The Greatest Pop Stars Who Came To Singapore: Johnnie Ray: Part 1.

pix from:

https://genius.com/Johnnie-ray-all-of-me-lyrics 

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Before rock and roll there was John Alvin Ray (1927-1990) American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Popular for most of the 50s and 60s, he was one of the major predecessors of the rockabilly craze, in fact, paving the way for Elvis' hyperactive movements on stage. 

Just as popular in Singapore, Johnnie Ray's records, some in the 78rpm format, sold very well on the island. Many local singers in the early 60s imitated Ray and Robert Song was one of them. It was well-known that Johnnie Ray was deaf because of an accident and had affected him emotionally but he was an attraction on stage and sang his songs with much fervor and feel. He had a movie role with Marilyn Monroe too [image below]. He died of liver failure in 1990.

Ray's song, Cry, with The Four Lads, (1951) made him famous as radios became a common household item in Singapore. Then came, All of Me (1952), Hernando's Hideaway, Alexander's Ragtime Band, As Time Goes By, (1954), Just Walkin' in the Rain (1956) - with a whistling introduction and accompaniment, Who's Sorry Now (1956) - more poignant than the Connie Francis version and Yes, Tonight Josephine (1957) - for me, his swan song.

Johnnie Ray in Concert.

YouTube Video by: John1948SevenC

These songs were hits in Singapore and Ray was just as famous in the UK and Australia. Such A Night, recorded in 1954, was also covered by Elvis Presley on his 1960 album, Elvis Is Back. Johnnie Ray was a singing idol in his days and, on a personal list, is placed above Frank Sinatra.

On May 15th, 16th, 17th, 1967 when he was 38 years old, he was in Singapore for a two night concert. He also visited the Singapore Association for the Deaf at Mountbatten Road. He was also interviewed by the press at Hotel Singapura.

Pix from Randy Lee [Stylers rhythmist: 4th left]

copyrights reserved.

There was even a Johnnie Ray of Singapore. Robert Song [image 3rd left], who used to work in one of the more prominent movie businesses here, sang like Ray, performing the popular evergreens on stage. He was accompanied by the famous Stylers and Checkmates during his later years, a unique combination indeed, considering that these bands were guitar groups. But like Song, the Stylers and Checkmates were versatile teams indeed.

Song also played well on percussion instruments like the conga, bongos and maracas, showing off his impeccable style that was the attraction those years, donned immaculately in bow tie and a dark suit. I guess they were tailored to fit, the band and Singapore's Johnnie Ray.

Before Elvis there was Johnnie Ray

Influence/Influencers:

Now, hopefully, some readers can understand why the word Influence is used in the title to this blog. We had so many influences before even today's influencers came on the scene. 

Johnnie Ray acted in this movie

with Marilyn Monroe. The other

stars were top guns those years.

Original article: by Andy Lim. 

Google Images.

Johnny Ray In Concert.

YouTube video: from Johnny Ray.

Best 40 minutes ever to know Johnnie

and his unique antics on stage as he sleeps on the piano

and cries and covers his head with his jacket.

Ray and Marilyn Monroe in the movie

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/279997301812707022/

Read the interesting chat with Irene Hoe, ex-journalist in Singapore when Johnnie Ray ordered food in a restaurant - Click Comments below:

"Tunes That Crept Into My Consciousness" Singapore 50s With John Harper: Part One

John Harper

John Harper resides in York, England, plays bass guitar and lived in Singapore in the late 50s.   I met him recently with wife Ann where he recalled the times he spent on our sunny island.  When I asked him if he could share his music memories specially for this blog he agreed. Thank you John.

Part One:

The people we are today is the sum of all the influences on our life before today. Tomorrow we will be slightly different people because we have to add in today's influence. But, the difference will not be very much, because those influences of the past have already moulded and shaped us significantly along the way. Some of the influences that play a big part in moulding you include: your mother and father, where you have lived, the people you have met and the food, music and art you have experienced during that time.


"Killed him a b'ar when he was only three"

Probably the most crucial years are the years from the age of about 10 to 20 years of age. For me, two of those crucial years were spent in Singapore between the ages of 10 and 12 years old, arriving in Singapore in April 1957 and returning to the UK in July 1959. In this short series I'll be looking at the years just prior to our move to Singapore as Part 1, our time in Singapore as Part 2 and for the third part what was happening in the UK in the first few months of our return.


"Will we have rainbows day after day"

I had probably started to notice popular music in films and on the radio only a couple of years before we went to Singapore. This was possibly initiated by my mother taking my brothers and I to see films like “Davy Crockett”, “The Dambusters”, “The man Who Knew Too Much”, and probably that most influential of films for popular music that forever changed the mould; “Rock Around The Clock”.

By this time we were also listening to Radio Luxembourg which started the evening with a fifteen minute slot of "Dan Dare - Pilot Of The Future" fighting the evil green alien “The Mekon” before starting the evenings output of popular music. We were allowed to listen to Dan Dare and then to the music until it was time for bed.

The films introduced me to a variety of interesting music from the brand new thumping beat of “Rock Around The Clock”, to the gentler Doris Day number from “The Man Who Knew Too Much” “Que Sera, Sera” or whatever will be, will be.

"Put your glad rags on and join me hon"

When the Davy Crockett film came out everybody at school was singing the “Ballad of Davy Crockett” and some even wore Davy Crockett hats with the raccoon tail hanging down. Our aunt in Canada even sent us some printed Davy Crockett T shirts. I did not want to be different to all my class mates in those days and as they did not have T shirts like them I did not want to wear them publicly and actually kicked up such a fuss that they were put away. Somehow when they resurfaced when we got to Singapore and shirts with colourful patterns were the norm after school they were unpacked and worn with minimal fuss.

"Saying who can that fool be"

To this eclectic mix was added the theme from the "Dambusters" which had not really made much of an impact on me until my friend started playing it on a recorder and taught me how to play the first few bars. Further spicing the mix were a few tunes from the radio that had crept into my consciousness, "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" played by the man with the golden trumpet a title Eddie Calvert justly deserved by following it up with another all time favourites of mine “Zambesi”. A few years later Zambesi reappeared in the superb format of a Hank Marvin arrangement for guitar by the Shadows, I think it was on about their third LP (On You Tube video below). 


"Branches of the two trees were intertwined"

Three songs popular in the UK before we left became popular in Singapore just about at the time that we arrived. They were Ann Shelton's “Lay Down Your Arms”, Eddie Fisher's “Cindy, Oh Cindy” and Johnnie Ray's “Walking In The Rain”. Because of the delay between songs being released in the UK and being released in Singapore and Australia releases wereabout six to twelve weeks behind what was popular in the UK. So, with these three songs we got to enjoy them all over again.
One song that I think was an exception to this sequence was “A Pub With no Beer” by Slim Dusty, recorded in Australia and distributed from Australia first. The flip side of it was an even folkier number called “Once When I Was Mustering”. More on this later.

"Nothing so lonesome, morbid or drear"

As you can see, my tastes are becoming wide and varied from the smooth hot brassy tones of Eddie Calvert, through the dulcet tones of Doris Day to the folksy nasal tones of Slim Dusty and I have barely started on the influences of the music I heard in Singapore.

The next article will cover 1957 and 1958.

CONNECT HERE for both:
http://singapore60smusic.blogspot.sg/2013/01/john-harpers-singapore-50s-music-trail.html

Original article: John Harper Copyrights Reserved.
Images: Google.
Captions: from song lyrics.

John contributes to Buzz:
https://profiles.google.com/117596378549583765811/buzz#117596378549583765811/buzz

In Memory Of Robert Song: Vocalist And Percussionist: The Stylers♪ Band: bogetman65

IMAGE 2: 1970

Coincidences can really mystify. When I was taking out a vinyl of The Stylers today and checking my blog for Comments, I saw Randy Lee's note on a Stylers posting (image 1) dated Sunday, January 04, 2009. It read, "Hi Andy, Members of the Stylers from left to right of the image: Randy Lee (rhythm guitarist), Frankie Abdullah (bass), Osman (drums) and John Teo (lead guitarist). Regard Randy. February 24, 2010 12:26pm.

Thanks Randy for writing. And as I blog on this particular post, I have another line-up of The Stylers (image 2) taken from one of their numerous Top Hits EP (1970) featuring, Knock Three Times, Who'll Stop The Rain (vocalist John Teo), Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (vocalist John Teo, Douglas Tan) and 500 Miles (vocalist Robert Song).

So from the left, there's Douglas Tan (bass ), Alvin Wong (drummer), John Teo (lead and anchor man), Robert Song (percussionist) and Rann Lee (rhythm). Depending on the dates of recordings The Stylers, personally, are as versatile as the music they play. And line-ups do change too.

Do you still remember The Stylers? Do write in to comment about their music!

Image: Back sleeve HREP/7005, Hoover Records Trading Company, Singapore.

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

Robert Song - Singer, Artist Extraordinaire

Shirley Nair left the *Checkmates, to join the Silver Strings in the mid-60s. Robert Song [image right with microphone], who was percussionist with The Flamingos Combo Band, replaced Nair. Although Song fronted the Checkmates as a vocalist he was still playing with the Combo band for some time. He was also with The Stylers (check out the previous posting under Stylers).

Song was the Johnny Ray - Cry - of Singapore and already in the music scene since the mid-50s. He produced many stage shows to promote movies that his company brought in. He was best with jazz standards but could sing rock and roll. Just Walkin' In The Rain, was one of the standards he did.

The Checkmates play instrumental song Sylvia.wmv. Video: eosyeo.

Robert Song and The Checkmates performed at the Cellar and other venues that included the Golden Venus and the Celestial Room. Golden Venus was a rendezvous for British servicemen stationed in Singapore then and love different genres of music, including jazz. Song could perform jazz standards easily.

Song, always with a personal touch, distributed postcards of the band while he was with the group. As a graphic artist and an excellent one at that, he designed the above card; it was a special calling card for promotional purposes. 

Robert Song in a blue shirt [3rd from right].

Many of the huge cinema posters in the 60s, fronting the Capitol cinema at North Bridge Road, were created by Robert Song. These colourful creations have become synonymous with the building and thousands of passers-by or motorists would take notice of these colourfully gigantic posters.

The card (image) was a gift from the talented singer. Song had since migrated to the Philippines.

*The Checkmates comprised, Benny Chan (lead), Lanky Lawrence Lee (bass), Hans Hussein (rhythm) and Amir (drums). They were one of the top guitar groups in the 60s.

Where Guitar Groups Perform Before A Movie

Where else did the new and unknown bands play before they hit the big time in Singapore 60s?
There were two big names in movie houses then, Shaw Brothers and Cathay Organisation. To promote their movies these two groups had bands to perform before a show and it's usually at the Capitol & Cathay.

I sang in 'Amateur Night' at the Capitol Cinema (still a landmark today) with others like the Goh Brothers. It was a blast!

The exceptionally large posters that fronted the Capitol building were usually planned, drawn and painted by creative artist Robert Song, who was also a singer with 60s bands like The Flamingos, The Checkmates and The Stylers. Song had sinced passed away in 1990 in the Philippines.

Image: from ST Collection Ebay

Stylers (Chinese Pop), Robert Song (Baba Pop)

You cannot discuss Singapore Chinese Pop without The Stylers. Like most local bands, this group started at home parties.

They had since made it big accompanying Chinese singers, comedians, appearing on Singapore tele and recording instrumentals that became very popular.

The recordings were similar to James Last non-stop ballroom music only the local versions used Cha-Cha & A-Go-G0 music. One that I like is their version of 'Stupid Cupid'.

Robert Song (far left) who was a baba and Singapore's Johnny Ray, sang with them. In the early 60s they played at a home party where I was MC. Song had sinced passed away and as a friend he was always humble and pleasant. I will never forget Robert Song for his kindness and goodness.

Original article: Andy Lim.

YouTube: Key in: the stylers