Music in our house - 1969

-

In 1969, the older of us boys was only 8 years old in Primary 2, and the younger in kindergarten – so while we enjoyed the music mostly played on the radio, we don’t recall too many wonderful songs (which we now know) that ruled the airwaves in that year of 1969 except for these great songs we recall playing in our Bedok kampong house!

Hermans’s Hermits’ ‘My Sentimental Friend’. Introduced by our cousin living with us, this brings back so many wonderful memories especially singing from the lyric songbook she hand wrote.


Bobbie Gentry’s ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’. Honestly this was the first time we learnt the word ‘Pneumonia’ found in the song lyrics.


Karen Young’s ‘Nobody’s Child’. So sad this song, that we can't forget it!


Tommy Roe’s Dizzy. Such a fun song with a title we young boys could not forget!


Venture’s Hawaii Five-O. This must be the greatest and most memorable TV theme song (other than Mission Impossible) ever written! Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) was the best!


Finally the group we all loved, the Bee Gees (who came to Singapore’s National Theatre in 1972 to perform) with their songs ‘First Of May’, ‘Melody Fair’ and ‘Morning of My Life’

First of May

Melody Fair

Morning Of My Life

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"I Play And Sing" at our Bedok kampong house

-
Image
Here is some ‘claim to fame’ for us: In 1971, we (at aged 10 and 8 then) were thrilled to turn on our black and white TV at our Bedok kampong house to watch Mel & Joe Ferdinands compete in the RTS Talentime then. We most remembered them singing the song “I Play & Sing”. At that time, they lived further up from our place at Bedok Road at the Bedok Walk area and we took the same bus to our primary school then, St Stephen’s (at Siglap Hill). Unfortunately by the time the school bus arrived at their place, all seats were taken and they had to stand but Joe was really friendly to us and smiled mostly! (these days standing not allowed but those were the days) (photos not ours)
Read more

Hair, There and Everywhere.. at old Bedok kampong

-
Image
“What?  You brought him back from the barber without him having his hair cut?”, this writer’s (the older brother) mother asked my father incredulously as he brought the by-now dried eyed little boy back from the ‘frightening’ experience at the barber’s to our Bedok kampong house. “He refused to have his hair cut, so I brought him back…” was my father’s honest reply. Babu (or Mr in Indian terms as explained by former neighbour Ronald Ho) was our preferred go-to barber for all the male-folk in the family, not the Chinese one situated a little farther along. Babu’s shop was located near (or next to) Ah Yam’s provision shop, along Bedok Road (Ah Yam's story was posted on October 16, 2024) and just where the bus stop is (now Cold Storage). He was mostly dressed in a white short sleeved shirt and had a genteel and calming way about him. He was great, but not the aura of his shop and equipment! As a little me recalled, I intensely disliked seeing the chair which had a fear aboding loo...
Read more

The Ritual of burning Kemenyan

-
Image
Each Thursday evening around 6pm, our grandmother would have someone from the household burn some kemenyan incense on a holder and carry this burner to every room and corner in our Bedok kampong house. We knew this was a spiritual practice but just recently informed by our mother that this act appeases the spirit owners of the house.... can still recall the distinct smell and incense smoke as this post is written.... 1955 photo of our Bedok kampong house with our grandmother (58 years old here) posing.. Kemenyan incense burner/holder (photo not ours)
Read more