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.
I have the above Long Play [LP] 1957 recording and was surprised that when I presented a song from the selection to friends, not many were aware or even knew the song.
My accompanying comment was, "One of my fave songs was when Elvis did his 50s song, Any Place Is Paradise; still one of his most memorable hits, personally. Not many folks know this one. With the guitar solo in between and that 'cling, cling cling jazz.' "
Quite a number were nice and honest enough to mention, "You're right, I'm one of those who don't know [haven't heard] this song. Now I know. thanks!" Another commented that he was in the group as he had just heard it because I mentioned it. It was a typical Elvis, R&B blues song. A third friend loved the solo in between. And a fourth good friend said, "Andy, I was still a baby!"
Thanks to all my friends above. Yes, I am old.
The image shows the back cover of the Elvis Presley No. 2 record in the last posting. Elvis the Pelvis, as he is usually known, gyrates and hip-swivels his way through this LP with: Rip It Up, When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, **Long Tall Sally, Paralysed, Ready Teddy and How Do You Think I Feel.
'Any Place Is Paradise', Elvis Presley. YouTube Video by: Rychie Tube.
His other songs though, reveal his more subdued and pensive mood when he delivers, Love Me, First In Line, So Glad You're Mine, Any Place Is Paradise, How's The World Treating You and Old Shep.
Another favourite of mine is the hot, sweaty, Paralyzed. Check it out below.
While checking this first impression record, *HMV/CLP 1105 which is made in Great Britain, I find that it is a collector's item. The price will not be mentioned. Produced in 1957 it is in mint condition. Because Presley pressings run into millions, only certain records are collectibles.
*Elvis Presley No 2 Also known as Rock n Roll No 2 HMV CLP 1105 1957. Matrix G2 WP 7207 2N/7208 1N, Label Side 1.
**Long Tally Sally, Recorded by Crescendos/Philips/Universal Music, Singapore.
Image/Original article: Andy Lim Collection.
This posting is an extension from one dated: 8.9.2009.
'Paralysed' Elvis Presley. YouTube Video by: Simone Presley Brasil.
Disclaimer:
This blog does not advertise nor try to sell vinyl records.
The lyrics that go with many of these songs about loneliness could make the happiest person very depressed. So, let's look at the topic, within limited borders, and some of the pop songs that go with it. I'm no psychiatrist but writing only through the experiences of pop song lyrics.
Loneliness And Lost Love:
This one is, I think, the most common experience of loneliness any person could go through. So, when Singaporeans Fitzgerald and Pascal composed their huge local hit,'My Lonely Heart' and expressed, ‘Please return my heart so I may cry... Every night I pray... to meet you someday,' lovers connect with the song immediately. But in this particular instance the conclusion says it all, ‘I know it's true, I won't be seeing you.'
The lovers know that all's lost with no light in the distance. Like Georgia Gibbs, with her 50’s hit, was right when she sobbed, 'Guess it never pays to make your lover blue, Seven lonely days I cried and cried for you.' Lost love indeed.
Loneliness With Hope:
Here the theme takes a turn.
There could be some hope couldn't there, after a lost love.
'Maybe tomorrow a new romance, No more sorrow but that's the chance you gotta take,' brought about these lines that most people in break-ups often expressed and where most songs about loneliness derived. Roy Orbison made it huge with, 'Only The Lonely,' and with some clues of a new beginning. So, they might not be, 'gone forever, so far apart.'
Paul Anka is totally devastated as he cries, 'I'm just a lonely boy, Lonely and blue... I'd like to hear somebody say, I'll give you my love, Each night and day.' So it's not a breakup here. He has no partner to love because what he wants, 'is someone to love.' So there’s hope but with some desperation?
No war here; just an illustrative image to show a soldier boy with a suitable wartime background?
Loneliness As A Soldier:
Two wars [one?] are going on today and many people, including soldiers, have lost their lives. Many of them, who are away from home, experience loneliness on the battlefield.
In a 60s hit, Bobby Vinton lamented, 'I'm so lonely for my own, I'm Mister Lonely, Wish I had somebody to call my own... to call on the phone... Now I'm a soldier, a lonely soldier. I got no letter in the mail. I wish I could go back home.'
His experience as a soldier boy in the 60s rang true as the Vietnam War loomed in the distance. And our wars? Could we afford some more? Because war goes beyond loneliness...
Loneliness When Old:
'Ah look at all the lonely people, Picks up the rice in the church where the wedding has been, Lives in a dream... Then there's Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no one would hear.' How observant were Lennon and McCartney when they sang, 'Eleanor Rigby.’
'All the lonely people, where do they all come from?'
Most seniors who read this post know what loneliness mean. Health problems; spousal death; non-visiting children; friendlessness, etc. would lead to a nasty list. And like a friend mentioned, "Even Mother Earth rejects you!"
"Are you lonesome tonight?" No, not only tonight... it's, "Are you lonesome always?"
Hey, but what about Michael Jackson's, 'You Are Not Alone.'
General comments are welcome.
A 1926 song, Elvis recorded it in 1960 after his
army release. 2,000,000 copies sold by 1992.
Recorded in 1962, Vinton wrote it in the late 50s
during his army days as the Vietnam War escalates.
Bobby Vinton: Mr. Lonely. YouTube Video by: Diana N
Written in 1958 and released in 1959 with Don Costa,
after 'Diana' hit. It was featured in his movie, 'Girls Town'.
'Eleanor Rigby' [lyrics]: The Beatles. YouTube Video from BTA MUSIC.
“There goes my baby, There goes my heart, They are gone forever, So far apart, But only the lonely, Know why I cry.”
“Don't know that I will, But until I can find me, The girl who'll stay, And won't play games behind me, I'll be what I am, A solitary man, solitary man”
“Seven lonely days make one lonely week, Seven lonely nights make one lonely me, Ever since the time you told me we were true, Seven lonely days I cry and cry for you.”
'My Lonely Heart', a local recording; this vinyl piece was a sell-out in the 60's. One of the classics in Singapore's music history.
#An add on: The lyrics hinges on the fact that distancing oneself from the ordinary may lead to a lonely existence. There is also another interpretation, as explained by Cedric Collars, provided under the Comment Page. Do read it.
Frank Sinatra sings “I will drink the wine." YouTube video by: Amir.
Thanks for sharing your stories with us. I enjoyed reading them and the stories brought back some fond memories to me as well. The "threat" to terminate the Rediffusion audio service sounds really familiar. We have to live with "threats" all the time during our younger days.
Wow! Never knew you were such a good student. Being "first boy" is way out for me. Never thought of achieving it as I know it is beyond me! Ha-ha! My granddaughter, who did her Primary One at St Nick's, told me she was "fifth girl" and I told myself that was better than your grandfather ever did. Then I realized she was "fifth girl" in the entire Primary One cohort! Quite embarrassing!
Anyway, I remember fiddling around with my Rediffusion set [image above] and added an extra speaker to the system. It was very loud and sounded "shiok". The only problem was that I cannot control the volume! And therefore, it was a real nuisance to everyone at home. So I was "threatened" to get rid of my "invention", or the service will be disconnected!
Elvis Presley: “His Latest Flame” Remix. Hot girls shuffle dancing. YouTube video by RANDY HARGIS.
Your recollection about saving pennies and dimes to buy records was familiar too. One record I purchased through this method was His Latest Flame by Elvis. I remember a place selling vinyl record too but for a different reason. A friend of mine shared with me that when he was in secondary school, he was giving tuition to one of the daughters of the company. He told me that she was really pretty, and he would have willingly gave her tuition for free!
By the time other record companies came into the scene, my interest was looking for old movies, rather than music CDs. One of my prized collections was a four set Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan classic. The titles were Tarzan Finds A Son, Tarzan's Secret Treasure, Tarzan's New York Adventure and Tarzan the Ape-man. It costs $200! Two Westerns I was always looking for were The Proud Ones and Warlock but never found them there.
Keep your stories coming Fabian!
Cheers!
AUTHOR: JOHN CHER.
2ND DECEMBER 2015.
Comments are always welcome.
John Cher’s dream. When Elvis meets Tarzan. Who screams loudest? Don’t forget; Tarzan doesn’t need backup music. Elvis does! 🐒🙊🎸🥁
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