October Cherries

Singaporean rock band

October Cherries

Origin| Singapore
Genres| Rock, pop
Years active| 1970s
Labels| Baal Records, Baal, Best of Everything, Columbia, Elastic, Hit, P.S. Records, Pink Elephant, Stateside
Spinoffs| Truck
Spinoff of| The Surfers
Past members| Peter Diaz
Sunny Ismail
Richard Khan
Jay Shotam
Benny Siow

The October Cherries were a rock group from Singapore that was founded in the late 1960s. They recorded a number of singles and albums They also had a chart hit in Australia.

## Background

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The group was influenced by The Beatles and were popular in Malaysia and the Netherlands.[citation needed]

### The Surfers

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The group was originally known as the Surfers. They were signed to the EMI label.[1]

The Surfers released the Hooray for Hazel EP on Columbia ECHK-602 in 1968. It included the songs, "Hooray for Hazel", "Mony Mony", "Answer Me" and "Honey (I Miss You)".[2] The group also backed Asha Puthli on an EP recording which was released that year. The songs were "Angel of the Morning", "The Sounds of Silence", "Sunny" and "Fever".[3][4]

Due to being unable to have their recordings released in Europe, stemming from the unwillingness of EMI, the group changed their name to The October Cherries in 1968. As they were signed on as The Surfers, changing their name to October Cherries via a legal hole in their contract enabled the action.[5] This also led to the formation of Baal Records.[6]

### October Cherries

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The October Cherries recorded songs with strong psychedelic backgrounds, which included "Lay Down Your Love", "Dreamseller" and "Felicia".[citation needed]

Like many of the Baal label artists, they recorded in Holland.[7]

## Career

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In 1968 / 1969, the group debuted with their Meet the October Cherries album that was released on Baal Records BCO 100.[8][9]

It was reported by Billboard in the magazine's 2 December 1972 issue that the October Cherries had been in Holland to promote their single "All Things Work Together" which was released by Dureco on the Pink Elephant label.[10] The single would bring them some overseas chart success. It peaked at number 96 in Australia in January 1972.[11]

The band broke up around the early to mid-seventies after performing in New Delhi as a result of Peter Diaz accepting an offer to join Belgian band Pepples.[12][13]

In 1975, their World Hits 1975 was released. It included the songs "Kung Fu Fighting", "Honey Honey", "Rock Your Baby", "Rock The Boat", "Rock Me Gently" and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero" etc.[14] It was also released in Australia on the EMS Records label, cat no. EMS 3026.[15]

In 1980, a single, "The Buck Stops Here" bw "Breezy" was released on Baal BDN 38054. It was reviewed in the July 1980 issue of Zigzag and given a B-. The reviewer said that the beginning of "Jet Airliner" by Steve Miller and that it then rocks along into a tailor made for the charts poppy song. But the reviewer said that the vocalist sounded like "the dreaded Gilbert O'Sullivan".[16]

## Later years

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A short film by Christie Rodrigues, October Cherries was completed in 2015. It captured the band members then aged in their sixties. The film asks the question, the band with their history would they reunite again. Christie Rodrigues aka Cristy Amanda Rodrigues is the daughter of one of the band members.[17][18]

Peter Diaz, was scheduled to appear at the "Blast from the Past" show, an event celebrating Singapore music at the Esplanade Concert Hall, on 3 March 2022.[19]

## References

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1. ^ Singapore : The Encyclopedia, 2006 - ISBN 981-4155-63-2 \- Page 387 October Cherries
2. ^ National Archives Singapore -Hooray For Hazel
3. ^ Discogs - Asha Puthli Accompanied By The Surfers (5) – Asha Puthli
4. ^ Soul Sides, 28 January 2013 - IT’S RAINING WHALES: ASHA PUTHLI & THE SURFERS
5. ^ Ear Candy, November, 2005 - Interview with The October Cherries (Oct 2005), E.C.: Soon after you changed the name to October Cherries you started your own label Baal Records. What had happened?
6. ^ Ear Candy, November, 2005 - Interview with The October Cherries (Oct 2005), E.C.: How come you named your label after a Kaanian god?
7. ^ Billboard, 11 December 1976 - Page 47 International, Singapore Firm Launches Label In Great Britain
8. ^ Music Metason - October Cherries, Meet The October Cherries
9. ^ Popsike - Singapore 1969 psych pop Meet OCTOBER CHERRIES debut LP
10. ^ Billboard< 2 December 1972 - Page 47 Spotlight on Dureco, SINGAPORE
11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 221\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
12. ^ Ear Candy, November, 2005 - Interview with The October Cherries (Oct 2005), E.C.: What happened to the band in the 80ties? In the discography I don't see any albums.
13. ^ Singapore : The Encyclopedia, 2006 - ISBN 981-4155-63-2 \- Page 387 October Cherries
14. ^ Amazon - ALBUM, October Cherries World Hits 1975
15. ^ Punk Journey - page 134 AUSTRALIAN INDIE LABELS, 1955–1990 EMS 3026 WORLD HITS 1975 BAAL LP OCTOBER CHERRIES 1975
16. ^ Zigzag, July 1980 No: 103 - Page 44 Reviews 45s, October Cherries - 'The Buck Stops Here' b/w 'Breezy' (BAAL BDN 38054).
17. ^ Behance - October Cherries — Film Documentary by Kezia Yee
18. ^ Rodrigues, Christie Amanda (15 October 2016). "October Cherries". sindie1.rssing.com.
19. ^ "PopLore: 1960s S'pore act The Crescendos was signed to international label By Eddino Abdul Hadi". The Straits Times. 16 February 2022.

## External links

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* October Cherries

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

Artists|

* MusicBrainz