Man From UNCLE Robert Vaughn Dead RIP

Did a Singapore 60's band record Man from UNCLE theme?

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has passed away. Robert Vaughn, suave, serious but always with that certain charisma had made him the 1960's hero Napoleon Solo on the small screen at home.  Like James Bond. But he had a side-kick (60's heroes usually had partners in crime). He was called Ilya Kuryakin i.e. actor David McCallum.  

We rushed home to catch the series which came a year or two after national b/w television came to Singapore in early 1963.  Just as popular was the theme song. I don't remember any of our band boys playing this melody, not even the top names in our local line up. Perhaps it's because the music needed the big sound of an orchestra.

The original Jerry Goldsmith composition was recorded by Hugo Montenegro who carried the theme with style and pomp. It was typical background music that could create an atmosphere of suspense during a scene, common in 1960's TV shows. But one great Singapore band did record this movie theme.

Way back when, Marie Tang recorded an EP with a guitar group. She is the daughter of Wilma Tang, the late nightclub singer who used to perform at Ocean Park Hotel at East Coast Road, near St. Patrick's School.

Marie Tang wrote me a note some years ago because she was a talentime participant and talked about Uncle Larry Lai (well-known Rediffusion DJ), Uncle Charlie Lazaroo (pianist in the radio orchestra) and The Man from Uncle. Here's her letter:

Hi Andy,

Wow! This is really a surprise! The one and only E.P. (Extended Play Record) I cut was with *The Stylers, and I have some very fond memories of the many practice sessions we had during those days for my record, which also contains the song from The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Uncle Solo! Oh my goodness! I was only 15 years old then...

You have a very interesting blog and it will surely bring back many wonderful memories and smiles for many of us who contributed to the music scene during the 60s. 

Your posting of my mum... I've just sent it to her through MSN and she too was mesmerised and surprised.

Marie Tang.
2009.

*The recording was done with The Comancheros not The Stylers. 

Read her letter by connecting below:

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2010/05/marie-tang-larry-lai-and-man-from-uncle.html

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2008/12/wilma-tang-female-vocalist-60s.html

Images and Video: Google and You Tube.

Chinatown My Chinatown: Plenty Around The World

This Post Is Dedicated To Bob Moroz (Manitoba, Canada) and Mrs. R. Kelland (Christchurch, NZ):

                        Chinatown, my Chinatown by Chet Atkins. Video from

Pop Song On Chinatown:

*Chinatown, my Chinatown,/When the lights are low,/Hearts that know no other land,/Drifting to and fro. The lines come from a pop song written by William Jerome and Jean Schwartz in 1910.  They incorporated Chinese musical forms into Western music for the melody.

The song has been recorded by numerous artists and is considered to be a jazz standard (like, Fly Me To The Moon, Lady Is A Tramp, Summertime and others).  Now why would two composers from the west write a song about Chinatown all so long ago? 

A flower festival in Frisco's Chinatown. Image from guidosdaddy.com

A Chinatown In Every City:

I didn't believe it when I learnt as a youth that there's a Chinatown in nearly every city in the world.  Impossible I told my parents. But it's true.  There are hundreds of Chinatowns all over and this would include cities in Asia, the Americas, Africa, Australasia and Europe.


Music Sheet Cover. A 1910 song.

So a phone call from a Caucasian friend in Winterpeg told me, "How can it not be true? There are nearly 1.4 billion Chinese people in the world today."

"Yes, too many around huh!" I told him but it was taken in good fun cause Bob was one of the friendliest white-boy to approach me on my first day at school. We are still in touch after nearly 40 years.


Chinatown in Winnipeg (or Winterpeg), Canada.

Tong Yan Gaai:

You can't miss these Chinatowns since the area would probably be cordoned off within its signature pagoda-styled frontage.  Tried to go to as many Chinatowns as possible within my lifetime but have not succeeded. Here are some cities visited during those youthful years: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, London (Soho), Paris,  Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Cairns, Brisbane, Christchurch(?) and the ones in S.E. Asia. These places  are usually referred to in Cantonese as Tong Yan Gaai, or Chinese People's Street.



Miss Chinatown Philippines Beauty Pageant.

Just around the corner from Singapore and what my folks used to talk about, is Glodok in Djakarta, the Indonesian version of Chinatown which dates back to 1740. Just wondering if it's still there since I haven't been for a visit after 1990.



Chinatown Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Sixteen Singapore Dollars For Won-Ton Noodles:

You'd surely long to consume some Asian food during your travels away from Singapore so a Chinatown visit is a must unless you're gourmet-happy with fries and beef-burger everyday. Came a time in London I was running around Gerrard Street like a drug addict looking for a won-ton-noodle fix.


Chinese Restaurant at Gerrard Street, London.

"Two pounds, minimum charge!" the Chinese waiter said fiercely when I went into this corner restaurant. In the early 1980s, one pound was about eight Singapore dollars (if the mind serves correct) but I paid.  To curb the craving.
Sixteen Sing Dollars for a bowl!
When I lived in Christchurch NZ in the 70s my landlady warned me about eating the won-ton, "sold in a certain restaurant in Chinatown," and what she said could be, "cat's meat." For the few weeks I was attached there I didn't eat at the restaurant.

Miss Chinatowns:

The cheongsam charm has been around for a long time. Some Chinatowns hold annual Miss Chinatown beauty pageants.  There is always a Miss Chinatown San Francisco, Miss Chinatown Hawaii, Miss Chinatown Scholarship Pageant or like what they hold in the U.S.A., Miss Chinatown Houston or Miss Chinatown Atlanta and even Mr n Miss Chinatown Philippines.

Miss Chinatown USA Pageant.

So enjoy the Mills Brothers' song my friends cause the composition is a far cry from the way we were stereo-typed when Fu Manchu, Charlie Chan and Kato (Green Hornet) were around. All in good fun maybe? Dreamy, dreamy Chinatown, Almond eyes of brown,/Hearts are light and lights are bright,/In dreamy Chinatown.,/Wing Wong...



Hollywood stereo-types from the past?

Two other songs from the west about China: Singapore's Maria Tang sings When China Boy Meets China Girl and Dean Martin's, Slow Boat To China. Check them out under Labels below.

Marie Tang and Dino deliver songs with China theme.

This post was written well before my present computer headache.

                               
*There are instances when the West cannot differentiate the Chinese from the Japanese (can we?) and the result is a music sheet with unique graphics and lyrics of a song which may prove offensive to some. But then, that's another story and another posting.

All Google images including those of Chinatowns in San Francisco, Winnipeg, Djakarta, London.

Now here's Singapore's...

And of course, Singapore's Chinatown; 

always lighted up, always busy but always safe...

**********

SINGAPORE LATEST RELATED NEWS!

1) ROLLING STONES LIVE TELECAST AT MARINA BAY SANDS IN MARCH.

2) OUR CHINATOWN HAS AN AIR-CONDITIONED FOOD STREET JUST OPENED THIS WEEK IN FEBRUARY 2014.

China Girls n Boys: Hunan Folk Music Journey Pt II

 Picture Postings of Music Makers from Middle Kingdom:

There was music wherever we went in Hunan Province, China.  As explained in the last posting the streets were filled with buskers who played both Chinese and Western melodies. Many of these minstrels were armed with guitars, flutes and even bongo drums to provide music for the passing crowd.  Even in an ancient city called Phoenix, we heard modern music.

During one of our trips we had to run up a hill because of the early morning rain.  We were about to visit the Chiang Kai Shek Museum in Chongqing but took shelter on the way when we chanced upon an outhouse. The large gazebo-like structure was a scene of gaiety and grace.  A  lady was playing on an electronic organ and accompanying another who was singing a Chinese classical song.

There were dancing couples and an audience around them who clapped in tune. We stood in awe as we watched while the rain poured incessantly outside. The Museum which was two minutes away housing many cultural and ancient artifacts had to wait as we were emersed in an unrehearsed cultural show. Although it was cold without, the atmosphere was warm within .

During the Phoenix Ancient City tour, we passed by tourist shops where keepers were selling food, tidbits, curios, clothes and souvenirs.  While the younger ones were selling their wares the elders played on their flutes to entertain the crowd. The odd-shaped flutes emitted the same trill as the Indonesian suling bamboo.

                                         *When China boy meets China girl
                                           In **Chinatown tonight
                                           There'll be such fun
                                           When day is done
                                           In Chinatown tonight.

On the Yangtze cruise itself there was a performance nearly every night on the boat. We didn't realise that our group of glamorous dancers, singers and entertainers who had so much enthusiasm and talent on stage were the same youngsters who looked after our cabins, waited on us at dinner tables, cooked our delicious buffet meals and served us at the counters.  Talk about multi-tasking! 

We were all so grateful that many of us left handsome tips when we disembarked. Thanks to handsome Andy Li (no not Andy Lim) and his crew!  He is multi-lingual and switched from English to Mandarin with ease when he provided live commentaries as we sailed through the river.

We also had a special performance by a group from Australia led by Barry Hunter (he's Brit). They were on the boat with us. You can check them on the RIGHT bar of this blog.

The long six-hour bus trips from one town to another could have taken a toll on us if it weren't for our China tour guide. Born and raised in the same province - she said she lived at one of the foothills of the mountain region - petite Wendy sang Hunan folk songs on the way but because of my poor handling of personal videos I was not able to down-load some of her performances on You Tube.

During the Three Gorges Dam tour we were off-loaded into smaller boats and sampled the sights of the Yangtze tributaries and mini-gorges. The sturdy, serious-looking boatman who looked after us gave a surprise performance when he sang a folk number (gruff but in tune) without accompaniment or music except to the lap, lap, lapping of the river and the soft chug-chug-chugging of the watercraft.

Like I explained, there was music everywhere during our boat excursions and land drives, music that might be alien to some but a joy to others. I wonder why the Chinese need an iPod?

Images: from my iPhone video screen grabs except #6 from You Tube by yangtzerivercruise.
Original article.

*In an RTS (Radio Television Singapore) Talentime 1969 Finalists recording little MARIE TANG sang: 'When China Boy Meets China Girl'. You Tube contribution by lvlalaysiaboleh.

Words and music by Billy Reid. Song originally sung by Dorothy Squires.

**Probably the Chinatowns in the US and Canadian cities like Frisco and Vancouver.

Postings About Rediffusion On This Blog

There are many stories in the newspapers about the closing down of Rediffusion. Below are some postings that might prove interesting too. Check them out by clicking this connection:

http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/search/label/Rediffusion

Marie Tang Talks About Talentime, Larry Lai, Stylers, Charlie Lazaroo, The Man From UNCLE

Before the Final 1 from Media Corp in Singapore 2013 there was Marie Tang, talentime participant who talks about Uncle Larry, Uncle Charlie and 'The Man from Uncle'. She is the daughter of the late Wilma Tang, who used to sing at the Ocean Park Hotel open-air nightclub near St Patrick's School at the East Coast.

  UP TO 1,100 VIEWS 

    N 30 COMMENTS    

Hi Andy,

Wow! This is really a surprise! The one and only EP I cut was with The Stylers [actually Commancheros], and I have some very fond memories of the many practice sessions we had during those days for my record, which also contains the song from The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Uncle Solo! Oh my goodness! I was only 15 years old then...

You have a very interesting blog and it will surely bring back many wonderful memories and smiles for many of us who contributed to the music scene during the 60s. Your **posting of my mum... I've just sent it to her through MSN and she too was mesmerised and surprised.

1969 Talentime... Host, Larry Lai - addressed him as Uncle Larry then - best host in Singapore, compared to some of the existing ones. Uncle Charlie (Charles Lazaroo) was such a wonderful and helpful musician.

During those days they had prizes for the top 8 contestants. I was 7th and I think I won myself a watch with changeable straps... ha, ha, ha... the simple life. I also competed in a few more talentime contests organised by Cathay Cinema in conjunction with the movie The Oscar and took first prize with my song, Fireball XL5.

Hey, I got myself an Oscar trophy, which is still in my home. And in the same year I took another first prize for a talentime organised by Boys Town but can't remember the song I sang. My singing talent was definitely my mum's genes but there were other priorities for me and I did not pursue a singing career.

Thank you once again Andy, for bringing back such good old memories.

Cheers,
Marie Tang.

21st May, 2010.

Thank you so much Marie for sharing. Really appreciate!

Marie Tang sings UNCLE SOLO and 

FIREBALL XL5 and BURONG KAKAK TUA

**Saturday, December 27, 2008:

Ocean Park Hotel Singapore With Wilma Tang

Image:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2543814906_17ac440dc9.jpg

Images and Video from GOOGLE and YOUTUBE. Thank you 'Blast From The Past'.

Media Corp Final 1, Singapore Idol Or Talentime

Eunice Sim: Singapore Idol 1969.

UP TO 3,900 VIEWS. 14 COMMENTS

Singapore had its share of talent competitions in the 1960s way before  American Idol, Media Corp's Final 1 and its local version Singapore Idol were launched in the 2000s. 1969 would be a perfect example where 10 contestants, each with either a song to sing or play, participated in the finals of Radio Television Singapore (RTS) contest.

Those days it was called, 'Talentime' (term was later inspired by the quick-witted with, "I got talent but no time...") and with the versatility of Singapore's top professional musicians like Ahmad Jaafar and Charlie Lazaroo leading the RTS Orchestra and backing the contestants, the eager beavers were in safe hands within the confines of the air-conditioned media building at Caldecott Hill.

The list of the evening's line-up from the CD list shows, M. Almen: Fly Me To The Moon, M. Ismail: One Day Soon, Marie Tang: When China Boy Meets China Girl. Patrick Rudge: On The Beach. Eunice Sim: Cry Me A River.

Vinyl Record Cover for 1969 Talentime

Dusky La Gooma sang: Getting To Know You, Ainah Ahmad: The Look Of Love, Aziz Talib: The Way It Used To Be, Loretta Mendoza: I Wish You Love, E.C. Tan: Night And Day. Christina Tan was the only finalist playing classical piano with: lst Movement Sonata in D. Wonder why?

Marie Tang later recorded Fireball XL5, Dusky La Gooma appeared with a face painted black and E.C. Tan, an old pal, is also called Easy Tan because of his relaxed and lazy singing style.

**One RTS talentime winner who made the grade was Eunice Sim (image) and like other winners, received a recording contract with RTS Enterprise Private Production Singapore. The above image shows her EP vinyl with covers, Alfie, Hello Dolly, Windows Of The World and Something On My Mind. On the Talentime CD recording of Julie London's, Cry Me A River she sounds as heart rendering as the original.

Lena Lim, a Chinese Talentime winner from RTS.

**A Note from Marie Tang:

Hi Andy,
1969 Talentime winner, Eunice Sim and 1968 winner, The TidBits. Many mistook me for one of the TidBits, but I'm not. I sang solo in 1968 To Sir With Love and 1969, When China Boy Meets China Girl. The recording contract went to The TidBits.
Thanks for bringing back the good old memories !
Regards
Marie.

20th May, 2010; Updated: April, 2013; Original article: Andy Lim.

Marie Tang n Commancheros Sings Fireball XL5

 "Marie Tang is 14 year old student at St Joseph's Convent whose ambition is to be a school teacher. She has taken part in several competitions and qualified for the Finals of RTS Talentime in 1968 and 69. According to Marie, she owes a lot to a friend - Uncle James, who has been coaching her for this year's talentime. 

From: The Hamster and the Guppies."

This TV series was a success in the early sixties and most everyone who knew it whistled the catchy theme song. I tried it out with The Silver Strings during practice then sang it the first time at The Celestial Room where we played.

As far as I can remember the crowd loved Fireball XL5 and it became my song. It has since been recorded by Marie Tang (above), daughter of Wilma Tang.

Original article from Hamster and Guppies.
YouTube video by: blastfromthepast.
Images: from Google.

Ocean Park Hotel Singapore With Wilma Tang

            This image of Wilma Tang has been copyrighted by its owner.

We have our own well-known female vocalists too. I shared the same stage with WILMA TANG (image taken off a dance-ball magazine) when she sang at a charity dinner in the 60s.

She was a hit those days as a professional singer and appeared regularly at the Ocean Park nightclub at East Coast Road, Singapore.

Singing both in English and Chinese, she was also one of the earlier personalities who graced the television screen locally.

While Miss Teng Siew Ping was entertaining patrons at the Cathay Restaurant in town, Wilma was entertaining her nightclubbers at Ocean Park Hotel near the sea, accompanied by Sid Gomez and His Band.

Wilma Tang, Ahmad Daud and Winston Filmer. Image by: Mun Chor Seng.

Do you know Ms Tang? If you have more information about her please write in. Wilma is the mother of youthful pop singer, Marie Tang.

Image/Article: Andy Lim Collection.

Article In Full:

Ocean Park Hotel: Rehearsal To Reality Dec 1963.

Andy Young with Susan during a rehearsal for the big show that night. Now whatever happened to Susan?

Ocean Park Hotel Dinner and Dance Venue was held at an open hall where the sea breeze, cool evening and great entertainment made it a memorable night for many patrons, guests and performers.

It was situated at Upper East Coast Road near the present St. Patrick's School and Jackie's Bowl, one of the first few bowling alleys in the 60s. Andy Young is seen singing to Susan during the rehearsal for an end of year dinner and dance at the hotel. It was held on December 21st, 1963.

The practice song was Paul Anka's Diana as Andy had to sing it to Susan that evening. The song became Andy's signature tune whenever he appeared during the many variety shows held in the 1960's. All this came about before he joined the Velvetones and the Silver Strings. 

Partying at Ocean Park Hotel. Image by Mun Chor Seng

For the show that evening, Andy was accompanied by Robert Suriya and his band, one of the groups that performed. Both Robert and Henry Suriya came from St. Andrew's School so they were familiar faces then. Were they known as The Boys already? Naomi wasn't present that night.

Called the Queen of Queens Grand Finale, the other guest artistes included MC Siri Perera, The Checkmates, Kiss Me Quick singer David Baskaran, Siva and James Choy better known as the Cyclones, talentime winner and jazz specialist Eunice Sim, Singapore cowpoke Henry Suriya (he came well before Matthew Tan) and the 60's version of cross-dresser Kumar, Ms Percy Leceister.

Percy could wow the crowd with his shimmy, songs and sensuality. The crowd would get very excited when Percy appeared as they would shout his name and clapped whenever he did his Latin dance routines on stage to the beat of bongo drums and the maracas.

The entrance to the Ocean Park Hotel and nightclub at East Coast Road.

It was organised by Hitachi and a fashion house. The night was hauntingly frightful because a Pontianak and vampire were roaming around the nightclub, disturbing the young ladies... Remember it was late 1963 and the bands and singers were just blooming.

Because there was hardly any entertainment in the evenings back then and the usual sophisticated Singaporeans could not adapt themselves to the crowd at the Happy World in Geylang, many Katongnites, Siglapians, the Peranakans and Eurasians would patronise these dances during the weekends. Because such an activity came few and far between, a night like this one practically drew the East Coast Road population to Ocean Park.

As Elvis would say it in one of his songs, "Such A Night!"

Image 1/original article: Andy Lim Collection.
Image 2: by Mun Chor Seng.

Image 3: by singas.co.uk