150 Best-Loved Melodies

When I was studying in Singapore in early 1980s, I had 5 very good friends in my class. They were K. Kamalanathan, Bikar Singh, Surinder Singh, Yu Huat and Wei Keong. We were so closed that we had breakfast and lunch, studied, talked nonsense together almost daily. We even spent many Saturdays staying overnight at various parks, sea sides, river sides and off-shore island together.

We always pooled our brains by studying together, even on some Saturdays. However, in most study sessions, we usually ended up arguing and debating on all kinds of nonsensical issues.

During one study session, we ended up discussing classical music. Bikar Singh was the one who talked the most that day. He brought up a series of names like Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, their styles of music, names of their masterpieces, etc. The rest of us were dumbfounded and listened with full admiration as we had so little knowledge on the subject. Bikar Singh was our hero of the day.

A few weeks later, six of us went to Bikar Singh’s hostel to play football. After our football session, we went to Bikar’s room to take shower. In his room, some of us requested Bikar Singh to show us his grand collection of classical music. Bikar searched through his cassette tapes and coyly pulled out one miserable cassette tape with the title “Hooked on Classics” and declared that it was his one and only classical music collection. Needless to say, Bikar Singh was verbally bashed by us for the rest of that day.

When I listened to music on CD in late 80s, 90s and 2000s, the only classical music CD that I ever purchased was “Hooked on Classics” too.

When I started to collect LPs, I noticed that there were many classical music LPs but they never attracted my attention. During one LP hunting session in October 2008, the glossy-finished cover of a classical music box-set attracted me. The title of the box-set was “150 Best Loved melodies”. Reader Digest produced that box-set in 1981. It contained 8 LPs. Each side of an LP contained classical music of a certain theme. After close inspection, I found that the all the LPs were in mint condition. So I bought the box-set.

As the condition of all the LPs was so good and the music selection was equally great, I enjoyed listening to the classical music in this box-set very much. Subsequently I bought another 3 classical music box-sets.

If I ever have chance to meet Bikar Singh again, I will declare proudly to him that I know who is Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Chopin and many more now.

Song List:

Song - Spanish Lullaby

(Sung by Marty Robbins)



(Lyrics)
This my friends is an old Spanish lullaby.
And it's been handed down from generation to generation.
And in it, a father is singing to his baby son.
And he's telling him, "Close you eyes little one and sleep.
And dream while the angels watch over you.
I will hold your hand.
And when you wake with the morning, I'll still be here."

Cierras ya tus ojitos.
Duermete sin temor.
Sueña con angelitos
Parecidos a ti.
Y te agarrare tu mano.
Duermete sin temor.
Cuando tu despiertes,
Yo estare aqui.

Da, da... da, da... da... da, da... da...
Da, da... da, da... da, da...
Da, da... da, da... da... da, da... da...
Da, da... da, da... da, da...

Y te agarrare tu mano.
Dueremete sin temor.
Cuando tu despiertes,
Yo estare aqui.

* * *

“Spanish Lullaby” is collected in Marty Robbins’ LP album, “Tonight Carmen”, another Marty Robbins’ album that I own. From the song’s title, lyrics (I presume that part of lyrics is in Spanish) and musical instruments, this song is Spanish from head to toe,

This is a lullaby sang by a father to baby song. The song is filled with fatherly love and the music is so warm and delightful. I fell for this song right from the very first moment I listened to it

Marty Robbins - More Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

I bought my first Marty Robbins’ LP, “Best Loved Hits”, in October 2006. The songs in the LP did not excite me at all. I bought my second Marty Robbins’ LP , “Gun Fighter Ballads & Trail Songs” in December 2006. Two songs in that LP, “El Paso” and “A Hundred and Sixty Acres” thrilled me so much and got me started to search the Internet for more information on this singer.

I got my third Marty Robbins’ LP, “More Gun Fighter Ballads and Trail Songs in January 2007. Marty Robbins music is quite different from most of country and western singers. I personally classify Marty Robbins as “cowboy songs” as he sang many songs on the stories of good men, bandits and gunfights. And I am always cherished by these types of stories and songs. The note at the back of one of Marty Robbins’ album aptly describes my liking for cowboy songs. The note goes like this:

“The man of the west is one of the most cherished figures in Americana, a rugged symbol of the making of the country, of a hard life and of elemental existence. The lonely life of the cowboy and the gunfighter is reflected in their ballads, which are melancholy even when the tune itself is lively. There were lost families, lost sweethearts, lost friends, and around the men of the west those endless plains, magnifying the solitude. And there was work to be done, hard work herding cattle and sheep, building the railroads, and guarding them all from the bad men.”

This album was released in 1960.

Song List:

Side A - San Angelo, Prairie Fire, Streets Of Laredo, Song Of The Bandit, I've Got No Use For The Women

Side B - Five Brothers, Little Joe The Wrangler, Ride Cowboy Ride, This Peaceful Sod, She Was Young And She Was Pretty, My Love

Marty Robbins - Gunfight Ballads and Trail Songs

I was always fascinated by cowboy shows on TV when I was a kid. Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" series etched very deeply in my mind. I must have watched the series 3 to 4 times. I guess that is the reason why I own so many country and western albums in my LP collection.

When I went hunting for LPs and saw a country and western LP album which I have not owned, I rarely let go the chance to own the LP. This album, Marty Robbins' "Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Song" was pickup by me in this manner too.

Marty Robbins (1925 - 1982) is not strictly a country and western singer. He released country and western, pop, rock-and-roll and even Hawaiian songs in his entire recoding career. I owned several C&W and pop albums of Marty Robbins. However, I still prefer his C&W music than others. There was a presence of Latin guitar (I guess so as I am a really a novice in musical instruments) in quite a number of his songs and that made his music quite unique.

This album contains Marty Robbins' signature song "El Paso". This song reached number 1 position in Billboard's country singles and pop singles charts.

This album was released in 1959.

Song List:

Side A - Big Iron, Cool Water, Billy the Kid, Hundred and Sixty Acres, They're Hanging Me Tonight, Strawberry Roan

Side B - El Paso, In the Valley, The Master's Call, Running Gun, Down in the Little Valley, Utah Carol

Tammy Wynette - Stand By Your Man

My youngest brother, Boon Hooi, loves music. As far as CD collection is concerned, he thrashes me. I think he has more than 2,000 CDs in his collection. In fact, he introduced many singers to me. Tammy Wynette is one of the singers that I got to know from him.

He bought Tammy Wynette's CD, "Higher Ground", way back in late 1990s. During one of trips back to my hometown, he played that CD to me. After listening to just 2 or 3 songs of that CD, I simply fell for the Tammy Wynette's music. I also told him that I would look for more CDs of Tammy.

Subsequently, I did saw Tammy Wynette's CDs on music shops. However, all these CDs were having those few songs that I already owned. I was disappointed and thought I I would never have chance to listen to more songs of Tammy.

However, the situation changed when I started to collect LPs. Every now and then, an LP of Tammy surfaced and I just grabbed it. I have already owned 8 LPs of Tammy today.

This album, "Stand By Your Man" contains Tammy Wynette's greatest hit of the same name.

Song List:

Side A : (You Make Me Want To Be) A Mother, Another Lonely Song, Kids Say the Darnest Things, Love's The Answer, Bedtime Story, Stand By Your Man

Side B : Good Lovin' (Makes It Right), Reach Out Your Hand, Please Come to Boston, 'Til I Get It Right, My Man (Understand), There Goes That Old Steel Guitar, Help Me Make It Through The Night

Tammy Wynette - The First Lady

In the country and western (C&W) music world in the 50s and earlier, it was practically a man’s world. Male C&W singers completely outnumbered female singers. I could only utter the names of just 2 female C&W singers of that era, Patsy Montana of the 30s and Kitty Wells of the 50s.

In the 60s, the C&W music world was still dominated by male singers. However, there were more and more female singers that broke into the scene. In late 60s, there came a very successful one. Her name was Tammy Wynette.

Tammy Wynette (1942 - 1998) released her first singles, “Apartment No 9/I’m Not Mine to Give” in 1966. She scored her number 1 hit, “My Elusive Dreams”, in 1967. During the late 60s and early 70s, Tammy Wynette scored 17 number one hits on Billboard Country Chart. Due to her success in C&W music, she was accorded the title of “The First Lady of Country Music”.

Tammy Wynette has a coarse voice, a voice that could easily pluck the sentimental cords of our hearts. That was why she sang many songs of stormy relationship, failed marriage and loneliness.

This LP, “The First Lady”, was released in 1970.

Song List (I was unable to find this LP as it was hidden somewhere in my LP collection. When I find the LP again, I will amend the song list below if there is any mistake):

Side A - Run Woman Run, I Wish I Had A Mommy Like You, True And Lasting Love, I Never Once Stopped Loving You, Safe In These Lovin' Arms Of Mine, Sally Trash

Side B - My Daddy Doll, The Lovin' Kind, He's Still My Man, Buy Me A Daddy, Playin' Around With Love

Hank Thompson - Hank !

As I like to listen to oldies in general and classic country and western songs in particular, I spend a quite a bit of time listening to songs on YouTube. Whenever I found a singer or songs I liked, I would note down the name of singer or the title of the song in my little notebook. These notes became very helpful whenever I came across some unfamiliar singers when I went searching for LPs. Hank Thompson (1925 – 2007) is a country and western singer I first came across on YouTube.

Wikipeida describes Hank Thompson as “an American country music entertainer whose career spanned seven decades. He sold more than 60 million records worldwide. Thompson's musical style, characterized as honky tonk Western swing, was a mixture of fiddles, electric guitar and steel guitar that featured his distinctive, smooth baritone vocals. His backing band, The Brazos Valley Boys, was voted the top Country Western Band for 14 years in a row by Billboard.”

Hank Thompson released his first singles in 1946 and his first LP in 1952. This album was released in 1957.

Song List:

Side A - Hang Your Head in Shame, String of Pearls, The Gypsy, You'll Be the One, Don't Be That Way, Ole Napoleon

Side B - I Don't Want To Know, Prosperity Special, Someone Can Steal You from Me, Don't Look Now, Across the Alley from the Alamo, Don't Get Around Much Anymore