Looking back at the few albums that I have assisted EMI Singapore to compile in the past, this one stands out as my favourite. As a Quests fan since my school days, I have followed the fortunes of the group over the years. Surprisingly, despite being an avid fan, I never had the opportunity to personally meet up with any member of the band until long after they have disbanded !I still remember the first time I met up with Jap Chong, the leader of the band, about 5 or 6 years ago. It was over lunch at Suntec City, together with Sam Toh and Vernon Cornelius. Besides myself, there were a few other 60s music fans, including the Guru of 60s music Joseph Pereira. My first reaction was......"Wow ! after all these years I finally caught up with some members of the famed Quests." Although I was abit awed by the occasion, Sam Toh made me feel very much at home after the initial introductions. They were all great guys. Since then, I had the honour of meeting up with other members of the band, including the great guitar legend, Reggie Verghese and his predecessor Raymond Leong. The only member I missed out meeting is the late Mr. Peter Richards.
During my younger days, whenever I spinned my old Quests vinyls, I often hoped that someday EMI Singapore would release all their music on CD for the benefit of their fans and also for preservation of such musical treasures from the past. After years of yearning, my opportunity finally came in 2003 when Ms Pearl Wong of EMI contacted me for assistance in compiling an album for The Quests under their "Recollecting" series, as their master tapes were no longer available. EMI had earlier released two albums of this series for Tracy Huang and Francis Yip successfully. Well, I was most glad to oblige with my collection of vinyls, and the first Quests double CD album was released in 2003, featuring most of their hits.
This was followed by a second double CD release in 2004, "Recollecting The Quests Vol. 2 the legend continues..." with an improved packaging. This particular album was very special to me as I was given the opportunity to include most of the songs recorded by the group during those "lost years" when they were performing in Hong Kong. You may term some of these songs as "rare" materials. The album was also a personal triumph for me because I finally succeeded in getting most of their recordings converted from vinyls to CDs, thus offering fans the chance to reminisce about those glory days when we were young. Another comforting thought was the preservation of their music through the years. It was in some ways a closure for me as well, my own way of thanking the boys for helping me shape a part of my life through their music. Thanks for the memories, guys.......
And here are details of the tracklist from my all-time favourite Quests album:-
This Side.
1. Come On And Shout
2. Love Has Gone
3. The Man From Madrid
4. Dum Dum
5. I'm On Top Of The World
6. I Want A Home
7. Mockin' Bird Hill
8. Ding Dong Twist
9. I'll Be Your Man
10. Shanty
11. All My Sorrows
12. Honey House
13. Please Try And Understand
14. Instrumentally Western
15. I'll Be Looking Out For You
16. Come On Down To My Boat
17. What's Wrong With The Way I Live
18. Guantanamera
19. Never Ever
20. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
21. Hur Pi Tzu Shau Shiang
22. The Return Of Spring
23. Sayonara
That Side.
1. La La La Means I Love You
2. A World Of Tomorrows
3. Pop Inn Theme (1968)
4. Gallopin' (1968)
5. What Is Soul ?
6. Sunshine Of Your Love
7. Hey Girl
8. Soul Finger
9. Love Is Blue
10. The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
11. Sound Of Silence
12. Proud Mary
13. Traces
14. Time Is Tight
15. I'll Wait A Million Years
16. Don't Forget To Remember
17. When The Clock Strikes Twelve
18. Love At First Sight
19. Holiday
20. The Cage
21. Who'll Stop The Rain
22. American Woman
23. Love And The World Loves With You.
Cheers !
