Singapore 60s Out Of Tune 60 Years Ago. Racial Riot @ Kallang Gas Works 21 July 1964.

This story was featured on 23rd November, 2014 during Brian Richmond's 90.5fm radio show, Sundays With Brian during the 'Reminiscing with Andy' segment.

EXACTLY 60 YEARS AGO TODAY.
21st JULY, 1964:

Mine is not a political blog but I have to address this matter because it shaped my mind for later years and because the Velvetones pop guitar band and I were together that day. We met during this holiday and spent our time till late. 

The Velvetones in 1964 and morphed into The Firebyrds [Philips Records.]

Members of the pop guitar band called The Velvetones were jamming at a bungalow in Lorong 39, Geylang that day; the house was diagonally opposite the former Chief Minister's Lim Yew Hock's bungalow on Sims Avenue. This group consisted of our usual Singaporean mix.  We had been practising for a few weeks and I was enjoying myself as one of their many singers. It was the first time that I had joined a band and it was extremely exciting for a 24 year old. 

While we were practising the leader of another Singapore pop band visited us to watch me sing.  Both of us had thoughts that I could join his group as a singer since I had met him some time ago to discuss it. 

The jam session lasted till late evening when we decided to call it a day. Meanwhile there were goings-on in the streets that we were not aware of. My friend only told me when he was sending me home in his car since he did not want to alarm the others during our practice. Although I was living around the corner I took his offer only after learning what had happened earlier.

Quietly in the car he told me how he had to dash through a barricade at one of the roads in Geylang before coming to the bungalow. He was not sure whether it was a police barricade or otherwise. No one stopped him as he sped to where we were, fearful for his life.

When he left me at my home at about 6.30 pm I experienced a strange quiet and uneasy stillness in the air. There was not a single vehicle or human being anywhere near my home or street. It was an eerie, eerie feeling as I felt my hair behind my head stood on ends. I felt as if an atomic bomb had dropped on Singapore and that the whole island had been devastated.  

"Not a soul on earth..." was the thought in my mind.  The whole stretch of Geylang Road, from the Paya Lebar end on one side, to the other where I could see the distance at Lorong 30, was totally empty and quiet. It was truly frightening. And the memory lives to this day!

My family, who were anxiously waiting for me and huddled behind the door, told me that a racial riot had started at the Kallang Gas Works earlier that day. I realised how serious the situation was when I read about it in the newspapers the next morning. The Gas Works was not too far from my home.

We shouldn't, as Singapore citizens, let this incident happen ever again!

On the music scene, the Beatles were hot those years with so many of their songs on the Top Hits list, "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", "A Hard Day's Night", "Love Me Do" and "Please Please Me". 

But the most ironical song those months was Dean Martin's, "Everybody Loves Somebody Somehow." I wish! Ironical it was!

[I cannot remember the details but the story is reasonably accurate.]

Dean Martin: 'Everybody Loves Somebody Somehow'. 

YouTube Video from Dean Martin.

Were you aware of this 1964 Singapore riot? Comments are welcome.

The roads were empty with 

a few bystanders and the police.

Racial riots affected the country as 

people were in chaos and business disrupted. 

Reference:

'The Singapore Story. Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew' 

Pg: 556-559. (SPH/Times Edition 1998).

Images: 

Google; National Heritage Board, Personal Collection.

Andy 60's Music Friends And TV Celebrities

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These are snapshots that I cannot put anywhere else on this blog.

Not showing off, please. Just connections...

UP TO 5,500 VIEWS, 25 CHATS, 40 LIKES

 Snapshots With:

Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, 

Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), 

Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, 

Blue Diamonds Riem De Wolffe, 

Jack Neo (Money No Enough), 

Dawn Tan (Channel News Asia), 

Tan Kheng Hwa (Crazy Rich Asians), 

Brian Richmond (Sunday With Brian), 

Vernetta Lopez (Gold 90.5), 

Denise Tan (Gold 90.5), 

Anita Kapoor (Discovery Channel, Treasure Hunt), 

Shun Ng (Finger Style Guitarist Boston Music Award), 

Dick Lee (Fried Rice Paradise), 

Syahidah Othman (Broadcast journalist CNA),

etc.

Selfie with Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong. 

"I'll take the selfie," he said, because I couldn't. Thanks PM.

Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen during Prize Giving Ceremony

for scholarly achiever Josh. Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus T.P. 

With Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up) backstage, 

performing at Caldecott Hill TV Studios for Channel 5: 

ROLLING GOOD TIMES. Shooting and recording sessions.

With Dawn Tan Channel New Asia at Star Vista

Andy with Crazy Rich Asians, Singapore actress Tan Kheng Hua

during a documentary shoot at Desker Road, red-light district,

in Singapore.

With Minister Desmond Lee (Social and Family Development), 

his dad Mr Lee Yoke Suan, Andy Young and 

their families in Brisbane Australia.

Andy with Dick Lee (Fried Rice Paradise) on the set of Rolling Good Times

MediaCorp Singapore for our TV appearance on Channel 5.

DJ Vernetta Lopez, Andy Young, DJ Brian Richmond,

Sunday With Brian @ MediaCorp Studio, Caldecott Hill.

Andy Young with DJ Denise Tan, Makan Kaki, Gold 90.5 FM.

Andy Young, the late Riem de Wolffe (Blue Diamonds), 

Larry Lai (Rediffusion DJ), the late Jap Chong, 

Vernon Cornelius (The Quests).

Andy Young With Money No Enough Jack Neo Actor and Director

of many successful movies @ MediaCorp Studios,

Caldecott Hill during a Channel 5 shoot.

 

Andy with Canadian High Commissioner to

Singapore H.E. Heather Grant @ Lido Cinema 

Singapore. Joey Koh took the pix.

TV Host Anita Kapoor (Discovery Channel) at the launch of CNA Treasure Hunt with Josh

With Sya Othman Channel News Asia's broadcast journalist, Audie,

during a documentary for 50 Years of Singapore Music.

Syahidah Othman (CNA), during the shooting of

the documentary. One of the sweetest, most patient and

soft-spoken Broadcast Journalists, I've worked with.

With pop singer Savanna onboard Cruise ship

Royal Caribbean.

This picture is cool. Former USA President Donald Trump

with North Korean President Kim Jong Un. Andy's fantasy.

With Radio TV Singapore legendary guitarist Horace Wee and John Cher.

A  music-friends meet organised by The Dukes boss and bassist Zainal Abidin at Bedok Corner for a meal on 24 January 2018 resulted with (from left): Zainal Abidin, Paul Shankar (Dukes), Winston Walters (Dukes), Andy Young, Vernon Cornelius (Quests), John Cher (Silver Strings) and Jerry Fernandez (Neu Faces).

Fun chats as the group increased later when a few other music makers came around.

With Louis Soliano, jazz drummer Cultural Medallion winner, 2019, with Horace Wee, Mr n Mrs Leo Fernandez at a curry fish head meet near the end of Changi Road in January 2018. Friendly neighbours.

Another neighbour from Planet Earth, eh, Perth. This Caucasian guy's 

interested in Singapore 60's music and cornered me at Cottesloe, 

Perth December 2017. He said, "I'm on your blog but remain anonymous. Ha, ha."

With music professional guitarist Michael Bangar

 in January 2018. Visiting friends performing. 

It was a cold night @ 22.6*C. Michael has written much on this blog. 

Michael has performed for Presidents, Ministers and Malaysian Royalties.

First time meeting up with Winston Walters, the singer from 

The Dukes, introduced by Zainal Abidin, band leader and bass guitarist. January 2018.

Winter and cold, these youthful buskers were with 

their guitars singing, Hotel California at the Fremantle Market in Perth, Australia. 

They could fit into the best hotel lounges here in Singapore. Fantastic guitar play and vocals.

With the Wisma Geylang Serai Project chat group at Malay Heritage Centre at the invitation of the project coordinator through an email to this blog. Entertainment was a big discussion, 

especially pop yeh yeh and Malay folk music. January 2018.

The best professional blue whale watchers on the planet, Jamie (pilot), Kyle (curly locks) and Billie (waving arms), from Australia. I told them about Frankie Laine's Moby Dick song and they were thrilled.

The boy is so cute and friendly. He clung to me as we wound our way to Parliament House 

during the late PM Lee Kuan Yew's wake in 2015. Halfway through the queue,

I sang My Mother's Eyes to him very quietly. If mummy reads this or 

if anyone else knows this family, please write to me. 

Wonderful people that we meet in our lives.  

With Shun Ng one of the best fingerstyle guitarists, 

flamboyant but true to his calling. Born in Chicago, Illinois 

but with Singapore parentage, he's one of the best that I've met and heard.

With Larry Lai and young MediaCorp producer, 

HH Tang while discussing a television project we were supposed to participate in.

With Larry Lai and Malcolm Hyder (last of the Bambinos) at

a private club in 2015. 

Meeting Danny Koh with the lovely divas below

after the show at the premises of Cathay Cinema.

With four Chinese divas and the MC for the evening, 

after the show at the Cathay building front lawn in May 2015 

where I sang with The Esquires.

Singing on the same stage with the four divas (top left n right) 

Skye Sirena, Irene Suan Man, (bottom left and right) Tandy Lim 

and Judy Theng at the Cathay Cinema external lawn in 2015.

At Tan Sook Khoon's palatial home during CNY dinner 2018 with 

Larry Lai and Eddie. Missus of 3 friends too.

          

With international hairstylist Anthony Tan (Ah Kim) 

and Laurence Lim

Silver Strings performance at National Library Auditorium 2016 

with John Cher

Silver Strings but Michael Bangar is missing

Documentary Treasure Hunt on Channel News Asia, Singapore

with the archaeologist, Lim Chen Sean and TV hostess Anita Kapoor.

Grandson Joshua Lim after a documentary shoot. 

Relaxing at a food court.

Meeting top local movie and TV stars Jack Neo and Aileen Tan 

with Audie Ng and John Cher (Silver Strings).

This posting has been rejuvenated today. 10/10/2023. 

Thanks to friends of this blog who love this posting:

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