(5) Simon & Garfunkel In The Midnight Hour?

Sunday, September 27, 2009

PART 5

All three songs, except Midnight Hour, on this EP (image) are rock n roll songs from the mid 60s. Rise And Fall is an instrumental by the Shadows, Hooray For Hazel is by Tommy Roe, Sounds Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel and Hey Jude by the Beatles. Like a-go-go music in the early 60s, the beat has been changed to 'soul' music in the midnight hour because it is the latest dance craze.

Following the trend, thousands of 45 vinyls like The Sound Of Japan Vol: 13 are sold on the cheap by many recording companies in Singapore. Some of the compilations are questionable but most have mediocre sound production and harmonization although most are covers of popular western songs.

The lead instrument is usually an electronic organ with separate electric bass and rhythm. These recordings are mostly marketed for Chinese listeners.

Blogger is not too sure who Charlie And The Boys are but they could have been professional musicians selected for particular recordings only. Does Charlie really exist?

These records, like MP3 downloads, sold very well and the 'elevator music' came in series. Today the vinyl costs me S$2.00. Collector's item? Possible. They don't produce them like they do LPs. Comment anyone?

Image/original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(4) Wilson Pickett Midnight Hour Mustang Sally

Thursday, September 24, 2009

PART 4

Oh my, soul brother at his utmost! Wilson Pickett's songs, Land Of 1,000 Dances, In The Midnight Hour and Mustang Sally are this blogger's favourites.

So from Little Richard to Elvis Presley, the transition to appreciate soul and funk as the years went by was no big deal. There were changes to the rhythm and blowing instruments were added. And since Roy Orbison and James Brown came in between, the transition was even smoother.

Punctuate these years with The Beatles psychedelic period together with 5th Dimension, The Mamas And Papas and the puzzle becomes one clear picture. Again, the song/singer selections are personal choices.

*Funk originated in the mid 60s when black musicians blended soul, jazz and Rhythm & Blues into music one can dance to, after de-emphasising the melody and harmony. There is a strong rhythmic groove of bass and drums and funk nmelodies are based on extended vamp on a single chord.

*Like much of African-inspired music, funk typically consists of a complex groove with rhythm instruments such as guitar, bass, organ, and drums playing interlocking rhythms. Funk bands sometimes have a horn section of several saxophones, trumpets, and perhaps a trombone.

*Reference: edited from Wikipedia.

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(3) James Brown, Cold Sweat Sax And Watusi!

Part 3

In the latter half of the 1960's, the dance and music craze of a relatively 'new beat' stormed Singapore island and in the frenzy our local band boys and girls added the tenor saxaphone, keyboard and even the trombone to its stable of instruments. -Check Silver Strings postings for: March, 26th and April 23rd.

"Ow! Uh! Alright! Uh!/Got to know how to pony/Like Bony Maronie/Mash potato, do the alligator/Put your hand on your hips, yeah/Let your backbone slip/Do the Watusi/Like my little Lucy... Do that Jerk-uh/Watch me work y'all, Hey! Uh!" And Wilson Pickett's song reverberated throughout the nightspots in Singapore. And funky music with its soul sisters and brothers came to town. "Na, na, na, na, na... "

But if we push the minute hand slightly backwards, the Godfather Of Soul himself could be responsible for this phenomenon because James Brown (image) must be credited for funky music popularity with his hit, Cold Sweat (1967). It was recognized as a departure from pop music conventions when it was released and is sometimes cited as the first true funk song. Comment anyone?

Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(2) Late 60s Soul Music In Funky Singapore

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

PART 2

The Shing-A-Ling, Boogaloo and Funky Broadway hit the Singapore music scene in the late 60s as it did a few years before in the U.S. Soul music captured the hearts of many people then, so when three real-life and beautiful sisters from Indonesia hit the circuit with their record Soul Source.

Singaporeans fell in love with both the music and the shimmering siblings. Their close, vocal harmony dominates as they give their best by coaxing listeners to, "do that funky music baby" with The X-periment.

Linda, Lolly and Elsie Idaly have also recorded, Sweet Inspiration, Knock On Wood, Oh What A Fool I've Been and Will You Love Me Tomorrow. Combining as a group proved a success as they were soloists before teaming up in 1967. The sisters are from a musically inclined Indonesian family of ten.

With Soul Sauce (image), they recorded, Unchained Melody, Micro-Mini, Don't Fight It, You've Lost That Loving Feeling/Soul And Inspiration, I Second That Emotion, A Place In The Sun, To Love Somebody, Soul Sister Brown Sugar, Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday, I Lost Someone and Funky Broadway.

Besides backing the sisters, members of The X-Periment featured vocally on some tracks. They had cut another LP in later years and also written original compositions. Siva Choy and Joe Chandran are vocalists and musicians in their own rights.

Image/original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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(1) The X-Periment/Idaly Sisters Soul Sauce

PART 1

Believe it. It's all in one Long Play, Latin-Boogaloo, soul sisters in short, short skirts and one of the best bands in the late 60s. When the Idaly Sisters, cut a vinyl with The Experiments it featured the blending harmony and distinctive styles of two of the best groups of recording artistes in the 60s.

After some shuffling of band members and a change of name from Comancheros (song title) in late 1965 to The Experiments at the tail end of 1967, the versatile group was well known for their appearances at the Hilton Hotel, Golden Venus and other hot spots in Singapore and Malaysian cities. Starting out as a Hindustani band the group concentrated on soul music afterwards. The Soul Sister, Brown Sugar phenomenon started its craze in the region then.

The line-up for the LP (image) was Mervyn Nonis (Electric organ, Piano/Harpsichord/Vocals), Tony Shotam (Lead guitar/Tenor Saxaphone/Vocals), Frisco Lim (Drums/Vocals), Kenny Barket (Bass Guitar/Vocals), Joe Chandran (Lead Vocal/Guitar) and Siva Choy (Guitar/Glockenspiel/Vocals). Their final official title on record was The X-PERIMENT.

The pictures were taken at The Baron Nightclub in Singapore under Bernard Salosa's Production.
Reference: RCA Victor Long Play: SGS0001. "I jammed during varsity when they had lunchtime concerts and with a guy called Joe Peters (best double bassist in Singapore) who later formed the NUS Band and the NUS Music Department in the 70s. Actually this was how I got my first job in the IT industry whilst playing as a musician.

It was fun playing 3 months here and there - the Jade Lounge at Ming Court Hotel with David Ng/Julai Tan Quartet, The Rang Mahal Restaurant at the Oberoi Imperial, a Japanese club/restauant called the Okoh at Supreme House and on the ground floor of Hyatt Hotel (if you walk through the main entrance today, the lounge was on the right side.)

Sadly many musicians from those years have passed on or become taxi drivers because there was no future in the local music industry. You must have heard about Joe Chandran and the X'periments - he became spiritual - after is stint at the Los Horizon discotheque at the Shangri-la.

Extract by: Peter Chan from 'Good Morning Yesterday' by Lam Choon See.

Image/original article: Andy Lim
Extract: Peter Chan
Collection.http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2006/11/tom-obrien-remembers-beauty-world.html

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