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 !
Showing posts with label Rex Goh (Air Supply). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rex Goh (Air Supply). Show all posts
Ray Brown and The Whispers: (L-R) John Manners, Pat Jeffrey (seated), Lawrie Barclay, Ray Brown, Al Jackson (line up: 1964). 2,400 VIEWERS When 60's Music Friends Had A Get-Together In Singapore (2): When Dr Steven Farram (Darwin U, Australia) came to visit Singapore recently, it wasn't the first time. He's familiar with a lot of Singaporean activities, its culture and history, especially with the local music 60's scene. I first met him ten years ago when he introduced himself, all wet and hot, after rockin' and rollin' to Mike and Herb's (Beatles of Malaysia) stage performance in 2008 at the Vivo City Roof Top. We became good friends and he never failed to write an article for the blog when I made the request. Steve wanted to interview some band boys so I managed the help of Mr Michael Bangar (professional guitarist playing rhythm for Silver Strings) to speak to him. We had our first session and a few days later, a larger group came.
With Andy: Michael Bangar and Steven Farram during the interview @ a food court. Our 2nd session ended after Steve interviewed guitar legend Horace Wee, bassist Zainal Abidin, drummer John Cher and singer/DJ Jerry Fernandez (images below). It was a successful meet when Mr Bangar provided Dr Farram with the necessary information he needed. The interview and informal chit-chat over coffee lasted nearly four hours. The lecturer was satisfied with the outcome. Steve brought with him some vinyl records. I list the artistes and songs covered on both Side A and B. All artistes were from Australia:
Ray Brown and the Whispers:
Now Is The Time In The Midnight Hour (YouTube Video above) Pride Say It Again 20 Miles Devoted To You Go To Him Fool Fool Fool
Normie Rowe: Ain't Nobody Home Ooh La La Johnny Young (image)Let It Be Me Step Back The New World:Try To Remember The World I Used To Know Col Joye and the Joy Boys:(Rockin' Rollin') - Clementine Fools Like Me
Clockwise from left: Zainal Abidin (Dukes), Michael Bangar (Silver Strings); Pete Hanoken (CD Producer, Helsinki); Jerry Fernandez (Neu Faces); Andy Young (host); John Cher (Writer, Silver Strings); Horace Wee (Guitar Legend, Radio/TV Singapore); Steve Farram (Lecturer, Darwin U, Australia). Here's a list of Australian pop stars on the international scene that I am familiar with: Slim Dusty, John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John, Rick Price, Kylie Minogue, Natalie Imbruglia, Rick Springfield, Tina Arena, Tommy Emmanuel, Johnny O'Keefe, The Seekers, Men At Work, The Easybeats (YouTube video below), Air Supply, AC/DC INXS, Little River Band, Savage Garden, Keith Urban, Helen Reddy and of course, The Bee Gees. And the names go on...
It's time we have some writing about pops Down Under since we're neighbours but I am not an expert with 60's Australian pops so I have left Steve to elaborate on the records he provided. But that's Part 3 in this series.
RICK SPRINGFIELD, HELEN REDDY, LITTLE RIVER BAND, OLIVIA NEWTON JOHN
Images: Steven Farram, Personal Collection. YouTube Videos.
Wes Cossacks Singapore band covered Sorry under a Singapore label. Video from The Garage 1966. Thank you.
These top stars from the music and movie industry have connections with this blog. Russell Hitchcock, one half of Air Supply, commented on Rex Goh's guitar playing on John Cher's Facebook post, "Amazing player and a cherished friend." Stephen Fry, an actor and comedian too, made similar comments and recommended that pop music lovers read about Rex Goh on this blog. Rex is an international lead guitarist with Air Supply. "Sexy Rexy has been a guitar great in Sydney and the world for eons. It was great to hear about your Singapore background Rex Goh. The direct link to make it easy for people if interested is here."
Rick Astley n me, beside the lady,*Ch 5, Rolling Good Times. And on this November 2016 month, Scott Page from Pink Floyd, Supertramp and Toto fame followed Andy on Twitter. I can't ask for anything more. It's made my year. Thanks to all the singers, actors and readers involved, especially writer John Cher. *Media Corps Singapore, 2015. Images: Google and A Personal Collection.
This Blog's 8th Anniversary Special Story about a Singapore guitar hero: Even before Stephanie Sun and JJ Lin stepped into the limelight and stardust of the international arena, we have a music maker who has made a name for himself beyond our shores way back when in the 1970's. You must know Air Supply? Well, let's find out who was the Singapore guitar hero accompanying the Australian group from July 1977. Here's drummer and this blog's regular contributor John Cher, on this anniversary special posting, to tell us about another of his music buddies.
Rex Goh was the first Singaporean to join the ranks of rock music superstars. Without a shadow of a doubt, the best known pop guitarist that Singapore has ever produced.
During secondary school days, my buddy Henry Tay, used to have a band and we played together occasionally. Rex was playing for Henry's band for a few months. Of course, he just blew everyone away whenever he played. Even as a teenage musician, he was head and shoulders above everyone else! It wasn't long before he graduated to playing commercially.
One of the first places he played at was; The Pub, a disco at Hotel Malaysia, later to become Marco Polo Hotel. The band's name was 1 2 3. Another local guitar hero, the late Reggie Verghese (lead guitar: The Quests) praised Rex and said that, " he was very good and that his guitar had that certain sound". Rex migrated to Australia at aged 21. All for love and for music! At a point in history when even Bruce Lee had to face racial discrimination it is not hard to imagine the challenges that Rex had to face to break into the music scene in a white man's world. But he not only broke into it, he made it to the peak and performed with the best in the business. In 1973 Rex was voted the best guitarist in South Australia - a title which brought him much deserved recognition.
He auditioned and became the lead guitarist of Air Supply. The grouptoured the entire length and breath of Australia. But the real big, dream break came when Air Supply toured the U.S. and was the supporting act for Rod Stewart.
Among other venues, Air Supply played at Madison Square Garden. On opening night, Rex said his legs were shaking. Playing to a cheering crowd of about 80,000 people. It was a fantasy come true. It really couldn't get bigger than Madison Square Garden. They did 52 concerts in America.
Rex left Air Supply after the tour. During this time he studied jazz music, five days a week for two years. But while he studied jazz music, his real interest was to play pop music. It wasn't long before Graham Russell called and invited Rex to rejoin for a second tour. By now Lost in Love was huge in America. The band was invited to appear on Solid Gold, a premier prime-time music show which was hosted by Dionne Warwick.
The show was telecast in Singapore, generating a great sense of pride among musicians and music lovers here. It was truly a dream realized for a young man. It was everybody's favourite story, about the local boy who made good! The parallel to this would be Bruce Lee making it big in America with The Green Hornet.
Rex Goh's family used to live in Seletar. He fondly remembers his mom giving him a ukelele when he was 8 years old. He enjoyed playing the uke but no one in his wildest imagination would have anticipated the distance he would go. He eventually took to playing rhythm guitar. A neighbour and well known local musician, Benny Chan, encouraged him to do so. (Benny used to be with The Checkmates, Richard Ortega and The Ortegas, which played at the Tiara Supper Club at The Shangri-la Hotel, Singapore).
For two years he just played the rhythm guitar before eventually taking up the lead guitar. As a young guitarist he was heavily influenced by Hank Marvin followed by Eric Clapton. Two great guitarists with totally different styles of playing.
Besides Air Supply, Rex has played for Glen Campbell, Savage Garden, Tom Jones, The Supremes, Randy Crawford, Temptations, Soul Decision, Eurogliders, Renee Geyer, Tommy Emmanuel and Wes Carr. The list goes on.
The last time Rex was in Singapore was in April 2015. He performed at D'Marquee, Downtown East with his old band The Flybaits. Rex's brother, Steven, a guitarist as well, used to have a band in Singapore known as The Formations.
Rex Goh is still living his Rock and Roll life and loving every moment of it! It sure beats selling shoes at Victoria Market!
Thanks for your music Rex. You are influencing people whom you will never meet nor ever know. However, one day in the not so distant future, another superlative guitarist would appear and say, my greatest mentor and my greatest guitar hero was, REX GOH!
All the very best Rex!
Write-up by John Cher (right).
Copyrights Reserved.
Images: A personal collection and Google.
You Tube Video by Colin Hay: 'Rock From The Crowd". Uploaded on June 11 in 2011, @ Enmore Theatre, Sydney, Aus.
Many thanks to Rex and John for making this posting happen. One of my best birthday gifts this year of 2015.
