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 !
"I knew Robert when he was band leader of, Naomi and The Boys with the late Moses Tay who played bass. We became great friends through music interactions during the 1960's when I was with Sonny Bala and The Moonglows, having done stage shows together at the Singapore Badminton Hall, the F&N Hall at River Valley Road and other popular venues.
We were in Vietnam too in the 1970's since our bands were under the same management. When the troupe returned to Singapore, Robert left for Guam shortly afterwards but we kept in touch only on Facebook with the other musicians.
My deepest condolence to Robert's family.
[And to my two late buddies too whom I miss dearly, Donald Thaver, Zul Sultan. You'll all be missed.]"
A tribute from Cedric Cork.
"One of the best Singapore guitarists and composers from the 60s." Horace Wee.
''I've always admired Bob with his song-writing skills.'' [Andy].
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Chatting with Robert Suriya in Guam brought about this story of how a famous Singapore band made it, with memories to savour... Most of us know the Naomi and the Boys story but we just wanted to hear it again, this time from the man himself.
Encore and thanks Robert.
Hi Andy,
Naomi and the Boyswere actually formed in 1960 and the original members were Peter Richards [Keyboard], Henry Richards [Bass], and Joe Ahmad [Drums] with myself on lead guitar. We toured East Malaysia, Kuching, Miri and some other islands. Naomi did not go but The Boys toured. We had completed our first EP with Naomi in Singapore before we left for Malaysia in 1963.
After being contacted by Mr. Lee H. King [AR Manager of Philips Records] to record our next EP, It's All Over and since it was a big hit for us, I needed to make a change in the music we were doing. So I reformed the group, with a newer feel to suit Naomi's voice and style.
I reformed the group with Naomi, Robert Suriya, Moses Tay, Alphonso Soosay and Peter Thomas. This is when, Happy Happy Birthday Baby, hit number one on the Malaysian Charts followed by another one of my compositions, I Know.
Vinyl record covers of the Extended Plays [EPs]
by Robert Suriya's top of the pop Singapore group.
Naomi had many hits. It's not that she is my sister that we did the recordings but it is because she had a tremendous feel in the songs. We rehearsed at my home at 14 Lim Ah Pin Road in Singapore. It was also great to play and write for my brother Henry Suriya who had some hits too.
So the years went by, as quickly as a wink...
Then 1969 came around. Some of the members started showing interest with other plans. I felt really bad and like most bands it happened. Like the Beatles and the Shadows and many more. But the band lasted for a while. So we did an LP, The Best of Naomi and the Boys. It contained fourteen songs.
In 1970 I did a recording with Naomi on the Polydor Label. The four songs which I wroteshowed the realBest of Naomi,The Life I Wanna Lead, Today, He's Mine and I Call Your Name. The musicians had Quests percussionist, Lim Wee Guan on drums and flute, Steve Bala on electric bass and I did the rest, theLeslie organ, the piano, the guitars, acoustics and the electronics.
With Hank Marvin, lead guitarist
from The Shadows.
The beauty about music is that it lives in your system. I still write new songs but just *Christian songs and other pop ones. I play and sing for the prisoners in Guam, USA. These people have made the big mistake in life.
The way I feel is in the title by Naomi and the Boys, So Sad To See Good Love Go Bad. A beautiful memory I cherish.
I thank God for the blessings in music.
Kind Regards,
Bob Wickeremasuriya [Robert Suriya].
This posting is in memory of Fumiko Suzuki.
Andy,
My late wife Fumiko Suzuki Wickeremasuriya [3-7-1942 till 2-4-2019]. We were married in Tokyo, Japan on 6th December, 1976. We had two children, Carla and Carl. She was a wonderful wife and mother and was with me for four years before we got married in Japanese tradition. We were together for 39 years afterwards. I miss her.
I wrote to Robert Suriya on his Facebook asking if he could do a blog posting on his single ToBe A Woman and Walk Back To Me and to provide some information on this particular vinyl.
Being the nice person that he is he replied that he's been trying to have someone send him these songs as he has forgotten how they sound like. Once he listens to them again he will be able to recollect how they came about and then asked if I have a copy of the record so he could listen to the songs.
I have a copy, heard it a few times but didn't send him the songs although I could do it via the internet. But his reply came as Robert remembers the recording. The following paragraph is his answer verbatim.
"Dear Andy, when I used to read in the news about young girls - running away from home - hanging around the streets till late - This was happening in the USA and its still happening now - This is when I got inspired to write To Be A Woman, about a wasted future. As for Walk Back To Me, I co-wrote with Peter Thomas - and I played the Sitar on this song. Peter played the Harmonica on To Be A Woman."
Thank you Robert. It's a short piece but sufficient. If you have more information about the record let it rip. It's been a while since I wrote about local 60s groups and I am doing it again because readers have been asking that I quit the memory trail for a bit as it's getting stale.
I don't have much to write about nowadays since Singapore 60s music articles are everywhere on the internet. Seek and ye shall find but whatever records I have in my vinyl collection I shall try to dish out slowly. But sorry, no music. Just sleeve-cover articles and some pictures.
The recording below is not found on any of Naomi and The Boys' CD selection. Or am I wrong?
2. Philips single record with illustrated front cover.
Some Sleeves Speak: (Back Cover):
"Considerable excitement and comment was generated when You've Gone was released some time ago. the interest was understandable. For the first time ever, a critical public was listening to The Boys, making their debut single as artistes in their own right, and the overwhelming success that accompanied that single has firmly established The Boys as a pop phenomenon to be reckoned with.
The Boys with their characteristic combination of intricate harmony, falsetto, intelligent lyrics, and pulsing rhythm have introduced a refreshingly welcome element into the local pop scene. Always ready to incorporate new ideas and sounds into their experience, The Boys have produced this remarkable follow-up, using for the first time with noticeable effect, the harmonica and sitar.
Evidently a great deal of thought have gone into the composition of the lyrics and song-writers Robert Suriya and Peter Thomas (who incidentally also vocalise on their respective compositions have succeeded in blending their music and lyrical content into pleasing wholes.
This musical experiment is a result of a more than just musical talents, and reflects on the versatility and dedication of its creators. There won't be another record to beat this one for quite some time... except their next record perhaps? From: Philips Record 338709 PF."
Lead guitar, vocal, sitar = Robert Suriya; Rhythm guitar, vocal, harmonica = Peter Thomas; Bass guitar, organ, piano = Moses Tay; Drums, tambourine, percussion effects = Alphonso Soosay.
If you have stories to spare about our local 60s music scene do write in.
Image 1: from Robert Suriya's Facebook and 2 from: Andy Lim Collection.
By: Alphonso Soosay. Pop music of Singapore in the 1960’s became naturally feasible and heavily influenced by Rock and Roll in its purest form and was gradually overtaken by Pop-Rock, Country-Rock, Blues-Rock, Folk-Rock and later by Psychedelic-Rock, which had progressed in popularity. The Country-Rock and Folk-Rock influenced style associated with the mid half of 1960’s Rock Music, reproduced a distinctive generation of performing Bands and Song-Composers in Singapore who wrote and performed their own compositions and achieved a No1 spot on the local charts with international acts like Cliff Richard & The Shadows, The Dave Clark Five, Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones, The Seekers, The Beatles, and just to name a few.
Now, Looking Back at Singapore’s 60’s Music History, I would like to mention that “Naomi and The Boys” were very popular on Radio with their first original hit song "It's All Over" on Philips Records.
It was their Passion and Love for Music that took them to the “Top of the Charts” in Singapore and Malaysia’s TV and Radio. Their envisioned aim was to just entertain music lovers and they found their Fans all over Asia and all the way to Holland.
I was fortunate to have met Robert Suriya sometime in mid-1965. With regards to clarifications of my memories, I recollect Robert enlightening me about how “The Boys” first got together in 1963 with talented musicians like Peter Richards, Moses Tay, Henry Richards and Joe Ahmad. They were just performing at gigs and at British Forces entertainment venues at weekends and occasionally performing in Night-clubs and took on tour performance to Sabah & Sarawak but “The Boys” according to Robert at that time were not making any progress. At the same time, Robert noticed that the Pop Recording Music scene in Singapore was starting to boom and he had to come up with new ideas and new sounds to keep achieving with what was already happening in Singapore. So Robert decided to look for a “Female Singer”. He found a few through musician’s suggestion, tried them out but none of them was up to his expectations as a Pop singer. At that point in time, Naomi Suriya was acknowledged as a remarkable singing talent on Singapore’s TV. It was a talent competition that was held somewhere in Anson Road. Naomi’s younger sister Fiona remembered it well because as she used to be her chaperone. Naomi got through her auditions and that night at the final competition Naomi sang “Silver Threads and Golden Needles”, the famous Skeeter Davis song.
It so happened that Robert and his band were the backing bands for an entire lot of artistes that night. Naomi won the competition and it was flashed on RTS news that night. Mr Lee King. “Philips Records” manager happened to be there on that night and approached Naomi, asking if she was interested in a recording contract. Naomi was only sixteen years of age then. It was then that Robert had a chat with his band members and decided that Naomi was the best-esteemed Singer for the Band and decided to name it “Naomi & The Boys”. Subsequently as a result of knowing enthusiastic show promoters like Robert Chua, Robert had gigs for local shows and Naomi had significant practices with the band until she was ready to perform on stage and face the competition with then-popular female-fronted groups such as “Susan Lim & The Crescendos”, “Shirley Nair & The Silver Strings” and a few other popular recording artistes. At that stage, “Naomi & The Boys” were endorsed very promptly with a contract to achieve their first EP. Robert had to swiftly work on ideas that would showcase Naomi’s vocals and also create uniqueness for his Band.
By that weekend Robert had an idea of the four songs he wanted to record. Then all of a sudden that Monday week “Naomi & The Boys” were asked to go to the Kinetic Recording Studio (the finest at that time in Singapore) and they recorded their first EP. That EP was released in June 1965 which included three original songs named “It’s All Over”, Poncho, Blue Mist. The only cover song was Tennessee Waltz. Roberts composition “It’s All Over” became a No1 hit in Singapore & Malaysia.
In spite of these righteous things happening, there were disagreements already with their philosophies as “The Boys” argued among themselves as who should be the Band Leader as well as which direction their music should originate. Very soon Peter Richards, Henry Richards Moses Tay and Joe Ahmad decided to leave the Band leaving Robert singlehandedly. That was the moment when Robert Suriya decided to make a major change of musicians for a more modern and up-market sound as he had ideas to experiment with the band to the universal music world.
While this was taking place, Robert still had the recording contract with Philips Records and wanted to have a new impression of recording sounds. He started looking for younger Musicians for “The Boys”. He found Peter Thomas at a jam session and after a nice chat, he found Peter as a like-minded musician who also composed songs. At that time Peter was with another Band called The Stompers who had just won “The Shadows” of Singapore competition. I believed Robert sensed that Peter would be an asset to “The Boys”. Robert asked Peter if he would join “The Boys” and Peter graciously decided to become a member of “The Boys”. Meanwhile, Robert knew that Moses Tay was a versatile Musician and decided to ask him to come back and team up with the new line-up of “The Boys”. Moses sincerely decided to come back as a member of “The Boys”.
At this stage, Robert decided to act fast as he already was given the green light by “Philips Records” to record another EP as soon as possible, but had to discover a Drummer to his liking and to round up “The Boys”. However while looking for a Drummer that week. Glen Knight a Guitarist friend told Robert that he knows a Drummer performing at the Champagne Night Club at Anson Road working with a Pop Group named “The Flares”, (I had performed with Glen Knight previously with a group “The Midnighters”) and that night
Robert did not waste any time and turned up at The Champagne Night Club at about 11pm and introduced himself to the band leader Edmund Tan and Robert asked if he could jam with “The Flares”. Edmund Tan was delighted to allow Robert to jam with his band at the final session of the night. Robert came prepared with his expensive guitar and started jamming with the repertoire of “The Flares”. Then Robert asked if we knew the song “Take Five” and we said yes and he started straight away. It was a common song known to most nightclub musicians then. I was very impressed with his style of guitar playing; Robert then looked at me and said, it’s your turn. So I knew I had to do a Drum Solo and I did perform to my satisfaction.
Other songs we jammed were “The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt”, “Apache”, “Wipe Out” and “Shindig”, plus a few other Cliff Richard’s tops of the charts songs. Later that night Robert asked me if I would join him for supper and Coffee at Albert Street Sarabat stall and I said yes. I remember it was about 2am and just after supper; Robert asked me if I would be interested in becoming a member of his band “The Boys”. As I was very impressed with his guitar playing and the guitar sounds he produced that night at The Champagne Night Club, so I decided to accept his proposal and said, certainly I will. The next event I remember was meeting Naomi, Peter, Moses and Robert at the Kinetex Recording Studios at Wan Toh Avenue off upper Serangoon road. On that day we rehearsed the whole morning and after lunch, with Mr Lee King we recorded “Happy Happy Birthday Baby” and “I Know”. The following day we came back to the studios and recorded “Please Baby Please” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Loved You”.
From memory, this EP was released very quickly by Philips Records in October 1965. Then very soon some miraculous happened with their new line-up of “The Boys”, collectively with “Naomi” the group shot into fame with a more successful double hit EP. Very soon after this successful cover song “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”, there was another surprise for Naomi & The Boys as Roberts’s composition “I Know” also succeeded the No: 1 spot in Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. It was a song from the same EP as “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”. Remembering Naomi & The Boys Fans Response Was Very Positive At Live Shows As “Happy Happy Birthday Baby” Became Their Favourite Hit Song And It Was On Radio Every Day And Surprisingly It Went To No: 1 On Singapore’s, Malaysia’s And Indonesia’s Hit Parade Chart And Stayed In That Position For Few Weeks. Later That Month We Were Told By Our Recording Manager That It Was Also Aired On Hollands Radio Stations Hit Parade. I remember in December 1965 it was voted by the media as the best song of 1965. Following this success, Naomi & The Boys were offered several live performance treaties (Touring Concerts) to most of the states in Malaysia. They were organised and produced by a creative show promoter Robert Chua who now lives in Hong Kong as a very successful TV shows Producer/Director. The many “Live Shows” Naomi & The Boys performed were events that appeared quite spectacular, like “Miss Lion City 1966” it was a beauty contest show at the National Theatre in December 1965. “The Top Talent Show” in 1966 took place at the National Theatre. “Show Time 66” at the National Theatre in June 1966. “Peep Pop Show” at the National Theatre in December 1966. “Ready Steady Go Show” at the National Theatre. “Poly X ’mas 1967” a Christmas show in December 1967. “Musical Express Show” was an early Sunday morning performance at the Capitol Theatre in April 1967.
Then frequently under then-popular show promoter Robert Chua, there were many other “Live Concerts” he organised, and then it was an endeavour across the causeway at Jubilee Hall in Johore Bahru Malaysia, Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Ipoh, Kedah, Butterworth, Penang and many more venues in Malaysia. All these Live Performances supported in promoting “Naomi & The Boys” record sales. As for TV show “Naomi & The Boys” performed at the “Hiboran”, this was a local show just like the American Shindig concept and a few other TV shows followed up soon after. Mr Lee King the manager of “Philips Records” realised that he had a credible Band on his hands and decided to become the manager of “Naomi & The Boys”. The band leader was very pleased and so were we. At that time requiring money to upgrade our musical instruments was not a problem at all. Naomi & The Boys managed to get the best of Musical instruments and most of the money was paid off within six months from “Naomi & The Boys” recording royalties.
Signatures, a rare treat from The Boys, Naomi and especially from Alphonso Soosay, who managed to get everyone to sign this picture.
NB:
I must thank Alphonso Soosay for allowing me to post his above article verbatim from his FB page.
This article is copyrighted and belongs to Alphonso Soosay.
