SINGAPORE 60's: ANDY's POP MUSIC INFLUENCE IS A PERSONAL MUSIC, MEMORY TRAIL. BLOGGER DOES NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO VIDEOS, AUDIO TRACKS AND IMAGES. THEY ARE UPLOADED FOR FUN, EDUCATIONAL, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES AND HAVE BEEN CREDITED. BLOG IS NOT SPONSORED NOR ADVERTORIAL IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER. INFORM BLOGGER OF COPYRIGHT ISSUES AND POST WILL BE DELETED IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT COPY THE POSTS; GET PERMISSION N CREDIT ME IF YOU DO. ANDY LIM LA (NOVEMBER, 2008) -
(新加坡六十年代安迪的流行音乐影响力), SUDI MAMPIR !
He was such an icon amongst jazz percussionists that Singapore music enthusiasts and music-makers accepted him as their idol way back in the 50's. He would be 115 years young if he were alive today. Even as a school-boy in secondary school, I listened to Gene Krupa in the late 50's when he was with Benny Goodman and their recording of the hit, Sing, Sing, Sing (1937)*. It is the legend that this piece gave birth to swing and it remains my favourite to this day. He also appeared himself in a movie, 'The Glen Miller Story' (1954), played beside Louis Armstrong and 'Basin Street Blues' became cult classic. Krupa was the man behind the drum kit set up as it became standard equipment for most drummers after him. Zildjian, the drum company, learnt a lot from Krupa. His compositions include, 'Some Like It Hot', 'Drummin' Man' and 'Drum Boogie' the enthusiast's ultimate drum dream.
Gene Krupa: 'Sing Sing Sing'
YouTube Video from: Brian Saunders.
He has a movie to his name, 'The Gene Krupa Story' starring Sal Mineo (who recorded, 'Mack The Knife'); a street after his name in New York [image] and was the first drummer to be in the corridors of the Modern Drummer Hall Of Fame.
In 1959 when this movie was shown in Singapore, a drumming competition was held to promote it. Louis Soliano who was one of the contestants won the trophy and dubbed The Gene Krupa of Singapore. Until today Louis is still among the top drummers in Singapore.
Mr Krupa recorded with his own orchestra, the famous song, On A Little Street In Singapore and was featured during the period called, The Radio Years [1940's].
Krupa shaped my love for drums. Danny Boy (The Silver Strings drummer) reveres Krupa too. Was Krupa better than Brian Bennett, Tony Meehan, Howie Johnson and Mel Taylor of guitar groups fame? It's a personal taste.
He was their biggest influence. Oh yes, and Buddy Rich...
This post is specially for good friend Cedric Cork, percussionist for many bands from the 60s, who experienced the Vietnam music scene when he played with Singapore bands at certain venues there to entertain the troops.
It has happened, is now happening and will happen again.
Checking out the number of popular songs that discusses war stands at more than 10,000 compositions! That's a mere trickle of the actual numbers not published... and how peaceful hearts are thumping in anger and despair everyday to realise this!
My family and I were in Danang, Vietnam, for a holiday in the Summer of 2018 and we visited the beach where the American troops landed in March, 1965. It's a peaceful place today but turn back the times and a raging war took place in Vietnam for some years and many songs were composed to stamp these terrors of time.
The number of pop songs on the topic is a nuclear blast.
Here are some of the more well-known ones that have been taken from a few websites. I have included some of the anti-war protest songs, a soldier's plight and lament and home-sweet-home songs. It's a mix bag actually:
Blowing In The Wind Bob Dylan 1963 Detroit City Bobby Bare 1963 Masters Of War Bob Dylan 1963 I Ain't Marching Anymore Phil Ochs 1965 We Gotta Get Out Of This Place The Animals 1965 Green Green Grass of Home Tom Jones 1965 Bring 'Em Home Bob Seegar 1965 Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag Country Joe McDonald and The Fish 1965 Ballad Of The Green Beret Barry Sadler 1966.
7O'clock Great News/Silent Night Simon Garfunkel 1966 The Letter BoxTops 1967 Backlash Blues Nina Simone 1967 Saigon Bride Joan Baez 1967 All Along The Watchtower Bob Dylan 1967 Purple Haze Jimmy Hendrix 1967 Waste Deep In The Muddy Pete Seeger 1967 Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding 1968 Draft Morning The Byrds 1968 Sky Pilot Eric Burdon 1968 The Unknown Soldier The Doors 1968 Fortunate Son CCR 1969 Vietnam Jimmy Cliff 1969 Susan On The West Coast Waiting Donovan 1969 Leaving On A Jet Plane John Denver 1969
Saigon Bride: Joanne Baez
YouTube Video by: Vietnam War Song Project
Give Peace A Chance John Lennon 1969 Gimme Shelter The Rolling Stones 1969 Okie From Muskogee Merle Haggard 1969 War Edwin Starr 1970 Run Through The Jungle CCR 1970 What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971 Imagine John Lennon 1971 Chicago Graham Nash 1971 Peace Train Cat Stevens 1971 I Want To Come Home For Christmas Marvin Gaye 1972 Happy Christmas The War Is Over John Lennon 1972 Give Me Love Peace On Earth George Harrison 1973 Search And Destroy The Stooges 1973 Billy Don't Be A Hero Paper Lace 1974 Straight To Hell The Clash 1982 Joan Baez asks in Saigon Bride: How many dead men will it take To build a dike that will not break? How many children must we kill? Before we make the waves stand still...
Imagine [1971] - John Lennon & The Plastic Ono Band
(w The Flux Fiddlers) (Ultimate Mix 2018) - 4K REMASTER
YouTube Video: by john lennon.
Below is a list of postings found on this blog pertaining to the same topic:
Seriously, let's just remember John Lennon's words: I wonder if you can, No for greed or hunger, A brotherhood of man. I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one. Let's hope for a more conclusive summit this time around and another singer songwriter can compose a new peace treaty melody. Perhaps from a Singaporean composer?
John Lennon's: 'You may say I'm a dreamer...' from song 'Imagine'.
This poster was taken by Anni Taylor [FB] at
St. Kilda's Beach, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.
"I knew Robert when he was band leader of, Naomi and The Boys with the late Moses Tay who played bass. We became great friends through music interactions during the 1960's when I was with Sonny Bala and The Moonglows, having done stage shows together at the Singapore Badminton Hall, the F&N Hall at River Valley Road and other popular venues.
We were in Vietnam too in the 1970's since our bands were under the same management. When the troupe returned to Singapore, Robert left for Guam shortly afterwards but we kept in touch only on Facebook with the other musicians.
My deepest condolence to Robert's family.
[And to my two late buddies too whom I miss dearly, Donald Thaver, Zul Sultan. You'll all be missed.]"
A tribute from Cedric Cork.
"One of the best Singapore guitarists and composers from the 60s." Horace Wee.
Vietnam War as musicians to entertain the troops there.
The late Sunny Bala was their band leader and Cedric Cork,
who wrote this article, their drummer.
PART TWO
Music Amidst A War In Vietnam:
Things got more serious when Cedric had an offer to fly to Vietnam to play with a band in the war zone. Their Vietnam tour was to entertain the U.S. Troops and other people who were stationed there!
In his own words:
"I went there in 1968 with Sonny Bala, Teddy [Ah Chye] and Granville DeSilva. We were the first batch. The 2nd batch was with Sonny Bala, Granville, Bozo Hamid and George Lim...
The rest is History!"
The bands that Cedric Cork performed with were all over South Vietnam. Their tours would include: Saigon, Quang Tri, Camranh Bay, Danang [map] and other cities and towns, wherever there were US troops stationed; in fact they were on stage in quite a number of South Vietnam towns. And you're not looking at a distance from Toa Payoh to Woodlands. The towns may be hours apart. And the groups were entertaining the G.I.'s, that is, the US army only.
They would be moving even amidst the bombing, and would travel from the airport to the venue within the confines of huge three-tonner trucks and escorted with jeeps and machine-guns. No Ricky Nelson here, "walking in the sands of Waikiki," with a pretty Polynesian baby. There were soldiers hidden everywhere among the trees.
A Three Tonner Truck
It sounded exciting when I listened to Cedric's story but he said it was not for them because a skirmish was always at hand and all the time they were on dangerous ground. A skirmish is an episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, especially between small groups in the armies. Cedric explained that they would see in the jungle the remains of the soldiers who had passed away. It was a tearful sight because of the plight of the families who came to collect the remains of their dead relatives or friends.
Cedric remembers that during their short trips around, they had to wear bulletproof vests with heavy helmets protecting their heads but with civvies [civilian clothes] on. They had to travel in dense jungle, a jungle with a terrain so alien, it was unbelievable. In many areas the winding roads also had challenging mountainous areas to cross . The soldiers themselves, guarding the musicians and their troupe, were also heavily armed, with rifles, bayonets and machine guns attached.
"You've been travelling
Down the wrong road,
Better turn around,
Cause baby you're headin'
For dangerous ground..."
Because of its ability to land anywhere the C-130 [a Hercules turbo-prop airplane] with its diverse and versatile air-lifter, was used. Normal helicopters were also utilised to transport the musicians and they flew together as a group. These were two bladed choppers, and according to Cedric, a mini aero-plane [Chinook gunship].
They travelled as a troupe and there were occasions when three planes flew together as a squadron, carrying ten to twelve performers; these included road managers, singers and dancers. These flight machines were also used to transport the band-boys, their music equipment and the ever effective, ever alert G.I.'s who would be around for protection and immediate defence.
"I got a hup, two, three, four,
Occupation G.I. Blues,
From my G.I. hair to the heels
Of my G.I. shoes..."
[Elvis Presley: GI Blues]
The venue itself would be a wide open space to accommodate the soldiers who would be watching the shows. The audience, or spectators, to be more precise, consisted of about 300 to 500 soldiers per show. But it depended on where they were performing.
One factor to note was, that they played only at the camps, as war-zone areas had no entertainment. It sounded commonsensical, but there was always this idea that they performed everywhere.
The stage was made up of two three-tonners back to back. The tough and rugged soldiers who were watching were a tired lot of people in a war zone but they were at their happiest when they listened to the music, song and dances. In short they were well entertained. The pretty girls in the chorus lines brought the most applause and rock music kept the spectators attuned.
Ann Margret and Bob Hope
Pop songs of that era were the order of the day. These tunes would include, Fortunate Son, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Green Green Grass, Detroit City, Purple Haze, The Letter, House of the Rising Sun, Green Beret and many many more. But then:
"We gotta get out of this place,
If it's the last thing we ever do.
We gotta get out of this place,
'Cause girl, there's a better place in life,
For me and you..."
According to Cedric, there was no fear in any of them. They were young, adventurous and felt safe, enjoying the day to day situation that existed and trying to boost the morale of the boys who were there.
"The good old Vietnam days!" he called them, "1968 to 1971! The war years!"
Cedric perked up when I asked him if he met any Hollywood stars.
"Yes!" he answered, "we met both Bob Hope and Ann Margret. But they were not performing, and just like the rest of us... were taking breaks and relaxing in between shows."
There were times when Cedric and his group brushed shoulders with other artistes too but the busy in-betweens took up their time and effort to actually befriend these well-known performers. It was never in his mind to get their autographs; they were too busy.
A gunship That Cedric Cork and performers flew in.
"When our tour was over Sonny Bala, Teddy, Granville, Bozo and George returned home to Singapore but I stayed back and performed with a band from the Philippines Band and a Korean group. Our singer was Veronica Young.
We returned to Singapore on 1st April 1971, where I joined Tony Castillo & the Castillians; we preformed at the Spot Spot at Hilton Hotel. After the contract I joined Sonny Bala again to perform at Pebbles Bar in Singapura Intercontinental Hotel where I met my Wife ( Alice ) and we got married in 1973!"
This posting is one of the highlights of this blog and a fascinating experience for me as a listener. I shall let Cedric end his story as he had started it...
"Our army boys didn't go to war but our musicians did!"
There is no intention to glamourize nor condemn the Vietnam War that has happened so many years ago. This post has been written to explain how certain professional Singapore bands have performed during that particular war, even risking their lives and limbs to earn a living; unsung heroes among our 60s and 70s musicians.
Copyrights Reserved:
Please do not just copy wholesale this article if you wanted information; personal photographs included. It was done with a lot of hard work with Cedric's help. Also CREDIT us if you read it for information: with date and internet connections from Andy's 60s Music Blog.
There is a behind-the-scene computer software on this blog that recognizes visitors who view the postings, so we know who you are if you just take wholesale of what we have posted. Thank you.
The Animals with Eric Burdon:
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.[1965]
The Eric Burdon Tribute Channel 13
Introduced by David McCallum, the man from
UNCLE himself. We had Tik-Tok long ago, but
it was more, 'tick, tick, boom, boom...'
Eric Burdon - vocals
Hilton Valentine - guitar
Chas Chandler - bass
Dave Rowberry - keyboards
John Steel - drums
