Young Musicians Play Western Oldies At Asian Resorts But They Are Not Playing South East Asian Pop 'Oldies'

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Rest and Recreation:

During trips to Melaka and the Indonesian islands at the beginning of this year (2010), my family and I were entertained by young musicians who were able to sing and play songs from the past. These singers were either Philippinos or Indonesians.

Shadows to Dire Straits:

The top image shows a trio from the Philippines that were playing at a nightspot in a hotel at Mahkota Parade in Malacca. They had a repertoire of guitar instrumentals that ranged from The Shadows to Dire Straits. With fingers flicking on the accompanying synthesizer, one lone guitar plays the tune. Versatility is the name of the game as requests from the crowd came fast and furious.

Seniors and Connie Francis:

Surprisingly the two pretty ladies and young man were able to please the crowd of junior and senior merry-makers with whatever songs they wanted. Favourites for the night included selections from Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Diana Ross and Connie Francis. After a little chat with the young man, he remembered he worked in Singapore in the 90s. He told me his 'boss' was Audie Ng (bass guitarist of the Silver Strings).

Bintan Island:

The second image shows a quartet from a holiday resort at Bintan Island. This group was playing in the large and airy restaurant that had its dinner tables extended to the pool outside. There were no requests as the young musicians, comprising of Indonesians, belted out songs accompanied by the keyboardist during our big 'makan' under the starry skies.

Calypso and Mambos:

Their repertoire was different as they played rhumbas, cha-cha-chas, calypsos, sambas and mambos. To cool the warm, tropical night the singers ended the evening with a selection of soothing songs.

Comment on Pop 60s Music In South East Asia:

1. While the trio in Melaka pranced and danced on the tiny stage provided, the foursome at Bintan were cool and relaxed in their seats. Different styles naturally. But both groups were effectively entertaining.

2. Sixties music lives on, even on the little islands and provinces in South East Asia. It would also be a good idea if some of these local artistes learn 60s music from their own countries, ie: the Malaysians learning 60s Malaysian pop music, the Indonesians playing 60s Indonesian pop music and so on. The Philippines has a wide repertoire of local pop music from the 60s. Why aren't they doing so?

3. Bands in the South East Asian region must play their own pop music 'oldies' from the 50s and 60s otherwise these local classics will just fade away. There are many more songs beyond Bengawan Solo, Rose Rose I Love You and Singapore Cowboy.

But a personal comment here; these highly skilled music people are lowly paid. What a pity because they deserve much more...

Image/Original article: Andy Lim Collection.

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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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The Espanade Outdoor Theatre Hosts 60s Music 2010 For Everyone!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

The Esplanade Outdoor Theatre in Singapore fronts the 300m long waterfront along Marina Bay. It can seat 450 people and take up to 600 standing. The space hosts a range of performances from music to dance and theatre which can all be enjoyed under the starlit sky.

Since July 2008, the redeveloped theatre, equipped with an in-built sound console and rigs for lighting, boasts a new performance stage 2.5 times the size of the original stage, which is twice the size of the previous theatre. The new features will allow for more dynamic performances and an enhanced audience experience.

The theatre has been an important fixture in the Singapore arts scene since it opened in 2002 and has hosted over 2,000 performances that range in diversity. In the short history of the theatre over 1.5 million people have come to experience the free performances there.

The new theatre will offer better protection from the elements through the addition of three large sails. No concerns about cancelled shows at mid-performance because of the weather.

Come join the crowd to celebrate National Day 2010 this year with a bumper crop of gigs for 60s music fans. It's free, begins at 7pm and ends at 11pm.

(Article has been edited from Outdoor Theatre Websites.)

Images/Information: www.esplanadeyouths.com/?p=361

http://www.esplanade.com/about_the_centre/venues/outdoor_theatre/index.jsp

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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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