Singapore Pop 60s Fashion On Vinyl Covers (Part I)

Friday, March 25, 2011

SINGAPORE FASHION AMONG CHINESE POP 60s ARTISTES:

Ladies fashion in the 60s seems to focus on colours and tones but less on accessories. Dresses are elegant and evening gowns are usually full-skirted. For casual wear, the ladies have British fashion guru Mary Quant's mini-skirt for leggy jaunts. And the word 'mini' comes from the iconic 60s Cooper mini-car.

Compared with their sisters in the West, our local Chinese pop singers dress conservatively when appearing on the covers of the vinyls they publicise. Sakura, Frances Yip, Mona Fong and Carrie Ku Mei (images) look resplendent with their pleasing, eye-catching and fashionable dress sense.

The light purplish dress with fluffy puffed sleeves that Sakura wears, is either for a concert or nightclub act. Note her bee-hive hairdo. Is she over-dressed? Not really. Carrie Koo Mei and Mona Fong are also ready for a formal evening concert in a darker purple cheongsam with psychedelic prints (?) to woo audiences with their stage presence and songs. I love their simple but charmingly styled hair and stilettos.

A very young Frances Yip appears set for a stroll in the park with her short, captivating sun-hewed print mini. Perhaps she's ready to sing a twist or shake 60s hit during a tea-dance. Or is she?

I am no expert, so do write in if you are familiar with Singapore 60s dress code and comment on the fashion sense then.

For those interested in the Chinese record covers above: Image 1: Sakura COLUMBIA/EMI ECHK. 614. Image 2: Frances Yip LIFE RECORDS/EP 2092. Image 3: Carrie Koo Mei and Mona Fong PATHE/EMI: 7EPA-206.

Images/original article: Andy Lim.

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Naturally BBC: English Gentleman Without The Stiff Upper Lip - Larry Lai Interview - (Part II)

Sunday, June 6, 2010

"You speak and behave like an English gentleman. All you need is a bowler hat, an umbrella with a whangee handle and polished leather shoes. Like John Steed in The Avengers?" That was the truth about this celebrity broadcaster because he did not have a phoney accent and spoke as naturally as the announcers on BBC. And according to him, "The BBC was where I learnt my trade... yes... listening to the station daily... from home." So as we started on our Katong laksa, Larry Lai, who never liked to talk about himself, reluctantly related in impeccable Queen's English his 18 year relationship with Rediffusion.

He came with his family from Shanghai, China, had his education at Pearl's Hill Primary and studied commercial subjects at Outram Secondary. He started as a Rediffusion announcer in 1960 with Tan Swee Leong. They had replaced Tan Hock Lye and Steven Lee who left for Radio Singapore. Being a broadcaster was challenging but he loved his profession at the station, working with the Rediffusion family until he retired as manager and producer in 1978.

Larry remembered how difficult the job could be. Besides doing the routines where he had to broadcast, make announcements, play music requests, prepare scripts, etc. in the studio, Larry had also to carry out extra curricular activities outside.

When his boss Len Thorne phoned him in December, 1961 to interview U.S. crooner Frank Sinatra at Singapore Airport, he lugged his heavy, bulky tape recorder and sped all the way to the tarmac hoping to get a scoop. He was excited when Sinatra finally emerged from the plane but before he could approach "Ol' Blue Eyes", the singer made an about turn and disappeared. Larry was so upset, he refused to play Sinatra records on air for a week!

On another occasion, he and Tan Swee Leong climbed a tree, risking broken bones, to catch a glimpse of 60s Calypso singer Harry Belafonte at the Raffles Hotel. When the singer saw them perching precariously beneath the pale moon and fearing their safety, he quickly agreed to the interview. It was an exclusive for Rediffusion and a pat on the back for the "terrible twins" (Lai & Tan).

But then there were other moments of joy too when Larry compered game shows with beautiful, perfume scented ladies. Like when he hosted and interviewed Philippino songbird Teresa Carpio, Hong Kong superstar Jennie Tseng (sidebar image), Cathay Pacific's ambassador, Frances Yip (above image) and other glamorous celebrities during live shows at the National and Victoria theatres, cinemas, shopping malls and the Rediffusion auditorium.

At this point of the interview I interrupted him and asked, "And the lady in your life, Larry. Tell us about your very pretty wife. We've been introduced, so perhaps you'd like to recall how you met her the first time? "

"Oh," he said, "that's with Saloma and Ahmad Daud... at the Lido Cinema. And she was with this gentleman. But it's another story... "

Image: Larry Lai Collection: (The lady next to Frances Yip is Katherine Kan from an earlier metamorphosis of Media Corp, possibly RTS. It was backstage at the National Theatre during an end-of-year show in the early 80s.)

Original Article: Andy Lim.

Check out: Saturday, May 08, 2010
Larry Lai King Of Singapore 60s Airwaves (Pt I)

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Philippines Rivera Floods - 70s Songbird Gracie

Sunday, October 4, 2009

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 SEAsia 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.

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 were George Lam, The New Topnotes 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?

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(F) Frances Yip - Cathay Pacific - Hong Kong - Geylang Sipaku Geylang - Oh Di Mana - Rak Khun Kao Laew - Beautiful Seoul - Widuri.

Monday, September 14, 2009

A sequel to Frances Yip's Discovery Album in 1974 by Cathay Pacific Airways, this album is Discovery 2 where, 'songs from the heart of Asia and beyond' had been recorded. With her strong, crisp and beautiful voice, Ms Yip sings melodies from 13 different countries.

They are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East.

Until 1973, singing was only part time for her but when she came in first in a talent competition, the contracts came in fast and furious. She joined Cathay Pacific to promote the airline and has cut many singles, EPs and LPs too. The image shows the back cover of this particular EMI Long Play recording done in Singapore in 1978.

If the reader still cannot remember Frances Yip, then one of the greatest hits in Chinese pop history may. Shanghai Beach.

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