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

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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.

'Sayonara' 60s Music: American/Japanese Influence, Marlon Brando, James Mitchener, Irving Berlin, Miyoshi Umeki, The Quests, Tracy Huang.

The Quests: 'Sayonara'. YouTube 

Video By: Famous or Forgotten Music.

Listen to the Jimmy Chan organ solo!

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J-Pop or Japanese popular music reminds me of two songs significantly Japanese, but neither is J-Pop. One of these songs became popular because of Marlon Brando's encounter with Miyoshi Umeki and Hollywood's exotica about everything eastern.

'Sayonara' the movie (1957), from the book by James Mitchener and 'Sayonara' the song by famous lyricist, Irving Berlin, encompassed everything that was stereo-typical about the Japanese in the eyes of the Americans. 

"Sayonara, Japanese goodbye

Whisper sayonara, but you mustn't cry

No more we stop to see pretty cherry blossom

No more we 'neath the trees, looking at the sky..." .

But the public absorbed the song like tears to tissue paper and it became a hit in Singapore in the late 50s and lingering beyond the 60s. And Brando's line, "Well, that's the cutest thing I ever saw honey..." after listening to the song, confirmed America's ideas about Eastern people and culture. Definitely the mysterious East.

The original version by Miiko Ta'aka, is from the soundtrack of the film, while the one played on radio was by Miyoshi Umeki. Her 45 rpm vinyl, Sayonara - Japanese Farewell Song - has, Be Sweet Tonight on its flipside (Mercury 71216). Both versions are great to listen to.

.

It is still a popular song and there were numerous covers done in Asia. Singapore pop band, The Quests, did an instrumental version in the 60s and in the 70s. Listen to the solo interlude by Jimmy Chan. He's playing from the heart.

Tracy Huang our beautiful, sophisticated recording artiste did a cover too. These two are the popular versions. The book by Mitchener?  A good read indeed.

Sayonara 黃露儀 sung by: Tracy Huang. 

YouTube Video by: wang0928051789

The book! 

A stock phrase, "When 

East meets West"

Miyoshi Umeki sings SAYONARA - 

YouTube video by: dfactoryusa.

The English language performance of the Irving Berlin song, "Sayonara" was from the December 1957 movie of the same name, She performed a different version in the movie. Eddie Fisher released a version prior to the movie coming out which stole some of her thunder. She also performed a different song called Sayonara (The Japanese Farewell Song) in 1956.

Image: http://www.imdb.com/title

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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

at least credit the blog and me because copying is stealing.

Andy.

Reggie Verghese: Artiste, Music Director, Producer

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 80 CHATS N COMMENTS 

This posting is a short tribute to Mr Reggie Verghese who had passed away on the 17th June 2015 at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.  According to his wife Mrs Virginia Verghese, he died of heart failure.

I had met Reggie a couple of times backstage in the mid 1960's when I fronted a band or two but had never known him personally.  Polite smiles and a nod were the usual gestures of recognition backstage because our minds were occupied with pre-performance jitters rather than empty conversations.

He was pleasant, usually quiet behind his dark sunglasses but a dynamo on stage when he fed his music mates and their cheering audiences with his live wire guitar licks, lightning finger wizardry and pop guitar solos. Reggie with The Quests were huge then, selling records that surpassed the 20,000 copies during first release.

It was only in the last six years or so that I realised what a giant figure he was in the late 60's, 70's and 80's when, on scrutinizing my vinyl collection, I noticed his profile (usually in very small prints) on the back sleeve covers of Frankie Cheah, Tracy Huang, Anita Sarawak, Matthew/Mandarins and other albums. 

Some albums that Reggie Verghese produced for recording companies.

He had his own series of Reg Guitar Long Plays (33 ¹/3 rpm) where he recorded instrumental pieces using his own arrangements and guitar techniques. He was the music producer, arranger, adviser of these best sellers and a master behind the recording consoles.

The list is long but I have with me only a small collection of Reggie Verghese records that he had produced during his vibrant and productive years as a musician. (Listen to RV's rendition of Feelings as interpreted by Tracy Huang at the side-bar on the right.)

We have indeed lost a talented Singapore son. Rest in peace, Reggie Verghese.  We shall always remember you when we listen to the melodies you have provided.

Friends, readers and all those who have known Reggie one way or another send condolence to Mrs Verghese and Family.

Tracy Huang 'Feelings' - 

A Reggie Verghese arrangement. Video by Woho Weng

Images from: 
A Private Collection and Google including albums by Frankie Cheah, Anita Sarawak, Tracy Huang, Matthew/Mandarins, Tania, SuZanna Teo and Tony, Terry n Spencer.

Tracy Huang: Soft, Sweet, Sophisticated, Stylish

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Tracy Huang is one of the 300 singers selected to appear and sing in this year's National Day Parade Theme Song for 2019. Question is. Is she Singaporean?  Anyway, here's a look back at Ms. Huang when she was a pop queen in 70s Singapore.

She was the singer with the most beautiful face and was Singapore's sweetheart in the 70's drawing sitting room audiences during her shows on local television singing love ballads. With her beautiful face, soft, sweet voice and sophisticated appeal, Tracy Huang (黃露儀) became a hit with Singaporeans. She became a good friend to all her fans interpreting their joys and sorrows on TV and on vinyl.

In the 70s, when the EP was in less demand, her Long Play (LP) records filled the vinyl shops along North Bridge Road. I remember seeing her albums dominating the shelves in the 70s and were beside Teresa Teng's bit hits.

Huang has two names. In Singapore, she is known as Huang Luyi, but back home in Taiwan, she is Huang Ying Ying. She became a popular singer at the exclusive American Club where audiences were necessarily limited, but enthusiastic. Her specializing more in English songs than in Chinese ones earned her a fan base with local Singaporeans who do not understand Mandarin.

Tracy Huang: Hello Darling 

YouTube Video from Michael Lim

When she came to Singapore, the local television organisation contracted her as a compere for the Chinese Variety Show series. As an example, in one of the shows in April 1978, Tracy was the MC for Musical Showcase for Channel 8  and featured singers, Mimi, The Tang Sisters, Pai Sar, Ai Loon and the popular Ching Wai and Chopstick Sisters. She did well professionally and at that time also signed on with EMI to do covers of English songs.

Her popularity soared and she completed many albums up to the 80s. Name a chartbuster of yesteryear and she would probably have covered it. In fact, she has an album that covered only the sixties biggest hits like San Francisco (Flowers In Your Hair), Fool On A Hill, Hurt So Bad, To Sir With Love, If We Are Only Friends, Rhythm Of The Rain, Sound Of Silence and more.

No Singapore singer can be so demure and enchanting.

Many of her EMI vinyl was produced and arranged by The Quests' top gun, Reggie Verghese and engineered by Vincent Lim. Singapore's ability to produce vinyl of quality in the 70s brought many Asian artistes to our shore to record.

Her first English album Feelings was rewarded with a Hong Kong Gold Disc Award for outstanding sales and a similar trend followed with Mississippi and I Don't Want To Talk About It. She also became a hit in Australia.

Tracy Huang didn't forget her Mandarin followers and the quality recordings set new standards too. Her albums succeeded in the most difficult of markets and she soon became a household name in this region. Slow numbers or fast ones, her sophistication remains. And she has covered many songs, both in Chinese and English.

And if anyone doubted Huang's singing ability just listen to her with, On My Own a 1987 recording where she displays her vocal range, especially at the end of the song. Since 1974 Tracy Huang has recorded 49 albums.

Just wondering where she is today? Anyone?

Images: Google.

Original article: Andy Lim.

Philippines Rivera Floods - 70s Songbird Gracie

The people from the Philippines that blogger has encountered are mostly warm, gracious and gifted with music in them.

D' Starlights and The Fabulous Echoes came in the 60s and Freddy Aguila later. In the 70s a pretty young Philippino lady sang her way to the hearts of nightclubbers in Hong Kong and S. E. Asia with her beautiful voice and charming personality. 

Gracie Rivera signed up with EMI/HK and produced a number of English records. This particular selection from GRACIE (image) includes: Torn Between Two Lovers, Fairy Tale, Morning Of My Life, Somebody Waiting, Both Sides Now, The Music Of Love, It's Time, Fly Away, Like A Sad Song, I Am A Rock and personal favourites, Erestu and of course Amazing Grace. 

Gracie Rivera: House of the Rising Sun: An Animals Original. Thank you.

EMI Records were big because they released a string of English albums in the second half of the 70s by artists that included Teresa Carpio, Esther Chan, Rowena Cortes, Felicia Wong, Tracy Huang, Frances Yip and Gracie Rivera.

Then there was George Lam, The New Top Notes and The Western Union Band. Two independent labels also released English albums in the 1970s. The company's main rival was Polygram.

The vinyl was recorded in 1977 (EMGS 6012). It was arranged and conducted by Fabulous Echoes and Kong Ling personality Vic Cristobel. 

Comment anyone?

(5) Country Western 60s: Singapore Cowboys

They are one of the best bands in Singapore and they specialise in Country and Western Music. Matthew Tan is the vocalist and plays rhythm guitar, Michael Png plays steel/acoustic guitar, Richard Danker plays bass, while Derrick Danker is on lead guitar. Phillip Monteiro plays drums.

For their EMI the group recorded, Singapore Cowboy, Broken Lady, Lucille, Daytime Friends, That'll Be The Day, Legend In My Time, City Of New Orleans, Movin' On, Margaritaville, It Was Almost Like A Song, Lovesick Blues, Play Born To Lose Again, From Graceland To The Promised Land and The Last Farewell.

For Part II, on EMGS they recorded, Let's Put The Sing In Singapore, Love Or Something Like, I Can Almost See Houston From Here, Honky Tonk Downstairs, *Stranger, Shenandoah, Get Down Country Music, Leaving YOu Is Easier Than Wishing You Were Gone, Tulsa Time, North To Alaska, More Than Just A Memory and Showboat Gambler.

*Female vocalist of the 70s Tracy Huang accompanied them in Stranger. Both recordings were produced by Reggie Verghese, engineered by Vincent Lim and strings arrangements were by Martin Pereira.

Information: EMI Records (Long Play Vinyls). Image: Back Cover of EMGS5016 - Andy Lim Collection. Original Article: Andy Lim