Andy 60s Music Meets Steadfast Friend Merlin

Merlin Lim: Pop Musician, Guitarist, 

Traveller and Chow Chow Lover In Shanghai*.

AI generated dog and guitar. 

I did not meet Merlin Lim for many years after Covid struck in 2019 so I suggested that we should since we are old friends in a pop guitar group during the 60's. He agreed and the revelations and his philosophy in life today struck a note in me. 

When I thanked him for the chat, advice and his gift of exquisitely boxed mooncakes, he wrote to me. With his permission, as he speaks from his heart, the letter is produced below. Thanks again Merlin. 

"Sharing An Afternoon, With My Dear Old Long-Lost Friend, Andy Young.

This Meeting Was Planned for Mid-September at Novena Square. After A Hug n Warm Greeting, We Went Looking For A Place To Sit, Chat n Some Lunch. Most Eateries Were Packed At That Moment In Time.

While Eating, We Spoke About Those Good Old Days n I Mentioned To Andy, When I Was Driven Out From My Home By My Dad, He n His Parents Offered Me Shelter For A Couple Of Days. Though Andy Could Not Recall, From My Side,
I Did Not Forget Their Kindness n Protection For My Troubled Mind n Body.

Gradually Our Conversation Covered Life in General n How To Live n Be A Meaningful, Virtuous Person n This Leads To The Topic Of:
1 ) No Killing,
2 ) No Stealing,
3 ) No Lying,
4 ) No Intoxication, n
5 ) No Unlawful Intimacies or Misconduct.

As For Killing, It Mainly Refers To: Killing A Human or That, Which Is To Be Human, i.e. 'Abortion'. No Stealing: Taking Something That Was Not Given, Regardless Of The Value. Eg, If I Go To Your Home, Open Your Fridge n Take A Drink Without Informing U, That Could Be Termed As Stealing. Lying, Is To Say Something That Is Untrue. No Intoxication, Refers To Alcohol, Drugs or Substances That Hinders Your State Of MIND. Unlawful Intimacies n Misconduct, Is Having Intimacies At A Holy Place, Intimacies Between Father n Daughter, Mother n Son, etc.

All Those Above Are My Humble Understanding n In No Way Is There Any Intention To Harm Other People's Point Of View. Please Accept My Sincere n Humble Apologies With Love n Compassion.

Peace n Bliss To All Who Read or Come In Contact With This Lunch Talk I Had With My Dear Old Friend, Andy, Who Is More Dear To Me Than Life Itself.
Love, 

Merl. "

Comments are welcome.

Merlin Lim [left] with Andy.

When I asked Merlin for his favourite song, he replied in all sincerity:

There Are Quite A Few Bro.
During the Band Boy Days With Veronica Young, It Was, "Nina Bobo." With Shirley Nair, "Let It Be Me." With Dickie, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale."

With Yours Truly, Andy Young ... I Don't Remember That Indonesian or Malay Song but I Have the Tune In My Head. "Da, Da, Da, Da , Da ... Da. Da, Da, Da, Da, Da... Ah, yes, "Impian Semalam".

Procol Harem: 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'. 

YouTube Official Video by FLY RECORDS.

Selected song and a favourite of the late Dickie Tan.

Images:

 buddhistssymbols - Search Images , 

Personal photos taken by Merlin Lim and Andy Young:

In Shanghai, during the cultural revolution, the composition picture above from AI would be unachievable. But he was there.

Click below...

.: 60s Music Guitarist Merlin Lim ['Philips' Vinyl Recording Artiste] Had Pet ChowChow Sailing With Him

Andy 60s Music Visits Dr Tan Licia At SNEC: You Can See "Eye To I".

The Singapore National Eye Centre next to the

Singapore General Hospital at Outram Road.

In the middle of what I knew would be a pleasant eye surgery, I tried to share my joy by mumbling my thoughts during sedation at the operating table with the friendly team in the theatre. And what did I tell them? I revealed to them that I have a music blog. 

"Crazy man crazy, crazy news!" [Bill Haley]. 

And it all happened while I was under anesthesia because that’s when the mind became relaxed and euphoric. Because of the state I was in the incident was totally out of my mind afterwards. Even forgot to tell my wife who accompanied me for the appointment.

A week later when I met my soft-spoken and charming lady doctor, TAN LICIA again for a post-surgical appointment, she mentioned that she checked this blog. 

Oh my, Dr. Tan.  "Goodness, gracious me!" [Peter Sellers].

I was totally surprised but thanked her for reading it. We got to talking as she revealed that she plays the piano with a family that loves music, ie: hubby and children in audience and active.

An AI illustration of eye surgery in an operating theatre.

Dr Tan is kind, friendly and as she gently snipped away the surgical stitches below my eye, she explained what I needed to do for aftercare. A professional surgeon indeed! And she mentioned, in all seriousness… “We need music in life.” 

"Thanks for all the joy they're giving

Who can live without it? I ask in all honesty

What would life be?" [Abba]

Before leaving I asked for a picture together. Wait. Was it allowed? The nurse had to find out about hospital protocol. She came back with a positive smile and took us.

Again, thank you Dr. Tan for the successful surgery; your pleasant ways; for reading this blog and for being a music lover.

Here's one doctor any patient could see, "👁 to I" with.

New comments are always welcome.

Currently 26 are below. Check them out.

With Dr. Tan Licia.

Disclaimer: 

Post is not written to promote any medical institution nor professional.

Images: Google, Meta AI, Andy.

Johnny Nash - 'I Can See Clearly Now' (Official Audio)

YouTube Video By: JohnnyNashVEVO

 

Gift To Andy 60s Music Blog For Nearly 6M Views: CAROL KAYE: First Lady On Bass: By Author Henri Gann [California].

Carol Kaye: First Lady On Bass. Read it out loud!

Old friend Henri writes again, after many, many years, as he sends me this gift below about his favourite instrument and about guitar lady, Carol Kaye. Thanks Henri. Our friendship never ends with this music connection...

My fascination with the Precision Bass began when I saw the late Nokie Edwards, one of my favorite members of The Ventures, playing bass in the group’s early years. I still remember that rich, crisp punch—the deep bass notes that could almost turn into a growl when pushed through a Fender Bassman amplifier.

Even today, that sound immediately transports me back to my teenage years and The Trekkers, when we tried to capture that same driving Ventures sound with our own bass guitar. Music has a remarkable ability to preserve a moment in time. A few deep notes from a Precision Bass, and suddenly I am young again.

Carol Kaye: Bassist, Guitarist

Carol Kaye 'Boogaloo' 

YouTube Video by: Sleazy Emotions.

My recent reading about Carol Kaye, now 91 and one of the most prolific bass players in the history of popular music, rekindled my interest in the Precision Bass. As a legendary Los Angeles studio musician, she played on thousands of recordings during the 1960s and 1970s, often providing the bass lines behind songs that became part of the soundtrack of our generation.

In 2025, Kaye declined her induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in the Musical Excellence category. Among her objections was the way the story of Los Angeles studio musicians—and particularly the label commonly used to describe them—had been portrayed and commercialized over the years.

So, the next time you hear one of these familiar recordings, listen beyond the singer and melody. Listen for the bass. You may be hearing Carol Kaye:

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” — Nancy Sinatra (1966)

“Last Train to Clarksville” — The Monkees (1966)

“The Beat Goes On” — Sonny & Cher (1967)

“You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” — The Righteous Brothers (1964)

“Good Vibrations” — The Beach Boys (1966)

“California Girls” — The Beach Boys (1965)

“Homeward Bound” — Simon & Garfunkel (1966)

Les Paul with Carol Kaye: 

YouTube Video from: chris lentz

“Sloop John B” — The Beach Boys (1966)

“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” — The Beach Boys (1966)

“Wichita Lineman” — Glen Campbell (1968)

"Mission Impossible" Theme - (1967)

"The Addams Family" Theme - (1964)

"Hawaii Five-O" Theme - (1968)

"Take Five" - (1961)

For me, this particular Bass guitar is more than an instrument. It is a sound tied to a time in my life—the Ventures, the Trekkers, and the excitement of being young and trying to make music of our own.

By Author: Henri Gann.

Comments are welcome.

Author Henri Gann lives in California, USA.

He is one of the original contributing writers for this blog.

Thanks Henri.

Passing 5.8 Million+ Views.

Reaching 6 million as predicted by Henri Gann.

As of 25th August, 2026.

Images: Google.

Andy 60s Music: Tribute To The Late James Choy [Choi] By Old Bloke.

James Choy

A sad message indeed from 'Old Bloke' who wrote:

Hi Mr. Young,

It's me 'Old Bloke'. Siva Choy was one half The Cyclones. At the age of 16 he teamed up with his brother James also known as 'Achuthan' to form the duo. 

Yesterday, 30th July, James Choi [yes different spelling of surname] passed away, aged 81. They were often referred to as, 'Singapore's Everly Brothers.' Siva wrote original songs from the age of 16 and recorded them.

Goodnight James. Have fun jamming with Siva, Zul, Sonny Bala... the list goes on.

31st July, 2026.

Thanks, Old Bloke for sharing with us the news of James' passing. May he Rest In Peace. God Bless His Soul.

The Cyclones: 'Oh No She Didn't Say.' 

YouTube Video by: Basil Yeo.

Click to read below:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2018/03/siva-choy-rip-tribute-from-horace-wee-2.html

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

[Disclaimer: Thanks again, Old Bloke for the above tribute. Hopefully the family agrees to this posting as there had been instances when such a post had to be withdrawn from the blog. Do write on the comment page to inform.]

Singapore Andy 60s Music: When The Weather, The Food, The People, The Relationship Is HOT!!!

 

I like her grin. She makes everything feel cool already but read on...

Hot Weather:

A high degree of heat; anything beyond 35C is definitely hot. Like in Kuwait City in 2024, it was about 50C. Now, in France too, at 40C and over, shoppers are scrambling to buy cooling appliances. 40C is hot and problems arise with people, places and things when temperature goes beyond expectations!

Hot Food:

Food with lots and lots of chilly and pepper. Now that's HOT STUFF and produces a burning sensation in the mouth. Which countries eat food with lots of chilly in them? Singapore is one with Nasi Padang and Sambal Belacan. Sichuan cold noodles tossed in blazing hot chilli sauce. There’s Spanish tomato-based soup with garlic and chilli pepper. And others.

Hot People:

Now when you're angry, you get hot too and the heat generated may melt the other party. Quarrels between friends, etc. Like in today's world, there are millions of angry citizens because of weak politicians in charge, especially those with no leadership qualities. No need for a hot July or August but silly, angry people who are just frustrated and full of ego, filled with hot air and very negative thinking. 

Hot Relationship: 

This 'heat' would be similar but it's more positive? Now two people in love and are in a relationship could bring their body temperature up when they are together. What more can I say? 

[Don't forget to click the connection below about *'heat'.]

Donna Summer - 'Hot Stuff' (Live) The Donna Summer Special, 1980) 

YouTube from: The Donna Summer Archive.

Hot Pop 70s Song: 

Which finally brings me to this song by Donna Summer [even her surname! 😉]. It's an extremely hot song so check out the lyrics. I have included only a few lines though:

"I want some hot stuff, baby, this evenin'/Gotta have some hot stuff/Gonna have some love tonight (hot stuff)/I need hot stuff/I want some hot stuff/Lookin' for a lover who needs another..."

Enough quoted! So just be wary when eating hot food on a hot July with a hot partner. It might lead to climate change. And it starts in this month of JULY. 

Writing is done in jest.

Comments are welcome folks but do be wary that there are younger readers who check out this blog too.

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

*Heat:

What song begins with the words, "The heat is on..." No googling.

Which gives 'hot' another meaning.

Check the connection below to find out:

.: Weather Forecast: The Heat Is On: Glenn Frey: Singapore Sizzles

Images: Google. 

YouTube: Video.

(3) Beautiful Sunday, Blue Monday, Ruby Tuesday, Wednesday Evening Blues, Thursday, Black Friday, Another Saturday Night.

Soon it will be Blue Monday...

'By the Light of the Silvery Moon': Doris Day, To my honey, I'll croon love's tune, Honey moon, keeps a-shinin' in June...

Now it's Beautiful Sunday with October Cherries. 

Beautiful Sunday: October Cherries. YouTube Video by: kt jong

Well, just playing with days, weeks, months and years! Remember them so you won't get dementia...

The days of the weeks feature in many song titles too. Limiting them from the 50s to 70s compositions, there are already a few hundred songs.

Beginning from *The World Hits 'Beautiful Sunday' Album (1972 - image) by the October Cherries, a Singapore group, there are titles like, Blue Monday by Bob Seger, Sunday, Monday Or Always by Frank Sinatra.

Ruby Tuesday is by The Rolling Stones, Melanie, Twiggy, Bobby Goldsboro. Wednesday Evening Blues by John Lee Hooker, Thursday by Jim Croce, Black Friday by Steely Dan, Another Saturday Night by Cat Stevens, Sam Cooke, The Bay City Rollers, The Eagles and Earth Wind and Fire.

Sunday Best is by Bobbie Gentry, Sunday Morning Coming Down by Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, That Sunday, That Summer by Nat King Cole, A Monday Date by Louis Armstrong, Rainy Days and Mondays by The Carpenters. The list goes on...

*Beautiful Sunday, available by October Cherries on World Hits 1973 Single ES6-A, A Baal Production on Elastic Record. Composer/original recording is by Daniel Boone.

Here comes Ruby Tuesday...

"Ruby Tuesday": Melanie; YouTube Video by: Melanie Safka [official page]

Any other song you know that relates to calendar connections? 

Just keep on commenting...

'Wednesday Evening Blues': John Lee Hooker. The guitar man on a lonely evening.

'Thursday' by Jim Croce: 'Cause I was looking for a lifetime lover, And you were looking for a friend. [reversed?]

'Black Friday': Steely Dan: When Black Friday comes, I'll collect everything I'm owed, And before my friends find out, I'll be on the road...

'Another Saturday Night,' Cat Stevens: I got in town a month ago, I seen a lot of girls since then, If I could meet 'em I could get 'em...

Created by Andy Lim.

Be your own artist - don't copy!

Images: Google and Meta AI.

[This posting has been updated.]

Andy 60s Music: Market Gardener With Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme.

'Scarborough Fair' with Lyrics: YouTube Video by S.Vansay.

Here's a letter from a friend who lives in faraway Canada. She chats so cheerfully about her lovely garden and describes it 'live' here. Thanks so much JD.

 💐🌹🥀🌺🌻🪻🌷💐💐🌹🥀🌺🌻🪻🌷💐💐🌹🥀🌺🌻🪻🌷💐💐🌹🥀🌺🌻

I must admit I chuckled when I read your suggestion below that I am "adept with nature". Oh my, no, though I wish I were. I do have a large garden, because it pleases me to have bright flowers and greenery in the yard and visible from my windows, but apart from planting, watering and weeding as needed, I am a very lazy gardener, and not particularly knowledgeable either. I like plants that mostly take care of themselves.  

This is a photograph of the market gardener the writer was describing. It has been generated by AI and is not of any random picture from internet images. 

My nephew is an avid gardener, and very knowledgeable; his mother was a market gardener and seems to know everything about plants. (Until she retired, she sold her vegetables & flowers at local seasonal markets.) I think that if she doesn't know something about a plant, then it must not be worth knowing. 😉 My nephew grows everything from seed, and this year is providing me with a number of herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage, etc.) and several geraniums, for which I am delighted.

The writer cleaning up her garden which usually takes some months.

Unfortunately, apart from a few deliciously warm days this spring, it has mostly been very chilly and windy here, so I have not yet done any work in the garden, nor have I purchased any flowers for the pots on the front porch and patio. There is a lot of clean-ups to do of winter-dead matter, as well as early weeds, and fallen branches. Once I get started, the garden will keep me busy until late autumn.

Rosemary and Thyme. These are herbs best grown where there's sunshine. They are drought tolerant and do not require much watering. 

Geraniums below. Spectacularly bright red and attention seeking. The quieter greens are parsley.

Sage 

Screenshot of 'Scarborough Fair' YouTube Video by S.Vansay.

Images: Flowers are from Bing.

Andy 60s Music: 'Colors Of The Wind' Song From Disney's 'Pocahontas': Interpreting Its Lyrics

Suite & 'Colors of the Wind' [Pocahontas] - Christine Allado | Hollywood in Vienna 2022 YouTube Video from: Yannick Lotz. 

Alan Menken composed the music for 'Colors of the Wind,' with lyrics by Stephen Schwartz [1995].

Suite & Colors Of The Wind (Pocahontas) - Christine Allado | Hollywood in Vienna 2022 

One interpretation of 'Colors Of The Wind':

I have always loved the above song from the Walt Disney movie and until recently, captured the above version again on YouTube video. This time around the words jumped out from the page and I realized that the lyrics sounded more meaningful.

"You think you own whatever land you land on/ The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim/ But I know every rock, and tree, and creature/ Has a life, has a spirit, has a name."

If we are aware of the tumultuous goings~on in the world around us today, the lines above are definitely familiar. News from today's headlines? Surely.

"You think the only people who are people/ Are the people who look and think like you/ But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger/ You'll learn things, you never knew, you never knew."

Christine Allado, a Filipino-British and current singing star and actress. Check her out on the many websites available that discuss her achievements and awards she holds.

I'm not much into politics and don't want to step on anyone's toes, especially the animals' mentioned in the lyrics, so I turned to AI and the answer came easily:

Yes, the lyrics of 'Colors of the Wind' from Disney's 'Pocahontas' can be, and have been, associated with modern conflicts, bombings, and environmental destruction by acting as a counter-narrative to violence, exploitation, and dehumanization. 

While originally written in 1992 to reflect the perspectives of Native Americans against colonization, the song's themes are frequently re-interpreted today as a protest against the "conqueror" mindset. 

"The rainstorm and the river are my brothers."

Here is how the lyrics associate with modern bombing and conflict:

* Critique of Disregard for Life ("You think you own whatever land you land on / The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim"): This lyric is interpreted as a critique of colonial or modern military efforts that treat landscapes and inhabited areas as mere territory to be claimed, bombed, or destroyed, disregarding the life, spirit, and communities that exist there.

* Dehumanization of Others ("You think the only people who are people / Are the people who look and think like you"): This line is used to comment on conflict, racism, and the tendency of groups to dehumanize their opponents in war, reducing them to "savages" rather than recognizing them as fellow humans.

* Interconnectedness ("We are all connected to each other / In a circle, in a hoop that never ends"): This directly contrasts with the destructive impact of bombing, emphasizing that the destruction of people or the environment in one place affects everyone.

"How high does the sycamore grow? / If you cut it down, then you'll never know."

"Come run the hidden pine trails of the forest/ Come taste the sun-sweet berries of the earth/ Come roll in all the riches all around you/And for once never wonder what they're worth..."

* A Call for Empathy ("But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger / You'll learn things you never knew"): This calls for understanding and dialogue, opposing the violence that creates refugees and destruction. 

*According to reports in 2025, people have used the song on social media to comment on conflicts in the Middle East and other environmental issues, finding the lyrics to be a "generational rallying cry" against violence and destruction. 

(This article is an AI generated reply.)

"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned?"

 "The rainstorm and the river are my brothers/ The heron and the otter are my friends/ And we are all connected to each other/ In a circle, in a hoop that never ends..."

"Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains/ Can you paint with all the colors of the wind..."

Judy Kuhn [left], the original singer and Vanessa Williams both sang, "Colors of the Wind."

Images: Google.

Andy 60s Music: April, A Lovely Flower Maiden, Abandons Him, But There's May Waiting, And June...

As April leaves us and May approaches, we observe that June is waiting to mark the middle of twenty twenty-six. That's half-way through the year and 3 flowers are blooming...

Three Dog Night: 'Pieces Of April.'

YouTube Video by:12 mulligan.

Watch the variety of flowers on this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeJ6EpYwvzA

The following comments are extracts taken from previous blog sites: 

From the late Dave Loggins, composer: Uploaded on Jan 2, 2009.

"I would like to thank everyone for their kind thoughts on "Pieces." I wrote it at a very special time of my life. Special, because I met the "love of my life" and had recently lost her. By chance, we were together for three consecutive Aprils and then she left me for good. Today, I don't know where she is or how her life turned out. 

May is symbolic of the present, April was and still remains a sweet yesterday. I have never really gotten over "April" and the "pieces" still remain. Those sweet Aprils... It's my favorite song, too." 

Tomas Rodriguez, blog reader, says:

It is a really beautiful song, but it is very sad. I also think that the memory that he has of the woman is really an illusion. What he is really attached to is the feeling of sadness and longing that is evoked by his memory of the relationship. At the end of the day she did abandon him [and ladies he did abandon you] so why honor her/him for that? Love God, love life and love yourself first...

Suituapui, blogger was in Singapore, 1973, says:

Ooooo...one of my all-time favourite songs. 3 Dog Night's ‘Pieces of April’ - 1973. I was in Singapore that year, Stamford College, Waterloo Street. Those were the days. I saw Heather and the Thunderbirds - Lost Horizon, Shangri La...and also another place, Malaysia Hotel...can't remember the name now. I saw a very young Anita Sarawak too - Top of the Hilton. Oooo...what memories. [Suituapui means 'Beautiful Fat Guy'].

Maggie May: Rod Stewart. With Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. YouTube Video by: Rod Stewart.   

Poppa Madison, blog reader, says:

Pity so many young women of today don't merit this kind of romantic approach. I feel sorry for the young guys of recent generations who want to give their hearts to a lovely fair maiden, but more often than not come face to face with a gaggle of boozed up, foul mouthed, violent, out of their mind female juvenile delinquents when they go out try and find one they can give their all to. 

50 years ago, I can vouch that we actually had real ladies and gentlemen with good manners and a sense of socially interactive behaviour that many of today's young lot could not even begin to be able to get close to understanding let alone emulate.

Wot a shame!   😱

[But don't forget guys, if April has left you, there's always May and June waiting...]

Rainy Day In June: Kinks. YouTube Video by: 1966 Stereo In.

Flowers donated by Mrs. R. Lim. 

Thank you, Mademoiselle.