TAN, Kelly
Performing Arts in Singapore (Music),
Accession Number 003094
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 3
Total Reels
- Joseph C Pereira
Interviewer
- 02:47:16
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 3
Metadata
- 10 Jul 2006
Recording Date
- 00:58:40
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Early life in Singapore. Born in 1948. Was the youngest child in the family. Lived in the Central part of Singapore. Early childhood years. Primary School at Monkshill at Newton. Then at age 11, family moved to the East and he transferred to St Stephens and later St Patrick’s. Recollections of Primary school years. Difference between life in the city (Thomson) and life in the east. Often went to Ocean Theatre and an outdoor cinema called Million Cinema. Early exposure to music in primary six. Interested in learning how to play the guitar. Record shops in Singapore. Popular artistes in Singapore then include Nat King Cole, Pat Boone. How he learnt and created music. Impressions of the band Cliff Richard and the Shadows.
Left school in 1965 after Senior Cambridge. First band the Vulcans in 1963/1964 in secondary three with his brother. Played only one gig with them and then moved to the band Meltones. Description of their performances and where they performed. Genre of music that he played. Where his band performed and the music played. Stayed with Meltones for a few years. Played many gigs with Meltones. Early 1970’s name changed to Statesmen. Played American Club for long spell.
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Reel/Disc 2 of 3
Metadata
- 10 Jul 2006
Recording Date
- 00:57:26
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*About the crowd at Selarang Camp and how he enjoyed playing there. Venues that he played at. E.W Barker as a very good guitarist and how E. W Barker played music with them. Opportunities to perform. They had their first show in Malacca; description and lineup of the show and bands that played. What the bands wore at that time. About a rioting incident at a performance in an Ipoh. Reasons why he enjoyed the KL performance most. Encounter with transvestite performance and his feelings about it. Change in band lineup and eventually changed their band name to Statesmen. About bandmember, Susan Lim’s passing. Band had no interest in psychedelic music. Band had the first fuzzbox ever brought into Singapore.
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Reel/Disc 3 of 3
Metadata
- 10 Jul 2006
Recording Date
- 00:51:10
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
*Meltones disbanded, so he embarked on a solo career, but it did not work out. Performed in a show with the Straydogs as backing group. Opinions of playing music as a career. Applied for a job as building materials salesman. Experiences as a salesman. Worked in the printing press for almost 30 years till his retirement. Turned a professional musician during the 1980s. Worked as a salesman and played music in the night. His feedback on the music scene of the over the years and events which led to the demise of work in the music sector. Now works full time as an Ai Ki Do instructor. Difference between Ai Ki Do and Karate. Joined the voluntary police and made use of his Ai Ki Do knowledge. Highlights of the various stages of his career. What the future holds for him.
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