V/A - Singapore A-Go-Go

Sublime Frequencies works its way down to the tip of the Malaysian peninsula with this superb collection of Singaporean 60s beat, pop and off-beat cha-cha" classics compiled from original vinyl 45s. These 22 supercharged beat-a-go-go tracks defy a common held belief that the Chinese couldnt rock, groove or swing back in the 1960s. The vocals are sung in the dialects of Mandarin and Hokkien and they soar, with catchy hooks atop groovy, clever beats. Theres plenty of electric guitar, organ and crazy percussion rocking and twisting behind it all, at times reaching quite a mad and freaky state of affairs. The records finale, "Happy Lunar New Year," sung by Linda Yong, may be the weirdest New Years greeting ever recorded. Every single cut is a winner and it never lets up, from start to finish. Although most of the lyrics focus on love, innocence and festive atmospherics, theres an epic vibe to the music that rivals other extremely well-recorded and unique pop styles emanating from the surrounding Southeast Asian scenes during the late 1960s. Seminal bands of the period like The Stylers and The Silvertones are well represented here, backing up a wide array of popular vocalists with Charlie Electric Guitar Bands Sound of Japan ripping it up on four brilliant instrumental tracks. CD comes with a 16-page booklet featuring gorgeous, full-color photos of the original 45 sleeves and extended liner notes from compiler William Gibson." - Sublime Frequencies.