The Cliffters - Singapore's Rolling Stones

[Rythmn Boy]

So it says on The Cliffters first EP (Horse Brand [Ngee Fat-Playboy], NFEP 5004)

The title was cashing in on the fact that The Cliffters won ‘The Rolling Stones of Singapore’ contest in about 1966. But the EP does not really have any Stones sound-alike songs. Instead it has some pretty cool Malay garage. Singing duties are shared between June Abdullah and brothers Alistini and Rickieno Badjuri.

Ed from this forum put the songs up on Box so we can all hear them. The links are below. I should be able to put up some links to other Cliffters songs and some other stuff soon

Cliffters 1st EP

Pengembara (Wanderer)

https://app.box.com/s/fxlgmqh2sgpeitt528sqbkjsdti7lnvo

Oh Alek

https://app.box.com/s/sdep6lljz74rzjl84bjoavbam9e470mh

Hampa (Disappointed)

https://app.box.com/s/yuka5px2hgl0gnaev87aanrbtlcsdbg1

Oh Dimana (Oh Where)

https://app.box.com/s/vgultkhzc8e0g9ktnp839bteucx8ucrv

 

[Frantic]

More like the Shadows of Singapore. Not really garage though.

 

[Rythmn Boy]

Fair enough. I did call it Malay garage. In Singapore-Malaysia today they classify 60s music from the region as Pop Yeh Yeh, but they include just about everything under this title. I think some of The Cliffters later stuff is tougher and would be interested to know what you think about that. Meanwhile, you would be shocked to hear some of the kitsch pop of the era from the region that some other collectors label as garage