Looking Back: Country Music With Maxine Brown

THIS POSTING IS NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT

If you are not familiar with the music of the 50s and 60s Maxine Brown's Looking Back To See - A Country Music Memoir - is the book to grab from the shelves of our National Library. The Three Bells (1959) is one of the biggest hits of all time and gave Maxine Brown, her sister and brother international stardom. And the story begins...

Mini review:

Maxine Brown shared stages with everyone, from unknowns to the knowns like Rick Nelson and Elvis Presley. "She saw Elvis at the beginning of his incredible, tragic ride" when she devoted one full chapter to travels with the King.

Then there were Jim Reeves and Johnny Cash and pieces of advice - "Lousy bands can mess up the greatest singers..." - from the people she met during the times of boogie-woogie, swing music, television, horror movies, The Kennedys, space flight, hula hoops and "nickel Cokes."

Country Music People magazine says it all, "This is the story of The Browns... It is also the story of rip-offs, frustration money woes, and the harsh truths about fame... Told in a spunky, no-holds-barred, immensely readable style with plenty of juicy anecdotes (blurb)."

If you have the time and interested in country music, this is the book to check out. And who are the Browns, in case you are not familiar with them? Her book tells all.

Image: Cover of "Looking Back To See - A Country Music Memoir" by Maxine Brown, The University of Arkansas Press (2005), USA. From: National Library Board, Singapore. NLB: 782.421642

Original article: Andy Lim.

Elvis Presley, Cliff Richard, Ricky Nelson, Matt Monroe Of Ipoh, Malaya (Part V)

During this time in the 60s in small town Ipoh, Malaya, there was also an explosion of singers who really made names for themselves by impersonating and singing songs by Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley, Matt Monroe and Ricky Nelson.

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In my hometown our well-known *impersonators include: Ho Kok Onn - Cliff Richard, Les Lee - Elvis Presley, Johhny Lee - Matt Monroe, and Richard Ng - Ricky Nelson.

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Our band The Teenage Fentons, was always the back-up band for all of them when they performed at the movie theatres like the Lido and Rex Theatre.

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*There are impersonators of western pop singers from all over Malaya in the 60s.

Image/original article: Joseph Chin Collection, Ipoh, Malaysia.

(6) 'Billboard' Pop Influence In Singapore 50s

TOP TUNES INFLUENCE: 1958 - 59

The picture shows the RM Orchestra in full swing, with its big band sound. Each player had a music sheet and played accordingly. No missed beats, no missed notes as everything was done 'by the book'.

So when Malaya won independence in 1957, the radio service was split into Radio Malaya and Radio Singapore. When 1958 came, the year provided Singaporeans first list of Billboard's 'Hot 100' and the songs were heard all over the island.

Growing up and studying for his Senior Cambridge Examination, blogger listened to these songs. And pop song crazy classmates knew each favourite song by heart:

At The Hop - Danny And The Juniors
Don't - Elvis Presley
Get A Job - The Silhouettes
Tequila - The Champs
Catch A Falling Star - Perry Como
He's Got The Whole World - Laurie London
Twilight Time - The Platters
Witch Doctor - David Seville/Chipmunks
All I Have To Do Is Dream - Everly Brothers
Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley
Hard Headed Woman - Elvis Presley
Yakety Yak - The Coasters
Patricia - Perez Prado
Poor Little Fool - Ricky Nelson
Volare - Domenico Modugno
Bird Dog - Everly Brothers
It's All In The Game - Tommy Edwards
It's Only Make Believe - Conway Twitty
Tom Dooley - Kingston Trio
To Know Him Is To Love Him - Teddy Bears
The Chipmunk Song - David Seville

Image: National Heritage Board Singapore & Singapore Press Holdings. Original article: Andy Lim Collection.