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 !
We have a gentleman who is Vancouver's Elvis Presley, but he was a Singapore citizen once. He needs no introduction actually because he's appeared on this blog for many years now.
Happy Tay, yes! That's his name.
He is a well-known Elvis Tribute Artiste [ETA] and is always being invited to perform in shows, at dinners and dances in friendly city Vancouver. But this time around he's joined by another former Singaporean who had migrated to Perth, Australia.
That's Cedric Collars! He’s an accomplished pianist who is still very active Down-Under. He's also known as Perry Como.
I received some photographs recently. So here we have two former Singaporeans who met in Canada to enjoy a Hawaiian theme get-together. What a world we live in; jetting from one space to another in quick time.
Happy Tay with Cedric Collars [Australia's Perry Como], who came all the way from Perth to enjoy the evening. "That's what friends are for..."
Guest Cedric Collars, [in white] watching from the stage.
Happy, celebrated Canada Day on 1st July, 2026.
And the big event that evening was for a fundraising ALOHA 2026 HAWAIIAN DINNER AND DANCE. Here's Happy himself to announce the event.
"The grand entrance that evening was Elvis with his Hawaiian Dancers, singing and dancing to the excitement of the audience. Yes, the Perry Como of Perth, Australia was there too. Cedric Collars sang and was very well received. The turn-out was good with about 200 guests attending."
Happy in action singing Elvis hits, and very well too. He has a fantastically powerful voice and always brings loud applause.
"A solo dance provided by a pretty lady.
Hawaiian Shake and a Hula Baby..."
On the floor now with his group of ladies is Happy.
"Night and you, In Blue Hawaii..."
A Happy fan screamed as she left excitedly after meeting 'Elvis' and getting a handshake from him after he sang, “The Wonders of You.”
Cedric, musician, singer and Perry Como Tribute Artiste,
flies too because he is a licensed pilot.
Happy Tay [Vancouver's Elvis]
with an ardent fan who is one of the members of the Knights of Columbus too and a Captain with the Canadian Armed Forces and a fan of Elvis.
"Didn’t we all break out and join in the final giggles and laughs with the singer? I’m chuckling to myself already!" says reader Sonny from Canada.
7 Letters From UK, Canada, India, Malaysia, Singapore:
1. Hi Andy and everyone,
I was looking for this song and decided to Google. Listened to it as a child and stayed in my memory till now. Since dad gave away all his records and record player, never heard it again.
Thanks, Andy, for posting. Rekindled memories. No one knew how much I had missed listening to this song.
Fauziah
2. Dear Andy,
I make innumerable attempts - all in vain - to desist from getting tender-hearted and teary-eyed, whenever I play this glorious song. I end up listening to it on a loop and brimming with climaxing emotions. Thank you very much, Andy, this time it's you who've rekindled my feelings!
Muradi.
3. Hello Andy,
Wow. I just happened to look for this song when reminiscing of my childhood years spent in Singapore. What a coincidence to find this uploaded by a sixties kid from right there!! Thank you very much Andy for the shared memories.
As a toddler, this song would play on a continuous loop and was the sweetest memory that I cherish to this day. Didn't we all break out and join in the final giggles and laugh with the singer!! I'm chuckling to myself already!!
Sonny (Canada)
Papa and mama dance the Cha Cha .
4. Rohit D'Almeida says:
When I was like 4 years old, I heard this song for the first time. (I'm 35 now). Coming from a family of singers, at that time, I thought this was sung by my uncle, Uncle James, and my cousin Lara.
We live in the suburbs of Mumbai, India. The audio cassette was brought by my uncle from the gulf. And so was the audio cassette recorder/player. We sang and recorded several songs back then.
It brings back such good memories. The lyrics are so beautiful. I'd love to go back in time and just dwell in that time in a loop forever. I guess heaven must be like that and much more!
Thanks Andy.
5. Fiona says:
I was brought up in Singapore, and this song was the first I remember my parents playing - there was a 'B' side, but I am not sure what it was. We moved back to UK in the early Sixties, and I have never found anyone else who remembers it. The fact you have placed it as Singapore 60's make sense to me - I have now downloaded it and it brings back happy memories of childhood. Thank you <3
6. Vineet Gupta says:
Thank you for posting this song. I've grown up on this, and God knows since when i was looking for it. It is a wonderful song to be played to kids. I play it for my son now. Thank you once again.
7. M.B. Salke says:
I live in Pune, Maharashtra, India. I grew up with this song. It is a very beautiful song which I always remembered. I was very happy to find it and hear it after so many years, nearly 40 years. This song brings fond memories of my childhood. Thank you so much.
And the song?
'Papa He Loves Mama':
Donald Peers and Janet Osborne.
YouTube Video by:
The little boy and girl who love to see their grand papa and mama! Singapore 60s teenagers used to cha, cha, cha to this song when it was played during T-Dances.
Following the trend, I am re-living comments from blog readers, friends and highlighting them. And we chat about nightclub drinks and lamsing, er dancing.
For action dancing we chose the cha-chas 'Rico Vacilon' and rock n roll hits. For the lamsing we chose slow number waltzes like Cliff Richard's, 'When the girl in your arms.'
Check them out.
Sometimes it's too close for comfort.
But it was the 60's and nobody bothered!
Patrick Chan says:
Hi Andy,
Good reminiscent. Actually, when we go to a night spot in the 60s, it's not such much for the drinks but to see the band n 'lamsing' [dancing closely] as you said. For some, they don't really know what bar drinks to order. So following others was a safe bet without looking 'sua ku' or a country boy. [2017].
Yes, I remembered Bacardi n rum coke were top of the list. But if you want to be a bit 'sekit atas' [a little bit classy] then you order Gin Tonic to impress the girls. lol. Surely you will get one or two asking 'what drink is that'. So this drink is an ice-breaker that gets you up close with the girls for the evening.
Now you know why Gin Tonic has been my favourite pouring ever since.
Andy, next time you try order gin tonic and see what happens. For the girls, if you want to be seen as a sophisticated you order Baby Cham.
The late Ms Chong YL says:
Andy,
In those years, did many ladies take to liquor? I was no night bird - had a very strict father. It was only when I started working that I did go to West Point in Pasir Panjang a couple of times. Don't remember if I tried any hard drinks. Years later, some lady friends introduced me to Campari and Seven-Up. Even then I didn't take to that well-developed some kind of allergy.
So you can imagine a situation in New Zealand when I attended dinners with the Kiwis. When asked to drink, I declined - giving the reason that I would develop a rash. When offered coffee at the end of the meal, I said no - I won't be able to sleep. I asked for 'Adam's Ale' - warm. What a 'suaku' from Singapore.
Today I quite enjoy ice-cream with some liqueur such as Lychee Martini, Kahlua Krunch, Baileys Choc Chips from Daily Scoop. [2017]
Jane Dick [Manitoba, Canada] says:
Hi Andy,
Fun to read your memories of your youth and local nightclubs; brought back some of my own memories.
Rum and Coca Cola, is one of the favourite songs, so delightful to listen to it. Years ago, I was working for an organisation that had a booth at the annual Wedding Show in Winnipeg, and I did a shift during one weekend.
During the fashion show, with lovely models showing off bridal gowns, one piece of music they played over and over was, 'Rum and Coca Cola ...' a song about streetwalkers ...! I thought that was pretty funny. [2017].
Daisy Koh says:
Oh Yes Ambassador n Airport Nightclub. Only $5 cover charge inclusive of the Rum n Coke. So packed those days, no place for fanciful dance steps. Just “Move the refrigerator,” as they say in Hokkien or 'lamsing'. I still have an old cutout or photo of the packed Airport dance floor somewhere.
We also grew up twisting away in the 60's. We girls spent afternoons practising with talcum powder on the floor to facilitate the moves. So much fun … Twist and then Ago-Go. The Twist music is still alive today… incorporated into Line-dancing and Zumba 🤣. [2024].
Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra: Rico Vacilon.
YouTube Video by: felixbautista
Stephen Han says:
I remembered dancing at the Ambassador Hotel and the Paya Lebar Airport. Rum Coke and Baby Champagne were the drinks of choice. I also recalled the sexy and lovely stripper, Eva Kim from South Korea shedding her clothes though not totally naked. I learned she bared all in private functions.
There was also a dance venue at West Point. Another one was at the Singapore Hotel where the City Plaza now stands... 2017].
*Singapore English or Singlish:
lamsing = dancing or literal meaning 'to hug' in Chinese: 'lam' with the English Continuous Tense 'sing'.
suaku = a Chinese Hokien dialect that means: 'mountain [sua] tortoise [ku]' or a country bumpkin; someone who isn't trendy or up to date.
sikit atas = a Malay phrase that means, 'a little bit classy' or literally: 'a little up there...'
BTW, 'Adam's ale' = water 😅.
Dancing = lamsing = move the refrigerator. And 'chiau sng tu' is Hokien dialect for 'move the refrigerator'. 'Move the refrigerator' was coined to describe the awkward way in which couples without basic dancing skills moved around the dance floor.
Ms Natasha Low [30] was first featured on this blog in 2013 when she was a K-Pop singer with the group called, SKarf. Now she's a pop TV actress on our Singapore screen acting as a boisterous, fierce but kind-hearted young nyonya. What a change in roles but definitely for the better!
Congratulations Tasha. You've come a long way. Your family must really be proud of you.
Best to read the previous article below to learn more about Natasha and her famous family...
Many thanks to all these petite nyonyasfor the dance item.
Nyonyas are Peranakan ladies,
from the Straits,known for their
sarong [skirt] n kebaya [blouse] outfits.
I must first thank Evonne Dance Studio for putting up this enchanting video of the company's charming and talented dancers on YouTube. With one million views plus and a music backing by Bill and Brod with the late but well-known Arie Wibowo, [singer composer of Madu dan Rachun], this short but delightful episode with sarong-kebaya-clad nyonyas [ladies] is enthralling!
It is not surprising that with the influence of colonialism these past 80 years or so, after WW2, we have diluted some of our own South East Asian music heritage. But all is not lost. Let's hope that with the advent of a resurgence in this part of the world, we would be listening and watching more of such performances from our Asiatic shores.
So the beat goes on, our kind!
I'm sure you have some comments to make! Please do!
[This posting is not an advertisement but an appreciative gesture. I was mesmerised by the gracefulness of the lady dancers, the song accompaniment and decided to write about it.]
Just past the middle of August 2022, Vernon Martinus turned 90 years old.
He had been frail and was in the advanced stages of dementia, unable to recognise his loved ones. Sadly a few days later he passed away in the UK.
Together with his wife Frances Poh, they were the trail blazing power couple that promoted the ballet and art of dance to never before seen heights in Singapore.
In the 50s and early 60s doting parents would enrol their children in piano or ballet lessons. The Singapore Dance Academy was their de facto choice. Annually they would present a showcase of ballet from their pupils. It was an event that generated excitement in the arts community.
Besides dancing, Vernon had various stints in broadcasting. From the early pre Radio Singapore days at the Cathay building and Rediffusion.
He joined the fledgling TV Singapore around 1963 , as a TV producer when it had commenced operations. The two significant events he was part of were the televised broadcast by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew announcing the break away of Singapore from Malaysia and the first televised production of the National Day Parade. Contrary to suggestions to stop the recording, he was the one that decided to continue to record the PM Lee breaking down during the historic event.
Many from this era will cherish the memory of this pioneer from Singapore. May you Rest In Peace and dance with the angels , Vernon Philip Martinus.
Mr and Mrs Vernon Martinus
[This very personal tribute comes from Horace Wee. Thank you Horace for your contribution to this music blog and Mun Chor Seng for the photograph.]
In Singapore 60's, Saturday nights were called golden nights because it was the time when pop bands were playing at most of the night spots in Singapore. My friends and I would meet and proceed to one and since we lived on the East Coast, it was usually the Paya Lebar Airport nightclub with its tiny dance floor or the Ambassador at Meyer Road. The latter had a choice of two dance venues. We would go to listen to the latest songs, to dance and to buy a drink or two. There was also a joke running around those years, that boys and girls were hugging each other tightly on the floor rather than dance because the waltz and slow foxtrot were an excuse to do so. Instead of dancing the couples were actually lam-sing (translated lam in a Chinese dialect is to hold orhug). So during quieter moments when the band played sentimental melodies the dance floor would be packed. All the more for a squeeze. Cliff Richard's, When The Girl In Your Arms and The Shadows, Midnight would be the favourites. Soft slow, caressing music...
But there was the rhumba, samba, mambo or the cha-cha. Except for the cha-cha and the off-beat version, the other dance-steps didn't make a difference to many of us. The Drink:
The ladies would usually have a lemonade or an orange juice with ice. For the men, it's mostly beer or an alcoholic mix. It was always Bacardi Coke for me. I've heard of Tequila but never touched it. In fact, it was so popular, that like Rum and Coca-Cola, there was a song dedicated to the strong and crazy drink, Tequila by a group called the Champs. A teetotaller my whole life, I have always stuck to drinking only Barcadi Coke because it was the only drink I knew. Never had a chance to drink other mixes like Gin and lime or Soda and Whisky. Always loved my drink sweet and I was told I could get diabetes if I drank too much Rum n Coke. I knew the taste so well that there were times when the bartender gave me an adulterated mix of the cheapest rum. But I had always asked for another glass, with the real thing and true brown that is dark rum. But without the slice of lemon. Invented at the beginning of the 20th Century, this drink became so famous that it is only known as Rum and Coke in the US, UK, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, India and Singapore. In other parts of the world, it's Cuba Libre - not Canta Libre, which is a Neil Diamond song.
Rum and Coca Cola. The Andrew Sisters.
YouTube Video by: Scrambled Eggs 1969.
The Song:
The drink was so well received by the public in Singapore and the world, that almost every nightclub carried the concoction. In fact, there is even a song by a well-known vocal group called The Andrew Sisters. Drinkin' Rum and Coca Cola Go down Point Koomahnah Both mother and daughter Workin' for the Yankee dollar Oh, beat it, man, beat it...* It is a very old song with a Calypso beat and composed in 1945 but became popular through the years as the drink would have. Singers like Chubby Checker, Julio Iglesias and Wanda Jackson had recorded it. The original version by the Andrew Sisters had been recorded three times on three different labels, Decca, Capitol and DOT.
And Andy [blogger] compered one evening with
the Velvetones playing Shadows and Cliff numbers.
At another hotel, dancing and drinking Rum n Coke:
