

                    The Beach Boys: Good Vibrations: You Tube Video by Larry Jonik.

Hi Andy,

When the Beach Boys came to town, my classmates and I somehow got the news and went to visit at The Goodwood Hotel where they were staying. (It was so long ago, I stand corrected about the venue). 

We caught them at the pool. As fans and crazy young teenagers, we got close for autographs. Guess what, I pulled his hair (the tall blonde) & stuck it to my autograph album. For years after, it was my show and tell piece of memorabilia.  

Here's a picture, I remember he was the tall blonde, the one on the extreme right with the guitar.  That autograph book long vanished, have no idea where it went. I don't even remember which year. The scenarios remained in my mind, that's all. 
 
Perhaps another meet up that doesn't need evidence would be better. This takes me to another event.  Just sharing here. I went to Wynton Marsalis' concert at The Westin. I had planned precisely to get his autograph no matter what. I was thrilled when I succeeded. He wrote my name with best wishes and signature. 

Later I went to the wash room, left it on the back shelf of the toilet and walked out. When I realised, I rushed back for it after like fifteen minutes; it was gone. This one was a huge shame indeed.

Cheers,
Cindy. 

Images: Google.

The Beach Boys are an American rock band formed in 1961 in California by Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine. Since then, the band has undergone many variations in composition, being represented by fill-ins onstage as often as not.

Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is a trumpeter, composer, music educator and Artistic Director of Jazz @ Lincoln Center in New York City, United States.  He has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences and has been awarded nine Grammys in both genres, and one jazz recording of his was the first of its kind to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Wynton Marsalis and Eric Clapton 

with Corinne Corinna: 

YouTube Video from: EClapton Addict

Cindy Lai wrote the above article. She had gone 

to London to be trained as a fashion designer 

and had a boutique in Singapore.

Cruisin Crashin Car Crazy Celebrated In Songs: Formula One Race 2024?

The Beach Boys

This posting has be regenerated from 2022:

Car Crazy:

With the Singapore 2022 Formula 1 Night Race and expensive COEs in the headlines recently, cars were the subject on everyone's lips. Apparently second-hand vehicles were selling better and it didn't stop the richer ones from buying new. 

Although a hot topic in Singapore, cars have never been celebrated in song here as in the US. In fact certain models have been immortalised by American artistes in love with these machines. So how many of the following songs are you familiar with?

Image: https://greatoldies.com/mustang-sally/

Mustang Sally:

Both music and car aficionados are familiar with Mustang Sally as the Mustang has been a symbol of speed among American motorists for many years, helped along by Steve McQueen’s car chase through the streets of San Francisco in a GT 390 Fastback in Bullitt (1968).

In 1966, Wilson Pickett scored a hit with this R&B rocker about a lady who was advised to slow down, because she was moving too fast. Written by Bonny Rice, it has since become known as a Pickett anthem. You’ve been riding all over town, ooh, guess you gotta put your flat feet on the ground. Ride, Sally, ride.

'Mustang Sally' by Wilson Pickett 

YouTube video from: glazer1134

"Mustang Sally" [Mack Rice - 1966]

"Look it here.

I bought you a brand new mustang nineteen sixty five. Huh

Now you come around signifying a woman, you don't wanna let me ride

Mustang Sally, now baby, oh Lord, guess you better slow that mustang down

Huh, oh Lord. Look here

You been running all over the town

Oh! I got to put your flat feet on the ground. Huh, What I said now?"

Little Deuce Coupe:

Drag racing, while illegal, is nonetheless an American tradition. The Beach Boys (image) paid tribute to it in this ode to a ’32 Ford with a big V8. Brian Wilson co-wrote this with a disc jockey named Roger Christian, who was heavily into cars. Also, there’s the suggestion the little deuce coupe can do 140 mph, an exaggeration really. The song reached No. 15 on the U.S. pop charts in 1963.

Hot Rod Lincoln:

Most people know the version by the country and rockabilly band Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, which was released early in 1972 and rose to No. 9 on the pop charts. One of the more famous lines goes like this: My pappy said, ‘Son, you’re gonna drive me to drinkin’, if you don’t stop driving that Hot Rod Lincoln. There was an earlier version, written in 1955.

409:

The Beach Boys recorded 409 (a Chevrolet) in 1962, and more than a dozen other songs about cars. 409 was released as the B-side of Surfin’ Safari. Most of the lyrics are fairly simple and repetitive, such as Giddy up 409 and She’s real fine my 409. The Beach Boys were infatuated with girls, cars and the beach, often in the same song.

G.T.O:

Ronny and the Daytonas (image) came out of Nashville with dreams of mimicking the Beach Boys’ sound but had mixed success. G.T.O., penned by John Wilkin, was released shortly after the car itself and reached No. 4 on the charts in 1964.

Although they did not have staying power, they did hammer at the car theme and sold more than a million singles of this song as well as a half-million albums.

Naik Kereta Ku: the late Rudyn.

YouTube Video from: nostalgia hassny.

Naik Kereta-ku: [Ride In My Car]

Did Singapore 60s music have songs for cars too? Yes, it's a Malay song, called Naik Kereta Ku by the late Rudyn, who happened to be an old friend. His group was known as the Impian Bateks. The song was a hit in Singapore and Malaysia. Now who says we're not interested in cars?

Comments please?

This post has been revitalised from September, 2010.

[Information, by Michael Ventre (19.3.2007), has been edited for brevity. Website is unavailable now.]

Read DRIVE below:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2022/07/latest-coe-prices-singapore-beatles.html

Disclaimer: 

This posting is not advertising cars for sale nor does it encourage speeding on our beautiful roads. 

Cherrio Cefiro, Changing Car, Current COE n CD's

 Drive My Car: The Beatles: Aesthetics Lyrics. 

YouTube Video: Lyric Hub.

Saying Hello, Goodbye to the Car:

Cuboid Cefiro

This car of mine
No slow poke now
I never want to part with her you see
This little car means a heck of a lot to me*

After 10 years exactly, at the end of May 2016, my faithful 2300 cc steed will finally be silenced in the scrapyard. Can you imagine a beautiful Japanese Cefiro built in 2006, complete with the latest features that only some cars have today, being towed away to be crunched and crushed into cuboid? 

I know I shouldn't be writing about cars but I am totally devastated that I have to lose $14,000 (scrap value) and pay another $25,000 (current prevailing COE price) to use my own car for another 5 years. $40,000 is a lot of gas. And the Cefiro has done only 90,000 kilometers. It hasn't seen its day yet.

CD Changer

Having taken the bus, taxi and MRT I find it truly convenient to take public transport but only if it is during retirees' hours from about 11am to 3pm. Try taking a bus outside those hours and you're done for.  

Also during a rain-storm at the bus-stop without an umbrella.  Or try to queue for a taxi at Orchard Road on a week-end. Or ride the train, which can be squeezy. I'm missing the car already.

And missing the music with it. The stereo set in the car is a simple one. Nifty though with four fabulous speakers and two twitters near the windscreen. There's a ten-piece CD changer in the boot and a GPS screen in front. 

Children's Choice

While driving I am only interested in listening to music from the 50's, 60's and 70's.  And the radio station is stuck at 90.5FM. Reminder for Brian Richmond. And I know you read my blog often :>).

So here goes. When my grand children were between the ages of 4 to 8, they love songs by The Blue Diamonds like Bebek Angsa and Summer Holiday. Then Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da by The Marmalade and Don Spencer's Fireball XL5.  

Paul Anka's Diana was a must with The Beatles' Hello, Goodbye and Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat with emphasis on, Any Dream Will Do. The youngest enjoyed Fraulein and Little Dutch Girl.

Strange but true; never once did they fall asleep listening to the selection. They remember the track number of each song and the efficient Kenwood stereo never missed its cue playing CD's that the kids pushed into its mouth. We hardly used the changer.

Creditable CD's

For my own driving entertainment, The Eagles Greatest Hits, Queen with Jewels, Neil Diamond's Gold Selection, Johnny Lion and The Jumping Jewels CD Selection and a mixed bag of choice 60's Indonesian guitar group instrumentals from Larry Lai. 

The song change occurs only on occasions when CD's are replaced with a new selection. Then my son's Dire Straits: Money For Nothing with Sultans Of Swing sticks in the player for months.

Lately experienced rhythm guitarist, Michael Bangar gave members of the group a CD called, Elvis Presley: Artist of the Century with a BMG/GSM/RCA label. Disc One has Presley's usual hits. 

Disc Two was a surprise. Songs like: Like A baby, That's Someone You Never Forget, Down In The Alley, Run On, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Stranger In My Own Home Town and After Loving You. Thank you Mike for the CD. Bet readers never heard the songs?

Cherrio Car

So good bye dear car. Had wonderful and comfortable rides these ten years, providing much space for the kids to topsy-turvy in the back seat and scream with Elvis in the front.

Want readers to know Singaporeans' heartaches with their cars. And balancing the mind with songs in their hearts, every driving day, to keep the sanity intact.

You drive don't you. Stories to tell?

*This Car of Mine: The Beach Boys.
Drive My Car - The Beatles Video by: DrHooty911

Images: A Private Collection

There are 100's of car songs. Below is the longest list I've seen:
http://www.calif-tech.com/blog/carsongs.html