V/a / Let’s A Go-go! Singapore And Southeast Asian Pop Scene 1964-69

Silver Tortoise

 “Funny thing happened to me back in 2001, during my first trip to Singapore. I was in a clothing store in Causeway Pointe, and an old ‘60s tune was blasting out of the stereo speakers. It sounded like your typical ‘60s pop hit, but the lyrics were sung in Malay! I was entranced, and wouldn’t be satisfied to just hear it just once. I spent the rest of my trip combing the local antique stores and flea markets, grabbing all the vinyl I could find. My first purchase was The Mysterians’ ‘Forget the Time’ ‘b/w My Girl Les,’ found at an antique store on Orchard Road. The cover, featuring the band wearing black masks and standing in green background, is such a classic that I spent a few weeks admiring it before finally purchasing a turntable so I could hear it. But when I finally did, lo and behold, an obsession was born. Nine years and five overseas trips later, my collection now boasts more than 600 rare titles from the region, which also includes Malaysia and Indonesia. In this first volume, I present a handful of my favorite finds. Some of these bands experienced regional success at best, while others disappeared after one or two recordings. Very few left behind any written history. I didn’t concern myself with which songs were hits, but rather which ones happened to appeal to this pair of western ears. I have included a variety of tunes, from rockers to ballads, covers and originals, all sung in a variety of native languages. A few instrumentals have been thrown in for good measure. Now on to the music…LET’S A’ GO-GO!!!”—Silver Tortoise. CD version includes 8 extra tracks, not available on the MP3 release.

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