Channel News Asia: 50 Years of Singapore Music

On Screen

MORE THAN 3,200 VIEWS, 15 COMMENTS

In February 2015, John Leong (below), anchor for Singapore Tonight, introduced a special news piece on Channel News Asia where Dick Lee, Yiren Cai, Audie Ng and I were interviewed regarding 50 years of Singapore Music.  The programme was in conjunction with this year's SG50 celebration. 

What has been music to Singaporeans' ears? The show takes us down memory lane to see how the music has evolved through the years and where bands like Silver Strings, Black Dog Bone, Sweet Charity, Siglap Five and singers Anita Sarawak, Stefanie Sun, A-Do, JJ Lin, Mavis Hee and Shirley Nair were discussed.  The song You're The Boy remains steadfast as a background anthem during our interview.

Behind The Scene 

We had pretty and sophisticated CNA producer Syahidah Othman (below) to conduct the whole affair with much calm and decorum.  The camera was positioned for appropriate angle shots; the white guitar was placed in a strategic position behind the interviewees (image above) and photographs were selected for the news documentary. Ms Syahidah was also the narrator on screen.

As it was usual, although the chat lasted for a few minutes on TV, shooting took some time. The interview was held on a lovely afternoon and we enjoyed ourselves throughout in the large, airy and air-conditioned hall.

Many thanks to Mr Malvin Chua (image below) who coordinated the afternoon's project with a quiet but experienced eye.  Some snaps on my iPhone were taken by Malvin.

Video footage on right side-bar from Channel News Asia:

Excerpt below from:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/swinging-to-50-years-of/1669930.html

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/video/50-years-of-singapore/1632746.html

“Even though some songs were so-called ‘imports’, the local bands still made it their own."

In fact, a home-grown 1960's pop band did just that. The Silver Strings stood out with their stylish silver suits and blue guitars. But it was not just their image that made headlines. The band also started the trend of playing alongside female singers like Shirley Nair and Anita Sarawak.

Their biggest influence however, was a performance in 1961. "When Cliff and the Shadows came we saw them on stage, with three flashing red guitars,” said Andy Young of The Silver Strings. “And I said to myself that I want to be like Cliff Richard; I want to sing like him."

The Silver Strings played their biggest shows when they opened for the Rolling Stones at the Singapore Badminton Hall and in front of 20,000 spectators in a Malaysian stadium for the Miss Universe pageant.

But as the heady days of the 1960's came to an end, so did The Silver Strings. In recent years, Young, who was one of the band's pioneer members has begun keeping a blog about those memories. "It's so important that we all get together, gel and become one nation,” said Andy.

His fellow band member from The Silver Strings is fully supportive of the blog. “It will be good for the younger generation,” said Audie Ng. “At least they can go through his blog and learn about sixties music. And at the same time, they will get to know us; otherwise we will just fade away."

Images from Marcus Loh Collection and A Private Collection.

Thunderbirds, Silver Strings, The Dukes, Checkmates Together National Theatre and Boys Town

Front Cover of Souvenir Programme: From Boys' Town Facebook.

47 Years Ago Today:

In the 60s when a variety show was held, either at the most popular venues like the National Theatre at Tank Road, Victoria Theatre at Stamford Road or in smaller venues like the FnN Hall at Kim Seng Road or SJAB Hall at Beach Road, the souvenir magazine was usually a simple 8 to 10 page booklet made out of typing paper.  At times it consisted of an A4 size paper folded and stapled into place to form the evening's programme.

The Early Bird Line-Up of The Thunderbirds

The inner pages were usually printed in black and white with a mildly colourful cover page done using silk-screen printing in two colours and the paper's white background (image one). Graphics could be quite attractive depending on the amateur artist's ability and committee in charge.


Personally David, Merlin and Danny Boy (Osman) were the nicest guys ever!

The rest of the pages would be filled with pictures and write-ups of our local pop stars while the centre-fold revealed the programme for the evening.  It was standard procedure.

The Surfers from album cover.

The printing would usually be done manually using a *Gestetner duplicating machine.  Such a procedure saved cost but with a little more financial backing the organisers would have the programme printed professionally by a company as the Peep Pop Show programme (image 4) shows.

A Typical Pop 60s Show.  The Best There Was, And Well Worth The Entrance Ticket.

Again the choice depended upon the organisers' financial situation and whether there were advertisements between pages. These advertisements from sponsors would certainly have covered part of the cost.


Siglap Five With Jeffridin.

The above show sponsored by Boys Town OBA could have been less expensive to produce in the 60s where bands performed because they loved the glamour and glory of being pop stars.  Some bands were also eager to help out with the charities that needed assistance.  Mostly the boys and girls who participated were doing the gigs for fun and enjoyment while earning an honorarium.



Checkmates - Without Doubt In The Top Five Category.

This particular charity event showcased the best of the guitar groups from the 60s. It could have had attracted a large audience at the National Theatre seeing that it was held on 9th December 1966, exactly 47 years ago since it was a time of year-end festivities like Christmas and New Year. It was also the school holiday season.  Boys Town had organised successful shows like this one to help raise funds.



From Velvetones To Firebyrds. Recorded too.

The bands featured that night need no introduction. Except for one or two, the line-up of artistes were the best from our local 60s stable. They were well-represented with an array of top singers and guitar personalities from Singapore. Even bands from the UK were participating and included singers like Brian Neale, Leroy Lindsay and Winston Walters. Terry Marsden compered the show.

The National Theatre Singapore (1963-1986).

If you had attended this particular show 47 years ago please write in because it would be exciting to have you bring back memories that happened nearly half a century ago. You don't have to give your name. Would really be great cause I know hundreds of people would have been involved in planning and executing such a large happening.



*A Manual Office Duplicating Machine

Images: From Boys' Town Facebook and Bloggers' Collection.

Barry Walker Says Local 60s Bands Of Exceptional Standard Part Two



1. RnB with The Figures and vocalist Barry Walker.

Here's Part Two of soldier boy and band boy Barry Walker's Singapore memories when he was here in the 60's and his involvement with local musicians, faces and places. Barry comes to Singapore time and again. We met for lunch when he was here. 

Dear Andy,

There used to be a brilliant little record shop in Koek Road near the Orchard Road market where we could obtain almost anything pop, rock, blues or middle-of-the -road. The Beatles and The Bee Gees were probably the most popular at the time.

2. Cliff Richard @ a record shop Singapore 60s.

All the bands in Singapore were very friendly; some evenings when we had finished playing we would inevitably end up where another band was playing and finally jam with them, which was fantastic.  If we were playing late other singers/ and musicians would jam with us.  

The music played was very diverse; The Straydogs – Rhythm & Blues; The Trailers – Cliff & The Shadows; of course The Quests who were very original at the time; The Dukes –  almost all of the current hit parade favourites, as did The Shades of Blue. 

Heather and The Thunderbirds played originals and songs of the day, The X-Periment and Fried Ice were also great and us, The Figures / The In-Sect who played a lot of blues and soul music.

3. Fu Manchu? No, they are Pietro and The Warlocks

When all was finished we would head for an old converted house called The Fireplace.   From memory, I think it was a private club of some sort where a couple of Danish hippies, so the story goes, painted the whole house in the most amazing colours and together with the lighting really made it look fantastic! I dread to think what might have been going on in there but what a place. The music played was also brilliant and certainly went with the ambience.



One other place to frequent was The Pub in the basement of the Hotel Malaysia at Tanglin Circus. It was probably the original IN place. 

I recall a guy with a bald head and a really long pony tail who dressed in old Chinese style although he was European.  They were called Pietro and The Warlocks; towards the end of their last set, he would swing his ponytail around like an aeroplane propeller - quite a showman he was.

4. Barry meets popular lead guitarist Derek Fitzgerald from Thunderbirds recently.

The standard of musicianship among the local bands was exceptional and when I think back, some of the instruments and amplification were not good but could the local guys play and get good sounds from them.

Horace Wee

The top musicians of the day as I recall was a guitarist named Horace Wee (left) and a bass player named Winston Filmer.  They and the band they were in were always on local television backing someone or other. 

Derek Fitzgerald of The Thunderbirds (above with Barry Walker) was a very good guitarist as was the guy from Fried Ice whose name I cannot remember.

Sugiman Jahuri

There was also a programme called Talentime.  Who can forget Johnny Tan or Sugiman Johari (right) the Johnny Mathis of Singapore?  

Also, there was Jenakarama where all the top Singaporean talent got to appear, a little like England’s Top of the Pops but the artistes chose what they performed or sang.

The local music paper of the day was Radio Weekly which always had one or two interviews with local bands and singers.

In early 1970 I returned to London where I finished my army career returning to Singapore six months later. I was amazed at the changes in around six months.

The T-Set the band I was with played at The Pub on a six months contract which included occasionally playing in other areas of the hotel, sometimes the roof garden or the ball room depending on what was happening. 

Does anyone remember the residency of Maurice Woodruff the world famous star reading man who apparently could tell your fortune?  One evening he was on stage and had a heart attack and died. Very unfortunate... (check Comment page below about Woodruff).

5. It Figures; Barry Walker's @ microphone.

By this time, most of the local bands had added brass to their line-ups and were playing Chicago, Earth Wind and Fire and Blood Sweat and Tears material besides a lot of Motown stuff. They were brilliant at it. One band, that played in the Pub was Faith whom I thought were exceptional although I don’t know where they were from, possibly Australia?



6. The T-Sets from England @ The Pub Penthouse Disco, Hotel Malaysia.

There was also  a local band playing at the Roof Top of the Oberoi Imperial Hotel called Log Stock and Barrel who were really good Nik Mohamed (ex Siglap 5 and The Dukes ) was their bass player and a guy by the name of 'Kupeh' was their drummer but also played really good guitar and was a very good vocalist. The whole band were really good.

Barry still remembers how great The Blackjacks and other bands were.

Does anybody remember any of the following bands? The New Faces, Family Robinson, The Pakaloloes, The Blackjacks, The Bee-Jays, The Tribes, The Weather and Thunderstorm, Unlimited Stock who I believe became Frustration 5 to name but a few.


Check below Heritage Fest posting for Comments by readers about Barry Walker.

Images numbered 1, 4, 5, 6 are from Barry Walker (Copyrights Reserved).

Valentine's Day 2017: Singapore 60's Love Songs

Above types of vinyl were selected because of sleeve covers. Videos vary.

Whether it's in English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil or any other language the love message is clear. With or without Valentine's Day, writing songs with romantic themes has been the mainstay for many a lyricist or composer in our pop music world. Similarly on our little island.

Robert Suriya, the Fitzgerald brothers, Shirley Nair, Fu Su Yin, Yusnor Ef, Kassim Masdor and many others have written love songs that have become hits here in Singapore. Adrian C. Tills, an expatriate who was in Singapore in the 60s, composed quite a number for local consumption.

                      kt jong video: Love Is Blue: Heather w Thunderbirds

Sleeve Cover 1

Two of them were released on a single by Philips and sung by Roy Stevens with The Thunderbirds' accompaniment. The first song, Won't You Be My Girl pleads, "I know you're the idol of other boys too, But none of them loves you as much as I do, So please, please baby won't you be my girl?"

The flip side encourages the lover to Give It A Try because, "There's so much pleasure in Lovin, Lovin is a sheer delight, So love me, and you'll see, Everything I say is right..." Mushy? Not so for listeners in the 60s.

Sleeve Cover 2 

Cecilia Lim, popular with Chinese fans, covers four romantic hits in English from the 50s and 60s under VOC Records with, Please Help Me I'm Falling, Harbour Lights You Belong To Me and the irresistible, To Sir With Love echoing every schoolgirl crush with the lament, "If you wanted the moon I will try to make a start but I would rather you let me give my heart..." I am sure you are familiar with the other 3 love songs that have become international hits.

                   biskutkerin video: Jeffridin n The Siglap Five - Kasihku Pergi

Sleeve Cover 3 

This one is a Malay Extended Play, with dashing good-looker Jeffridin and his Siglap Five, recording 4 songs. One of them is about a lad who was abandoned by his girl and Kekaseh Ku Pergi (My Love Has Gone: by local composer Mohd. Ali) describes his bitterness, "Kini aku hidup sepi, hingga aku menanti..." (I live in loneliness and am still waiting...).

Another track composed by Jeffridin himself, relates his Termenong (Day Dreaming) woes while the third song, composed by A. Karim, tells of a particularly spoilt girl-friend or Gadis Manja who has stolen the singer's heart.

A point to note here. These Malay melodies are love songs and unlikely produced for the specific purpose of celebrating Valentine. It is just a coincidence that they are about love; in fact, many songs from the 60's have similar themes.

Sleeve Cover 4:

The romanticism in Chinese songs has the proclivity to be too sentimental and sugary for the western crowd but one of pop 60's Chinese singer, Zhang Xiao Ying's EP has managed to deal with the subject wisely.

The vinyl has songs that repeats a theme. The title track, He Who Knows My Heart (Zhi Xin De Ren) tells of a lover who reminisces her soul-mate. The EP has three other tracks. Hen Bu Xiang Feng Wei Jia Shi (Bitter Sweet Memories As I Wed) is about a girl who still yearns for her previous boyfriend although she is married. Ghastly!

                           eosyeo video: Chang Xiao Ying 張小英 - 我爱你一万倍

She Mo Hua Wei Ni Kai (What Flower Blooms/Opens For You) could have sensual connotation. Surprise, surprise. And the final track Wo Ai Jun Lai Jun Ai Wo ( Loving You, Loving Me ) accentuates the flavour of the day again.

You won't be googling for most of these songs would you? Might spoil your day. Valentine ones are just supposed to say, I love you and I want you. No heartaches, ever! Or so you think.

Happy Valentine everyone.

Chinese vinyl translation by: LKM and SM. Thank you both.

Images/original article: Andy Lim Collection.

Decibels: 1965-1970 A Band In The Making Part 2

Part II:

Decibels drummer Jimmy Chng shares his experience as a band boy in this final episode:

Our very first gig was at someone's birthday party held in an HDB flat in Jalan Bahagia and we were paid $30. Through friends' recommendation and word of mouth, we did get quite a lot of gigs, especially on weekends. These were usually birthday parties, Dinner & Dance parties, festive occasions, Tea-Dances, etc.

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We even had an opportunity to play at the Lido cinema, providing background music to models strutting on stage in Maidenform lingerie. This was in conjunction with the screening of the movie, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (image 2).

Poster

.As the local music scene matured, the demand for bands with singers ensued. We first had a friend who would sing mostly Johnny Lion's hits. He sang with our band for less than a year. Then Evelyn Tan (image 1) sang with Decibels for a brief period too. She later joined The Siglap Five and made some records under Evey Lyn with The Siglap Five.

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Our very first taste of competition was at the Battle Of Guitars (organised by ACE Enterprises) which was held at the National Theatre. We performed well enough to get into the finals but did not win. Our second and last competition which was organised by Rediffusion, was held at the Odeon Cinema. Again, we entered the final but did not win.

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We got a 2 month contract to play at Toby's Paradise Bar in Anson Road. We were recommended by The Vigilantes as their contract there had ended and they got a better paying contract at West Point Niteclub in Pasir Panjang. Incidentally, most of the original Vigilantes band members were my classmates in Queenstown Secondary Technical School.

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The original Decibels lasted till around 1969 or 1970. We disbanded partly due to waning interest and partly due to fewer engagements coming our way. Charles, our bassist subsequently joined The Tones whilst Steven and Patrick concentrated on their job careers.

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My memories of the later stages are not too clear. After some months, I continued the Decibels band with some members from D'Quivers. We had a one month contract at Toby's Paradise Bar this time.

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After the contract, the lead guitarist left. We looked for a replacement and managed to find a lead guitarist by the name of Bernard Chua. He had a friend named Samad, who had a very good and powerful voice and we invited him to join us too. He could belt out Tom Jones numbers with ease. I can't remember how long this chapter of Decibels lasted but when we finally disbanded, Bernard went on the join The Hi-jacks.

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Image 1/Original Article: Jimmy Chng Collection. All Rights Reserved.

Image 2: Google Images.

How Our Local 60s Music Is Sold Overseas - "Wild Rockers That Would Never Make It"

HOW SINGAPORE AND MALAYSIAN 60s MUSIC ARE SOLD OVERSEAS. PLEASE READ THE BLURB BELOW, QUOTED IN FULL:
Various Artists – 'Chinese Rocks' LP only:

"Like the old saying 'digging a hole to China' insatiable record collectors go through stages, digging deeper & deeper to find the next unknown treasure. Collectors of garage/trash 50′s & 60′s oddities have grown in recent years like a wild fungus & many vinyl mysteries have been solved only to open new ones.

Looking to the East we have indeed literally dug a hole to a 60s Singapore & Malaysian weirdsville, represented here by a family style nightmare of rickshaw crashing left of center, wild rockers that would never make it onto even a collector's compilation of this sort.

Everything from wild surf to Trashmen styled thud to almost Shaggs ineptitude/beauty to garage pounders & even a retarded psychedelic comedy track. Put this record on and drown in the delightful soy sauce vinyl insanity that is Chinese Rocks!

Tracks: The Stylers – Hey! Hey! Hey!, The Siglaps – Hey Girl, The Quests – Ding Dong Twist, Johnny Tan – Shakin’ All Over, Bakar Hamid & The Hawks – Div-Kav-Tetap Ku Kenang, The Thunderbirds – Call My Name, Shao Fong Fong – I Love A Go Go.

The Hi-Fi Twins & The Kings – Papa Oom Mow Mow, Blue Lake Combo – Bombora, The Steps – Steps Theme, S. Suri & Les Sea King – Svasana Ala, The Fabulous Falcons – Midnight Express, The Saints – ???, The Hi Fi Twins & The Kings – Lies, Helen Velv & The Silverstones – Hot Pants, The Quests – Pop Inn Theme."

The above image and promotional document is not edited and comes from:

http://www.dionysusrecords.com/home/?p=1124

Singapore's Siglap Five. Hit By Pirated Records

EARNING A LIVING

The above image was not specially created on the scanner. It's a genuine record cover. Two for the price of one. Four songs on one record instead of two in one single.

Wow, it's a deal and you get this record all over Singapore in the 60s. Check out the label again. Nothing will be revealed. Now everyone's seeing red.

Is it bootleg? "Tell Me If It's True?" asks Eveylyn who seems to have contacted jaundice .

Eveylyn & Siglap Five. Is This The Real Deal?

EARNING A LIVING

During the 60s in Singapore when copyright laws are practically non-existent and land sharks multiply by the day, "boot-leg" vinyls are available in most record shops on the island.

The Siglap Five with Eveylyn (image) and other bands that are in demand have pirated versions that suffocated even top recording companies like Philips, Cosdel, RCA, etc.

Is the above a bootleg copy? Check the recording label and make a guess.