Retro flashback: 7 classic Singapore songs
Singapore's music has received a lot of flak over the years for being dull and flavorless, but there are some oldies from the 1980s and 1990s that have become local classics. We've trawled YouTube to dredge up the best and talk to some locals on the memories they evoke.
"Fried Rice Paradise" by Dick Lee
Before he was a Singapore Idol judge, Dick Lee was The Mad Chinaman. Taken from the 1989 album and 1991 musical of the same name, this tune talks about Singapore’s favorite pastime and obsession -- food. The chorus is terribly catchy: "Fried rice paradise, nasi goring very nice, that’s her specialty, ninety-nine varieties." Jessie Lim, a PR manager, loves this song as it talks about her favorite one-meal dish. "It has a great blend of musical styles -- be-wop, pop, electronic, even Broadway -- and is also the only song I know that mentions Hougang." Let’s see any Singapore Idol contestant come up with something even half as catchy as this.
"Within You’ll Remain" by Tokyo Square
The catchy chorus is what made this song, especially the "wo ai ni (我爱你), I love you" bit, which cheered the Mandarin-speaking crowd and taught the non-Chinese a new phrase. No one really noticed that the song only has one verse. Max Surin and the gang from Tokyo Square, we’re afraid you have to take responsibility for the fact that we had to listen to many drunken men belting out this tune to their sweethearts, or just to random women, during the mid-1980s.
"Why U So Like Dat?" by Kopi Kat Klan
Who says us Singaporeans can’t laugh at ourselves? This Singlish comedy record raps about juvenile things such as not sharing one’s Kit Kat chocolates with a friend, but it struck a chord with every Singaporeans who could relate to its title. Admit it, only a fellow Singaporean would understand if you described someone as being "so like that." Musically, it might not make it to anyone’s top ten list of faves but we’d be lying if we said this didn’t bring a smile to our faces even today.
"Goodil" by Stoned Revivals
Quite possibly the best song to be produced by the local underground music scene, this song was taken from Eric Khoo's 12 Storeys movie soundtrack. "I remember hearing the Stoned Revivals and thinking how breezy and melodic the track was," says Ketan Sheh, an IT sales manager. "I saw them on TV and was blown away by the fact that they had a trumpet player! And it’s the only song I know that mentions Mr Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street. This song is a reminder that you don’t need to be angst-filled to be alternative."
"Jane" by Kick!
Probably the only song we know of with the word 'conscripted' in the lyrics, this lovey-dovey ballad by the popular trio Kick! made teenage girls swoon. But the song is basically about a girl who cheats on her boyfriend when he goes off to do his national service. Hardly a romantic message. Lead singer John Klass, guitarist Jai and keyboardist Dinesh Bhatia performed to sell-out crowds but never had a hit as big as this again, and the group soon disbanded. We wonder what happened to Jane?
"Angel In The Night" by Lovehunters
Although they’re essentially a Malay band, this was Lovehunters' one big English hit. It’s a lighters-in-the-air kind of tune that gets people swaying arm in arm. "When I first heard this song, I thought it was by some long-haired American rock band," says Denise Goh, a marketing manager. "It was only months later that I found out who actually sang it and I was shocked, to say the least. I still YouTube it now, every once in a while, as it brings back so many memories."
"Love You Now" by The Black Sun
Best described as a grown-up love song, this tune was sung by a bunch of guys in their mid-thirties, and became a surprise hit. It played incessantly on the radio in the early-1990s and was their only big hit. The yearning in the singing was apparent just after one listen and it was this quality that made it appeal to the older generation. "The singer just sounds like he really wants this girl and that is just very endearing," remembers Sonia Fernando, a freelance writer.
Are there other Singapore songs that brings back the memories for you? Let us know.
