Showing posts with label Vietnam War Trail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vietnam War Trail. Show all posts

Sunday, January 14, 2024

World War 3 Is Possible? No No! No! 60s Peace n Protest Song List.

https://wallpapercave.com/war-ground-wallpapers

This post is specially for good friend Cedric Cork, percussionist for many bands from the 60s, who experienced the Vietnam music scene when he played with Singapore bands at certain venues there to entertain the troops.

It has happened, is now happening and will happen again. 

Checking out the number of popular songs that discusses war stands at more than 10,000 compositions! That's a mere trickle of the actual numbers not published... and how peaceful hearts are thumping in anger and despair everyday to realise this!

My family and I were in Danang, Vietnam, for a holiday in the Summer of 2018 and we visited the beach where the American troops landed in March, 1965. It's a peaceful place today but turn back the times and a raging war took place in Vietnam for some years and many songs were composed to stamp these terrors of time. 

The number of pop songs on the topic is a nuclear blast. 

Here are some of the more well-known ones that have been taken from a few websites. I have included some of the anti-war protest songs, a soldier's plight and lament and home-sweet-home songs. It's a mix bag actually:

Blowing In The Wind Bob Dylan 1963
Detroit City Bobby Bare 1963
Masters Of War Bob Dylan 1963

I Ain't Marching Anymore Phil Ochs 1965
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place The Animals 1965
Green Green Grass of Home Tom Jones 1965

Bring 'Em Home Bob Seegar 1965
Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag Country Joe McDonald and The Fish 1965
Ballad Of The Green Beret Barry Sadler 1966.

7O'clock Great News/Silent Night Simon Garfunkel 1966
The Letter BoxTops 1967
Backlash Blues Nina Simone 1967

Saigon Bride Joan Baez 1967
All Along The Watchtower Bob Dylan 1967
Purple Haze Jimmy Hendrix 1967

Waste Deep In The Muddy Pete Seeger 1967
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding 1968
Draft Morning The Byrds 1968

Sky Pilot Eric Burdon 1968
The Unknown Soldier The Doors 1968
Fortunate Son CCR 1969

Vietnam Jimmy Cliff 1969
Susan On The West Coast Waiting Donovan 1969
Leaving On A Jet Plane John Denver 1969

Saigon Bride: Joanne Baez
YouTube Video by: Vietnam War Song Project

Give Peace A Chance John Lennon 1969
Gimme Shelter The Rolling Stones 1969
Okie From Muskogee Merle Haggard 1969

War Edwin Starr 1970
Run Through The Jungle CCR 1970
What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971

Imagine John Lennon 1971
Chicago Graham Nash 1971
Peace Train Cat Stevens 1971

I Want To Come Home For Christmas Marvin Gaye 1972
Happy Christmas The War Is Over John Lennon 1972
Give Me Love Peace On Earth George Harrison 1973

Search And Destroy The Stooges 1973
Billy Don't Be A Hero Paper Lace 1974
Straight To Hell The Clash 1982

Joan Baez asks in Saigon Bride:

How many dead men will it take
To build a dike that will not break? 
How many children must we kill? 
Before we make the waves stand still...

The Cedric Cork Connection in Vietnam:


https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2022/03/vietnam-war-with-singapore-music-maker.html
Creedence Clearwater Revival - 
Fortunate Son [HD] (Highest Quality)
YouTube Video: EagleStudiosHR

Seriously, let's just remember John Lennon's words: 

I wonder if you can, 
No for greed or hunger, 
A brotherhood of man.
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.

Let's hope for a more conclusive summit this time around and another singer songwriter can compose a new peace treaty melody. Perhaps from a Singaporean composer?

John Lennon's: 'You may say I'm a dreamer...' from song 'Imagine'. 
This poster was taken by Anni Taylor [FB] at 
St. Kilda's Beach, Victoria, Melbourne, Australia.

Google Images.
This posting is an edited version of a past one.

Copyright Post by at 11 comments:
Labels: , , ,

Friday, June 17, 2022

A Tribute To Robert Suriya [Naomi n The Boys] from Cedric Cork


R.I.P. Robert Suriya
17th June, 2022

UP TO 1,200 VIEWS, 30+ CHATS, COMMENTS

"I knew Robert when he was band leader of, Naomi and The Boys with the late Moses Tay who played bass. We became great friends through music interactions during the 1960's when I was with Sonny Bala and The Moonglows, having done stage shows together at the Singapore Badminton Hall, the F&N Hall at River Valley Road and other popular venues.

We were in Vietnam too in the 1970's since our bands were under the same management. When the troupe returned to Singapore, Robert left for Guam shortly afterwards but we kept in touch only on Facebook with the other musicians.

My deepest condolence to Robert's family.

[And to my two late buddies too whom I miss dearly, Donald Thaver, Zul Sultan. You'll all be missed.]"

A tribute from Cedric Cork.

"One of the best Singapore guitarists and composers from the 60s." Horace Wee.

Top left - Donald Thaver, Cedric Cork [writer], 
Bottom left - Robert Suriya, Zul Sultan.

Article contributed by Cedric Cork.

Links to Naomi and The Boys:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2021/06/robert-suriya-naomi-n-boys-chats-with.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2013/10/singer-songwriter-robert-suriya-to-be.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2010/01/passing-away.html

Links to Cedric Cork, Vietnam War Stories:

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2022/03/vietnam-war-with-singapore-music-maker.html

https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2022/02/vietnam-war-music-trail-singaporean.html


'As Life Goes On': Naomi and The Boys. 
YouTube video by: Sheldon L. King

Singer, Tunesmith, Lyricist, Musician,
Robert Suriya embraced them all. 
A truly multi-talented school mate
from St.Andrew's. God Bless His Soul.
Copyright Post by at 25 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, March 19, 2022

Vietnam War With Singapore Music Maker Cedric Cork: Part 2


      UP TO 1,100 VIEWS     
   15 CHATS, COMMENTS    

The Moonglows were not only recording stars
and established artistes but participated in the
Vietnam War as musicians to entertain the troops there.
The late Sunny Bala was their band leader and Cedric Cork,
who wrote this article, their drummer.

PART TWO

Music Amidst A War In Vietnam:

Things got more serious when Cedric had an offer to fly to Vietnam to play with a band in the war zone. Their Vietnam tour was to entertain the U.S. Troops and other people who were stationed there! 

In his own words:

"I went there in 1968 with Sonny Bala, Teddy [Ah Chye] and Granville DeSilva. We were the first batch. The 2nd batch was with Sonny Bala, Granville, Bozo Hamid and George Lim...

The rest is History!"

The bands that Cedric Cork performed with were all over South Vietnam. Their tours would include: Saigon, Quang Tri, Camranh Bay, Danang [map] and other cities and towns, wherever there were US troops stationed; in fact they were on stage in quite a number of South Vietnam towns. And you're not looking at a distance from Toa Payoh to Woodlands.  The towns may be hours apart. And the groups were entertaining the G.I.'s, that is, the US army only. 

They would be moving even amidst the bombing, and would travel from the airport to the venue within the confines of huge three-tonner trucks and escorted with jeeps and machine-guns. No Ricky Nelson here, "walking in the sands of Waikiki," with a pretty Polynesian baby. There were soldiers hidden everywhere among the trees.
A Three Tonner Truck

It sounded exciting when I listened to Cedric's story but he said it was not for them because a skirmish was always at hand and all the time they were on dangerous ground. A skirmish is an episode of irregular or unpremeditated fighting, especially between small groups in the armies. Cedric explained that they would see in the jungle the remains of the soldiers who had passed away. It was a tearful sight because of the plight of the families who came to collect the remains of their dead relatives or friends.

Cedric remembers that during their short trips around, they had to wear bulletproof vests with heavy helmets protecting their heads but with civvies  [civilian clothes] on. They had to travel in dense jungle, a jungle with a terrain so alien, it was unbelievable. In many areas the winding roads also had challenging mountainous areas to cross . The soldiers themselves, guarding the musicians and their troupe, were also heavily armed, with rifles, bayonets and machine guns attached.

"You've been travelling 
Down the wrong road, 
Better turn around, 
Cause baby you're headin' 
For dangerous ground..."
Because of its ability to land anywhere the C-130 [a Hercules turbo-prop airplane] with its diverse and versatile air-lifter, was used. Normal helicopters were also utilised to transport the musicians and they flew together as a group. These were two bladed choppers, and according to Cedric, a mini aero-plane [Chinook gunship].


They travelled as a troupe and there were occasions when three planes flew together as a squadron, carrying ten to twelve performers; these included road managers, singers and dancers.  These flight machines were also used to transport the band-boys, their music equipment and the ever effective, ever alert G.I.'s who would be around for protection and immediate defence.

"I got a hup, two, three, four,
Occupation G.I. Blues,
From my G.I. hair to the heels 
Of my G.I. shoes..."

[Elvis Presley: GI Blues]

The venue itself would be a wide open space to accommodate the soldiers who would be watching the shows. The audience, or spectators, to be more precise, consisted of about 300 to 500 soldiers per show. But it depended on where they were performing. 

One factor to note was, that they played only at the camps, as war-zone areas had no entertainment. It sounded commonsensical, but there was always this idea that they performed everywhere.

The stage was made up of two three-tonners back to back. The tough and rugged soldiers who were watching were a tired lot of people in a war zone but they were at their happiest when they listened to the music, song and dances. In short they were well entertained. The pretty girls in the chorus lines brought the most applause and rock music kept the spectators attuned. 
Ann Margret and Bob Hope
Pop songs of that era were the order of the day. These tunes would include, Fortunate Son, Sitting on the Dock of the Bay, Green Green Grass, Detroit City, Purple Haze, The Letter, House of the Rising Sun, Green Beret and many many more. But then:

"We gotta get out of this place, 
If it's the last thing we ever do.
We gotta get out of this place, 
'Cause girl, there's a better place in life, 
For me and you..."

According to Cedric, there was no fear in any of them. They were young, adventurous and felt safe, enjoying the day to day situation that existed and trying to boost the morale of the boys who were there. 

"The good old Vietnam days!" he called them, "1968 to 1971! The war years!"

Cedric perked up when I asked him if he met any Hollywood stars.

"Yes!" he answered, "we met both Bob Hope and Ann Margret. But they were not performing, and just like the rest of us... were taking breaks and relaxing in between shows." 

There were times when Cedric and his group brushed shoulders with other artistes too but the busy in-betweens took up their time and effort to actually befriend these well-known performers. It was never in his mind to get their autographs; they were too busy.
A gunship That Cedric Cork and performers flew in.

"When our tour was over Sonny Bala, Teddy, Granville, Bozo and George returned home to Singapore but I stayed back and performed with a band from the Philippines Band and a Korean group. Our singer was Veronica Young. 

We returned to Singapore on 1st April 1971, where I joined Tony Castillo & the Castillians; we preformed at the Spot Spot at Hilton Hotel. After the contract I joined Sonny Bala again to perform at Pebbles Bar in Singapura Intercontinental Hotel where I met my Wife ( Alice ) and we got married in 1973!"

This posting is one of the highlights of this blog and a fascinating experience for me as a listener. I shall let Cedric end his story as he had started it...

"Our army boys didn't go to war but our musicians did!"

Thanks so very much Cedric.

Comments are always welcome!

Part One:


Images: from Google and Cedric Cork.
Disclaimer: 

There is no intention to glamourize nor condemn the Vietnam War that has happened so many years ago. This post has been written to explain how certain professional Singapore bands have performed during that particular war, even risking their lives and limbs to earn a living; unsung heroes among our 60s and 70s musicians.

Copyrights Reserved:

Please do not just copy wholesale this article if you wanted information; personal photographs included. It was done with a lot of hard work with Cedric's help. Also CREDIT us if you read it for information: with date and internet connections from Andy's 60s Music Blog.

There is a behind-the-scene computer software on this blog that recognizes visitors who view the postings, so we know who you are if you just take wholesale of what we have posted. Thank you.
The Animals with Eric Burdon: 
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place.[1965]
The Eric Burdon Tribute Channel 13

Introduced by David McCallum, the man from
UNCLE himself. We had Tik-Tok long ago, but
it was more, 'tick, tick, boom, boom...'

Eric Burdon - vocals
Hilton Valentine - guitar Chas Chandler - bass Dave Rowberry - keyboards John Steel - drums

Copyright Post by at 16 comments:
Labels: , , , ,

Saturday, February 12, 2022

Vietnam War Music Trail: Singaporean Drummer: Cedric Cork: Part 1

Percussionist Cedric Cork today
[Copyrights Reserved]

UP TO 1,200 VIEWS 
    15 COMMENTS, CHATS  

PART ONE

A Band Boy at Fourteen

Sincere, friendly and quick-thinking, when I asked if  we could chat about his music journey, he agreed without hesitation. And it took nearly two years before I could chat with him; it was my problem, not his.

His first words, ''Andy, I left school in Secondary 2 and took up the drums.''

That's him, straight and unassuming.

His decision would have been a no-no for many parents today but with much motherly love and care, Mrs. Cork allowed her son to pursue a career that would last him a lifetime. It was a challenge since his father passed away when he was about three. Mrs. Cork was a single mum.

I have never met him personally, but on this blog spotlight is Cedric Cork, one of the ultimate percussionists in Singapore today. 

Here goes.

Time for a Tiger

Sembawang Bar in the 60s [for illustration only]

Copyrights Reserved: Allan Thompson

He learnt by watching other drummers play and at 14 years left St Patrick's School and soon formed a youthful guitar group called the Zodiacs. Cedric lived around the Frankel Estate area in the East Coast. That was in 1964 when the band became reality.

''I learnt the drums by playing on stage, raw,'' he mentioned. That's his sincerity exposed. 

Oh yes, they practised like professionals and those years acquired many gigs playing at the British Army and RAF camps at Nee Soon, Sembawang, Changi and everywhere else the band could find a niche. They entertained the tankard gangs at Ritz Bar and an agent called Andrews, acquired the contracts. The bar, typically filled with friendly folks, realised when the evening ended what, 'Time for a Tiger' meant. With the swinging Zodiacs performing, there wasn't much feel to go home then. Home was far, far away for the soldier boys.

The Zodiacs [Copyrights Reserved]
Seated left: Tony Lee (rhythm), Sonny Lee (lead)
Standing left: Cedric Cork (drums), Lancelot George (bass). 

Four Sets for Fifty Dollars

''It was good money,'' according to Cedric, ''and for the night playing three or four sets, we were paid ten to fifteen dollars each.'' That's looking at about 50 dollars for an evening's gig. Remember those years, a bowl of noodles or a plate of rice with food didn't cost much. About a dollar plus for both food and drinks. But they were a happy lot, especially the guests.

These gigs became more frequent and Zodiacs lasted till about 1967 and they functioned during T-Dances, evening clubs like the Celestial Room and even hotels, at weddings and birthday parties. If you have been reading about Singapore's nightlife then you would have realised that there were many bands like the Zodiacs but apparently and, according to Cedric, the public wanted them as much. Getting contracts to perform wasn't a problem.

Zodiacs sang and played songs that were the order of the day, from rock to rhumba, and requests were high and the soft drinks never ran dry. Three dollars for a drink and the patrons held it for the whole night? 

Kenneth Gomez [with tambourine] was Singapore's  
Cliff Richard officially, since he won it in a competition.

For the band boys, their Zodiac signs must have been comfortably compatible where their relationship is concerned. They got along well and entertained the crowd for about 3 years.

As with most band line-ups, they change. The first photograph above shows The Zodiacs, with, seated left, Tony Lee (rhythm), Sonny Lee (lead). Standing left, Cedric Cork (drums), Lancelot George (bass).  Other line-ups included: Sonny Bala, Tony Lee, Lancelot George, and singers Joe Monteiro and Kenneth Gomez [the original Singapore's Cliff Richard]. This particular combination lasted a year. 

Then things got more serious when Cedric had an offer to fly to Vietnam to play with a band in the war zone.

Nee Soon 60s: The popular song was, 
"Fly me to Nee Soon and let me play among the bars."

Tea Dance in Singapore 60s

Next posting:

PART TWO
THE VIETNAM WAR TOURS
SUNNY BALA N THE MOONGLOWS
features CEDRIC CORK.

Their Vietnam tour was to entertain the U.S Troops and the lot stationed there! 
In his own words:

"I went there in 1968 with Sonny Bala, Teddy [Ah Chye] and Granville DeSilva. We were the 1st batch. The 2nd batch was with Sonny Bala, Granville, Bozo Hamid and George Lim..."

Watch out for the actual Vietnam War Music Trail in Part 2 below:


For What's It's Worth: Buffalo Springfield.
YouTube Video from RHINO

"There's something happening here
But what it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong..."

[For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
Songwriter: Stephen Stills; a protest song,
more for the banning of clubs and music 
places along Sunset Strip. Also used by
people against the Vietnam War.]


Article and Images: Copyrights Reserved.


Copyright Post by at 15 comments:
Labels: , , ,

Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Donald Trump & Kim Jong Un In Vietnam February 2019 Songs To Remember


Whether this second summit between President Trump (USA) and Mr Kim (PRNK) will bring about a successful bid to a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation is still unclear. 

 What is clear during this meeting is the venue. Vietnam reminds many pop song enthusiasts the music that made the charts in the 60s and 70s during the infamous War.

My family and I were in Danang for a holiday last Summer 2018 and we visited the beach where the American troops landed in March, 1965. Put these two pieces of information together and the number of pop songs on the topic is a nuclear blast. 
Here are some of the more well-known ones that have been taken from a few websites. I have included some of the anti-war protest songs, a soldier's plight and lament and home-sweet-home songs. It's a mix bag actually:

Blowing In The Wind Bob Dylan 1963
Detroit City Bobby Bare 1963
Masters Of War Bob Dylan 1963

 I Ain't Marching Anymore Phil Ochs 1965
We Gotta Get Out Of This Place The Animals 1965
Green Green Grass of Home Tom Jones 1965

 Bring 'Em Home Bob Seegar 1965
Feel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag Country Joe McDonald and The Fish 1965
Ballad Of The Green Beret Barry Sadler 1966
7O'clock Great News/Silent Night Simon Garfunkel 1966
The Letter BoxTops 1967
Backlash Blues Nina Simone 1967

 Saigon Bride Joan Baez 1967
All Along The Watchtower Bob Dylan 1967
Purple Haze Jimmy Hendrix 1967

 Waste Deep In The Muddy Pete Seeger 1967
Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay Otis Redding 1968
Draft Morning The Byrds 1968

 Sky Pilot Eric Burdon 1968
The Unknown Soldier The Doors 1968
Fortunate Son CCR 1969

 Vietnam Jimmy Cliff 1969
Susan On The West Coast Waiting Donovan 1969
Leaving On A Jet Plane John Denver 1969

 Give Peace A Chance John Lennon 1969
Gimme Shelter The Rolling Stones 1969
Okie From Muskogee Merle Haggard 1969

 War Edwin Starr 1970
Run Through The Jungle CCR 1970
What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971

 Imagine John Lennon 1971
Chicago Graham Nash 1971
Peace Train Cat Stevens 1971

 I Want To Come Home For Christmas Marvin Gaye 1972
Happy Christmas The War Is Over John Lennon 1972
Give Me Love Peace On Earth George Harrison 1973

 SearchAnd Destroy The Stooges 1973
Billy Don't Be A Hero Paper Lace 1974
StraightTo Hell The Clash 1982

 Joan Baez asks in Saigon Bride:

 How many dead men will it take
To build a dike that will not break? 
How many children must we kill? 
Before we make the waves stand still...
Imagine by John Lennon. Song was recorded in 1971.
Below is a list of postings found on this blog pertaining to the same topic:

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/05/vietnam-war-protest-songs-60s-music.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/04/us-troops-from-vietnam-plays-motown-on.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2016/06/les-miz-miss-saigon-singapore-to-london.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/05/elvis-presley-dont-cry-daddy-vietnam.html

 https://singapore60smusic.blogspot.com/2009/09/singapore-f1-formula-race-and-beatles.html
Seriously, let's just remember John Lennon's words: 

 I wonder if you can, 
No for greed or hunger, 
A brotherhood of man.
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one.

 Let's hope for a more conclusive summit this time around and another singer songwriter can compose a new peace treaty melody. Perhaps a Singaporean composer?

 Google Images.
Copyright Post by at 7 comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)