somphon phetsayam & phatsara mabuntham: khon khi lang khwai

artist: สมพร เพชรสยาม + ภัสรา มาบุญธรรม (somphon phetsayam & phatsara mabuntham)
album: คนขี่หลังควาย (khon khi lang khwai)
tracklist:
01. คนขี่หลังควาย (khon khi lang khwai)
02. ทหารเกณฑ์ผลัดสอง (thahan ken phlat song)
03. รักจางที่บางประกง (rak chang thi bang prakong)
04. อ.ส. รอรัก (o.s. ro rak)
05. ทุ่งกุลาร้องไห้ (thung kula rong hai)
06. ด่วนจากพรากรัก (duan chak phrak rak)
07. หนุ่มปั้มน้ำมัน (num pump nam man)
08. เมียเขาคือแฟนเรา (mia khao khue faen rao)
09. แห่ชาวนา (hae chao na)
10. สั่งสาวชายแดน (sang sao chai daen)
11. ช่างหัวมันเถ๊าะ (chang hua man thoe)
12. เมษาอาลัย (mesa alai)
13. คอยรักที่ต้นกระโดน (khoi rak thi ton kradon)
14. แปรจ๋า (prae cha)

this week, by special request, another classic isan duo! miss phatsara mabuntham of roi-et is better known by the name em aphatsara and has enjoyed a long career in luk thung and molam, mostly with topline music. i don't know much about mr. somphon phetsayam, unfortunately; the only other work i have of his is with phatsara as well. this 1992 cassette is a bit of an oddity in that while most luk thung duet albums i'm familiar with feature the two stars trading verses, this tape finds phatsara and somphon singing in unison throughout. as part of krung thai records' kueng satawat (half-century) series, the selections are an assortment of genre favorites from decades past, penned by songwriters such as surin phaksiri, dao bandon, phongsak chantharukkha and sotsai rungphot-thong and like in our last post, the music is handled by a. num phuthai. enjoy!

phimchai phetphalanchai & dao bandon: 16 klon yot hit

artist: พิมพ์ใจ เพชรพลาญชัย + ดาว บ้านดอน (phimchai phetphalanchai & dao bandon)
album: 16 กลอนยอดฮิต (16 klon yot hit)
tracklist:
01. หนุ่มยาวสาวสั้น 1 (num yao sao san 1)
02. หนุ่มยาวสาวสั้น 2 (num yao sao san 2)
03. จีบสาวเลี้ยงเป็ด (chip sao liang pet)
04. จีบสาวขายไข่ (chip sai khai khai)
05. หนุ่มลำชีสาวลำโขง (num lam chi sao lam khong)
06. พาต้อยลอยกระทง (pha toi loi krathong)
07. เฮือนน้อยนางเมิน (huean noi nang moen)
08. คน ป. 4 (khon p. 4)
09. อีหวึ่งตายแน่ (i wueng tai nae)
10. น้ำตาสาวหวึ่ง (nam ta sao wueng)
11. รักจริงอย่าหลอก (rak ching ya lok)
12. เต็มใจให้หลอก (tem chai hai lok)
13. พาน้องล่องแหย่ง (pha nong long yaeng)
14. พาน้องดิสโก้ (pha nong disco)
15. คนบ่มีเก๋ง (khon bo mi keng)
16. ขอดังเบาๆ (kho dang bao bao)

this week, two major molam unite! legendary luk thung crossover star dao bandon and sam phalang sao leader phimchai phetphalanchai come together on this 1988 duets collection from ocean sound. dao himself handles the songwriting, and the late, great a. num phuthai leads the band. the music is classic late-80's isan-style, with prominent electric bass and live drums under the alternating phin, sax, and synth leads, plus an occasional extended khaen-backed kroen intro. extra flourishes adorn one themed number, "taking my girl to the disco" (track 14), where a hi-nrg beat and hard rock guitar solo added to the mix. excellent stuff.. enjoy!

kickapoo: mai rueang mak

artist: คิกคาปู้ (kickapoo)
album: ไม่เรื่องมาก (mai rueang mak)
tracklist:
01. หนูหนีเที่ยว (nu ni thiao)
02. ยังไม่ตาย (yang mai tai)
03. ลองกันไหม (long kan mai)
04. อกหัก 5 นาที (ok hak 5 nathi)
05. ซึม (suem)
06. หนูหนีเที่ยว (nu ni thiao)
07. เทใจ (the chai)
08. อีกครั้ง (ik krang)
09. ลุย (lui)
10. เพลงเต่า (phleng tao)
11. มันไม่เกี่ยว (man mai kiao)

happy 2023 and 2566! let's start the year off with a real obscurity: the only album (to my knowledge) from '90s bangkok rockers kickapoo. operating under the auspices of a purported indie label known as tham kan eng ["d.i.y."] music factory, and with a name presumably derived from an american soft drink once popular in thailand (the idea for which is attributed in the liners to "hia nok from khao kha mu kong phrap on chokchai soi 4"), there's little reference to the group on the internet. their line-up includes a list of unusual names (some of which, at least, are certainly pseudonyms) including maseda iochi and mustafa hummingbird on guitar, billy he-foot on bass, and detduang chimkamnoet on drums, as well as a number of different singers trading vocal duties, such as julie cheng, sharkie boy, nong kung & nong mai, banluesak, anurak, and bunthueng. released in 1997, this album features some songwriting and arrangement by akira wong, and was produced by (the only name i'm at all familiar with) sukit narin, who is mostly known as a film director. the music is a bit hard to classify, being a slightly erratic mix of blues-inflected classic rock (see: interpolation of badfinger, led zeppelin, and the electric light orchestra), synth-driven sentimental ballads (see: interpolation of mariko takahashi), and '80s-style hard rock (see: interpolation of pat benatar). they also include a shout-out in the dedications section to "the major tape labels, for their lack of interest".. here's hoping you don't feel the same. enjoy!

 

narathip kanchanawat: tra wai nai duang chai

artist: นราธิป กาญจนวัฒน์ (narathip kanchanawat)
album: ตราไว้ในดวงใจ (tra wai nai duang chai)
tracklist:
01. หัวใจเจ้าชู้ (hua chai chao chu)
02. กลับจากกลอนดอน (klap chak london)
03. ตราไว้ในดวงใจ (tra wai nai duang chai)
04. ขวัญใจ (khwan chai)
05. เฉือนใจ (chuean chai)
06. รักสุดสายรุ้ง (rak sut sai rung)
07. เธอ (thoe)
08. ปรารถนาแห่งหัวใจ (pratthana haeng hua chai)
09. เข็ดรัก (khet rak)
10. คืนเหงา (khuen ngao)
11. ขาดรัก (khat rak)
12. กำแพงรัก (kamphaeng rak)

last time we heard from bangkok soft-rockers chatri.. this week, we'll hear lead singer narathip striking off on his own! i believe this is his debut solo album, released 1985 (the same year as the break-up of chatri). shedding his previous group, he is joined by the already-successful pink panther band, led by wichai punyayan (formerly of silversand). the songwriting is handled by narathip and his wife butsaba kanchanawat (the liners contain an apologetic note about an illness that prevented her from sharing vocal duties on the album, as well). the accompaniment is a bit more electronic than the final chatri album, and pointed towards the increasingly synth-pop angle that narathip's solo career would take. enjoy! 

chatri: rak mai pen

artist: ชาตรี (chatri)
album: รักไม่เป็น (rak mai pen)
tracklist:
01. ภาษาเงิน (phasa ngoen)
02. แสนเสียดาย (saen siang dai)
03. รักไม่เป็น (rak mai pen)
04. จากชายแดน (chak chai den)
05. รักซ้อนรัก (rak son rak)
06. ใคร (khrai)
07. เที่ยวอีสาน (thiao isan)
08. ความหวังใหม่ (khwam wang mai)
09. ฉันรักตะวัน (chan rak tawan)
10. อ้อนรัก (on rak)
11. คู่ใจ (khu chai)
12. หากจะรัก (hak cha rak)
 

this week, bangkok soft-rockers non-pareil, chatri! chatri was founded in 1969 as a folk revival group by 3 students of photography at bangkok technical college: narathip kanchanawat (daeng), prathueang udomkitchanuphap (mao), and khathawut sathantraiphop (pom). initially all played acoustic guitar, though they later added drummer anuson khamkesom (pui), and expanded their instrumental roles, with mao and pom taking on bass and keyboard duties, respectively. they recorded their first album in 1975 and were leaders of the a.o.r. format in thailand until their break-up in 1985. today's cassette features their 11th record, released in 1982 with emi records. in spite of the especially sunny cover art, this outing actually finds them exploring a slightly heavier sound in places, with guitar distortion and fuzz bass joining alongside their typically chirpy leads and smooth harmonies.. enjoy!

 

sairung wimanthong: sao noi khoi khu

artist: สายรุ่ง วิมานทอง (sairung wimanthong)
album: สาวน้อยคอยคู่ (sao noi khoi khu)
tracklist:
01. สาวน้อยคอยคู่ (sao noi khoi khu)
02. รอรับแรงใจ (ro rap raeng chai)
03. จากใจสายรุ่ง (chak chai sairung)
04. เตือนใจวัยรุ่น (tuean chai wai run)
05. ตำราป๊นตุ๊กข์ (tamra pon tuk)
06. สมศรีฮักแต๊ (somsi hak tae)
07. บ่าวสมัย (bao samai)
08. น้ำบ่ไหลเจี่ยวปื่น (nam bo lai chiao puen)
09. หัวอกโช่เฟ่อ (hua ok chauffeur)
10. หนูรักอา (nu rak a)

this week, more great music from lanna! our previous post featured performers from the first and second generations of so recording stars, today we'll hear from the "modernized" generation (circa the late-80s?). i couldn't find any information online about our singer, ms. sairung wimanthong, but the lyrics helpfully hint that she was a disciple of phophin phet-lanna. sung in kham mueang and with some vocal inflections that indicate her so background, the other main musical influence seems to be from luk thung isan stars like phimpha phonsiri or sunari ratchasima (she even quotes ade putra's "si jantung hati" as sunari famously did). enjoy! 

bunsi sanmueang, buason mueangphrao & si-on wangsingkham

artist: บุญศรี สันเหมือง, บัวซอน เมืองพร้าว + ศรีออน วังสิงห์คำ (bunsi sanmueang, buason mueangphrao & si-on wangsingkham)
album: ซอน้ำตาเมียหลวง (so nam ta mia luang)
tracklist:
01. ซอน้ำตาเมียหลวง (so nam ta mia luang)
02. ซอแอ่วสาวปั่นฝ้าย (so aeo sao pan fai)
03. ซอหาคู่รัก (so ha khu rak)
04. ซอตำรายาตลก (so tamra ya talok)
sung by จันทร์ทิพย์ เรือนรักเรา (chanthip rueanrakrao)

this week's cassette is part of a generous bequest gifted to us by educator cliff sloane, a former professor of ethnomusicology and founder of asianclassicalmp3.org, a major influence behind this blog.

today, more fantastic old lanna folksong! our headliners are the so vocal trio of pho bunsi, mae buason and mae si-on and their recordings from the early 60s with chiang mai's nakhon phanit records, still fondly remembered in the region today. the backing is provided by a group of pi (free-reed bamboo pipes), joined in places by sueng (plucked, fretted lute) and salo (spike fiddle), presumably by nakhon phanit's house band. also included as the final track is a comic number by pho chanthip rueanrakrao, an early star of the scene since the 78-era. enjoy!

tueanchai bunphraraksa: khong beng du dao

 

 

artist: เตือนใจ บุญพระรักษา (tueanchai bunphraraksa)
album: ขงเบ้งดูดาว (khong beng du dao)
tracklist:
01. ขงเบ้งดูดาว (khong beng du dao)
02. ยายฉิมเก็บเห็ด (yai chim kep het)
03. น้ำตาในสายฝน (nam ta nai sai fon)
04. สาวสลัมน้อยใจ (sao slum noi chai)
05. ลำนำน้ำโขง (lam nam nam khong)
06. มอง (mong)
07. ขึ้นๆ ลงๆ (khuen khuen long long)
08. แม่ค้าปลาสด (mae kha pla sot)
09. หาแฟนแข่งกัน (ha faen khaeng kan)
10. จำใจวิวาห์ (cham chai wiwa)
11. กิน (kin)
12. เตือนหญิงไทย (tuean ying thai)
13. เงิน 8 บาท (ngoen 8 baht)
14. แม่จ๋าเฮ็ดจั๋งได๋ (mae cha het chang dai)

this week, thai-style funk and more from luk thung diva tueanchai bunphraraksa! tueanchai was born and raised in central thailand's ratchaburi province. she got her start at a suraphon sombatcharoen concert in her hometown, when she asked the legendary singer if he'd put her on stage, and apparently the audience response was such that she was asked to join up on the spot. after a couple of hit singles, she left the troupe along with several other singers to join the ruam daokrachai band. she later teamed with wipharat prueangsuwan for their song and dance "luk thung hot pants" act, which saw huge success in the capital. tragically, she died in 1989 after being struck by a vehicle while crossing the street^[1]. this cassette compiles some of her work for the uea ari (chao kao) label in the late 70s, featuring the compositions of songwriters like chio phichit, suchat thianthong, phongsak chantharukkha and others, with arrangements by prayong chuenyen and sakda faprathan. enjoy!

 

thanin intharathep: triam kan rak

artist: ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ (thanin intharathep)
album: เตรียมการณ์รัก (triam kan rak)
tracklist:
01. เตรียมการณ์รัก (triam kan rak)
02. แจกันรัก (chae kan rak)
03. จับกระแต (chap kratae)
04. หน้าเนื้อใจเสือ (na nuea chai suea)
05. ง้อเพราะรัก (ngo phro rak)
06. สุดเอื้อม (sut ueam)
07. กิ่งฟ้า (king fa)
08. น้อยวาสนา (noi watsana)
09. กลุ้มใจ (klum chai)
10. พี่มาทีหลัง (phi ma thi lang)
11. ศาลาหัวใจ (sala hua chai)
12. พี่บุญน้อย (phi bun noi)

this week, some smooth city-sounds from mr. thanin intharathep! thanin is from samut sakhon, just outside of bangkok, and started out as a champion of local singing contests. he was discovered by pop impresario payong mukda, who got him in with suthep wongkhamhaeng's "suthep show" troupe. often billed as "thailand's frank sinatra", thanin brought a young, attractive face to the nostalgic and sentimental ballads of luk krung, and is still a favorite among older bangkokians. this cassette features mostly light, latin-flavored numbers from his early '70s period. enjoy! 

sayan sanya: khrai luem khrai kon (phleng tham top chak sayan sanya)

artist: สายัณห์ สัญญา (sayan sanya)
album: ใครลืมใครก่อน (เพลงถามตอบจาก สายัณห์ สัญญา) (khrai luem khrai kon (phleng tham top chak sayan sanya))
tracklist:
01. ใครลืมใครก่อน (khrai luem khrai kon)
02. น้องยังไม่ลืม (nong yang mai luem)
03. ผู้เสียสละ (phu sia sala)
04. หอน้ำตา (ho nam ta)
05. ขาดเธอพี่ขาดใจ (khat thoe phi khat chai)
06. ขาดพี่น้องขาดใจ (khat phi nong khat chai)
07. รักติ๋มคนเดียว (rak tim khon diao)
08. รักติ๋มแน่หรือ (rak tim nae rue)
09. บ้านน้อยหลังนี้ (ban noi lang ni)
10. บ้านนี้ฉันเกลียด (ban ni chan kliat)
11. นางฟ้ายังอาย (nang fa yang ai)
12. ไม่อายน้างฟ้า (mai ai nang fa)

2 sung by เรไร สลักจิตร (rerai salakchit)
4 sung by เงาจันทร์ พิจิตร (ngaochan phichit)
6 sung by บุษบา วงษ์รัตน์ (butsaba wongrat)
8 sung by หงษ์ทอง ดาวอุดร (hongthong dao-udon)
10 sung by ลลนา สุลาวัลย์ (lalana sulawan)
12 sung by วราภรณ์ เพชรรุ่ง (waraphon phetrung)

this week, we'll hear from sayan sanya and his coterie of rejoinderers! born and raised in central thailand's suphan buri province, sayan grew up farming rice with his family. he started his musical career as a dancer in phongsi woranut's group, gradually moving up to back-up singer, and eventually forming his own band in 1973. through the '80s and early '90s he paired up with phumphuang duangchan and reigned as the biggest of luk thung stars. this cassette pairs him with a number of other singers, all of whom offer "response songs" to his '70s hits, sequenced immediately after their originals. most of the singers i wasn't previously familiar with, the exceptions being wonderful isan favorite hongthong dao-udon, and lalana sulawan, who is better known as an actor. enjoy!