Andy’s 60s Music Reviews Author Eddy Eng’s New Book, ‘An Enchanting Potpourri’

The book cover, with illustrations by KM Encila.

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Enchanting it is! Here's Eddy Eng, with a potpourri of tales ranging from ghost stories, [and these are real ones, experienced by the writer himself, in his home at Emerald Hill], to stories from Singapore's corporate world with pages of his own "divergent views", and as he puts it, "musings". And surprise, surprise, he is also an artist besides being an author. He does oil paintings with framed interpretations of Venice in Italy, Zhangjiajie in China and other scenic adventures he went through during his years as a family man and as a business executive. He dedicates his book specially to his children and brother and lovingly acknowledges his wife Farrah, helping him with countless revisions.

Breezy at one end of the book; seriously different at the other, this author is like a chameleon, changing his writing style from an easy breather to that of a serious corporate lawyer facing the trial judge.

Our author is a ‘south paw’ or left~handed guitarist.

He designs all his chapters with lines from the great ones! Introducing his book, he quotes Janvier Chouteu-Chando, "The vicissitude of life teaches us about our limitations in a world with no guarantees and permanence." He says he's a die-hard believer that form and substance are both equally important and compares a good book to good food, so he fills the pages with colourful illustrations by designer Krystle Mae Encila. And they make up a great menu. The cover illustration [above] is one.

Eddy sings Elvis on board a cruise liner and wows the crowd with his performance.

Now, the reason why he's on this blog. He does not only have a flair for writing and art; Eddy is also a bass guitarist using left-handed guitars. He says that his "passion for music went back to his childhood days" and if it wasn't for his mother, "he would have been a musician or artist". He even went to music school to hone his skill. 

And to top it all, Eddy is also a pop singer. The image shows him rendering an Elvis hit  with, ‘Crying In The Chapel.’ Wow Eddy! What can’t you do?

Eddy has the last words. "This book," he spouts, " is meant to entertain, inform and provoke." So, guys, here's a book that's enchanting and absorbing, written in cheek! Delicious indeed.

Check out Eddy’s book. Read it and make your comments! 

Andy.

EDDYWRITES: 

Where words come alive.

email: EddyWrites 

Mobile:  +65 9117 5551

Sonny & Cher - 'Sing C'est La Vie' (Stereo Remix) YouTube Video by: jacob 6657

According to the author, this oldie has served a purpose in later life when things did not turn out as expected.

Eddy's left-handed guitars, one of which is a bass. He should be on stage soon with such talent and artistry.

He had to serve his army days in Singapore like other citizens do. Eddy [left] puts it, "With the boss inspecting unit parade."

Author, artist, musician, soldier and a corporate executive; Eddy Eng. Thanks, Eddy, for the chat and book. It's really been great meeting you after all these years.

[Eddy has included in the book two of his own two articles from this blog. Do you know which ones?]

Click below to read:

.: A Happy Lunar New 2024: Facing Dragons @ The Gates: 龍門遭遇 By Eddy Eng

.: Beatlemania Becomes Beat Le Mania: By Eddie Eng

Shopping for a ukulele for Farrah. Chosen one with a solid mahagony sound board. Tonal quality is better than my acoustic guitar.

Copyrights Reserved: Most illustrations are from the book.

Andy 60s Music Blog: 朋友 [Pang Yau: Friend of Mine] Alan Tam Wing Lun [譚詠麟]

People. We meet them along the way as we go through life. Some of them become our pang yau or friends while others just pass us by. Here are some old and new friends I met when I retired totally from singing after Covid in 2019.  These pictures are not in any order. Check us out...

Lyrics of a pop song you all know. What I do when free. Wandering around to check out friends and strangers. Know the song title? And singer?

Meeting a bespectacled Chinese Santa in front of a well-known Chinese painting. Do you know this place? It's not too cold actually but for me it was.

The late Mustafa Al-Johari, a respected singer musician I met at a concert. He became a friend but lived in New Zealand. Mustafa passed away not too long ago. Goodbye my friend. May you Rest In Peace. Condolences to his Family.

Ahh! The wandering singing ambassador Jimmy Yap, with former 'Dukes' drummer Clarence Perera and his friend for a chat before Christmas 2025.

It was orchids galore with the expert himself, Mr. Johnny Yeo, at the Botanical Gardens. Johnny, good friend and a serious orchid enthusiast was on fun duty. Besides being an orchid lover, he also plays the Chinese erhu, the ukulele and is a cycling enthusiast.

While visiting the National Library lately, meeting four buskers who were off duty. They had a great time listening to the pianist. But no singing, says the security guard on duty. A visitor, took pictures.

On 15th May 2025 Amanda, guitarist, and Dorothy, leader of a group of young ladies from Yuying Secondary School Guitar Emsemble Alumni, staged a memorable performance at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital Atrium. A huge crowd awaited.

Mr Bob Salleh and Mr.Ali were in charge of the acoustics that day. And what a fine job they did. Not an easy task with the public, patients and a big audience milling around them to watch what they do. I became friends with them too. Thanks Bob and Ali.

And here's the Concordia Guitar Ensemble about to go into their guitar play and rendering songs for the Hospital crowd and passers-by. The group was founded in 2019. Thank you, ladies. You all made my day. These 3 pictures and other ones will be posted as a full article soon. So watch out for it.

朋友 (Pang Yau - Friend of Mine) - Alan Tam Wing Lun (譚詠麟) YouTube Video by: EmperorTam.

The Music Section at the main library, Middle Road. It's only one part of a huge collection of books about songs and their singers. There's Clapton, Parton and Springsteen. With Beatles book of their lyrics. Notice others? Books are my great friends too!

An interesting moment, meeting Mr. Chee Soon Juan at a Supermarket. He was rather busy as usual but this time shopping for groceries. No chat but he was kind enough to spare me time for the picture. 

Pianist Sammin Ang is a good friend and a versatile musician; one who plays quite a number of instruments. His wife, Esther is a singer who can croon in English and Chinese. They appear at many concerts and entertainment venues.

This friend sends me coffee greetings each morning. A well-known Elvis Tribute Artiste, Jimmy PresLee owns many Elvis-oriented pantsuits when he appears on stage. Uh-huh-hah! 

And the good friend Jimmy [top left] who's everywhere gave Rediffusion DJ Larry Lai [with cap] and me a big birthday treat on November 25th. Thank you so much, Jimmy. It was extremely delicious food of local delights, including Larry's kong bah pow. He swallowed three huge ones. We had two birthday cakes and as usual Larry got the bigger piece. 🤣 And here's where I met many new friends.

Mr. Christopher Nathan, that's the man! Check him out and help him out. He's always at the Toa Payoh Hub near the NTUC that is opposite the Value Dollar Store. He sings well and does songs by Freddy Mercury. Hope to meet you again my friend. 

Lovely lines from a 60's hit. Do you know the title? It's there for you... This is one of my favourite numbers. Do you know the singer?

Here's a cutie pie you'd love to be with. Friendly and loving you can cuddle this giant for as long as you like. He won't object. You should see him tumble on the lawn he's actually admiring... and he sleeps in an air-conditioned room. As Ronald Ho says on the Comment Page below, this beautiful animal could be a Samoyed from Siberia. 

In psychedelic colours, here's a Disc Jockey [DJ] at work. Psychedelic is one of the most popularly used words in the 1960's.

My favourite lines as a Senior. Not many years to go but you still get people you know trying to knock you off sometimes. Sad! Do you know the title and the group that sings it?

Can you name this song and singers?

Thank you for reading up to here. Last one, a beautiful decoration piece creatively done for a Christmas dinner table. 

Have a great 2026 everyone. Hope to meet more friends along the way... It's only January.

Does Singapore Hold Reading In High Regard? By: Christopher Toh.

https://pngtree.com/free-backgrounds-photos/girl-looking-for-books

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16 CHATS, COMMENTS

I met Chris during those early years when he was a journalist. Cheerful, open and always knowledgeable, we had a chat over both our favourite topic, local music from the 60s. This article is a comment in reply to **my own article about reading books. [Andy]

"Having worked with a book publisher for the better part of five years, I feel sad that Singapore does not hold reading in high regard. While the book business in several countries has picked up in recent years, it is not the case in Singapore.

What's also interesting is that over here it's the nonfiction books that make the most sales. It used to be children's books but our declining birthrate has meant that fewer parents buy books for their children. So we are not creating tomorrow's readers today.

I don't know if it's because kids equate reading to school texts but somewhere along the way from sixteen to adulthood the idea of reading for entertainment stops and I believe that for many, it's a case of reading only because they must.

I hope I'm wrong. While I do enjoy a good video or two, apart from music, books are still my most basic form of entertainment.

What many people don't realise is that a lot of our top tv series or even movies are all adaptations of books.

Maybe it should not be a case about whether books should continue to be a thing but that storytelling continues to thrive. After all, our stories were originally of the oral tradition before books. And now it's moved on to electronic devices.

However, books still rank high as gifts so maybe that's where it will continue to survive. Keep giving books as presents!"

Comments are always welcome.

**  https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/09/five-decades-of-pictures-and-news-items.html

Author: Christopher Toh.

Christopher Toh 

Ex-Music Journalist, 

Pod-Caster.

Thank you my friend.

The nearest song I could find where 

some words and phrases relate to books?

Check out the lyrics...

Simon n Garfunkel: The Dangling Conversation.

YouTube Video by: Big Chuck Lyric.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjC6soIUVkk

Images: Google.

Are News Books Still Popular? Yes: 'Daily Mail' 5 Vols. Of Pops n Pix

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Are book shops closing down because less and less people are reading text on paper as more and more are mousing or tapping the Internet to read from Kindle,  e-reader, iPad, Tablet or smart-phone, since they find it convenient and sometimes free to read off these technological miracles? Now is this statement true? I'm not sure.

It took me a while to collect this set of five volumes.

But I'm still lurking in book shops and book sales and some two years ago managed to get a set of coffee-table ones that I found so useful. They went for a dream price of ten dollars each.  In a nutshell, I paid about sixty dollars for what I thought was a bargain. And it was.

From the news and picture archives of the Daily Mail this fabulous British newspaper charted people, places and events that made up five memorable decades (from 1960 to 2000) into readable volumes. And the contents, according to the blurb, were photographs from the momentous and the apocalyptic to the offbeat and the trivial. And it's true.

Cover of the first book in the series.

At a cute 17 cm. square per book, I couldn't buy them all at one time, having to hunt for three of the five volumes after getting the first (1960's) and the third (1980's).  I remember paying a little more for two of them. 

But it was fifteen pounds (S$30/00) each when it first came out in 2010.  Using quality paper and beautiful photographs in black and white each book by Trans Atlantic Press from Hertfordshire, England is nearly 400 pages thick. Nobody would pay for five books now since portable hard disks are a bargain?

The Beatles and Folk Group Peter, Paul n Mary.

I don't think I have the stamina to write a review on each of the five books and even if I had I'd probably be sued by the publishers for exposing their hard work so I am highlighting Decade of Our Lives 60s (above) and had it narrowed down to only pop music and relevant news and pictures. With a picture on every page it's quite a task.  But let's take a peek inside.

For the liberated woman: Plastic Dresses and The Pill.

The series is an exciting picture journey all the way with a clear description for each and every image taken. According to the introduction, the 1960s was a swinging decade when postwar baby boomers came of age and found themselves in a new permissive era as the Pill launched a sexual revolution. 

As hemlines rose all you needed was love; flower power challenged old orthodoxies and Kennedy carried the hopes of a generation when he became US President.  Like Martin Luther King after him, John F. fell to an assassin's bullet.

Youthful Cliff 's 'Summer Holiday'

In the movies there was John Wayne, Anthony Perkins, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton and the Magnificent Seven gang of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen and friends. On stage were Adam Faith and Cliff Richard, clean living members of society...

I'd better not carry on. The volumes are still with me on my library shelf. Love reading directly from solid, hard copies, especially in bed. No blue light giddiness nor sleeplessness afterwards... 

But never stop reading, hard copies or from tablets.

Comments are welcome...

The Beatles: 'Paperback Writer' 

YouTube Video from The Beatles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvkICbTZIQ

Paperback Writer

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?

It took me years to write, will you take a look?

It's based on a novel by a man named Lear

And I need a job

So I wanna be a paperback writer

Paperback writer...

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Lennon / Paul McCartney

Paperback Writer lyrics © Iricom US Ltd, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group

Disclaimer:

There is no intention to promote any publication nor make financial gains. Any copyrights misdemeanours and this posting will be deleted. Do let me know.

Christmas Songs, Hymns, Carols n Agatha Christie With CYLin: by Jimmy Chng

Everly Brothers. YouTube Video: 

from Catherine Silver.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas.

Gaudeamus Igitur: Recorded June 2021. 

Glasgow University Chapel Choir

YouTube

Andy explains, "It's a song learnt as a student at St. Andrew's or St. Margaret's.

The Song has Latin manuscript and used as a formal graduation hymn; a jolly, light-hearted composition originating in 1289, that makes fun of university life. Like the phrase Carpe Diem, it's just another way of saying, Seize the day!"

Here's a note from Jimmy Chng:

Hi Andy, 

You asked if I could contribute an article for your blog like what my late sister Lin had done so annually for a number of years. I had initially told you that I wasn't able to. As I subsequently pondered on your request, something inside of me "triggered" and motivated me to try and come up with one. I think it has to do with the love and respect I have for my sister as well as the gratitude we both have towards your wonderful blog.

Lin was the eldest amongst her four siblings, with me being the youngest at 5 years her junior. She went to a mission school and through her, I learned to sing Christian hymns and Christmas carols at a very young (pre-school) age. I think Latin was a subject in her school's curriculum then as well, and unsurprisingly I also learned to sing Gaudeamus Igitur.

Since young, Lin had always wanted to be a school teacher. As kids, we used to play "school" and us younger siblings and our neighbours' children of similar age range were her "students" and she the "teacher."  Her ambition to be a school teacher was realized when she joined the teaching profession upon completing her secondary school studies. She remained in the teaching profession until her retirement.

She loved reading, especially novels by Agatha Christie [above titles are for illustrations only] and both my other sister and I would listen intently when she told us the stories soon after she had finished reading. Lin also loved listening to pop music/songs on the radio. On occasions she and I would do sing-alongs together to Everly Brothers hits like, Devoted to You, Lightning Express, Ebony Eyes, etc.

It's been slightly more than a year since Lin's passing. She would have, around this time of the year begun to draft another article for your blog had she not succumbed to her illness.

The piece she contributed to your blog on 23 December 2019 titled, **"Christmas message: God used your blog to bring about this happening," was in appreciation and gratitude to you and your blog.

Merry Christmas to you & family and your readers.

The writer, family and friends. 

Read the article below to appreciate this pix.

**Link:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2019/12/christmas-message-god-used-your-blog-to.html

Ms CYLin and Jimmy Chng have written a number of articles for this blog. Check them out by clicking their names under Labels below.

Everly Brothers YouTube Video:

Some of the Best: from Pete Roberts.

Images: Google.

You Tube Videos.

If you take information from this article for your own use, 

at least credit me because copying is stealing.

Andy.

As We Grow Older: By Judy Chong-Lee

https://dontgiveupworld.com/motivational-essay-life-and-death/

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Many thanks to Judy, whose deep sense of thought, sincerity and love surface in this poem... I am touched by her sensitivity.

As We Grow Older

[Judy Chong-Lee]

As we grow older and nearer the end of our journey on earth

We must consider the possibility of an existence after death

What waits for us on the other side, do we have another birth

Just as we wake up from sleep will we be revived with new breath.

If there is not a place to go where we must give an account totally

Of our thoughts and deeds, everything committed in our life

Why do humans have conscience and a code for morality

To refrain from evil, injustice, violence and all kinds of strife.

Man tries to find a way to live justifying his every end

It's easy to self deceive and cross that blur thin line

The poor and weak we cannot see or we just pretend

Greed and corruption make every good man turn blind.

Who can be mighty enough to take charge of this entire universe

Other than the one who created it from alpha to omega and eternity

Why deny that God exists, that He designed and made us

And His son died on the cross to redeem our divine destiny.

https://www.istockphoto.com/search/2/image?phrase=human+age

After all that is said and done get ready and prepare

Forget our pride and humble ourselves to the power above

No one will escape judgement if a holy God is to be fair

Lay ourselves at the mercy of Father God who is Love.

All it takes is our acceptance of a free salvation

We can't do enough good to be sinless and not condemned

At the cross of Calvary sin's atonement had completion

The only sacrifice required by God was Jesus the Lamb.

We only need to believe in Jesus alone, and NOT  Jesus plus..

Heaven awaits all who acknowledge Him, only He can save

It's our faith in Christ, by God's grace, need no other fuss

We are heading for heaven not fearing death and the grave.

As forgiven people, born again into the family of God

Our sinful past obliterated the devil cannot take us to hell

Sin no longer our master, freed by our Saviour and Lord

We have faith hope and love, and such good news to tell.

God bless us! 

I think of it everyday. Comment anyone?

Poet/Author Mrs. Judy Chong-Lee 

with hubby Jimmy PresLee.

'Life', Elvis Presley.

Words & Music by Milete. 

YouTube Video beautifully visualised by: 

LeCommedieDellArte.

Richard Adams Rabbits Book: 'Watership Down': Art Garfunkel Rabbits Song: 'Bright Eyes'

Art Garfunkel and his big hit: 'Bright Eyes'. 

About fearless rabbits in 'Watership Down'.

One of the best books to read and a great song to listen to. I have revived the post for this Rabbit year 2023.

A Blessed Lunar New Year To All Readers, Friends and Contributing Writers.

Richard Adams who wrote 'Watership Down'

It's not a children's book but for adults too.

Worth a read.

This post has been updated from 20 July, 2010.

The Writer

Richard George Adams, born 9 May 1920, was an English novelist who is best known as the author of Watership Down, Shardik, The Plague Dogs, The Girl In A Swing.

He studied modern history at university before serving in the British Army during World War II. Afterwards, he completed his studies, and then joined the British Civil Service. 

In 1974, two years after Watership Down was published, Adams became a full-time author.  He was awarded with a Carnegie Medal in 1972 and a Guardian Medal in 1973.

He passed away on 24 December, 2016 at 96.

The Book

Personally, the book exudes a troubling, eerie calm that excites:

"Oh, Hazel! This is where it comes from! I know now - something very bad! Some terrible thing - coming closer and closer." 

He began to whimper with fear. "What sort of thing - what do you mean? I thought you said there was no danger?"

"I don't know what it is," answered Fiver wretchedly. "Oh, Hazel, look! The field! It's covered with blood!" (Watership Down - Puffin Books 1973 - P 19)

The animated movie was made as a result of the modern classic, heroic fantasy novel by British writer Richard Adams. It is the odyssey of a group of rabbits escaping the destruction of their warren (home) as they struggle to seek another. Evoking epic themes, Watership Down (1971), takes its name from the rabbit's destination, a hill in the north of Hampshire, England.

The Song by Art Garfunkel

The lyrics suggest similar feelings of the fear within:

Is it a kind of a dream
Floating out on the tide
Following the river of death downstream
Oh, is it a dream?

There's a fog along the horizon
A strange glow in the sky
And nobody seems to know where it goes
And what does it mean?
Oh, is it a dream?

Bright eyes, burning like fire
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes

Is it a kind of a shadow
Reaching into the night
Wandering over the hills unseen
Or is it a dream?

There's a high wind in the trees
A cold sound in the air
And nobody ever knows when you go
And where do you start?
Oh, into the dark

Bright eyes, burning like fire
Bright eyes, how can you close and fail?
How can the light that burned so brightly
Suddenly burn so pale?
Bright eyes

Songwriters
MIKE BATT

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Song Discussions is protected by U.S. Patent 9401941. Other patents pending.

Bright Eyes - Art Garfunkel (Live)

YouTube Video by Bill Clarke.

Bright Eyes (image/record cover) was used in the soundtrack of the movie and considered the theme song of the film. The track also appears on Garfunkel's fourth studio album, Fate for Breakfast from 1979. 

Although it did poorly in the US, the song sold a million copies in the UK that year, making it the biggest selling single.

One interpretation of the lyrics, when book and song combine, discusses the transition into death highlighted by Rabbit Hazel's close shave when he is shot and then years later when he departs and his body enters the spirit world. The journey of life punctuated by trouble and fear?

The book's been read time and again. It's recommended script-fare for all, including the older children. The song? Wonder why it didn't do too well in the US? Definitely not for the kids. I love both the book and the song, haven't seen the movie though. 

Comments about the song

1. A beautiful song - it is probably the saddest song of all time - its about death and trying to understand it because none of us know anything about life or death, or why we are here and where we go or if we go anywhere.

2. 'Bright Eyes' was not written for 'Watership Down'. Mike Batt composed it about his father dying of cancer. 'Bright Eyes' refers to the strange look in his father's eyes brought on by pain killers. I suppose that the 'suddenly burn so pale' must be when he finally died. The song itself is one of my favorites. Very emotional.

3. Great song. Great movie. Great book. There's really not much you can say about a song like this one. When I was little, I used to cry at the part of the movie when they played it.

Much for discussion here. Anyone?

This posting is for Perry Nodelman

Children's Literature professor

University of Winnipeg, Man/Can.

1980's.

Book/Song Information: Wikipedia.

Original article: Andy Lim.