Andy 60's Music, Movies DVDs: Tarzan's Yell n Elvis' Scream: Writes John Cher

Hi Fabian Foo,

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! 🐒🙊🎸🥁

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2013/08/movie-memory-orh-eee-orh-

The Tarzan Yell: YouTube video by DisneyAnimationFan173.

Author: JOHN CHER who is also a drummer with his own band, JOHN CHER N FRIENDS.

Like Coke Without The Bubbles? No! It's Passion n Consistency!

Hi Andy,

It is an achievement to be able to sustain the interest of even 2000 people a month on a regular basis on any given topic. What you have done could not be the result of a faint heart or a lame endeavour. It takes passion and consistency to incessantly create stories that your international readership can relate to and is stimulating enough to make them keep coming back to your blog for more. 

Your enthusiasm for your work makes the difference! Without it, there would be no zest! Like Coke without the bubbles! Flat! On behalf of all your readers, I wish to appeal to you to not even consider stopping your very fine work but to keep up with your enthusiasm for your unique blog. 

I am still hopeful that one day soon, the relevant authority in SG would officially recognize your work! It is strange but nonetheless true, no prophet will find acceptance in his own country! A case in point, recently the Australians conferred an award on Matthew Tan for his contributions to Country Music. 

I am of the view that it is SG that should have taken the initiative for such an award! Of course not only for Matthew but for other iconic local musicians as well, like Henry Chua and others!

Be that as it may, here's wishing you continued success in all your efforts to preserve our music heritage! God bless!

John Cher 

July 21st, 2016.

John was the drummer for 

'Silver Strings' from 2015.

The Wedding: A John Cher Exclusive 💖

Mr and Mrs John Cher walking down the aisle during their wedding in 1977.

  UP TO 5,200 VIEWS 

      23 COMMENTS      

This posting is a Valentine's Day Special 💖💝💘

There are more than 300 'likes' on Mr. *John Cher's Facebook page when he posted his wedding pictures with beautiful Betsy.  The couple looks so refreshingly charming and I asked if he could write his experience for this blog.  As usual, he obliged.

Thanks again John and Betsy. And a Happy 41st Wedding Anniversary to both.

The Wedding (La Novia) by Julie Rogers. Video from Chen Daniel.

In  1969  I went to McGRAW-HILL F.E.P. for the first time for a job interview.  This 19-year-old simpleton from U.S.A. (Upper Serangoon Area) was completely blown away by the size of this factory/office.  

The landscaped garden in the centre of the complex complete with cascades, fish ponds and the works looked exactly like a 5-star hotel. I got the job!  What I didn't know then was that within the parameters of this beautiful gigantic workplace with hundreds of employees, was my future wife!

A YOUNG COUPLE IN LOVE

She was introduced to me by a mutual colleague.  On our first date, my colleague with his girlfriend and us went for a movie at The Capitol.  After that was supper at Albert Street.  Together with taxi fares,  I went without lunch the following week!  Be that as it may, after this initial outing, the dates became weekly, graduating to any day also can...

After 4 or 5 years, it was time for wedding plans. I was honestly quite horrified by the thought of meeting her mother whose facial features never fail to remind me of bulldogs!  That was not the only issue.  My friends, who were all older as well as married guys, kept telling me that I was still young and should wait a few more years.

The 3 RINGS.

I am sure with the best of intentions,  in various ways they kept telling me about the 3 rings!  These are nothing to do with the Lord of the Rings.  They are  1)  The Engagement RING,   2) The Wedding RING and 3rd) The SufferRING!   Well, love knows no boundaries and on 5th February 1977, Betsy and I were married at The Church of the Nativity of The Blessed Virgin Mary. 

On our wedding morning, would you believe the make-up girl was no way to be found at the appointed time?  All hell broke loose and I was right in the firing line as she was proposed by me!   In an instant, I understood what my friends meant by The 3rd Ring !!!  And we were not even officially married yet!

God in His infinite wisdom wanted man and woman to be married and multiply.  By His grace, everything went on smoothly for the rest of the day and night.  The wedding dinner was pretty good (that's what everyone told me and I took it at face value).  My only regret was that there was no band to provide music.  Should have known The Silver Strings then!

We went to The Philippines for our honeymoon.  When we arrived at the Silahis Hotel (In later years THE PLAYBOY CLUB was at this hotel) we were really hungry and so-called room service for a dozen sandwiches.  

Baby Face by Bobby Darin. Video from:

I think it took about an hour and then finally the doorbell rang.  When I opened the door I nearly fainted.  There were 3 waiters with 2 carts with 12 beautiful trays of sandwiches !!  It cost about S$150.  That was 41 years ago!  And $150 could have been dinner for about 10 people.  OMG!!!

Thanks Andy for asking me to share my wedding story.

BTW  those who are planning to get married, please don't be unduly concerned, for the benefits and fun far exceed the third "Ring".

Cheers everyone!

Through the years with Mr and Mrs John Cher from the U.S.A. (Upper Serangoon Area).😉

*John is happily retired and plays the drums with The Silver Strings. He has a very popular Facebook account that draws hundreds of readers. You can also check him out under Labels below and read his many articles on this blog.

Images and Article: A John Cher Collection (Copyrights Reserved).
Sihali's Hotel from http://www.kimberry.com/archives/1980s/philippines_1984/hotel.html

Silahis Hotel in Manila Philippines, where the couple stayed for their honeymoon.

Music Jokes And Cartoons Adapted For Singapore

Thanks to:

Jerry Fernandez, Amal Singh, Henry Chua, John Cher.

UP TO 1,500 VIEWS, 12 CHATS, COMMENTS

2017

The news these days were unsettling. There's the passing away of news reader Duncan Watt; Riem de Wolff from pop duo the Blue Diamonds; Don Williams a country singer, and an election that never was. The great storms and floods in Texas and Florida upset many of us here in Singapore.

Most readers were a little groggy, so  I pulled this post out of the top-hat.

All in fun, no offence meant, for comic relief.

The Elvis Presley tribute artiste called Amal Singh above, who singhs well, was asked what his favorite song was.  

He replied, "Amal Shook Up."  👳

Enjoying his meal, as he usually does, Jerry (Neu Faces) was asked if he was eating torsay. 

He replied, "No, it's Cha Cha Cha-party!"

"Charpati? Kong ho-say. It's Torsay Jerry." 😝 

"My biggest fear is when I die, my wife will sell all my guitars at the second-hand shops for what I told her they cost." 🎸

What The Dukes' bassist, Daniel Abidin would advise his good friends, especially where local politics are concerned.🎸

When Jimi Hendrix was applying to work in Singapore in the 60's, he was interviewed by the management of a local music company.😕

"Here's a song about heartbreak, pain and lost love which I wrote when I was about to quit smoking. Now you know why I look so happy," says Michael Bangar (Silver Strings).

Changi Prison used to allow inmates to bring their own musical instruments for entertainment.🎵

Henry Chua (Quests) told his audience, "My neighbour knocked on my door at 3 this morning!"

He added, "Can you believe it? At 3 this morning! Luckily for him, I was still awake playing the guitar; and John was drumming." 😤

Images: A Personal Collection and Google.

Blog Statistics Record High: Singapore 60's Music Stories Appeal To International Readers

UPDATED TODAY: 7 September 2017

VIEWERSHIP: 1,432,419

Writers who contributed to this blog

Allan Thompson, John Cher, Michael Bangar, Henri Gann,

Crystal Abidin, Joey Koh, Fabian Foo, Steve Farram, Horace Wee.

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me through reality
And my destination
Makes it worth the while...
(Abba)

The number of supporters for this blog is staggering.
Readers and technical know-how from social networking services include:

Blogspot
You Tube
Google+ 
Twitter 
WhatsApp 
emails
John Cher's Facebook 
Larry Lai's WhatsApp

Because of these connections, this blog has blossomed by 20,000 viewers, from a mere 36,000 monthly reads in October to 56,000 by December. Big for a small niche like Singapore pops and its influence.

This year the writings, You Tube videos and local 60's music information from:

Allan Thompson (UK)
John Cher
Michael Bangar 
Henri Gann Trekkers (US)
Horace Wee
Steve Farram (Aus)

CYLin
Laurence Lim
Su Go (Aus)
Joey Koh
Crystal Abidin (Aus)
Fabian Foo 

Audie Ng
Mike n Herb (Aus)
Happy Tay (Can)

and others 

were contributing factors to the success of this blog. Names are not in any order and two ladies wish to remain anonymous. Let me know if I left your name out 😔.

                Larry Lai, Audie Ng, CYLin, Su Go, Happy Tay, Laurence Lim

                                              Mike and Herb

Of course when the big guns came in to support both directly and indirectly, the blog had a blast. 

Stephen Fry
Scott Page
Russell Hitchcock
Rick Astley
Rex Goh

and local stars like: 

Dick Lee
Jack Neo
Moses Lim
Chua En Lai

and Silver Strings' Singapore TV appearances helped much to boost the ratings.

Comments from regulars too played a great part towards increasing readership. A whole lot of you guys, thank you.

Less texting? Yes but more blog reading, especially this blog. I dare say, no other active Singapore 60's music stories than what you can find from here.
Short of boasting 😮...

You can see the wonders of a fairy tale
You can see the future even if you fail
I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see...


Thanks to local and international readers, contributors, friends and fellow countrymen. You made my dream.

Happy New Year 2017.

Songwriters: ANDERSSON, BENNY GORAN BROR / ULVAEUS, BJOERN K.

'I Have A Dream': lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

STATISTICS BELOW CAPTURED ON 2nd JANUARY 2017

Readers today:

1,158,364

31st December, 2016

57,000+ readers today.

24th December, 2016

54,000+ readers today.

TWITTER

Abba: I Have a Dream

GOOGLE +

Images: A Personal Collection and Google.

Dr Charles Koh: Gynaecologist Flamingos Combo

Remember Charles Koh from the Flamingos Combo? I do. Whenever he comes over from the U.S. the newspapers would announce his arrival. A gynaecologist, they say, cannot be a musician. 

But Dr. Koh is both, and an excellent one at that. A Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from NUS (1967) he now practises in the US.  Here's the truth unravelled as his colleague Dr. Raymond Tan and friend John Cher tell us about this extraordinary man.

UP TO 2,000 VIEWS - 15 COMMENTS

I must thank them both for the articles below:

Dr. Raymond Tan says: "I was a medical student during the mid-sixties and Charles Koh was a few years my senior. Charles was a bright student who won the State Scholarship (equivalent to today's President's Scholarship). I was always amazed at how Charles could spend his evenings playing music in a hightclub (Rose D'or - Lido Cinema, Shaw House, Orchard Road) and still keep up with his medical studies.

Charles was a colleague and senior when I worked in the Gynae and Surgery departments. He left in 1971 for UK where he obtained his specialist degree in Gynecology. He later on moved to US and became a successful gynecologist.

The Flamingos music was sometimes broadcast live over radio (RTS) and they played beautiful music with Charles (a self taught musician) playing on the vibraphone. Charles was quite versatile and could sing and play a few other instruments."

John Cher says: "Charles Koh indeed loves music and despite his status as a doctor of eminence in the USA, he was unassuming and soft spoken. His two sons are into music as well. I remember having lots of fun jamming with all of them at a church music room many years ago. He used to return to Singapore about once a year and his good friend, James Choa, another member of The Flamingos would arrange for jamming sessions. 

The very last time we jammed was at The Peranakan Restaurant in the basement of Hotel Negara at Orchard Road. The boss of the restaurant Bob plays the piano and sings as well. Jimmy Chan, who was also with The Flamingos at one point, used to drop by after he completed work at The Mandarin Hotel. After the last customer had left, Bob would lock up and we would jam till the wee hours! 

Always remember Jimmy's joke that dying and going to the washroom is the same. If you have to go, you have to go! Lost touch with Charles completely after the passing of James about 3 years ago. Always nice to recall about the old days!"

Anglo Chinese School Class Of 59/61 says:  Within the Flamingos Combo, Charles Koh was in a vocal group called the Gaylads. "Before you jump to conclusions, we would state categorically that Charles is not that way inclined but how the name Gaylads came about merits explanation. 

Before joining ACS, Charles with Peter Loh Boon Tan and Robert Gay studied at the Presbyterian Boys School (PBS). When the group was formed, the name Gaylads was decided on to honour their PBS Principal, Mr. Gay Wan Guay, who happened to be Robert’s father."

Many readers know Dr. Koh. Do write in.


NB:
On the internet, articles abound about Dr. Koh. Here's one:

"He is an infertiity microsurgeon who merged the art of microsurgery to laparoscopic surgery and performed the first laparoscopic microsurgical tubal anastomosis in 1992. He has applied this convergence to the art of radical endometriosis surgery with fertility preservation and organ repair for the past 20 years.

He has created many innovations, inventions and techniques for advances in laparoscopic surgery, lectures and performs demonstration surgeries around the world.

In 2009, Dr Koh was awarded the Distinguished Surgeon Award from the Society of Reproductive Surgeons, American Society of Reproductive Medicine. He was the former President of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons (2009)."

For further reading go to:

http://www.endofound.org/blossomball/2012

http://www.acs59.com/golden/vintage_year.htm


Disclaimer:
This article is not an advertisement and does not promote any person or persons. The doctor mentioned is a personal friend of the two writers.

Images: The Straits Times Singapore; Google; Dr. Charles Koh Website.