Singapore 60s Music Comments About Our Own Veterans. From Clarence Chung.

Clockwise: Ravi Coopusamy, Chris Rodrigo, 

Victor Pillay, Ivor Lesslar, Nik Osman

I've had a blast working with these really battle-hardened veteran musicians. Truly an honor for a young man like me.

Chris Rodrigo, the supporter of local music and truly unbridled facial hair, stands tall and was the manager of the band for the day. Thanks Chris!

Ivor Lesslar is a tall Eurasian man who is much kinder than he looks. I swear he belongs to an ancient and rare breed of electric guitar players who is able to wield a Fender Stratocaster and coax beautiful and musical tones out of it. The other person whom I know belongs to this breed is of course Mr. Latiff Jalil with his fat Strat! 

Nick Osman plays a mean drum groove and its truly amazing how such loud and accurate tones can come out of such a small man. Standing in front of his drumkit, I felt my cranium almost explode from the tremendous volume of his kick drum. He's also the only drummer I know who walks around 24/7 with a metronome and headset and I am curious to know if he's also keeping time when having a conversation with people. 

A hardcore music/jazz lover and representative of the Indian ethnic group in the band, Ravi Coopusamy seems to be the baby of the band even when I am around. His childlike demeanor means that he is instantly forgiven on the occasion he tinkles the wrong notes on the ivories.

Maestro Victor Pillay calls himself an Indian Peranakan. I am completely blown away by his splendid piano technique, restraint and easygoing character. A gem in Singapore and hands down the best piano player I've personally worked with. 

Newer is not better. Different, yes. The old school cats are incredible team players in a band and they definitely have much to pass on.

Written by: Clarence Chung

18th January 2013.

Thanks so much Clarence. Hope you still remember this article you wrote some years ago. If you are still out there and reading this post, do write in again.

Andy.

22nd August, 2025.

Pop Music From Singapore 80's: 'Bloom Fund' Charity Drive For Retired Local Artistes: By Fabian Foo

From left, with TRCL CEO Colin Goh, Andy,

Fabian Foo [Author] and Richard Tham.

The 'Rice Company Limited' organised a Charity Drive

in support of retired local artistes.

'Don't Write Us Off Concert'

Blu Jaz, Eu Tong Sen Street.

The Central Clark Quay

Singapore

UP TO 800 VIEWS, 25 COMMENTS!

Hi Andy,

It was great that we managed to catch up yesterday with each other after such a long time. The meetup was fruitful as we got to attend a charity gig at Blu Jaz Club on 31st July 2025, where we enjoyed an evening of nostalgic music from our local talents.

It was so meaningful for many of our local entertainers putting their musical talents for a worthy cause, The Bloom Fund.

Let us hope that more charity drives for the music society will continue in the near future.

Fabian Foo

Author/Videographer.

Andy, Fabian [Author/Videographer], Colin [CEO], Richard.

With Richard Tham and John Klass.

Musician Clarence Tan, 

Singer Jimmy Yap, Andy, Fabian Foo

Stephen Francis, the man who organised the show and was

MC too, with good friend and recording artiste Irene Yap.

Clement Chow with his spectacular jacket and tie.

"There you are Clement, you're on my blog."

With good friend John Klass: DJ, singer, musician

and all-round entertainer, formerly from Gold 90.5 FM,

MediaCorp. 

Cedric Cork [Vietnam War active musician]

With DJ Larry Lai [Vintage RadioSG]

Singer Maia [from Irene Yap's FB page]

Sound Engineer Tony Teo, no sound, no show!

Actually, the most important man for the two nights.

Bellingham [from Irene Yap's FB page].

Jive Talkin' [from Stephen Francis' FB page]

Stephen Francis: Organiser and Musician.

YouTube Video by: Foo Jong Fook.

John Klass singing 'Footloose'

at Blu Jaz Club 31st July 2025 

YouTube Video by Foo Jong Fook.

Jive Talking: Fantastic Singapore Group at 

Blu Jaz Clark Quay 31st July, 2025.

YouTube Video by Foo Jong Fook. 

Speedway: 'Highway Star' 

Blu Jaz Clark Quay 31st July, 2025.

YouTube Video by Foo Jong Fook. 

Message From Colin Goh [CEO]:

My sincere thanks to you Uncle Foo Jong Fook for contributing to this blog and sharing your reflections on the inaugural edition of The Don’t Write Us Off Concert in support of The Bloom Fund.

By way of background, The Bloom Fund harnesses the power of the arts to support vulnerable seniors and foster meaningful intergenerational connections. Rooted in the belief that aging should be accompanied by dignity, creativity, and community, the fund engages seniors—particularly those experiencing isolation or cognitive challenges—through participatory arts programmes, creative workshops, and public showcases. By bringing together youth and older adults in shared artistic experiences, Bloom bridges generational divides and nurtures social cohesion.

More than just a fund, Bloom serves as a gentle yet powerful reminder that seniors, too, deserve the opportunity to grow, express, and flourish—especially in the later chapters of life.

A heartfelt thank you as well to Andy Young for so generously gracing the occasion. Let’s make time to reconnect soon—I’d love to hear more of your stories and insights on the music scene of yesteryear.

Author/Videographer.

Fabian Foo Jong Fook with Mrs. Foo

Thanking the folks below for their part in this Charity Drive'

It was truly the local Pop Singapore Concert for this 2025 year!

Stephen Pianist/Singer

Anthony Kwah on Keyboards

Jimmy Lee on Drums

Din Safari on Bass

Sebastian Ho on guitar

Regi Leo on guitar

Emcees for 2 nights- Chris Henson & Rob Collins

31st July: - Bellingham Band

31st- Jive Talkin' Band

31st- John Klass

31- Speedway (5 member band)

31st- Rozie Rahim

31st - Robert Fernando

31st- Clement Chow

31st- Shawn De Mello

1st August - Stephen Francis

1st - Maia Lee

1st - Jenny Vie

1st - Alia D’melda

1st - Jylian Khoo

1st - Dominic Wong

1st- Skye Sirena

1st- Jason Chung

1st- Rob Collins

DJs:

Dj Vijay

Dj Martin

Sound engineer- Tony Teo.

More videos and photos coming in. Check this blog everyday!

 

Not everyone can be featured though! 😸

Connie Francis: A Tribute To A Legend Who Influenced Singapore Pops.

RIP:

Ms CONNIE FRANCIS: 

Dec. 12/1937 - July 16/025

Age: 87.

Concetta Rosa Maria was in the top 30 list of most popular singers in the 50s. Her songs are too many to mention so check her out. She became the first woman to top the Billboard Hot 100.

My favourites include, 'Who's Sorry Now', 'Stupid Cupid', 'My Happiness', 'Mama', 'Frankie', 'My Heart Has A Mind Of Its Own,' and 'Everybody's Somebody's Fool'.

Connie Francis' influenced much in Singapore's pop music scene with many of her millions of hit singles. 

In fact she was so popular in the 50s and 60s that the title of Singapore's Connie Francis belongs to two ladies. Patricia Pestana is the official title holder and Veronica Young could be the other one. And they do sing like Connie Francis.

The Crescendos 'Mr Twister' [sung by Susan Lim] sold more copies than Connie Francis' original and was number 10 in Philips International Top Ten. 'Stupid Cupid' has been made into a guitar instrumental by a pop guitar group called, The Stylers. Elvis recorded 'My Happiness' a long time ago.

Other songs?

This post was originally from: 

Tuesday, 10th February, 2009.

Goodbye Ms Francis. We love you...

Connie Francis: Where The Boys Are.

YouTube Video by: Crinale819.

Connie Francis: Stupid Cupid. 

YouTube Video By: 

Smurfstools Music Time Machine.

Images: Google.

One special lady singer whose songs, as many as she recorded, 

became hits. Ah! That's something to remember her by.

Natasha Low: TV Actress: "Emerald Hill: The Little Nyonya Story"

Natasha Low in 'Emerald Hill: 

The Little Nyonya Story'.

https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240504-3569448

     UP TO 400 VIEWS,     

20 COMMENTS, 22 LIKES

Ms Natasha Low [30] was first featured on this blog in 2013 when she was a K-Pop singer with the group called, SKarf. Now she's a pop TV actress on our Singapore screen acting as a boisterous, fierce but kind hearted young nyonya. What a change in roles but definitely for the better!

Congratulations Tasha. You've come a long way. Your family must really be proud of you. 

Best to read the previous article below to learn more about Natasha and her famous family...

Comments are welcome...

Click to read:👇

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/search?q=natasha+low

Natasha, during her K-Pop

days, has since left her group.

Kit Chan: Emerald Hill Theme Song 

Official Music Video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZB28Fm4Wpg

Images: Google.

Disclaimer:

This post is personal and not promotional.

Singapore 60's Music: Keith Locke [Quests]: 'Don't Play That Song' With Fred Ching

Good friend and author of this article 

Fred Ching with Keith Locke. Check them out.

    UP TO 450 VIEWS   

20 CHATS, COMMENTS

A bygone golden age of music, stunning musicians, brilliant voices and perfect harmonies, dear Brother Andy! Only the tender mercy of God did I ever get to meet Keith Locke. 

I was attending a concert to watch my childhood idol, Veronica Young at NLB Singapore. I was at this charity event and this dude was seated next to me. I recognised him.. and said ‘wow’ you’re Keith Locke? Blessings. 

We stepped out to take a breather during interval, and I thank him for his contributions to our Singapore music scene with The Quests. I asked him for an autograph and he scribbled it out on a card that I carried around in my wallet until it disintegrated! 

Concert tickets for Keith's show in 2012 Singapore that

Fred attended. Fred has watched 100s of international

pop music performances in Singapore alone...

We had supper together with Veronica and friends after the show. We walked Veronica back to her hotel and I took Keith for a car ride. I blasted some of the Quests songs and it brought tears to his eyes on hearing some of the songs that he wrote. 

What a remarkable man who worked extremely hard for his days with The Quests, probably the biggest Singapore band of all time! Wherever Keith may be.. God bless him.

🙏❤️🙏.. 

By Fred Ching     

Fred Ching has authored

a number of articles for this blog.

Check him out under LABELS below.

Keith Locke, 'Don't Play That Song'.

YouTube Video by: William Chan.

[With Ernesto Valerio, Veronica Young and

the amiable Jimmy Yap.]

With Henry Chua, Quests bassist, 

who went solo with Keith.

Here's socialite Jolly Jimmy Yap [in white], singing  

beside Keith Locke. Everyone calls him Mr. Everywhere. 

He is everywhere. Video has 20,000 plus views.

Images: Google.

A Malaysian Blog Reader Tributes Reggie Verghese, Martin Pereira, Vincent Lim, Iskandar Mirza Ismail.

UP TO 500 VIEWS, 24 COMMENTS

Anita Sarawak and Tracy Huang

Anita Serawak - 'Ayam Den Lapeh'

YouTube Video from:Zulkifli Ahmad

'Hello Darling': Tracy Huang

YouTube Video from: Michael Lim

"I am a Malaysian...": A Letter From Across The Causeway.

While checking letters from readers I came across this Anonymous comment below. Thank you so much dear reader and friend for writing from across the Causeway about these four very talented musical producers and the vinyl records that resulted, which were later sold during the cassette years.

Here's the letter in full:

"I am a Malaysian 61 now in 2024 and remember as far back as in the late 1970’s when my gifted and talented school mate who came from a musically inclined family bought the Anita Sarawak and Tracy Huang cassettes [images] and shared and played them for us. 

I was only about 15 or 16 at that time and the first thing I noticed was how remarkably the production sounded… it sounded very similar to the originals but sung by local divas Anita and Tracy... naturally, we read the credits. It started, 'Produced by Reggie Verghese...'

The original cassette of Tracy Huang 

as specified on the label and cover.

Cassette tapes of Tracy Huang 

sold well during the 1970s.

For illustration only as these 

cassettes above may be pirated copies.

Two other names, and were mostly being associated in other future collaborations were Martin Pereira and Vincent Lim [father of our well-known Singapore opposition party member, Jamus Lim]… till today, and add one more, the late Iskandar Mirza Ismail; nothing remotely close has ever come from Singapore as classy and of such quality standard from these four names… 

Cassette tapes of Anita Sarawak were recorded, 

produced and made by the awesome foursome 

mentioned by our Anonymous reader. 

The illustrations above may be pirated copies.

Original cassette with EMI Label.

They were trailblazers… so many throwing around names like King of Swing, King of this and King of that but no one remotely came close with the above talented and awesome foursome…

Thank you Singapore…thank you Reggie, Martin, Vincent and Iskandar … all great musicians & great humble human beings." 

NB:

Beside the original ones many of these cassettes sold were pirated copies. A lot of them were sold in the open market, legally or otherwise. Business was brisk as production was cheap and sold for merely $2.00 a piece or thereabouts. 

I am just wondering how the rightful companies and music producers dealt with this issue... Comments are welcome from readers.

Images: Google.

Singapore 60's Music Siva Choy: Incredibly Gifted Intellectual. 'Why You So Like That?' By Old Bloke.

Siva Choy: 'Why You So Like Dat?'

50,000 vinyl copies sold.

https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/artist-detail/music/11659-choy-siva

    UP TO 250 VIEWS   

34 CHATS, COMMENTS

There are many moments when I find a rush going to my head; that there are generous people out there who write positively about others but yet do not reveal who they are. Old Bloke is one. Thank you for writing this piece about Siva Choy. Singapore 60s Music fans will ever be grateful for this gem of a write-up about him. 

"There'll never be another Siva Choy. And the world will be a poorer place for it.

The most apt description I've ever heard of Siva was while jovially chatting with a mutual good friend, now gone too - Zul Sultan of Tania. It was, "genius bordering on madman".

Our paths first crossed in 1982. Three years later, I returned to Singapore after being overseas and thus started an almost 40 year friendship, mentorship and the rare chance to be with an incredibly gifted intellectual. The year was 1986, he and I were in a bar, The Ancient Mariner off Adam Road, me with my orange juice (I'm a teetotaller) him with his beer. I'll never forget it. 

MC Siva C ft. Kopi Kat Klan: Why U So Like Dat? 

YouTube Video by: Famous or Forgotten Mu

I was 27 and he was about 38 going on 39 and gave me some sage advice; "Try to accomplish as much as you can by 40 because the years between now and then will disappear in the blink of an eye." It was one of the rare moments in my life I actually listened to someone and followed his advice relentlessly. I've always been grateful.

I'll never forget it, the rap song and comedy album "Why You So Like Dat," sold 50,000 copies. The newspapers and local music industry described it as "staggering". I witnessed him producing it. 

"Siva Choy is brilliant but incredibly humble."

Do I miss the many late night discussions, the many tears (admittedly all mine), the jokes, the nights where he was always invited on stage to sing with Zul and Tania, when we feasted on my horrendous cooking, laughed and joked with each other? Yes and no. What I miss most is his intellect and the deep conversations we had about everything and anything. He was a well read scholar but he knew the life of academia wasn't for him.

The most amazing thing about Siva I found was that for all his talent, ingenuity, creativity, intellect and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it - brilliance, he was incredibly humble; frustratingly so in fact. He did everything possible to avoid the limelight. I miss him.

There'll never be another Siva Choy. And the world will be a poorer place for it. I amongst many certainly feel his loss."

Author: Old Bloke. 

13th April, 2024.

Readers can connect to other posts about Siva Choy by clicking his name under Labels below. 

A Tribute To Jerry Murad, Dukes: From Crystal Abidin: An Extract.

 

AN ANNOUNCEMENT:

[JERRY MURAD, BROTHER OF DANIEL ABIDIN, HAS PASSED AWAY TODAY, 1ST NOVEMBER, 2023, ACCORDING TO HIS WIFE'S MESSAGE FROM W.A. CONDOLENCES TO HER & FAMILY.

The article below was written some years ago by Jerry's niece, Crystal.

A labour of love: Growing up with Jerry Murad of The Dukes.

By Crystal Abidin.

"My father has five brothers and two sisters, which makes for a whole lot of cousins for my sister and I to play with when we were growing up (and every Raya is a mini logistical nightmare, but that’s another story for another time).

Uncle Murad is secretly my favourite one.

Many veteran musicians in Singapore know Jerry Murad as the front man and lead guitarist of the 1960's band, The Dukes. My father, Zainal Abidin, was the bassist – he has several magazine covers and vinyl covers from his treasure trove to prove that they were once young, fine, eligible young men.

While many great musicians of his cohort have gone on to fulltime jobs in other sectors, Jerry Murad is one of the few musicians who has managed to maintain a career (and raise a family of five) as a professional musician for over five decades.

Here is a snapshot of his life. I know Jerry Murad intimately. He is the uncle who showered me with the most gifts when I was growing up..."

For the full article click the link below:

CRYSTAL TALKS ABOUT UNCLE JERRY MURAD:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/01/growing-up-with-jerry-murad-of-dukes.html

RIP JERRY. CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY.

Jerry Murad with Transit

@ The Esplanade

You TubeVideo by cjyeo.

22nd May, 2015.

Andy's 60s Music Wax Lyrical: Simplicity of Songs

Paul Anka with Diana Ayoub. He composed his big hit and writing the lyrics about her.

   UP TO 1,200 VIEWS  

 25 CHATS, COMMENTS

Lyrics of bygone days are simple and easy to remember. Nearly every pop-song enthusiast can remember the innocence of Paul Anka's infatuation for 'Diana', his babysitter:

I'm so young and you're so old

This my darling I've been told
I don't care just what they say
Cause forever I will stay...
Oh please stay by me, Diana.

It has an easy, upbeat calypso rhythm associated with the blossoming appeal for the newly loved to 'stay by me'. Such songs are common with first love themes and the joyful, innocent union. For Anka it is genuine.

Shirley Nair with her other hits on Philips backed by The Silver Strings.

Then there's the other extreme, as our local 60s boys and girls get into the song-writing act, so whether it's encountering first love or lamenting the loss of one, the same heart rendering devotion of innocence is projected. Shirley Nair's, 'Come Home To Me' reveals this phase as she pleads in all seriousness:

Oh my darling I miss you so
Please please try to understand
I never meant to hurt you
So please come home
Come home to me...

The rhythm is different with a pleasant rhumba beat and as the tears trickle the innocence of love prevails.

It was originally by Ben E. King, this classic became a big hit here in Singapore but covered by The Quests.

I can still remember The Quests who backed Keith Locke (image) with the song, "You Lied". The repetitive lyrics using these two words made the composition so simple to remember and enjoy. No angry tones, no messages and no unpleasant words.  

Sung originally by Ben E. King, this classic became a big hit here in Singapore, even today and still carried by many local artistes. I remember it is the favourite of Patrick Chan (image above) who sang it during our gig at Boys' Town and Orchard Road in 2015.

Like life, lyrics written in the 60s were like stars in the sky, exposed. Are present lyrics just as straight-forward? Is life just as simple too?

Patrick Chan sings 'Don't Play That Song For Me'. Video by Fabian Foo. Thanks Fabian.

Image: Quests Collection
YouTube Video by Fabian Foo Jong Fook.

Original Article: Andy Lim

This article has been forwarded from 2015.