Muzikland

提起鑽石唱片﹐不能不提起 Fabulous Echoes﹐他們屬於鑽石早期的 Artists﹐也是很有水準的職業樂團﹐可惜多年來無論寶麗金或環球的精選合輯﹐來來去去都是那幾首歌曲。

Fabulous Echoes 由錫蘭人Cliff Foenander (主音)﹑ 蘇格蘭人 Stanley Robertson (貝斯)﹑ 菲律賓及南美的 Tony Ruivivar (主音結他)﹑Danny Ruivivar (鼓)﹑Terry Lucido Jr. (琴鍵) 及 Bert Sagum (Percussion) 等組成。筆者認識他們比較後期﹐當年是在一盒翻版懷舊歌曲卡帶中認識的﹐卡帶中並沒有註明是誰唱﹐不過一連幾首歌﹐筆者都非常喜歡﹐後來還是要到80年代﹐筆者才首次買到他們的正版錄音﹐來自一張“逍遙歌集’60 年代之回憶”合輯 (1980/Polydor) 中。﹐也開始認識主唱者是一隊名叫 Fabulous Echoes的樂團。

Those Fabuloes Echoes來自他們簽約鑽石的首張專輯﹐無論在演奏﹑合聲﹑主唱方面﹐都感覺到他們很有職業水準﹐雖然大多是 Cover Version ﹐但是卻極具樂隊的個人風格。當中 A Little Bit Of Soap及 Dancing On The Moon常見收錄於寶麗金及環球的精選CD中。特別一提是把 Carmen改編成一首摟腰舞歌曲 Carmen Twist﹐就令人感到驚喜。純音樂Baby Elephant Walk棄用 Lawrence Welk的香檳式風格﹐換來是 Peter Gunn味道﹐就可見樂團不會滿於模仿 Original Version。


Those Fabulous Echoes (年份不詳/Diamond) Track List:
01 Sunshine
02 Another Saturday Night
03 I Know
04 Talkin' Bout Love
05 A Little Bit Of Soap
06 Skip To My Lou
07 Don't Say
08 Carmen Twist
09 Baby Elephant Walk
10 Loop De Loop
11 Remeulber Me
12 Dancing On The Moon

以下轉載自唱片封套的介紹﹕

The Fabulous Echoes are a very international group of young entertainers. Lead singer Cliff Foenander is from distant Ceylon, bass player Stanley Robertson is a Gallic-Scot, Tony and Danny Ruivivar, Terry Lucido Jr. and Bert Sagum are from the Philippines, the South America of the Far East.

The Fabulous Echoes are dynamic. When they get on stage everything stops. They sing, dance, clown around and play music with such vigour that it works up audiences to various degrees of frenzy. Their slow numbers are laced with feeling and sincerity. Their medium paced ballads set feet tapping and their fast rockers invariably include a dazzling set of dance steps. After one these breathless rituals, a member of the audience commented that it looked "like a display of co-ordinated gymnastics"

Musically the boys are terrific. In Cliff Foenander they have a superb lead vocalist whose repertoire covers a wide range of songs. Cliff's vocalising leaves little to be desired. He sings tender, moving ballads, up-beat numbers and raucous Twists with equal ability. Drummer Danny Ruivivar is responsible for the Echoes' driving beat. He is rated the top show drummer in Hongkong. Those who have heard and seen him often wonder how he plays without missing a beat while balancing on one foot on his stool or going through intricate dance steps, spins and turns.

Terry Lucido Jr. is the comedian of the group. Terry is not quite five foot tall, but what he lacks in height he makes up in volume. All he has to do to set audiences tittering is walk, or better waddle across the stage. Terry is also the group's pianist and is responsible for the pretty background adlibs.

Percussionist Bert Sagum is perpetually in motion. He is the group's showman, and a superb dancer. He works out the Echoes' elaborate stage routines and does a spectacular limbo, going under the bar only 18 ins. off the ground complete with conga drum. He also sings and plays timbales, conga, bongos and sax.

Bassist Stanley Robertson plays his instrument with verve and imagination. He has a lot of experience and has "sat in" on many jazz sessions with leading musicians in the Far East. Formerly an advertising executive. Stan found the lure of show business irresistible and exchanged his artist's pallet and paints for a bass guitar permanently.

Tony Ruivivar Jr. is the founder and the leader of The Fabulous Echoes. He is a pleasant young man with a good business head. He also plays guitar well. Tony decides which numbers the group will do and. is instrumental in figuring out arrangements and the effective vocal backgrounds the boys use. In this aspect Tony has done very well, and has correctly stressed the importance of originality. He has shied away from copying and has consequently developed a different "Sound" for the group. He has guided them well, and they have earned themselves the reputation of putting up scintillating performances.

This is their first album, and it contains a selection of hit songs calculated to please. Each number is given a fresh treatment by the Echoes. It also contains their very first release, "A Little Bit Of Soap", which was solidly entrenched in the number one spot of hit parades in Hongkong, Singapore, and Malaya for three months, and has been in the "Best Selling Charts" for thirty two weeks!

The Fabulous Echoes have made two successful tours of South East Asia, and will visit Japan and Australia at the end of 1963.



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