365 Days #295 - Sakura and The Quests (mp3s)
MP3:
Puppet On A String EP
01 Puppet On A String (2:34)
02 Yam Yam Cha Cha (2:14)
03 My Boy Lollipop (1:58)
04 Rock 'n' Roll Yodeling Guy (2:04)
Sakura Goes Boom Boom LP
05 I Love Cowboy (3:14)
06 Stupid Cupid (3:03)
07 I Don't Care If Tomorrow Never Comes (3:03)
08 Michelle (2:45)
09 Boom Boom (3:42)
10 My Bonnie (3:08)
What could be better than a Singapore singer covering western pop songs in broken English with a fuzz-guitar backing. Here for your enjoyment is Sakura's four- track 1967 EP featuring Puppet On A String plus six superb tracks from her album Sakura Goes Boom Boom.
Sandie Shaw notoriously disowned the '60s Eurovision novelty song Puppet On A String but Sakura Teng has made it her own, and even poses a puppets (and puppeteer!) on the sleeve. And what the hell is she wearing? Presumably silver tights and baby doll dresses were all the rage in Singapore in '67. Chinese singers famously have trouble singing western lyrics so you have to admire Sakura who not only impersonates Elvis on Rock 'n' Roll Yodelling Guy but also (you've guessed it) yodells. Is there anything this woman can't do!
But save room for her take of the John Lee Hooker classic from her album Sakura Goes Boom Boom which has to be heard to be believed, and the fuzz guitar-driven cover of Connie Francis' Stupid Cupid. Sakura is backed by a band called The Quests who were seemingly the in-house band at EMI-Columbia, Singapore and also backed other singers including Rita Chao.
Note: the back of the album bears the advertising legend: 'Sakura also goes bazazz with Max Factor'!
- Contributed by: David Noades
Images: Cover (Puppet On A String), Cover (Sakura Goes Boom Boom)
Puppet On A String
Media: Single
Label: Columbia
Catalogue: ECHK-579
Year: 1967
Sakura Goes Boom Boom
Media: Album
Label: Columbia
Catalogue: 33ESX602
Year: 1967
I Don't Care If Tomorrow Never Comes is 404. Wa! Mp3 no bakka!
Posted by: xopher.tm | October 22, 2007 at 02:11 AM
No wa no more. Fixed the mp3 (had the link wrong in the html). Enjoy!
Posted by: 365 | October 22, 2007 at 11:55 AM
Thankies!
Posted by: xopher.tm | October 22, 2007 at 01:56 PM
This is a great post, and fits in fine with all the other 365 Days posts
We appreciate the hard work you do to bring this music to us
Michael
London
Posted by: Michael | October 22, 2007 at 05:34 PM
This stuff is great! Thanks for posting it! "Sakura Goes Boom Boom" is an "album" with only 6 tracks that clocks in at less than 20 minutes?
Posted by: Arvo | October 24, 2007 at 12:48 PM
I'm glad you're enjoying Sakura. As it says in the text these are the best 6 tracks from the album, there are 6 others but I chose the covers of well known hits and the quirky yodelling numbers.
Posted by: David Noades | October 24, 2007 at 02:55 PM
Many Thanks for this, I had been looking for Sakura Tengs version of Puppet On A String for a long time.
I hope you don't mind I posted a little advertisement to this post on my Eurocovers blog.
Posted by: Eurocovers | October 26, 2007 at 06:02 AM
You're more than welcome to link this site, I'm glad you like Sakura's Eurovision cover. Also check out Joe Cutajar (May 18), he was Malta's entry in the 1972 Eurovision Song contest in Scotland (one half of Helen and Joseph).
Posted by: David Noades | October 26, 2007 at 06:23 PM
cooool! thanks
(from russia)
Posted by: olegmanson | October 27, 2007 at 05:06 PM
Any one knows Sakura's version of Papa's Got A Brand New Bag? Share it! Thanks!
Posted by: Gary Sim | November 07, 2007 at 06:54 AM
This is fantastic! Thank you very much
Julio (from Brazil)
Posted by: Julio Alves | November 11, 2007 at 08:11 PM
Thank you very much for presenting Sakura's singing.
Lately I have been searching for "Chinese" singing of the 60's and 70's and I remember there was this girl with an interesting vocal call Sakura.
Please present more songs of that era if you have them.
Posted by: Adel | July 12, 2008 at 10:29 AM