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 !
Showing posts with label Country/Western. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country/Western. Show all posts
I Ask if She Knows 'Tennessee Whiskey' and This Singer Steals The Show. YouTube Video by: DØVYDAS.
Must thank the creator of the above video DOVYDAS for the elegant and stylish way it turned out. Shelby with her natural beauty and charisma coupled with Dovydas’ control of the steel guitar and his own professionalism, blew my mind away! Respect! 👏
There are 2 parts to this posting. You can just watch the video above or read about whiskey and me below. Or do both…
WHISKEY AND ME:
I've never featured liquor songs on this blog before, maybe one or two about soft drinks and about drinking during the 60s at T-Dances and nightclubs. Nothing much and none about liquor, only soft drinks since I am a teetotaler.
Imagine the shock I received when a friend took me to a wine shop at Orchard Road and I saw this bottle of Japanese whiskey costing S$21,000. Gosh! And they could go up to a million dollars or more? Per bottle! The only liquor price I know are the canned beers that cost like, what, $2.50 each?
But with AI and its vast store of information I found out more about whiskey. Interesting indeed.
(Image) They drink it in the West. Even the empty bottles can be sold at a price.
I also remember a song that was so popular those years during the mid-80s when living in a western country, I heard it daily from the Caucasian boys next to my apartment. It was George Jones, TENNESSEE WHISKEY, a pop 1981 hit. It was revived by Chris Stapleton a few years ago.
There's no list on this posting on whiskey prices or songs but the video above features the song itself. And Tennessee whiskey, I understand, costs a fraction at about $500 a bottle? Now that's a price difference.
Hope to feature soon about whiskey songs? Anyone familiar with them?
[Thanks EDDY ENG for introducing me to the whiskey world. But I won’t try it for sure. Can’t afford.]
They drink it in the East. Japanese whiskey, as mentioned, can cost a lot.
Disclaimer:
The above video belongs to DOVYDAS. If on any account it should not be featured, do inform me and I shall delete it immediately. Thank you.
Here's a video on Lou Baldino's 'San Antonio Rose'. My kinda music I could listen to all day...
When I sent this song around among my WhatsApp connections, they replied with all the support and agreed with my selection of whatmusic was like those years when we were younger.
Here are some reactions and replies from viewers:
Eddy Eng:
This is music!
Richard Rajoo:
Yes, I really love San Antonio Rose too, because I started learning to play the guitar with an elderly neighbor of Bukit Merah. He plays with the Clan Association in Chinatown. So I sing at all their events, mainly Hank Williams and others at the music sessions. It was a real experience for me to sing to mostly vernacular speaking audiences.
Rickie Chng:
Simply nice and relaxing.
Tan Soo Khoon:
Very enjoyable. Thank you for sharing.
Vincent Tan:
Thanks for sharing.
👍👍👍👏👏👏
Merlin Lim:
Reminds me of the late, great Chet Atkins. Beautiful way of playing; all the fingers and thumb are alive. Played chords instead of single notes; makes the sound whole, complete and rich. Would have loved to learn that style of picking and playing. Had the intention to learn but lacked the motivation. Thanks Andy.
Johnny Yeo:
Nice! Nowadays I also like erhu since I have been attending weekly classes for the past two years. I love the old spaghetti Italian cowboy movies and their soundtracks.
Horace Wee:
Good to know your endorphins are working well.
Not dolphins 😅
Ronald Ho:
Thanks Andy. I listened with my bass headphones. They are excellent musicians. Yes, my kind of music too. I grew up on country music. Thanks.
Cedric Collars [Perth/Aust.]
I remember that song played by Chet Atkins and sung by Willie Nelson. Ah yes, we did enjoy them but nowadays they don’t play that style of music artistry. It has been put in the annals of music history. Sadly, it is we people who lament on their passing.
Richard Tham:
Andy, I love country music. It makes one wanna get up and dance! Thanks for sharing.
Chet Atkins, Willie Nelson.
When Music Hits You, You Feel No Pain.
Jimmy Chng:
Yup, it's all pleasure to our ears! Good morning, Andy.
Wilfred Lim:
Yes, music lingers on momentarily... then it's whisk off like a puff of smoke... Such is our life span... we're here today... gone tomorrow! Unless our lifetime is recorded in stone or digitally... we sail into oblivion. Cheers.
Merlin Lim:
Music gives you the highs, lows and flats. Without the cravings and withdrawals...
Anonymous:
I remember calling them cowboy songs, like Have I Told You Lately That I Love You, and China Doll. Later on, we know them as Country and Western songs.Again, lyrics today would be understood differently, "I'm tired of crying, and all your lying. That's why I'm buying a China doll. Her eyes are bluer; her faults are fewer..." Not today's China dolls!Ha! Ha!
I have a collection of vinyl records that are actually bootleg [not original] ones and bought them when Sungei Road was around. Very cheap too, about one dollar each. I accidentally dug out two 7 inch vinyl records, the first is a single (image 1, 2: black/white) and the other an Extended Play (image 3, 4: yellow). The single is a scratched and used single vinyl with a torn sleeve, while the other is a shiny looking bootleg E.P. And I've never played them before. While the single has the hits, For A Few Dollars More and Coffin For A Gunfighter, the E.P. has the same two numbers plus Titoli and La Resa Dei Conti on the front cover. These titles were translated as, The Killer and Fistful of Dollars.
The Single Both Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef came alive with Ernio Morricone's iconic music when I put the single on the turntable and Coffin For A Gunfighter came loud and clear on the speakers. With the second track, the whistling from For A Few Dollars More took me back to my youth as the sound filled the room with what many knowledgeable fans during yesteryear would term as spaghetti western instrumentals.
For the uninitiated, these instrumentals were so popular that even our Singapore record producers in the mid 60's went full gear to employ part-time session musicians to record the songs so they can make a few dollars more.
The particular single I have, boasts Charlie and His Orchestra printed on the cover. I remember very clearly there was also a Charlie and His Go-Go Boys when a-go-go music was in vogue and Charlie and The White Cloud Orchestra when the Chinese song White Cloud was popular. In fact Charlie and his many orchestras became so popular that his records flooded the local market in the 1960's and 1970's as many instrumental hits were produced. But was the orchestra actually music from the keyboard with its variety of gadgetry sounds? You know, push a button, trumpet sound, push another guitar sound, and so on. Was it a one-man show?
This particular single (i.e. with two songs) is a Star Swan Brand and sold over the counter as a legitimate cover version. As I explained earlier, mine is a near new record.
The E.P. The Extended Play (King Records) looks brand new too and seemed untouched, and unblemished on surface; it was invitation enough to be played. The cardboard sleeve cover, however, is old with some dirt markings. Even a clean-up job did no good. Strange. Then came the revelation. When I played the first track, I was shocked to find more than 5 repeat grooves. Thrashed to bits, it was fit for the trash can. I had to abandon the track but continued with the second one. Perfect. How much money these pirates made is hard to tell but the amount of illegal vinyls generated those years were tremendous, so much so that they were in the market for sale even before the genuine pieces were out.
The reason why people were buying these records instead of the original ones was because they could get four songs on one vinyl piece. It was convenient and cheap. Furthermore, these movies and music made up the Dollars Trilogy that were a draw. (The movies collected more than $55 million from the big screen. It is still big money today, what more in the 60's). Starting with A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For A Few Dollars More (1965), the songs from spaghetti westerns came full circle with, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966).To cater to the large Chinese listeners, the pirated version printed the language to attract them for easy reference and sale. And, as usually the case, by the time genuine Hugo Montenegro and His Orchestra (RCA) came on the dusty streets with holstered guns, the big duel was over. Mr. Bootleg won! The reward money was worth it.
And cheap recordings done with one person on an electronic keyboard!
*bootleg = a pirated copy, usually with sloppy sleeves, typo-errors, etc. Images: A Private Collection. Videos: You Tube from Ukulele Orchestra.
Here he is again folks. December is like the last tin soldier in the flank of 12. Still, strong, resolute and steadfast, he has held on to his position until the 11 other soldiers have completed their round of duties to serve 2021.
Now the wet spell hits, with heat and rain in the tropics and snow, fog and mist in the northern hemisphere. The listed songs below describe some of these conditions, emotional ones most possibly, e.g., ''warm, cold, white December'', till it, ''slips away... and we make it through.''
December will need to stand for about 24 days before the festivities begin as Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ on the 25th and Christians fill the churches on their holy week.
Whatever comes your way, the Covid-19 Connection especially, just be more careful when masking, washing, crowding and dining.😷
Have a great December everyone.
Months of the year
Here are a few songs on December, beside the Christmas ones, that you could be familiar with...
Back to December - Taylor Swift [new]
December - Ariana Grande [new]
December Love -New Kids on the Block
December Song, I Dreamed Of Christmas - George Michael
December Day - Willie Nelson
If We Make It Through December - Merle Haggard
George Michael - 'December Song - I Dreamed Of Christmas'
YouTube video by healmypain. Thank you.
Warm December - Julie London
After December Slips Away - Donny Osmond
Cold December Night - Michael Buble
White December - Kylie Minogue [image]
25th of Last December - Roberta Flack
December 1983, Oh What A Night - Frankie Valli, 4 Seasons
Some time ago, this blog featured pop singers named BOBBY. Today the focus is on famous gentlemen named JOHNNY. But according to a website, there are 206 famous Johnnys around. So many.
In no particular order, here they are folks. Guess who. Only 6 from the lot and 2 are still around...
Clues - song titles include words like - motion, certain, come lately, the line, rain, clearly.
Ha, ha, good luck folks.
From - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File
pininterest.com/jimmymeadows18
www.whosdatedwho.com
qobuz.com/ie-en/interpreter
en.wikipedia.org/wiki
gossipgist.com
Images
Google and captioned from relevant websites to cater to the new copyright laws. Please inform and images will be deleted immediately.
At the National Orchid Gardens @ Botanic Gardens many celebrities, from all over the world, have specially bred orchids named after them.
I Overlooked An Orchid (While Searching For A Rose): Mickey Gilley. These celebrities include politicians, world leaders, royalties, movie stars, music makers, etc. This practice started in 1956 and to date, there are about 200 names.
Offhand, some of the names included:
Lee Kuan Yew,
Kwa Geok Choo,
Lady Anne Black,
Indira Gandhi,
Emperor Akihito,
Queen Elizabeth 2,
Princess Diana,
Margaret Thatcher,
Nelson Mandela,
Gloria Macapagal-Aroyo,
Laura Bush,
Annika Sorenstam,
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The 1950 song, I Overlooked An Orchid While Looking For A Rose was first recorded by Carl Smith but became a number one hit for Mickey Gilley in 1974. It has been covered by other singers. Yes, an orchid, never an outrageous beauty like the rose but an everlasting, lovely, and strong presence in the living room or garden, and great for a country symbol.
The list goes on as the celebrities visit Singapore and the Botanic Gardens. They include: Zhou Xun (image above),
Jane Goodall,
Joe and Jill Biden,
Paloma Picasso,
Shah Rukh Khan,
Michael Kors, Serena Williams, *Xi Jinping/Peng Liyuan
Ban Ki-Moon,
Amitabh Bachchan,
Aun San Suu Kyi.
Prince William/Duchess of Cambridge
Even our pop stars are honored:
Elton John (below),
Ricky Martin,
Andrea Bocelli, Bae Yong Jun (image above),
Stefani Sun and
Jackie Chan.
If there are more names to add, please write in on the Comment Connection below.
A HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR TO YOU, MY FRIEND. Disclaimer: This posting, like all other ones on this blog, does not promote any person, place or product. It is my own personal musing. Andy Lim.
Stephanie Sun, Singapore Pop Star who has made it big overseas, has an orchid named after her.
Here's a song sent by a good, old friend* so I'd like to share it with all my thoughtful and kindly friends. And you are one... It's been revived by Trudi Lalor, a talented lady from Ireland, UK. Inspired by Louise Morrissey, Ms Lalor is one of the top young country singers in the UK and Irish music scene today. Garth Brooks was very much impressed by her performance when he visited Ireland. She's really good, a vibrant voice with clarity and charm, singing the folksy quick waltz with an Irish lilt. Hooray. *Many readers could not find the lyrics, so here's my service to all friends and viewers. I copied it off YouTube and the song is composed by Billy Morrissey.
'Old Friends Are Best': Trudi Lalor. YouTube Video from Trudy Lalor. Recorded at Cappawhite Day Care Centre, Tipperary.
(There may be some words which are wrong, so let me know.) Old Friends Are Best I always remember when I was young Through words, my father would say Be kind to the people you meet in this life And help them along on their way For each has their trouble and their own can of woes And each has a story to tell A good wish, a smile, a kind word or two Will help to brighten their day Chorus: Old friends are best That's what the old folks say When put to the test Old friends are best They'll stand by you come what may Repeat: (You'll be my old friend someday) New friends are fine but like a good wine They only get better with age In the blink of an eye and years, all go by With every turn of life's page Trouble and strife, we'll meet in good life And we all must go on till the end But in good times or bad, happy or sad There is nobody like an old friend.
Disclaimer:
There is no intention to profit from this posting, nor any other posting. If copyright rules have been infringed, let me know and this posting will be deleted immediately.
1939-2017: Nashville Tennessee. Distinctive Song Stylist Gone @ 78. The late Don Williams had a classic country hit with I BELIEVE IN YOU; a song with great melody and lyrics and one of my all time favorite. Another country song is YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND. Eric Clapton did a version of his song, TULSA TIME and made it a huge hit. His memory will live on through these songs he recorded and with all his other hits Williams will be another country legend. I hope you will be jamming with Glen, Chuck, Merle, Gentleman Jim, Patsy, Skeeter, Lynn and all the other great music stars who have left our planet and gone into another realm. Written by Michael Bangar who contributes articles often on this blog. Check him out below under Labels.*
R.I.P. Don Williams. "It's time to hang my hat up and enjoy some quiet time at home. I'm so thankful for my fans, my friends, and my family for their everlasting love and support (Don Williams, Final Performance: 2016)." Image Google. You Tube YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND from BAU KIKI.
