Rediffusion Request Programs in the 60s - The Larry Lai Interviews (Part IV)

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Nasi Goreng and Ox-Tail Stew:

(Image of Larry in his disco suit on the left.) It will take a myriad of postings to document Larry Lai's tales and adventures as a broadcaster, so I have decided to write snippets of what he told me in the past weeks while we were busy enjoying our nasi-goreng, ox-tail stew and mango-ice cream. These postings will never do justice to his varied and interesting career at Rediffusion and his expertise as a broadcaster in Singapore, but here goes.

Rediffusion Requesters:
My chat with Larry in the 3rd interview ended when I asked him about Rediffusion requesters. Many Singapore youths who lived in the early 60s knew that it was fashionable among pop song requesters to have their lengthy, western names announced over the air. Cheap thrill if you call it, but it was youth culture then.

These ego-maniacs found it exciting to hear their names on the airwaves. When I discussed with Larry about Rediffusion 'friends' like, Elvis Jonathan Wee, Cliff Ricardo Tan and Cilla Debbie Soon, he explained that besides having unique names, they also had strange habits.

"When they found out where my future wife lived and where I parked my car during my visits to her home, they used my windscreen as a postbox, slipping their heavily decorated, request postcards between the wipers. Every morning it was extra work for me, as I had to clear the tons of mail accumulated. And if it rained the night before..."

He took his listeners seriously and made sure he answered every postcard and request for songs on air. Woe betide Larry Lai if he failed to do so because there would be repercussions. He would be in trouble... The requesters would write him nasty letters.

Larry remarked that oddities like these came with his work. But it made the only cable station in Singapore a hit with our 60s youths. The exceptionally popular request programme stretched from one to four hours daily.

(Only music and personalities from the 50s to the 70s are posted on this blog. This article is the fourth posting about Larry Lai. For 3 previous interviews Click Larry Lai under labels below.)

Image: Larry Lai Collection. (All rights reserved)

Original article: Andy Lim

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'Oh Moby Dick Was So Big And Slick' - The Larry Lai Interviews (Part V)

*Moby Dick:

An idea cropped up in late 1967 when record hops became popular and the Singapore live music scene began to wane.

With local bands becoming more expensive and Phillipino bands taking over the night clubs, Larry thought it would be an ideal opportunity to start a mobile disco which made some business sense.

What was needed was a good sound system, lighting effects, a vehicle and a few a-go-go ladies. At the end of 1969, he partnered with a friend to set up the mobile discotheque. With quality speakers, custom-made power amplifiers, turn-tables, mixers and music sources, the business venture was set up.

Like the already popular Larry Lai branding, Moby Dick quickly became another household name. By the early 70s, the go-go girls were gyrating and patrons were:

"Prayin' for this moment to last,/Livin' on the music so fine,/Borne on the wind,/Makin' it mine, /Night fever, night fever... (Composers/Singers: Gibb Brothers)."

An agreement with the popular Kelong Restaurant at the Cathay Cinema to have Moby Dick's presence there, resulted in another successful venture by Larry.

And as the shimmering disco balls twirled in the strobe lights and the adrenalin was pumping in every disco-maniac's body, cash was flowing in. "Oh Moby Dick was so big and slick, There was never such a whale... (Frankie Laine)"

*Larry's favourite literary fiction by Herman Melville. Name 'Moby Dick' comes from 'Mob-ile Disco-theque'.

(This is the final posting on Larry Lai. For 4 previous interviews Click Larry Lai under labels below.)

Image: Larry Lai Collection. (All rights reserved)

Original article: Andy Lim

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Hindi Song: Dil Mein Chupake Pyar Ka - Aan

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

SONGS I LOVE:

Another 50s Hindi song that kept playing in my head was from the musical, Aan (or Pride - image). I had tried for some time to check out the song from movie websites and from friends but to no avail.

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So a visit yesterday, with my Music Meister friend, to a neighbourhood coffee shop at Serangoon proved fruitful when his Indian friend wrote out the full song title in romanised Hindi. That did the trick and I heard it again for the first time after many years. *Mohammed Rafi's: Dil Mein Chupake Pyar Ka came alive on You Tube.

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In those early years of Hindi movies in Singapore the re-runs were either at the Garrick Cinema in Geylang Serai or the Queen's Cinema in Geylang Road. Aan or Savage Princess was called a 'swashbuckling, romantic film', that became a block-buster. The unique English title was used to draw US audiences who were always keen about the 'mysterious' East.

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The movie was produced in 1952 and was the first Indian film in 'Technicolor'. It was directed by the legendary Mehboob Khan and starred Dilip Kumar and Premnath (big stars they were). Music was by Naushad.

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Again it was my Malay neighbour who persuaded me to see the film after drumming the song into me for days. To appease him, we queued patiently for tickets at the Garrick and managed to get the 50-cent seats. We were 6 rows away from the screen, had to lean back and look upwards for the duration of the movie. I couldn't remember the plot, I could this particular song.

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I came out of the cinema with a stiff neck. Hamid laughed when I complained but I must thank him for the humbling experience and beautiful song. In Singapore, the interest and love for Bollywood movies never waned. Even today Singaporeans of all races watch them on television, DVDs and in the cinemas to 'escape the harsh realities of everyday life.' Similarly 50s and 60s Indian pop evergreens are still in demand in the music shops.

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*Mohd. Rafi was an Indian playback singer (doing voice-overs for movie stars) for four decades. Versatile and talented, he could sing in English, Persian and 10 Indian languages. Rafi had been honoured many times by the Indian government, Bollywood and other movie industries for his capability and music contribution.

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(Apparently Tamil movies are just as popular in the 60s as it is today, especially in Singapore because Tamil is one of the four official languages. In fact, for non Singapore readers, this island has both a TV channel and radio station that broadcast only in Tamil. The songs are popular too.)

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Thanks to yuanyuanyuanyin for You Tube videos and comments.

Image/Movie information: Wikipedia and Websites.
Original article: Andy Lim.

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For: Music Meister, Eusoof Angullia, Salma, Ahyar Jammari, Azizah and Abdul Hamid (wherever he is.)

Anyone with an extra copy of the vinyl?

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Shades Of Blue! Anita Sarawak, Stylers, Silver Strings, Tidbits, Rediffusion Tan Swee Leong

Monday, August 23, 2010

(Image reads: The new Shades consist of Rich, who plays the lead guitar, sleepy Joe on rhythm, Vince on bass, Malcolm on drums and vocalist Raj. The boys are practising very hard for this morning show, and with their talent and co-operation, they will do their best to entertain you.)

In October 1968, a church in the east coast of Singapore organised a musical concert at the Odeon Katong cinema called, Morning Melodies. It was certainly not the usual service because the names of the stage performers on the programme were unique indeed. They were to appear that early Monday morning at nine, so it could have been a public holiday.

The entertainment included a guitar group called The Shades Of Blue (image), a Reverend Philip Chan (dubbed on the programme as 'The Singing Pastor'), the Heralds Choral Society of Singapore, four female vocalists who could have sung in Chinese, Malay or English. They were Hazel Lee, Judy Lee, Fong Yin and Murni Sarawak. There were also male vocalists Steven Ong and Chang Suen.

What was most surprising were the appearances of Las Vegas diva Miss Anita Sarawak, The Tidbits (early-teen school girls: Melina Wee, Serene Wee and Bernadette de Souza - Radio Television Singapore, 1968 Talentime winners and RCA recording artistes), The Stylers and The Strings (The Silver Strings momentary change of name). And the compere for the morning event was Rediffusion's Tan Swee Leong, debonair DJ and pop MC for many stage and musical shows.

The show was in aid of an "educational and scholarship fund", so you could have imagined the heat on stage that morning with these top performers giving off their best for a cause. Wow! It was an alumni of the best musical talents from the late 60s, gathered under the Odeon Katong roof.

Do you remember this gathering of 60s music stars? Were you in the organising committee? Were you a member of Shades Of Blue? It's been a long time but if you still remember Morning Melodies, please write in.

Information/Image: From Souvenir Programme. Thanks to Randy Lee of The Stylers.

Original article: Andy Lim.

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Mr Cool: Under 21 Show, Rediffusion Discoveries, Rado Show. The Larry Lai Interviews (Part III)

Monday, July 12, 2010

Her faults are fewer, her lips are truer, my China doll - Slim Whitman:

Put him on stage and he swoons the crowd with his bass baritone voice, perfect diction and immaculately tailored, Six Million Dollar Man suits from *Danny's. But off stage, Larry Lai was so shy when he first met his wife that he did not have enough courage to ask for her telephone number.

The Rosee D'or was the place where he first set eyes on his pretty "China doll." In the 60s this night club was above the old Lido Cinema at Orchard Road and veteran singer Ahmad Daud with the late Saloma were both performing then. Larry Lai and Tan Swee Leong were in charge of a live recording of the show for Rediffusion.

After he was formally introduced to the young lady by a friend they were together for 5 years before Larry married her in 1965. So this year, as Singapore celebrates its 45th National Day, they celebrate their wedding anniversary too!

There's no people like show people, like no people I know - Ethel Merman:

It was my third meeting with Larry as he reminisced his years at Rediffusion . "I was with the broadcast station from 1960 to 1978 and remember the first few weeks. It was my first show at the auditorium called Under 21 and as I approached the microphone, my knees were shaking so badly, I had to hold them. Actually there was an audience of only 300 people."

There was another occasion when his boss had an accident and Larry, at the very last minute, had to host Rediffusion Discoveries at the Odeon Cinema in town. Although he was ill-prepared, the show went on smoothly as he faced an audience of about 1,500 people. "There was hardly any entertainment in the 60s and people were just flocking to these shows."

Comparatively, Larry considered Rado Show (image) his most challenging as it was his television debut. He had agreed to do the show after he left Rediffusion in 1978. It was a quiz and entertainment programme recorded live. The show was a success but he recalled an occasion, when the programme exceeded its transmission time by three minutes because of a technical glitch.

So that evening, through no fault of theirs, when The Trailers, a pop guitar group, was closing the programme with an instrumental number, it played into news-time i.e. beyond its 9 pm schedule. Larry managed to save what could have been a disastrous situation. He exclaimed: "Nobody goes beyond the 9 o'clock news!" He's not called Mr. Cool for nothing.

Music man play your song for me, Music man play my soul, Music man play a melody, Music man take control - Chaka Khan:

Larry added that adequate preparation was the key to being a confident and good compere. But there was no guarantee that every show or broadcast would be a success and felt that he was fortunate he faced no major problem during his own career.

Larry remembers that his work as a DJ was just as interesting. He has a very good memory and this ability has allowed him to remember the many songs, singers, composers and bands in the music scene. They may well run into the thousands and Larry enjoyed sharing the music and trivia with listeners who had either written to him or telephoned him during his tenure at Rediffusion.

As the interview became more interesting and I started asking him about regular Rediffusion requesters in the 60s with names like: Elvis Augustine Neo, Ursula Katerina Ong and Cliff Alphonso Beng, he suggested a mee-siam break at Ang Moh Kio...

More about MR COOL in future postings. Would you like to share your thoughts about him?

*Popular with Singapore celebrities in the 60s & 70s.

Image: Rado Show/Larry Lai Collection.

Original article: Andy Lim.

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Danny Koh: Fishermen, Candidates (Part III)

Friday, July 9, 2010

In my search for Singapore's 60s instrumental group members, I remember the Cathay restaurant where sea-food was as popular as the bands that performed there. Danny Koh provided the answer that I posted a year and a half ago on the blog when I asked him about this restaurant.*

Pianist, tutor and musical director Danny formed two very popular bands, The Fishermen and The Candidates that played to a packed restaurant called The Kelong in the 1970s. (Notes from a letter to Andy on Sunday, 6th June, 2010):

He was with The Trailers for 3 years. The band had a number of **pianists - or keyboardists - before he joined them. The first in the group was Michael, followed by Patrick Foo, then Danny himself and Benson Goh. There were others too but it had been many years since and there was difficulty remembering specific names.

When Danny left The Trailers, he formed The Fishermen and they performed regularly at the Kelong Niteclub which was the old Cathay Restaurant. The original musicians in the group included Benny Chan (guitar) and Amir Samsudin (drummer), both from the Checkmates and Robert Suriya (guitar), who is now residing in Guam. Robert, of course, was from Naomi and The Boys.

After the group disbanded, Danny formed another band called, The Candidates. The musicians were Ramon Rahmat from the BlackJacks, Sanip Ismail, who had since passed away, Leon Lim, who now resides in Vietnam and Leo Fernando, a saxaphonist of stature and renown. This professional band of men performed at the Kelong, Singapore and at the Fortuna Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for some time.

Danny added that when they were at the peak of their popularity, they signed under the RCA label and recorded some songs, but the record was never released for reasons known to the group themselves.

**Danny is a 'pianist' rather than a 'keyboardist', the distinction being clear that he has a Licentiate from the Royal School of Music (LRSM).

Image: http://web.singnet.com.sg/~ebony_ivory17/

*Thursday, January 08, 2009:
Cathay Building, The Kelong, The Flybaits, The Fishermen

Original article: Andy Lim.

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Leggy Fashion Models, Drooling Band Boys

Sunday, June 20, 2010

A long time ago in the 60s and 70s, way before Jade Seah and Nadya Hutagalung appeared on our local catwalk, Singapore had its share of beautiful, leggy and sexy fashion models. One of the more popular modelling agencies that had these damsels was Joan Booty's.

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Annual dinner and dance events held by business organisations had top bands, pop artistes, comedians and variety shows to entertain the staff but they were incomplete without these agencies providing models to strut the stage of the hotels, theatres and nightclubs in Singapore. So wherever the get-together was held, these ladies provided the oomph and glamour and the more revealing the girls were, the larger the members in the audience and louder the wolf whistles.

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When I spoke to the 60s band boys about such events and the live music they provided as the models appeared on stage, one comment was, "We try to play the simplest tunes with the simplest chords because we'd rather drool over the girls and their swimming costume changes than think of our guitar chord changes." The statement is meant more as a joke because the bands take their music accompaniment of models on stage seriously, so woe betide those bands that are frivolous or non-professional because they will not get another contract the next time around.

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[Note: Spelling of 'boutique' to 'Bootigue' understandable but why 'gue' and not 'que'? The above advertisement appeared in a souvenir magazine for White And Blue Nite at the Victoria Memorial Hall on Saturday, 28th February, 1970. The dance was to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the P.I.E.U. Bridgestone Branch and sponsored by Bridgestone Singapore Company (Private) Ltd. Anyone attended this function?]

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The band in attendance was The Stylers and the compere was Larry Lai. Hey LL, you remember this one?

Original article: Andy Lim

Image: Randy Lee Collection.

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New York University Tisch School Of Arts-Asia Singapore Student Follows Sing60s Music

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

ALEXA CARAVIA, who follows this blog, graduated Cum Laude with a BA degree in Magazine Journalism from the University of Florida in 2003. She worked as the Editor for Haute Living magazine and her work has been featured in various local publications including The Miami Herald and Miami Agent Magazine.

In her spare time, Alexa freelanced heavily for local and international film and television enterprises. Her clients included Estefan Enterprises, Chivas Regal, Univision, Nickelodeon and Negra Modelo. Her first short film, In Limbo, received the Honorable Mention for Artistic Short Film at the Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archive Film and Video Awards.

This summer, her second short film, Shoo, received the Audience Choice Award at MOCA's Optic Nerve X Film Festival. Her short films and music videos have screened widely at art shows and film festivals throughout Miami, including the Miami Independent Film and Music Festival and the Rewind & Fast Forward Film and Video Festival.

She is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts-Asia in Singapore and has studied with famed writer/director Todd Solondz as part of NYU's Masters Class.

Article: From her profile. Thank you for being part of Singapore 60s Music.

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(3) Elvis Heartbreak Hotel Holden, Novak Picnic With Dino, Como, Mitchell, Platters - 1956

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1956/57

In 1956 Elvis arrived and these songs featured:
Memories Are Made... Dino
Great Pretender Platters
Lisbon Antigua Nelson Riddle
Poor People Of Paris L. Baxter
Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley
Hot Diggity Perry Como
Moonglow/'Picnic' M. Stoloff
The Wayward Wind Gogi Grant
Almost Lost My Mind P Boone
I Want You, I Need You...
Don't Be Cruel, Hound Dog &
Love Me Tender Elvis Presley
My Prayer The Platters
The Green Door Jim Lowe
Singing The Blues G. Mitchell

Strange how the mind remembers the tunes, actors and movie screen images of long ago. One Morris Stoloff combined the theme from the movie Picnic (image) with the song Moonglow, and with the director, produced the sexiest scene on celluloid. This scene is still in Blogger's mind today. Listen to the music and watch it on YouTube (right).

Picnic starred William Holden and Kim Novak and showed to capacity house at the Capitol Cinema that year. Moonglow is a 1934 song but well-known in Singapore as an instrumental from the 1956 movie, The Benny Goodman Story. The song is a classic. Personally, Benny Goodman's version is best.

Heartbreak Hotel is raw rock and roll with Elvis Presley on rhythm, Scotty Moore, lead, D.J. Fontana, drums and Floyd Cramer, piano. Recorded in January 1956 in Nashville, the song introduced Presley to America and the world. Heartbreak Hotel became the first No.1 pop record by Elvis and the best selling single of 1956. Then Singapore saw him in, Love Me Tender...

Image: http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(2) Davy Crockett, Fess Parker, Sixteen Tons, Ernie Ford - Beginnings Of A Rugged Society

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1955/1956.

It all happened in Singapore in the mid-50s. When streets were narrow and traffic light, young boys in primary schools were pulling their parents to the movies to watch Fess Parker as Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier (image). With a beaver hat and thin rifle, he had youths gasping in awe when Crockett, "killed him a bar (bear) when he was only three." Blogger rushed to the Capitol Cinema in North Bridge Road to watch the movie.

Some students cycled from Woodsville Road on their rickety bikes to the same destination. And Tennesse Ernie Ford was thudding the bass with his heavy rendition of, Sixteen Tons, warning everyone with, "and whadaya get... another day older and deeper in debt."

But the one song in 1955 that started nearly every Singaporean rockin' and rollin' was Bill Haley's Rock Around The Clock, so when the doors of the cinemas opened to screen this Alan Freed movie, every one flocked and stampeded to watch it. (Check posting, February 10th, 2009).

For Singapore 60s baby boomers it was Cliff Richard and The Shadows. But in 50s Singapore, Bill Haley And His Comets hit the joints. Then came the greatest of them all...
Image: http://www.passionweiss.com/

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(1) Sincerely Learning The Blues, Cherry Pink, Yellow Rose, Autumn Leaves, Let Me Go Lover

(1) TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1955/1956. First in this series of 8 postings:

It is important to realise that Postings 1 - 7 under Top Tunes Influence is written to explain that the songs featured on the music charts in the mid-50s have in many ways shaped Singapore 60s music. Surfers need to realise that Cliff Richard just didn't materialise from thin air and appeared at the Badminton Stadium with his Shadows.

My own ideas revealed:

Like most teenagers who love pop music, the mid-50s in Singapore was an exciting time for them especially if their home radio was tuned to English language broadcasts. In 1955, when the rock n roll era began, the following songs were heard often on the radio.

Let Me Go Lover - Joan Weber
Sincerely - McGuire Sisters
The Ballad Of Davy Crockett - Fess Parker
Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White - Perez Prado/Orchestra
Unchained Melody - Les Baxter
Rock Around The Clock - Bill Haley & His Comets
Learnin' The Blues - Frank Sinatra
The Yellow Rose Of Texas - Mitch Miller & His Orchestra
Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing - Four Aces
Autumn Leaves - Nat King Cole (1956)
Sixteen Tons - Tennesse Ernie Ford

Autumn Leaves, Learning The Blues, Let Me Go Lover, Sincerely, Unchained Melody and A Many Splendoured Thing had English-educated women, swooning as they listened to these tunes from the kitchen. These songs were categorised under 'sentimental love songs'.

Splendoured Thing had patrons rushing to the cinemas to watch William Holden and Jennifer Jones hold hands and fall in love. Sighs and theme music mingled in the cinema halls as the images kissed (image). Cabarets at the amusement 'Worlds' were playing the same tunes to crowded dance floors.

Cherry Pink and Yellow Rose were being whistled all over the country as listeners fell in love with the Latin flavour of the first and the marching beat of the second.

Image: http://www.thewoundedbird.blogspot.com/

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(1) Country Western Music Influence: Lone Ranger/William Tell Overture/Calamity Jane/Doris Day/Elvis Presley/Frankie Laine

Sunday, August 9, 2009

**************************************************************************Writing about Country and Western music is not an easy task, especially when the internet has nearly 70 million hits for this genre of music. So I thought it best if I wrote on the subject based on my own personal journey.

Many young Singaporeans in the 50s learnt about cowboys and native indians from US comic books as these were easily available. They were cheap, cost about 30 cents each and an enthusiast with little money, could buy one and amuse himself with it for a day or two. Movies were also affordable as a seat in a cinema was priced 50 cents. The comic book I read was, The Lone Ranger and the movie I saw was Winchester '73.

Winchester '73 (1950) is an American cowboy movie released by Universal Pictures (image). It starred James Stewart, Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis. There were many movies like this one that drew long queues, partly because of its line-up of great stars and because entertainment was rife in Singapore. Cinemas became magnets that drew large crowds.

The western cowboy theme, with its galloping horses, buffalos, stetson hats, Colt 45s, rough and tumble fight scenes and 'red indians' pulled people out of their homes. The music connection came when Calamity Jane (1953) hit Singapore with its singing and pistol-packin', prairie girl. The movie and Doris Day were a hit. Everyone clamoured to watch it. And one of the songs in the movie, Secret Love (1953) became a classic!

The Lone Ranger (1956), a cartoon comic strip about a masked Texas ranger, his horse Silver and side-kick Tonto (image), also became a television hit before it was screened in the theatres and the theme music was the 'cavalry charge' finale of Gioachino Rossini's William Tell Overture, now inseparably associated with the series, which also featured many other classical selections as incidental music.

Because of these cowboy movies and comics, Singaporeans soon became addicted to this particular genre. Simultaneously, the guitar strumming, cowboy yodelling (Slim Whitman) and whistling singers (Roger Whittaker), sealed the deal for these 'singing cowboys' who sing 'cowboy songs' or later known as Country & Western music in the 60s.

Image: http://thereelimage.co.uk/

Image: http://showmanshooter.com/

Original article: Andy Lim

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Checkmates, Trailers, Golden Venus, Palace

Monday, June 1, 2009

It was Saturday night on the 12th of December, 1964 and obviously about 2 weeks before Christmas. Nightclubs were full and so were the spirits of youths in Singapore. The above advertisement (image) from the Straits Times Press, Singapore, shows the Golden Venus at Orchard Road and the Grand Palace theatre at East Coast Road doing brisk business.

And on Sunday, bands were in full swing with Robert Song and the Checkmates and The Trailers fronted by Vernon having the rockingest time ever.

Although admission was free, patrons paid for their drinks. Usually they bought one drink for the whole afternoon, well sometimes two. But nobody bothered because each couple was trying to show the rest on the floor that the cha-cha-cha, twist, shake and rock would rule the T-Dances that day. After all it was the Dave Clark Five & The Animals Twist & Shake Special.

(Image from: Straits Times Press, Singapore/National Library Board, Singapore.)

The above idea was initiated by Dennis Tan.

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PAT BOONE and STANDARD TRIOS & QUARTETS

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Odeon Cinema was part of Cathay Organisation and showed movies like 'April Love' (image). It was near the junction of North Bridge Road and Bras Basah Road and was another hot spot for movie goers in the 50s and 60s.

A movie like this one has many songs that live in the memory of many Singaporeans and influenced the 60s music scene. Although the accompanying bands in the 50s were not guitar groups, they were smaller bands that consisted of a piano, a guitar, adouble bass and drums. Some groups include a blowing instrument like the saxaphone. This standard quartet would provide the accompaniment for the singer who would usually croon his songs like Pat Boone.

Local bands will have their trios and quartets too. Most of them are professionals and entertain at the hotels, night spots and the 3 Worlds, namely at Great World, New World and Happy World. These muscisians can play on the spot because they read notes and also accompany dancers like strip artistes, acrobats, jugglers, etc who perform on stage. Tape recordings are few and far between then so music is 'live'.

Image: Google images

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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Roxy Cinema East Coast Road Laksa And Movies

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Roxy that screened movies after they had been shown in the cinemas in town like the Capitol, Rex or Pavilion. It was the hub for gatherings of 50s and 60s band boys and girls as the Palace and Odeon Katong cinemas were just across East Coast Road from Roxy.

(Many young Singaporeans are not aware that the Roxy Laksa that is so famous today originally had a little stall behind Roxy Cinema, not too far from from its ticket booth. Many patrons would rush to the little stall to have a bowl before popping in for a show.)

There were a few instances where local bands played before a show, usually movies that carried rock n roll themes. Tickets then cost 50 cents for the first five or six rows from the screen, so you crane your neck for two hours to see the movie and the images look like long thin, snakes from whichever seat you are viewing it from.

The next 10 or 12 rows of seats cost $1.00 and the last few rows and the circle seats (upstairs/balcony) cost $2.00. There were times when you could put $1.00 into the usher's hand and get a comfortable $2.00 seat in the corner of the theatre.

Image: Shaw Brothers Website or National Heritage Board.

Original Article: Andy Lim Collection.

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Bill Haley's Comets And Black Market Tickets

A poster, 'Rock Around The Clock' (1956), like the above was the talk of the town in the late 50s in Singapore when the rock and roll explosion hit the country louder than Chinese New Year firecrackers. The Roxy Cinema was filled to the brim when the movie invaded the theatre near the beaches at the East Coast.

When patrons wanted to buy tickets for shows like these, the queue circled round the Roxy building like a snake would round the victim's body. Black market tickets sold for as much as 100% more i.e: a 50 Cents front-seat ticket would cost $1.00 as tough, unruly boys filled the queue much earlier before a show to buy and control tickets.

Seats were cheap then and the cinema hall was divided into four sections i.e: the first 5 rows from the screen cost 50 Cents while the rest were priced from $1.00, $2.00 and $3.00 depending how far away from the screen the seat was. The circle (upstairs, back rows) was priced at $3.00.

Such was the impact when this music phenomenon rocked Singapore as Bill Haley, the Comets, the Platters and others came to town. Rock and roll took its roots way before Cliff Richard and Rolling Stones.

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Cathay Building, The Kelong, The Flybaits, The Fishermen, ClaudeDoral, Kingsley Morando

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

When the Japanese invaded and contained Singapore, the fear was that the tallest building on the island then would be a prime target since it was the residence of a colonial society and the broadcasting studio of Radio Malaya.

But despite the setbacks, the station continued its activities on the air-waves and radio personalities like Claude Doral and Kingsley Morando imprinted their names and eloquence on Singapore listeners with their British accent and quality broadcast. Some years after the war, the station changed venue and was relocated to Caldecott Hill in 1954. The radio station still stands today on Caldecott Hill at Andrew Road.

The Cathay building had been taken down since and in its place a new Cathay emerged but different from the original one. But the too familiar facade still lived in the memory of many Singaporeans and even up till today those who had lived long enough in the country knew it was a unique landmark on a hill that stood near the junction of Orchard Road and Bras Basah Road.

There were restaurants and nightclub at the Cathay and The Kelong was one of them, with bands like The Flybaits and Fishermen, two of many bands that played from the late 60s. Apparently these local instrumental groups had names connected with themes of the sea but did the patrons fall for them hook, line and sinker?

Even Mr Larry Lai, Rediffusion personality and celebrity broadcaster, had a throbbing mobile machine called Moby Dick. Patrons came from all over the island to taste and feel John Travolta's thumping rhythm of the new sound coming from the light flickering discotheque.

Can you remember some of the band personalities that played at the Kelong ? Where are the members of Flybaits and Fishermen now? Are you familiar them? Please write to let us know.

Original article: Andy Lim

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Backstage At The Capitol With Andy & Michael

Amateur Night 9th January, 1961, 9.30 pm.

Backstage at the Capitol Cinema with Goh Brothers, Richard & Michael (2nd right), who sang "My Rifle, My Pony and Me." I cannnot remember the gentleman on the left. If you do please let us know.

After 47 years, met Mike again at VivoCity Concert on 8th November 2008. Michael performed Memories Are Made Of This and two other songs by Dean Martin on -1. Now you know why I am blogging.

Michael had recorded songs by Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, and other 50s artistes on 4 CDs which were sold in the US under Michael Gold (blogged on Dec. 28, 2008).

Image/Original article: Andy Lim Collection

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Where Guitar Groups Perform Before A Movie

Where else did the new and unknown bands play before they hit the big time in Singapore 60s?
There were two big names in movie houses then, Shaw Brothers and Cathay Organisation. To promote their movies these two groups had bands to perform before a show and it's usually at the Capitol & Cathay.

I sang in 'Amateur Night' at the Capitol Cinema (still a landmark today) with others like the Goh Brothers. It was a blast!

The exceptionally large posters that fronted the Capitol building were usually planned, drawn and painted by creative artist Robert Song, who was also a singer with 60s bands like The Flamingos, The Checkmates and The Stylers. Song had sinced passed away in 1990 in the Philippines.

Image: from ST Collection Ebay

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Palace Cinema Katong - Lido Cinema Orchard

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The former Lido Cinema at Orchard Road was one of the venues where tea-dances were held and the nitespot cum restaurant upstairs was called Rosee D'or.

There would be a main band like The Silver Strings in attendance and a Guest Band. It had a dance floor where the 60s youths soaked their shirts & pants out!

The Palace Cinema at East Coast Road was another hangout. The Trailers was the regular band here and lead singer Benny Koh fronted them.

Tea dances, usually held from 3.30 pm to 7 pm weekends, cost $3.50 each for entrance and a drink.

And Larry Lai, Rediffusion DJ extraodinaire, met his wife at the Rosee D'or in the Lido Cinema building.

Images: National Heritage Board/Shaw Brothers Organisation.

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