2008/07/19

The Sundowners

The Sundowners, featuring Tony Seow, Lawrence Seow and George Lim were accompanied by The Tornados when they recorded Malaysia Wonderful and That's The One For Me. Members of the Tornados were Freddie Koh, Derek McCully, Stanley Lee and Lennie Lee. Earlier in 1963, The Sundowners also recorded another SP under the Warner label, featuring the popular folk song Bangawan Solo and Cotton Fields, accompanied by the All Star Quintet.

2 comments:

JoeWuSeattleWaUSA said...

Dear Vernon Cheong,

Most heartfelt congratulations to you for creating this new blogsite!!! May this new adventure (not just "venture," bro, but "adventure") bring happiness and joy to you and your friends each and every day as we pop in here to have a cup of coffee with you.

This new blogsite will surely provide us all with nice and warm memories of our childhood days. Thank you, Vernon, for being the catalyst here.

The Sundowners' "Malaysia Wonderful" is a prime example for me, personally. Back then, in 1963, which young schoolchild in Singapore was not caught up in the new national spirit of Malaysia? All the official governmental PR campaigns over the newspapers and radios and the early-early days of Singapore television could not match the impact of records such as this one by The Sundowners, and also that amazing Phillips EP, "Oh Malaysia" by Anneke Gronloh, "Midnight In Malaya" and "Sunrise in Malaysia" by Boy and His Rollin' Kids and "Singapura" by Sandra.

Much more fun to listen to those popular songs on the radio back then than to try to learn "Negara-ku" in school, wouldn't you agree?

No doubt friends here will cite other records that also made a significant impact on promoting the new country of Malaysia. It's all good. I know my memory needs to be prompted a lot of times.

MALAYSIA WONDERFUL

I found me a paradise
I'll stay there the rest of my life
It's called Malaysia, Wonderful Malaysia
Skies have never been so blue
Beautiful countryside
Ocean all around so wide
I'll stay there
Yes, I'm gonna stay there the rest of my life
Yes, I'm gonna stay right there

Malaysia, Wonderful Malaysia
People you love right away
Not enough hours in the day
The nights seem to slip away
In Malaysia
Yes, I'm gonna stay there the rest of my life
Oh yes, I'm gonna stay right there

(Musical interlude)

Beautiful countryside
Ocean all around so wide
I'll stay there
Yes, I'm gonna stay there the rest of my life
Oh yes, I'm gonna stay right there

Malaysia, Wonderful Malaysia
Malaysia, Wonderful Malaysia
Malaysia, Wonderful Malaysia

Anonymous said...

Dear Vernon,

The surprise on the song Malaysia Wonderful is Derek McCully's astounding guitar playing. I wondered how he got that cascading sound. He was one of the contenders for Reggie's guitar throne.

Joseph.C.Pereira