Frankel Estate, Siglap Singapore Meets 50's Music: By Robert Gay

Bill Haley and his famous Kiss Curl

The man who made 'Rock Around The Clock' a top 50s hit 

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In the 1950's when Singapore was devoid of television and with a few radio stations, young boys were running around in shorts, either kicking a rubber ball or playing marbles and coloured rubber bands. 

Some, like today's blog contributor Robert Gay, turned to music and learned to play a guitar, singing his favourite pop 50s songs. Later, he gathered a few friends with the same ideals. Let's read what he says about pop music in the 50's in the area where he lived:

"Here is a short history of our music in Frankel Estate, at Singapore's East Coast.

In 1956, Willie (later Willie of London; the hairdresser) came to my house which was our meeting place and taught a few of us how to play the guitar.  We learnt a few chords. C, F, G7, F, C7, B flat and G. We learnt to play songs like “Singing The Blues”, “Red Sails In The Sunset” and “ A White Sports Coat And A Pink Carnation”!

One day Willie brought a washtub with a broomstick and a thick string attached to it [image]! It was the age of skiffle we played songs of Lonnie Donegan! We belted out “Putting on the Style” with a washtub, a stick and a string, as bass! It was fun! 

The next era was even more fun!

Bill Haley and his Comets. 

Rock Around The Clock [1955]. 

YouTube Video from: 33Evenstar.

One day my dad brought an EP [Extended Play Record] and put it on while we we sitting around chatting! My dad usually listened to classical music. He was a tenor! But the music he had put on astounded all of us! It was Bill Haley and his Comets singing, “Rock Around the Clock”. The age of rock and roll had come! 

Soon we were all singing this and, “See You Later Alligator"! Elvis had already been singing “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Hound dog” but to me the definite moment we embraced Rock and Roll was when we heard Bill Haley! Other singers coming on stage did not necessarily sing rock songs but we classed them as stars of the Rock and Roll era!

The primary school on Siglap Road, which was in the East Coast of Singapore too often had fun fairs where one of the features was music requests! The music could be heard over half of Frankel Estate!  I remember one occasion where “Island in the Sun” [Harry Belafonte] and “Love Letters in the Sand” [Pat Boone] competed to be the favorite all afternoon!

During that period, we used to listen to the Top Twenty from America every week. One week The Everly Brothers jumped into the scene with “Wake Up Little Susie” and “ Bye Bye Love”!  I was fascinated by their perfect harmony! “All I Have To Do Is Dream” was one of my all time favorite songs. The Everly Brothers influenced our singing tremendously. I bought every one of their albums and we sang their songs!  A pair of us, Dennis Tay and Philip Goh excelled in singing their songs.

In 1959 they won the Anglo Chinese School [ACS] Talentime contest singing, “Bird Dog”. Michael Goh, the Dean Martin of Singapore came second with “My Rifle, Pony and Me”! Later they entered the Everly Brothers contest in Singapore and tied first with another pair! This was held at the Odeon Cinema at North Bridge Road.

With guitars: Michael Goh [right] and brother.

Blogger Andy with Contestant [side]

Capitol Cinema Singapore backstage, 1959.

In the meantime I had another group that also included Dennis and Philip that sang Christian songs in churches all around the island! 

Rock and Roll introduced a new genre of music into the world! But it was not just Rock and Roll. It was a new era for pop music! and a new ear for teenagers! The war and postwar babies now in their teens became a huge market for music an fashion! Teen idols sprouted everywhere! Paul Anka with ”Diana “ was a millionaire when he was sixteen! “Rebel Without A Cause”,  Starring James Dean he typified the mood of teenagers of that time! Cinema tickets sold by the millions.

Youth in the UK during the 50's when 

the skiffle boom exploded. The Beatles

came later but started out playing skiffle.

From the record cover of a Skiffle Group in England.

Note the washtub, broomstick and string as bass.

With a washboard too.

I bought every Everly Brothers album as soon as they appeared in the shops!

The songs reflected the moods and aspirations of teenagers! It was a time for parties, funfairs, tea dances and barbecues! We sang at parties, barbecues and church outings! There was a huge demand for teens looking for action and looking to change the world!

Amidst this came the Evangelists the most famous being Billy Graham! Youth for Christ International set up in Singapore and we got involved in singing at their rallies! 

Writer: Robert Gay 

from Singapore but now

lives in England.

Anita Sarawak: Proud Mary [ABPBH '05]

YouTube Video from: Koleksi Campur Hangus 2.0

Images: 

Google

My Exclusive Condo/New Launch Condo [2016] 

A personal collection.

The changing of the social scene in the Fifties was driven by war children coming into their teens! With the music came dancing and socializing! I remember suddenly becoming more interested in girls! So I learnt to dance! 

There was a really nice girl who was friendly to us in Frankel who taught us to do the Cha Cha and Jive! Joe Loss "Wheels" was the most popular song we learnt to! Easy one two, one two three. Xavier Cugat was one of the popular bands we danced to! A group of us used to go to the beach by the Ocean Park hotel on East Coast Road! The film studio by the hotel made Malay movies! We went to listen to the live music from the hotel!

Meeting Anita Sarawak!

Ms Anita Sarawak.

It was pleasant just sitting on the beach listening to the music! One evening a beautiful lady came and chatted with us! She was Siput Sarawak [Malay movie star} and told us about her daughter Anita Sarawak [image] who was in England when she found out I was going to England for further studies!

Foolish person that I was I did not ask for her address! Years later when I saw Anita she was a big star! She sang in Las Vegas for a few years! I saw her in Singapore when she sang somewhere! Can’t remember where! Never got a chance to speak to her!

A HAPPY LUNAR NEW 2024 TO YOU!

DO COMMENT.

Another Robert Gay story:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2024/05/music-from-50s-and-60s-targeted-teenage.html

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

at least credit me because copying is stealing.

Andy.

Lonnie Donegan: Putting On The Style [1957] 

YouTube Video by: luvthe1950s

A National Day Special 2022: Social Harmony In Kampong Amber: Pianist Baba Sam Gan

Renowned pianist Sam Gan at the keyboard with 

Michael Bangar in sunglasses and Horace Wee in black.

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Sam Gan is a baba or peranakan [Straits-born], so the reader might have to go through Malay words in his letter below but they have been carefully explained, so go a little slow to read. Unless you are familiar of course...

Hi Andy,

Bringing back memories of my family and me growing up in Kampong Amber [Amber Village], from 1947 to 1953. Best years of my childhood... Malay, Chinese, Indians, all living in harmony... We played, ran around barefooted, shirtless, in the rain, in the sunshine. 

According to the time of year, playing gasing [top spinning], layang layang [kite-flying] ,keeping fighting spiders in match-boxes, fighting fish in glass jars, rubber-bands competitions, *goli [marbles], catching, rounders [simple baseball] not many arguments, but a lot of fun. 

Playing marbles *[goli] in the 1960s

https://onedollaronly.com.sg/blogs/the-dollar-blog/traditional-games-in-singapore-we-used-to-play

We were very proud of our kampong [village], so when asked, "Tinggal di mana?" [Where do you live?]

We would proudly reply, " Kampong Amber!" I still consider myself a Kampong Boy from Kampong Amber! 

Puasa Time [Fasting Month] was different with the Carbide Cannons made from Bamboo, booming in the evenings; the Kenduris [food social gathering] and kompangs playing at Malay Weddings. 

Then there's the rains that flooded our Kampong every year during the N.E. Monsoon from November to late January; kids selling fresh nasi lemak [coconut rice and fried fish with chilly-paste] and kueh kueh [Malay cakes]. They come in the mornings for ten cents a bungkus [banana-leaf packet] for breakfast. 

The Mee Siam [spicy Thai noodles] from the Javanese lady selling her tikar2 [mats], and the 30 cents takeaway (bring your own duck egg) Mee Goreng [fried noodles] from the Mamak [Indian] provision store , Plain Roti Prata was five cents a piece and a glass of Kopi [coffee] and Teh Susu [tea and milk] costs ten cents from the **Sarabat [Indian drink-hawker] stall next to the Chinese Swimming Club new pool at Amber Road.

**Selling Sarabat Tea [1963]. 

Photo credit: MITA/NAS Geraldine Soh.

Then there was the Pasar Malam [night market], Chinese Wayang [Chinese street opera] during the Chinese 7th month and of course the Orang Minyak [Oily Man] stories to frighten the young girls and ladies to be home before dusk. ..these are just some of my memories of My Kampong Amber!... what a time to grow as a boy in the old days, 75 years ago.

[It took me a bit to edit this one Sam, but it's well worth it. Thank you.]

NB: From what I understand, having read Finance Minister & Future PMs, Lawrence Wong's Facebook posts, his parents lived in Kampong Amber in the 60s.

This article is original and has been copyrighted.

Google image sources have been identified individually.

'Di Tanjong Katong' with ***Sakura Teng. 

YouTube Video by Medan Fan.

***One of the more renowned lady pop singers from Singapore 60's.

'Di Tanjong Katong' is a traditional Malay folk song describing the East Coast seaside. It is close to Kampong Amber where Sam Gan used to live.

Sam Gan: 'I Love You For Sentimental Reasons'

YouTube Video by Sam Gan.

A HAPPY NATIONAL DAY 2022 TO ALL READERS, 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS, FRIENDS & FAMILY.

ENJOY BUT STAY SAFE.

''Play It Again, Sam.'' Singapore 60's Music Living Legend

Sam Gan Pianist - A Singapore Music Living Legend 

It was a new year surprise when Sam Gan wrote all the way from Perth with a lovely letter about his music beginnings. 

Thanks Sam and a great 2022 to you. Have a safe and pleasant year.

A New Year Letter from the Ole Vic.

Hi Andy,

I did my First performance at the VMH in 1951 as the winner of the Junior Section of the Singapore Chinese YMCA Piano Competition and played the winning pieces with the Governor of Singapore Sir Franklin Gimson and Lady Gimson presenting the trophy to the winners of the competition. I was 11 years old then and my music teacher was Mr. Benjamin Khoo. 

The next year, 1952, I won the Radio Malaya Series 3 Talentime, again performing at the Victoria Memorial Hall with Kingsley Morando as the compere and the Radio Orchestra conducted by Corr Reif... the numbers I did was a medley of the top songs of the month that included, "In the cool, cool, cool of the evening, Cuddle up a little closer, Jealous Heart and the piece de resistance a Boogie Woogie number composed by Winifred Atwell. The prize money was $25. 

My music teacher for Pops was Mr. Cecil Wilson who was at that time, the bandleader of the Great World Cabaret Orchestra.  After winning the Talentime I was dubbed as the Boogie Woogie Wonder Boy and began doing a lot of performing at different events... all for free... my late father was the one who wanted me to be famous doing all these performances when all I wanted to do as a young boy was to play football, table tennis and other things young boys do... but he was the motivator and I'm eternally grateful for his wisdom and foresight.

Sam Gan, Perth, Australia. 1.1.2022.

🤔😄

Come on my reading friends, let's write in and comment about Sam. He's in his 80's now. Play it again, Sam.*

Sam Gan plays, "I love you for sentimental reasons."

*"Play it again Sam." 

No one really said these words in the movie, 'Casablanca' [1942]. The actual words were, "Play it Sam," spoken by actress Ingrid Bergman to piano player Sam  [Dooley Wilson].

Sam Gan with Michael Bangar behind him in dark glasses. 

According to Mr. Bangar, they all had the pleasure and thrill of jamming with the Maestro at a gig when he was in Singapore on holiday about five years ago. Extreme left was Horace Wee [red guitar], keboardist Hans Solo behind and Francis Danam on bass guitar. Jerry Murad is hidden by the music stand and the late Andrew Soh was on drums. 

[Comment/Photo by courtesy of Mr. Michael Bangar.]

Sam Gan Pianist Tributes Peggy Tann Pianist

After the two Peggy Tann articles were written by Henri Gann (Trekkers), my blog received a lot of mail pertaining to this pretty lady pianist. They were mostly short comments.

The comment below from Sam Gan, another prominent Singaporean pianist whom I have much respect for, is a longer piece which I thought could stand alone as a concise post-column about Ms Tann. 

Play it again Sam. And thank you very much for this insight.

Hi Andy,

Nice story on the late Peggy Tan. I remember she played in her father's (HH Tan's) band when I was still in school in the early fifties, in 1953 or 1954 at the Ambassador Hotel (later known as The Dukes Hotel) in Tanjong Rhu. 

The late tenor saxophonist and guitarist John Lee was an integral member of HH Tan's band. I think they also performed at the old Majestic Hotel (Nam Tian - yellow image) in Chinatown. Peggy's trio at the Princes Garni's Tea-time dances consisted of Peggy on piano, Billy Martinez on double bass and the late Sanip Ismail on drums.

They were already playing great bebop songs like Confirmation, Jordu, Nardis from their vast repertoire of jazz standards. Peggy was the first female professional Singaporean musician and a very accomplished one too. She, like Teresa Khoo, who came on the scene in the 60's were beautiful and shy and very soft spoken.

When she played at the French Restaurant at the Cockpit Hotel (image above) in 1971 and 1972, my band had moved from the French Restaurant to the new Chinese Restaurant that the Indonesian owner Mr Hoo Liong Ting had at the new wing of the old Cockpit Hotel. We had been at the French Restaurant since 1961.

Sam Gan on the piano: 'I Love You For Sentimental Reasons' YouTube.

Peggy was indeed a great and multi-talented professional whom all Singaporeans can be proud of especially me, who had the privilege of knowing her.

Regards,

Sam Gan
Australia.