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 !
Harry Cheok, with his black and white batik shirt,
at the Chinese Swimming Club in 2022.
Harry Cheok won the Johnny Lion of Singapore Competition in the 60s with his group, Willy's Jokers. I have known him for some years now. Harry has kindly allowed me to post his videos when he was on stage at the Chinese Swimming Club. But he wasn't singing the late Mr. Lion's favourites.
If you noticed the date, he is still performing today. Being a retired business person, he has time to spare and jams with his guitar group. I love his flamboyant style and cute personality. Watch the ladies at the bar and see their reaction. Harry is also an accomplished ukulele player and guitarist.
The local folks would say, "He can *gelek well!" Like Mick Jagger.
Thanks Harry for your friendship and sparing the videos.
Can you guess the songs he is singing?
NB:
*gelek = shimmy and shake.
Johnny Lion was a singer from Holland who was accompanied by the Dutch guitar group, The Jumping Jewels. They were very popular in the 60s and 70s and Johnny and the J.Js. have appeared in Singapore.
Another sad news piece for this blog. It's a fact that 60's music makers are now biting the dust.
UP TO 1,600 VIEWS. 40 COMMENTS Johnny van Leeuwarden, Dutch pop singer who was with the guitar group Jumping Jewels, had passed away on Thursday, January end, 2019. He made a hit in his country with Sophietje. He also was known for Wheels, All In Dallas. In Singapore, he did many popular covers like Devil Woman, Judy and Let's Make a Habit of It. 1.) Mr. Stephen Han, who often writes for this blog, obligingly returned me an SMS when he heard the news. Here is Mr. Han's tribute to the handsome star: "I'm sure every music lover appreciates the song, Teenage Senorita. This pop hit was on top of our Singapore radio chart and the singer was Johnny Lion. He was accompanied on this recording by the Jumping Jewels.
Johnny Lion with JUDY recorded on vinyl in the mid-sixties. THANKS TO YOUTUBE. I was extremely excited when they came to Singapore to perform at the Odeon Cinema in 1964. I missed the first show because I was late and my brothers invited instead our pretty lady neighbor. Somehow, I managed to purchase a ticket for the next day's show. These Dutchmen didn't let us down. They put up a really good performance and I enjoyed every song Johnny sang. They came again together to Singapore in 2005. This time around they sang and played instrumental numbers in a concert at Suntec City. The particular show also featured Riem De Wolff of the Blue Diamonds. So many years later but they all performed just as well if not better. Johnny Lion is gone now. May he Rest In Peace." (Thanks so much for the tribute, Mr. Stephen Han. I am sure readers will appreciate it to remember this singer.) Johnny Lion had been sick for some time and died of lung cancer. He also had Alzheimer's disease and was 77 years young. With the passing away of Lion, the very famous foursome from the Netherlands, that included Anneke Gronloh, Ruud and Riem de Wolff are now just memories and recorded songs and pictures. Condolences to his family.
2) Mrs. Daisy Koh was still a schoolgirl in uniform when they tried to meet JL and JJ. Here's her tribute. "I was at the Goodwood where JL and the JJ were staying. I was not allowed to go out at night then. We schoolgirls invaded the Goodwood... back then hotel security wasn't that tight. Armed with flowers and love notes we hung around in the hotel corridor. Excitement reached its peak when we saw the freshly laundered jackets with the initials JJ embroidered in gold on their pockets. We slipped love notes in their pockets and left flowers at the door before we left reluctantly. Crazy schoolgirls. Johnny Lion and the Jumping Jewels were big time then, in Holland like the Beatles in England." RIP Johnny Lion.
Saying Hello, Goodbye to the Car: Cuboid Cefiro This car of mine No slow poke now I never want to part with her you see This little car means a heck of a lot to me* After 10 years exactly, at the end of May 2016, my faithful 2300 cc steed will finally be silenced in the scrapyard. Can you imagine a beautiful Japanese Cefiro built in 2006, complete with the latest features that only some cars have today, being towed away to be crunched and crushed into cuboid? I know I shouldn't be writing about cars but I am totally devastated that I have to lose $14,000 (scrap value) and pay another $25,000 (current prevailing COE price) to use my own car for another 5 years. $40,000 is a lot of gas. And the Cefiro has done only 90,000 kilometers. It hasn't seen its day yet.
CD Changer Having taken the bus, taxi and MRT I find it truly convenient to take public transport but only if it is during retirees' hours from about 11am to 3pm. Try taking a bus outside those hours and you're done for. Also during a rain-storm at the bus-stop without an umbrella. Or try to queue for a taxi at Orchard Road on a week-end. Or ride the train, which can be squeezy. I'm missing the car already. And missing the music with it. The stereo set in the car is a simple one. Nifty though with four fabulous speakers and two twitters near the windscreen. There's a ten-piece CD changer in the boot and a GPS screen in front.
Children's Choice While driving I am only interested in listening to music from the 50's, 60's and 70's. And the radio station is stuck at 90.5FM. Reminder for Brian Richmond. And I know you read my blog often :>). So here goes. When my grand children were between the ages of 4 to 8, they love songs by The Blue Diamonds like Bebek Angsa and Summer Holiday. Then Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da by The Marmalade and Don Spencer's Fireball XL5. Paul Anka's Diana was a must with The Beatles' Hello, Goodbye and Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat with emphasis on, Any Dream Will Do. The youngest enjoyed Fraulein and Little Dutch Girl. Strange but true; never once did they fall asleep listening to the selection. They remember the track number of each song and the efficient Kenwood stereo never missed its cue playing CD's that the kids pushed into its mouth. We hardly used the changer.
Creditable CD's For my own driving entertainment, The Eagles Greatest Hits, Queen with Jewels, Neil Diamond's Gold Selection, Johnny Lion and The Jumping Jewels CD Selection and a mixed bag of choice 60's Indonesian guitar group instrumentals from Larry Lai. The song change occurs only on occasions when CD's are replaced with a new selection. Then my son's Dire Straits: Money For Nothing with Sultans Of Swing sticks in the player for months. Lately experienced rhythm guitarist, Michael Bangar gave members of the group a CD called, Elvis Presley: Artist of the Century with a BMG/GSM/RCA label. Disc One has Presley's usual hits.
Disc Two was a surprise. Songs like: Like A baby, That's Someone You Never Forget, Down In The Alley, Run On, Tomorrow Is A Long Time, Stranger In My Own Home Town and After Loving You. Thank you Mike for the CD. Bet readers never heard the songs? Cherrio Car So good bye dear car. Had wonderful and comfortable rides these ten years, providing much space for the kids to topsy-turvy in the back seat and scream with Elvis in the front. Want readers to know Singaporeans' heartaches with their cars. And balancing the mind with songs in their hearts, every driving day, to keep the sanity intact. You drive don't you. Stories to tell? *This Car of Mine: The Beach Boys. Drive My Car - The Beatles Video by: DrHooty911
Images: A Private Collection There are 100's of car songs. Below is the longest list I've seen: http://www.calif-tech.com/blog/carsongs.html
Johnny Lion and his group The Jumping Jewels had been here many times and were so popular in the 1960s that teenage girls followed him around everywhere he went. Whether they were appearing in the Arundel Room at Goodwood Park Hotel, at the Odeon
Cinema in North Bridge Road or even at the Paya Lebar Airport where they
landed, these places would be bustling with clamoring fans, especially
girls.
On stage at the Convention Centre Suntec City 2003.
They were as popular as the other pop singers who hailed from the Netherlands, namely, The Blue Diamonds and Anneke Gronloh. This particular line-up consisted of vocalist Johnny Lion, whose real name is Jan van Leeuwarden, with Hans van Eijk on solo guitar, Tjibbe Veelo on rhythm guitar, Joop Oonk on bass guitar, Frits Tamminga on drums from 1960-1963 and Kees Kranenburg Junior on drums from 1963-1965.
In the lobby of hotel Marina Mandarin in
Singapore.
When reporters asked him about marriage during an interview in the early 1960s, he said that getting hitched was out of the
question because he just wanted to sing
for his fans and make them happy. His career meant everything for him. The other
members of the group nodded in agreement.
The Merlion
Jump forward 40 years and even as late as 2003 when Lion and the Jewels sang at the Convention Centre at Suntec City for a gig called, 60s Now the Return of Pop Music Legends, the place was filled to near capacity with his now Senior fans.
And the members at the Hollandse Club in Singapore were jumping like jelly beans when the gang met up with Riem de Wolff, the younger of the two Blue Diamonds brothers before their evening show.
Lion Song For Lion City
So with that kind of popularity who did you think was asked to record a song about Singapore? When Lion was here in May 1964 and the offer made, he heard the melody and lyrics for the first time. It was called, Merlion City Singapore and one that would help popularize the island as a tourist destination.
Johnny Lion with framed award
According to a *newspaper article, the song was written by Mr Eddie Gomes a former Kuala Lumpur bandleader and his wife Trudy Conner, a singer and pianist. When Lion heard the song sung by Connor he said he had to discuss it first with his Jewels.
A Singapore song by a Dutch singer and written by a Malaysian. That's going global right? Or outsourcing?
Did Johnny Lion finally record the song? If you have the answer please write in to enlighten us. We are all anxious to know. I'd love a copy of the vinyl record.
*Straits Times Press Singapore.
Ginny Come Lately
Johnny Lion passed away. Check connection to read.
My memory of the 60's does not bring back the frightening fun of Halloween because not many locals knew about it like they do today. It was confined amongst the Caucasian households while many Chinese homes followed the religious 7th Moon or Hungry Ghosts Festival where spooks and demons were the order of the season. And this year it's this month of August from the 3rd...
Again, my tale is not of haunted hospitals at Changi, the lady ghost at Bishan's MRT nor the kampong spirit at Bidadari that we read about in the newspapers but a psychological trauma I experienced as a child that even troubles me to this day (or night). As a young boy, I had always been petrified and disturbed by an old folktale about skin coloured bats hanging upside-down from tree branches.
The Kalong Wheh-Wheh (above) is supposed to be a giant bat with a horrendous female face and large breasts. Don't think of glamorous superhero Bat Girl here. Think more bat-like Pontianaks!
Devil woman you're evil like the dark coral reef
Like the winds that bring high tides, you bring sorrow and grief. (1)
These creatures hook themselves on wayside tree branches that grow along Singapore's old roads and dusty lorongs (lanes) in the 60s. But here's something else. They only appear at twilight, symbolically a time and condition of decline.
So as darkness falls in Singapore these giant bats fill the evening sky and swarm onto large trees. Loud cries of "Wheh! Wheh! Wheh!" fill the air as they seek the comfort of the high shady greens.
"Be careful," my mother used to warn me, "the creatures spy on young children who are still not home for dinner when the clock strikes six. Be out there and you're in trouble!"
How they victimize their human prey is still a mystery to me. Mum never went beyond her horror story and left the rest to my imagination.
She did, however, explain that these giant human-like bats originated from Indonesia. Bat is kalong in the Indonesian language.
Apparently, they are also known as *Hantu Tetek (ghosts with breasts: image 2) in local Malay slang. She uses them to suffocate her victims while others claim they are behind her. Others insist she is a Balinese witch.
"She doesn't suck your blood," mum emphasised, "but wrap you up close to her soft body and fly you away..." By this time my whole being slumped in fear and my heart thumped with cemetery-like precision.
"OK mum, I won't be late for dinner."
She smiled.
Wonder if these creatures are still around today in our modern metropolis. The strange repeated occurrence of trees that fall during rainstorms in the evenings... Hmm!
It doesn't matter whether it's a Chinese ghost, English ghost or Malay ghost. They are ghosts! So be careful.
If you have Hantu Halloween Horrors, Hantu or Hungry Ghosts stories to contribute, please do.
She's just a devil woman With evil on her mind Beware the devil woman She's gonna get you from behind. (2) Careful of Hungry Ghosts everywhere. Don't play, play! Better pray, pray!
In South East Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, the 7th Month Festival is when the Hungry Ghosts wander the streets.
Lyrics
1. Devil Woman: by Johnny Lion. 2. Devil Woman: by Cliff Richard.
Images: Google. http://draculavanhelsing.blogspot.sg An original article.
Johnny Lion and The Jumping Jewels with Devil Woman. video by Donald Duck. Images: Google You Tube Videos: by Donald Duck and Peter Tan.
Getai Show @ Bukit Batok Getai Seven Month Hungry Ghost Prayer
The guitars were silent during armed security patrols. Allan Thompson who served at RAF Changi in the 60s and played bass guitar with a pop group during his free time explained how he could have "contributed to the peace and prosperity of the region" while on official duty.
Dear Andy,
I like the Lee Kuan Yew article. He certainly works hard and did so much to make Singapore an independent and highly efficient nation. Thanks again.
I realise that the military service and medals have no place on your blog, but I only mentioned them as an indication of the enduring love and respect I have for Singapore and Malaysia.
I fell in love with the people, the food, the climate (after acclimatization), the history, the young ladies whose company and families made me feel so much at home. I certainly wasn't a war hero, although several others were, especially the young Gurkha who won the Victoria Cross.
I arrived in Singapore in late July, 1963, just before the creation of the Federation of Malaysia and I remember all the excitement of those times, and the opposition from Indonesia. My only practical contribution to the new nation's defence was doing occasional armed security patrols on Changi Airfield, a two-week detachment to RAF Kuching in Sarawak, and two weeks of coast-watching duties at Pulau Pisang lighthouse in November 1964 after the Indonesians had carried out landings along the coast of Malaysia.
Changi Airfield, Singapore 60s.
At the time we were just doing our duty because it was what we were paid to do, but in 2007 the Malaysian government did us all the great honour of awarding us the Pingat Jasa Malaysia for supporting them at a vital stage in their history. I think that meant more to us veterans than the General Service Medal which we received from our own government for serving in that campaign.
I think it brought home to us the fact that we had actually been involved in something worthwhile which contributed to the peace and prosperity of the region.
Pulau Pisang Lighthouse, Melaka Straits
That was the view of the Malaysian government in the citation which accompanied the award and I feel honoured to have received it.
Best wishes,
Allan.
(Comment anyone? Were you involved? Tell us)
For more of Allan's experience in Singapore 60s click 'Allan Thompson RAF' under Labels below.
RAF Tengah, Singapore. 1964. On the dispersal areas are naval Sea Vixens, 20 Squadron Hunters and a Wessex helicopter during Indonesia-Malaya Confrontation - Yue Sern Mok 4.7.2021.
Image 1 and article:
Allan Thompson Collection (All Rights Reserved).
Image 2: Andy Lim Collection.
This posting is another one about Johnny Lion and the Jumping Jewels. In April and May, 1964 they came to Singapore as fans cheered them when the aeroplane touched down at Paya Lebar Airport. Apparently the youngsters fought for autographs while waving flags and journals, showing photographs of Johnny Lion and his group.
The JUMPING JEWELS on this EP are: HANS VAN EIJK, lead guitarist TJIBBE VEELOO, rhythm guitarist JOOP OONK, bass guitarist KEES KRANENBURG, Jr, drummer. In three days the singer and group had performed two shows daily, as more than 10,000 fans poured into the middle of town at the Odeon Cinema at North Bridge Road.
According to the blurb on the flip side of Johnny Lion's EP (Ginny Come Lately, Let's Make A Habit Of This, Tra La-La-La Susie and Gypsy Woman - Philips 433 263 PE), "his success is a combination of many things, but not least among these are his instinct for the kind of song that suits his superb voice and his unfailing attention to detail." Similarly with the group, because all these qualities are present during their stage performances and recordings.
The Air Show was not around then at the airport but the crowd was there Jumping for the Jewels.
Nearly half a century ago and also hailing from Holland came one of the most proficient and popular group to Singapore's shore. This group mesmerised me with their tinkling guitar sounds and stage presence.
With their own unique instrumental rendition of popular Indonesian folk songs they were a special group indeed. So 'Nona, Nona, Zaman Sekarang', 'Nina Bobo', 'Stambul Bunga Mawar' and "Kapal Ladju' became chart poppers again in Singapore and Malaysia with special tribute albums to both countries when they were here in April and May, 1964.
The Jumping Jewels were a group with total musical discipline and controlled presentation. Instrumentals like, 'Trek To Rome', 'Wild Geese', 'Smoke Signals', 'Zero Zero', 'Blue Skies' and 'Jumping Can Can' became as popular as the Shadows classics and were played by many of our own guitar groups. In fact 'Cossack Melodies' (not an original JJ) was so popular a few bands would be playing it for one stage show. It became an unwritten rule that bands prepared other tunes just in case.
When they began in October 1960, JJ would read Johnny & Jewels which later became JJJ, Johnny Lion & The Jumping Jewels. They soared with their version of 'Wheels' in their own country and with 'Guitar Tango' in France. Oldies like, 'A Hundred Pounds Of Clay', and 'Twilight Time' started people whistling the tunes again.
Johnny Lion became a star too and fronted them with 'Teenage Senorita', 'Devl Woman' and other hits. 'I Wanna Dance With You' made it to the Billboard Charts in May 1965.
My two favourites are *'Irish Washerwoman' by the group and 'Judy' by Johnny Lion. In fact I sang it during the VivoCity gig.
