'Play It Cool' Movie (1962) Banned In Our Cinemas

Friday, April 15, 2011

According to a 1962 Singapore newspaper that covered local and overseas entertainment the rock n roll movie, Play It Cool (image) was banned because of its "undesirable song and dance sequence."

Such movies drew crowds because fans were able to watch their pop stars on the 'silver screen'. Computers and You Tube were not available then and movies like, Sing Boy Sing, Rock Around The Clock, Jamboree, Calypso Heat Wave and a host of others kept the cinemas flooded with the best Western pop artistes singing their latest.

Play It Cool had Billy Fury as the main attraction, so could he be the reason why the movie was banned in Singapore? Billy Fury, like many pop singers in the 60s, had a starring role and was known for his sensuality when performing.

Here's a bit of history from a website. His biography discussed his first self-penned 1959 hit, Maybe Tomorrow, which made him an overnight sensation both as a singer and an actor on radio and TV.

His second song, Margo just managed the pop chart while two other singles failed. It was due to "bad press which he was receiving," because of "his wild and overtly sexual stage acts." Elvis Presley experienced similar circumstances didn't he?

According to Fury, "All I did was to squirm about a bit and they banned me for that." But Play It Cool, a box office hit, was made in 1962 and the EP soundtrack were 45 weeks on the Charts. He had also toned down his act since 1959. Were there other reasons for the ban? Could it be the lyrics in the songs the artistes performed? What was the "undesirable song" and "dance sequence"? We will never know.

Anyone seen this movie? Perhaps someone can shed some light as to why it was banned? But then it was a long time ago. And censorship was strict.

Billy Fury Website: http://www.nic.fi/~nallew/pages/bio.html Original article: Andy Lim

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Elizabeth Taylor: Sixties Silver Screen Siren

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Remembering LIZ TAYLOR with a song. She had passed on at 79 years young. I was thinking of the movie Giant (1956) and the theme song by Dimitri Tiomkin that I remember so well and could sing as a youth. Fans gathered like bees at the Capitol Cinema when this honey of a film came. Tickets were sold out days ahead.
Nearly everyone who saw the blockbuster loved and learnt the Tiomkin hit which boomed out on the giant speakers at the theatre. It was also popular with Radio Singapore requesters and caused a stir. But this was the 50s lah, not 60s.

By chance, while watching television this evening, Elton John appeared on the little screen and dedicated, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me to the beautiful and sensual star of the silver screen. But my choice remains. So Liz Taylor, one of the giants of the 60s screen, this song's for you:

Just like a sleeping giant/Sprawling in the sun /In one great hand the Rio Grande/In the other Galveston/Where oil wells laugh at angels/Buzzards wheel above/This then is Texas/Lone Star State of Texas/This is the giant/Land I love..."/Just like the silver dollar/Falling from above/This then is Texas/Lone Star of Texas /This is the giant/Land I love.../Austin to Houston/The Alamo, El Paso/Crystal City, Waco/Giant, giant, giant...

(Music/Lyrics: Dimitri Tiomkin/Paul Francis Webster/1956)

Images: By courtesy of (1) Flickr and Raffles Hotel, Singapore. (2) Google/'Giant' with James Dean.

Elizabeth Taylor was in Singapore in 1957 with husband, then Mike Todd (of Todd AO lenses fame), and had a gown designed for her by Doris Geddes. She was here again in the 90s when Michael Jackson had a concert at the National Stadium. There are many websites about Liz Taylor.

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Dwarfs, POWs, Gunslinger, Teacher And Panther? Songs That We Don't Sing In The 60s

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Whistle While You Work:
I remember watching Disney cartoons when I was very young and loved Snow White (1937) with her seven dwarfs. One particular song, Whistle While You Work, enchanted me so much that I easily learnt the skill because I wanted to whistle the tune so badly. Music from the past has many of these whistling tunes. This posting is about some of them.
Coloney Bogey March:
Another one that became a whistling hit was the Colonel Bogey March written in 1914. Although not many people remember the title, they knew how to whistle, "that River Kwai song." The song was a powerful one because of its repetitive, simple melody and because it was from the soundtrack of the blockbuster, The Bridge On The River Kwai.

Prisoners of War:

The tune was played when the POWs marched towards the prison camp and is not to be mistaken with the orchestral counter-march composed in 1957 by Malcolm Arnold. Both marches had been recorded together by Mitch Miller and his Orchestra as March from the River Kwai - Colonel Bogey.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly:

In 1966, Singapore film goers went wild with a spaghetti western called, The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and the main theme, composed by Ennio Morricoe, echoed for months everywhere.

Clint Eastwood:

Hugo Motenegro had a version using the Moog synthesizer that went up to number two on the Billboard Pop Single Chart in 1968. And gunslinger Clint Eastwood (image) clinched it again. It was so popular that it had been covered by our local group, The Stylers.

I Whistle A Happy Tune:

The very pretty Julie Andrews (in later years to become *Blake Edwards' wife) appeared in a movie that fascinated both young and old. The King And I (1956) showed for weeks at the Cathay Cinema in the 50s and a song that kept everyone bright and cheerful was, I Whistle A Happy Tune.

The King And I:

In the movie, it was performed on board a ship when teacher Andrews was on her way to meet Yul Brynner the King. To ease her son's fear and tension, she sang and whistled the song. It became a hit with other songs in the show.

The Pink Panther Theme:
The Henry Mancini Pink Panther Theme (1963) is an instrumental composition that whistled its way to a nomination at the Academy Award for Original Music Score in 1964. It won three awards.

Inspector Clouseau:

The movie about the pink cartoon character was animated in time to the tune. It became successful commercially and made bungling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers), a character in the Pink Panther series. It was directed by special Oscar winner *Blake Edwards. *(A few days after this posting Blake Edwards passed away, with wife Julie Andrews by his side.)

Roger Whittaker:

There are many whistling tunes? Do you know one that you like? Have you heard of Roger Whittaker? He whistles most of his songs like Mexican Whistler, Pretty Bird, River Lady and classics like The Elizabethan Serenade. But that's another story...

Image:

Original article: Andy Lim.

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Colonel Bogey March: Mitch Miller & His Orchestra

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Song About Singapore Covered By Top US Artistes Or "Why Our Music Appeals To Western Ears."

Saturday, December 4, 2010

On A Little Street In Singapore:

It's a well-known fact. A song about Singapore has been covered by top US bands and groups. And it was covered a long time ago. On A Little Street In Singapore is a very old song by Peter Derose and William J. Hill and was popular in the 30s and 40s.
Dorsey, James, Sinatra, Miller:

It was revived in 1978 by the Manhattan Transfer and when the group was here, the song became their trademark. Besides the Manhattan Transfer, Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James, Frank Sinatra, the Ames Brothers, Bert Kamfert and Glen Miller have covered it.
Exotic East:
The lyrics are typical of songwriters from the West when they interpret the exotic East, 'We'd meet beside a lotus covered door' and 'My sails tonight are filled with perfumes of Shalimar/With temple bells that guide me to her shore...' I am wondering if the cruise ships currently plying our shores are aware of this practice.

Suzie Wong:

Would be a great idea to boost tourism but shouldn't we have church bells too? And Christmas bells? Songs about Asia by Westerners will always have this cliched viewpoint and Singapore is no different, a sunny island in the mysterious East with its slant-eyed, cheongsam chicks called Suzie Wong. By the way, have you seen 'a lotus covered door' lately?

Charlie Chan:

To be fair, On A Little Street is a great song from the 40s, with its razzmatazz and jazzy, finger snapping composition but I am not too sure about the lyrics. Seems like Charlie Chan is still lurking around in some corner with his moustache and greasy hair. And Singaporeans are still wearing coolie-hats and samfoo!!!

Bootleg CDs:

Is this the Singapore some Western listeners are interested in, when they buy bootleg CD selections lifted from 60s Asian music vinyls? No wonder our 'older' songs are still selling. All for the wrong reason. Or is it for the 'Wong' reason?

Click: Movie Theme Songs Label below to check similar article about song Sayonara. (July 3rd, 2009).

Image/Movie/Singapour: http://www.doctormacro.com/
Original Article: Andy Lim.

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