Patrick Teng: Singapore 70s - 80s Music: Fresh Blood Plays With 'The Dukes', 'Tokyo Square', 'Klique Unique Band'.

Patrick Teng: 'Born To Be Wild': 

With: Felly, Joel, Julian.

Klique Unique Band [Cover]

YouTube Video by Patrick Teng

From Parablue Studios.

Up To 3,00O Views, 45 Comments

Serious and with a grim look, Patrick Teng caressed his guitar as I watched him from my seat at the Tanglin Community Club basement room, Singapore. He plucked and strummed and accompanied a singer with, Teddy Bear, an Elvis Presley 50's hit. That was easy for Pat and with the rest of the band, he held one for a pretty sexy rendition of the favourite from Presley's movie, Loving You.

That's how I met Pat but that was weeks ago. It took me more weeks but he only finally relented and wrote this piece below, focussing on one music production he was involved in and playing for a well-known 60s guitar group. 

You should see him play. He shreds the guitar strings to pieces. His focus is absolute. Man!

Thanks so much Pat.

"I am a home-grown Singapore boy who loves music. I grew up listening to various genres of Western music which later inspired me to pick up the guitar.

Nevertheless, I also grow fond of local bands of the 70s and 80s because it was easy to watch them perform live in Singapore back then so long you can afford to buy a drink.   Among them are the Gypsy, Toni Terry Spencer, Tokyo Square, Gingerbread, Speedway, Matthew and the Mandarins, Neu Faces, Flybaits and the Western Union Band to name a few. 

WUB had a guitarist and my first teacher, Danny Lim, who taught me the rudiments of music theory and set the foundation for me to move ahead in music.  I remember telling myself one day perhaps if I am good enough, I could also perform with my own band. 

Many years have elapsed I still do not have a band. Later on, I did some music videos using handphone recordings with some makeshift band and posted it on FB. One of the videos caught Linda Elizabeth's (Tokyo Square) attention; she messaged and invited me to do some music collaboration with her. My significant music journey started from there. 

The Dukes [left to right]: the late Jerry Murad, 

Patrick Teng, Julia Goh, George Chew, Daniel Abidin.

We did a few videos from her Malay albums. Subsequently one of the videos caught the eyes of Max Surin (also Tokyo Square) who invited me to play acoustic guitar for some of his live gigs. After posting my gigs with Max on FB, a friend of mine contacted me asking if I have any interest to play guitar for the 60s group The Dukes. I immediately accepted the challenge. 

I met up with Zainal Abidin, the band leader, and he would detail to me all the expectations I should uphold to make the band proud. I was with them for two years between 2020 to 2021 and remember being the last guitarist of this legendary local band.

My greatest highlight came in Dec 2021 when I was invited to be guitarist for Max Surin and Linda Elizabeth at the live show at the Esplanade. The event drew a full capacity crowd turnout. That was the proudest moment of music milestones.  

Thanks and best regard."

Patrick Teng

Materials Executive.

2nd November, 2023.

Not a man of many words, let's just listen and watch Patrick play. 

Comments are always welcome.

If you take information from this article for your own use, 

at least credit the writer, the blog and me because copying is stealing.

Andy.

Patrick Teng [extreme right] on guitar, with Tokyo Square

@ the Esplanade.

Patrick Teng with 'Tokyo Square' 

Esplanade: December 2021

'Within You Remain'.

YouTube Video by: Patrick Teng

Patrick Teng with Linda Elizabeth 

and Max Surin [below]

Images/Videos: Copyrights Reserved; Patrick Teng Collection.