suraphon sombatcharoen: luk thung lueat suphan

artist: สุรพล สมบัติเจริญ (suraphon sombatcharoen) 
album: ลูกทุ่งเลือดสุพรรณ (luk thung lueat suphan) 
tracklist: 
01. ลูกทุ่งเลือดสุพรรณ (luk thung lueat suphan) 
02. ลูกทุ่งกลองยาว (luk thung klong yao) 
03. หัวใจผมว่าง (hua chai phom wang) 
04. สวยจริงน้อง (suai ching nong) 
05. รักน้องบ่มีเงินแต่ง (rak nong bo mi ngoen taeng) 
06. หนาวจะตายอยู่แล้ว (nao cha tai yu laeo) 
07. แซซี้อ่ายลื้อเจ๊กนั้ง (sae si ai lue chek nang) 
08. เสียงเรียกจากหนุ่มไทย (siang riak chak num thai) 
09. สิบหกปีแห่งความหลัง (sip hok pi haeng khwam lang) 
10. สาวสวนแตง (sao suan taeng) 
11. เป็นโสดทำไม (pen sot thammai) 
12. สร้างวิมาน (sang wiman) 
13. ไหนว่าจะจำ (nai wa cha cham) 
14. เดือนหงายที่ริมโขง (duean ngai thi rin khong) 
15. เสียวไส้ (siao sai) 
16. ของปลอม (khong plom) 
17. สุรพลมาแล้ว (suraphon ma laeo) 
18. แฟนจ๋า (faen cha) 

this week, an amazing collection of songs from the "king of luk thung", suraphon sombatcharoen! needing little introduction to most fans of thai music, suraphon is often described as the country's "elvis" figure, emerging from a rural-identified art form to nationwide pop preeminence. this cassette collects a number of his most memorable singles from throughout the 1960s. in addition to the tracks backed by his house players, we have a handful of numbers recorded with mukdaphan, or the phayong mukda band (the "p.m." of shadow music fame). a great selection covering a range of disparate styles.. enjoy!

.. and for a deeper dive into suraphon's discography, catch a replay of my recent appearance on gary sullivan's bodega pop live, at wfmu's give the drummer radio.

surachai folksong: luk thung klong yao

artist: สุรชัย โฟล์คซอง (surachai folksong)
album: ลูกทุ่งกลองยาว (luk thung klong yao)
tracklist:
01. ลูกทุ่งเลือดสุพรรณ (luk thung lueat suphan)
02. ลูกทุ่งกลองยาว (luk thung klong yao)
03. หนุ่มสวนแตง (num suan taeng)
04. อยากเป็นเจ้าบ่าว (yak pen chao bao)
05. กระท่อมพ่อหมาย (krathom pho mai)
06. น้ำตาลาไทร (nam ta la sai)
07. โลกของคนรวย (lok khong khon ruai)
08. อุทยานผลไม้ (utthayan phonlamai)
09. กว๊านพะเยา (kwan phayao)
10. วันที่แม่รอ (wan thi mae ro)
11. จากน้องไปทะเล (chak nong pai thale)
12. ความรักล่องแล่ง (khwam rak long laeng)

7-12 performed by สุรชาติ สมบัติเจริญ (surachat sombatcharoen)

last week, we heard from surachai sombatcharoen.. this week we have another "surachai", and another "sombatcharoen"! following the murder of suraphon sombatcharoen in 1968, a number of similar-sounding singers came out to fill the void, but none proved ultimately satisfactory. however, when suraphon's son surachai rose to stardom in the 1980s (with a unique voice of his own) the search for his father's sound-alikes began anew. finally, surachai folksong (surachai charoenkitchaichana), a guitar-playing singer-songwriter working as house performer at villa café on new phetburi road in bangkok^[1], was discovered, with a voice that was a real echo of the legendary singer. after a string of albums featuring folk rock-oriented rewrites of suraphon's hits, surachai folksong faded back into obscurity, although his songs still circulate online today (often mistakenly attributed to surachai sombatcharoen). rounding out our cassette's second side is surachat, a lesser-known sibling of the sombatcharoen clan.

preview:

suraphon sombatcharoen: sip hok pi.. haeng khwam lang

artist: สุรพล สมบัติเจริญ (suraphon sombatcharoen) 
album: สิบหกปี.. แห่งความหลัง (sip hok pi.. haeng khwam lang) 
tracklist: 

01. สิบหกปีแห่งความหลัง (sip hok pi haeng khwam lang) 

02. แน่ข้างเดียว (nae khang diao) 

03. หัวใจเดาะ (hua chai do) 

04. สนุกเกอร์ (snooker) 

05. หนักใจ (nak chai) 

06. ใกล้เกลือกินด่าง (klai kluea kin dang) 

07. แฟนจ๋า (faen cha) 

08. คนหัวล้าน (khon hua lan) 

09. เศรษฐีเงินกีบ (setthi ngoen kip) 

10. อกแตก (ok taek) 

11. หญิงกับเสือ (ying kap suea) 

12. คนใช้เมียเปลือง (khon chai mia plueang) 

this is a collection of some of khun suraphon's latter day hits, some of the last before his death in 1968 (พ.ศ. 2511). pretty much every song on here is fantastic. the band has amazing rhythm & texture and suraphon's voice is of course great. i picked this up from a street seller near wat po in bangkok, i think his name was thip.. he lets you preview any tape and he knows the contents & history of everything he's got. he's the best. 

surachai sombatcharoen: rak sao ban klai

artist: สุรชัย สมบัติเจริญ (surachai sombatcharoen)
album: รักสาวบ้านไกล (rak sao ban klai)
tracklist:
01. รักสาวบ้านไกล (rak sao ban klai)
02. สวรรค์เวียงเหนือ (sawan wiang nuea)
03. ทำบาปใต้ถุนทำบุญบนศาลา (tham pap tai thun, tham bun bon sala)
04. ทุ่งนาคอยน้อง (thung na khoi nong)
05. คนหลายใจ (khon lai chai)
06. ถวิลดอกฟ้า (thawin dok fa)
07. ฝันค้าง (fan khang)
08. คนขี้เมา (khon khi mao)
09. หอมแก้ม (hom kaem)
10. นับวันเฝ้าคอย (nap wan fao khoi)
11. เราไม่ว่ากัน (rao mai wa kan)
12. สวรรค์บ้านนา (sawan ban na)

this week, we'll hear some classic 70s luk thung from surachai sombatcharoen! son of suraphon sombatcharoen, the star singer often called "thailand's elvis", surachai led a priveleged upringing compared to the early lives of many luk thung stars (highschool in england, higher education in bangkok) notwithstanding the troubles that attended his father's fame: young surachai recounted receiving threatening phone-calls, dodging gunfire, bombs and other extreme actions from his father's many rivals. over the years, surachai has found fame as singer, actor, radio d.j. and even politician. this cassette primarily features 1970s-style stage band disco, occasionally dipping into more traditional sounds with angkhalung and piphat ensembles joining in, all from the pen of songwriter chaiyaphon mueangsuphan. enjoy!

preview:

sit suraphon: thi raluek khrop rop 22 pi

artist(s): various

album: ศิษย์สุรพล ที่ระลึกครบรอบ 22 ปี (sit suraphon: thi raluek khrop rop 22 pi)

tracklist:

01. อยากดัง (yak dang)

sung by กังวาลไพร ลูกเพชร (kangwanphrai lukphet)

02. รักพี่เสียดายน้อง (rak phi sia dai nong)

sung by ศักดิ์ชาย วันชัย (sakchai wanchai)

03. คนดีของแม่ (khon di khong mae)

sung by ศรีไพร ลูกราชบุรี (siphrai lukratburi)

04. ด่วนสายใต้ (duan sai tai)

sung by สกาวเดือน (sakaoduean)

05. มาลัยแฟน (malai faen)

sung by พนมไพร ลูกเพชร (phanomphrai lukphet)

06. วิมานเนรมิต (wiman neramit)

sung by แทน นครปฐม (thaen nakhonpathom)

07. คอยวันเธอใจเดียว (khoi wan thoe chai dieow)

sung by เรียม ดาราน้อย (riam daranoi)

08. รักฉันแล้วอย่ารักใครอีกนะ (rak chan laeo ya rak khrai ik na)

sung by ละอองดาว (la'ongdao)

09. โปรดให้ความหวังผมบ้าง (prot hai khwam wang phon bang)

sung by พร พนาไพร (phon phanaphrai)

10. ถวิลดอกฟ้า (thawin dok fa)

sung by มนต์ไพร ลูกราชบุรี (monphrai lukratburi)

11. คิดถึงบ้าน (khit thueng ban)

sung by ก้องไพร ลูกเพชร (kongphrai lukphet)

12. จ้อกแจ้กจอแจ (chok chaek cho chae)

sung by ศรีไพร ลูกราชบุรี (siphrai lukratburi)

today, 16th august 2013, marks 45 years since the death of suraphon sombatcharoen! suraphon, the king of luk thung, was arguably thailand's first real superstar, a character whose personality loomed as large as his talent & a major force in the development of thailand's popular music. in 1969, at the height of his fame, he was gunned down after a show by an unknown assailant (theories about who may have orchestrated his killing are too numerous to list here, and the issue is still contentious today)¹. but in addition to his own successes, suraphon fostered a large retinue of disciples, many of whom carried on his legacy, becoming the biggest stars of the next generation. this tape, compiled in commemoration of his 22nd death anniversary, features some of the lesser-known of these singers and their excellent songs.. enjoy!!

preview:

laongdao + sakaoduean: duan sai tai

singers: ละอองดาว + สกาวเดือน (laongdao + sakaoduean)
album: ด่วนสายใต้ (duan sai tai)
tracklist:
01. ด่วนสายใต้ (duan sai tai)
02. ไม่มีใครรักเธอเท่าฉัน (maimikhrai rak thoe thao chan)
03. รักฉันแล้วอย่ารักใครอีกนะ (rak chan laeo ya rak khrai ik na)
04. ให้เพราะความสงสาร (hai phro khwam songsan)
05. สอนน้อง (son nong)
06. คอยเธอ (khoi thoe)
07. แน่ต้องมาขอ (nae tong ma kho)
08. สาวนครชัยศรี (sao nakhon chaisi)
09. รักพี่เสียดายน้อง (rak phi siadai nong)
sung by ศักดิ์ชัย วันชัย (sakchai wanchai)
10. สามพราน (sam phran)
sung by ศักดิ์ชัย วันชัย (sakchai wanchai)
11. อย่าลืมสามพราน (ya luem sam phran)
12. สาวท่ายาง (sao tha yang)
13. ไม่ลืมท่ายาง (mai luem tha yang)
sung by พนมไพร ลูกเพชร (phanomphrai lukphet)
14. จับปลาสองมือ (chap pla song mue)

the singing twins laongdao + sakaoduean began life as champi and champa sothrabun of chachoengsao province. in their early teens, as the sisters' vocal talents became evident, their older brother dragged the two into the city, thinking to make stars of them. as it happened, they were discovered by none other than suraphon sombatcharoen! khun suraphon had been determined to acquire some female voices, in the hope of catching up to his rival of the fairer sex, phongsi woranut, whose popularity had been quickly surpassing his own. he adopted the girls, gave them their stage names ("stardust + pale moon") and took them on the road! they became an important part of suraphon's troupe, and went on to be pretty big stars in their own right! i think the twins are remembered mostly for their love songs, but their tough voices undercut any amount of lyrical schmaltziness!

a couple of the side 2 tracks are male-response style numbers, sung by two fellows i've never heard of (and who go uncredited on the tape; i had to track down their names myself!)

phraiwan lukphet: kham tuean khong phi

singer: ไพรวัลย์ ลูกเพชร (phraiwan lukphet)
album: คำเตือนของพี่ (kham tuean khong phi)
tracklist:
01. คำเตือนของพี่ (kham tuean khong phi)
02. วิวาห์สะอื้น (wiwa sauen)
03. น้อง (nong)
04. เสียงจากไพรวัลย์ (siang chak phraiwan)
05. เปลี่ยวทรวง (plieow suang)
06. เห็นใจน้องแล้ว (hen chai nong laeo)
07. แม่ผักบุ้งบ้านดอน (mae phak bung ban don)
08. แม่สาวน้อย (mae sao noi)
09. คำประนาม (kham pranam)
10. ดาวจำลอง (dao cham long)
11. แม่ชานอ้อย (mae chan oi)
12. แผ่นดินแหลมทอง (phaen din laem thong)
13. ใต้เงาโศก (tai ngao sok)
14. เมีย (mia)
15. ผัว (phua)
sung by สมศรี ม่วงศรเขียว (somsi muangsonkhieow)
16. เขย (khoei)
17. เหลือทน (luea thon)
18. ลั่นทมสะอื้น (lan thom sauen)
19. สระบุรีที่รัก (saraburi thi rak)

today we hear from one of the most beautiful voices in luk thung... that of the esteemed phraiwan lukphet! born in phetchaburi province, phraiwan was sent by his parents at an early age to join a local ลิเก (like) theatre troupe. however, it was the world of popular music which called to him, and he left to join somphong wongrakthai's "bangkok cha cha cha" band. after this group dissolved, phraiwan was entrusted to suraphon sombatcharoen, in whose company he recorded the early hits collected on this cassette. in time he left suraphon's collective to persue a solo venture, and with the aid of songwriter phaibun butkhan, won massive renown. his singing resonated through the film world especially, where he provided themes to many of the biggest motion pictures, two of which (mon rak luk thung and phlae kao) have been featured here. enjoy the bittersweet nostalgia with phraiwan lukphet!

phraiwan lukphet: sao ban na thi na rak

artist: ไพรวัลย์ ลูกเพชร (phraiwan lukphet)
album: สาวบ้านนาที่น่ารัก (sao ban na thi na rak)
tracklist:
01. สาวบ้านนาที่น่ารัก (sao ban na thi na rak)
02. กลิ่นธูปควันเทียน (klin thup khwan thian)
03. สุดจาบัลย์ (sut chaban)
04. หน้าฝนอันแสนเศร้า (na fon an saen sao)
05. รักเธอ รักเธอ (rak thoe rak thoe)
06. เหมันต์ครวญ (heman khruan)
07. แผ่นดินไทย (phaen din thai)
08. เพลงรักเพลงคิดถึง (pleng rak pleng khit thueng)
09. ไร้ญาติเมื่อขาดเงิน (rai yat muea khat ngoen)
10. ลูก (luk)
11. เห็นใจแล้ว (hen chai laeo)
12. ห้ามใจรักไม่ได้ (ham chai rak mai dai)
13. บ่รักไผเท่านาง (bo rak phai thao nang)
14. คิดถึงอารีดัง (khit thueng aridang)
15. ข้าวคอยเคียว (khao khoi khieow)
16. เทพีของผม (thephi khong phom)
17. คาถารัก (khatha rak)

this week, another outstanding album from one of my favorite singers, mr. phraiwan lukphet! born in phetchaburi province, phraiwan was sent by his parents at an early age to join a local liké theatre troupe, but it was the world of popular music which called to him, and in time he left to join somphong wongrakthai's "bangkok cha cha cha" band. after this group dissolved, phraiwan was entrusted to suraphon sombatcharoen, in whose company he recorded his earliest hits (collected here). eventually he left suraphon's collective to persue a solo venture and with the aid of songwriter phaibun butkhan won massive reknown. his singing resonated through the film world especially, where he provided themes to many of the biggest motion pictures, two of which (mon rak luk thung and phlae kao) have been featured on this site. please enjoy the slow sweet sounds of phraiwan lukphet!!

phongsi woranut: lom heman

singer: ผ่องศรี วรนุช (phongsi woranut)
album: ลมเหมันต์ (lom heman)
tracklist:
01. ลมเหมันต์ (lom heman)
02. รักไม่ลืม (rak mai luem)
03. เดือนลา (duean la)
04. บอกซิว่ารัก (bok si wa rak)
05. หลานรักไม่ลง (lan rak mai long)
06. หมองใจ (mong chai)
07. รักพี่บูชาพี่ (rak phi bucha phi)
08. ใจน้อง (chai nong)
09. พอกันที่ (pho kan thi)
10. สาริกาลืมไพร (sarika luem phrai)
11. คุณพี่ขี่เก๋ง (khun phi khi keng)
12. แพ้ (phae)
13. รักร้อนยีงกว่าไฟ (rak ron yi ngok wa fai)
14. ผัวจ๋า (phua cha)
15. วิมานในฝัน (wiman nai fan)
16. วิวาห์ราตรี (wiwa rattri)
17. หากฉันจะรักคุณ (hak chan cha rak khu)
18. บวชเสียเถิดพี่ (buat sia thoet phi)
19. คอยพี่กลับนา (khoi phi klap na)
20. สวยจริงหรือคุณ (suay ching rue khun)

this week, another tape from alexandra's collection.. more delightful hits from phongsi woranut! these songs are from the mid-1960's, years when she was battling with suraphon sombatcharoen (whose band she had recently departed) for domination of the pop scene in thailand; in fact, a few tunes on here are เพลงโต้ (pleng to) or "duelling song" responses to certain of suraphon's (track 10, for instance, is a response to his "แก้วลืมดง (kaew luem dong)", which was a jab at phongsi's aforementioned desertion). the band is great here, boasting some big horns & latin flavor, and phongsi's voice is in peak form, strong & high. very nice old luk thung!

khana chao thung: pen sot thammai

artist: คณะ ชาวทุ่ง (khana chao thung)
album: เป็นโสดทำไม (pen sot thammai)
tracklist:
01. เป็นโสดทำไม (pen sot thammai)
02. 16 ปีแห่งความหลัง (16 pi haeng khwam lang)
03. หนาวจะตายอยู่แล้ว (nao cha tai yu laeo)
04. ดำเนินจ๋า (damnoen cha)
05. เดือนหงายที่ริมโขง (duean ngai thi rim khong)
06. สวยจริงๆ (suai ching ching)
07. สาวสวนแตง (sao suan taeng)
08. เดือนจ๋า (duean cha)
09. รักน้องไม่มีเงินแต่ง (rak nong mai mi ngoen taeng)
10. แน่ข้างเดียว (nae khang diao)

this week, another unusual discovery that my friend chris chanced upon recently in bangkok! there's not much information about this group online, but a little digging reveals that they were a project of prayong chuenyen, the arranger who crafted the sound of many classic funk-styled luk thung singles. while the backing band here shares that feel, with its steady beats, laid-back basslines and groovy electric piano, the vocals are something completely different. more akin to the university chorus-style recordings of the time, the singers are a large mixed choir, singing in close harmony and employing instrumental emulation (despite not being a cappella). as for the songs on this 1989 cassette, the selections are entirely chosen from the oeuvre of suraphon sombatcharoen, the "king of luk thung". the smooth, blended voices are quite a departure from suraphon's own rough and characterful delivery. hope you'll enjoy!

wongchan phairot chorus: rim fang nam

artist: วงจันทร์ ไพโรจน์ คอรัส (wongchan phairot chorus)
album: ริมฝั่งน้ำ (rim fang nam)
tracklist:
01. ริมฝั่งน้ำ (rim fang nam)
02. บุพเพสันนิวาส (bupphesanniwat)
03. ห้วงน้ำลึก (huang nam luek)
04. ครวญสวาท (khruan sawat)
05. งามเดือนฉาย (ngam duean chai)
06. ตะเลงครวญ (taleng khruan)
07. กลิ่นดอกไม้ (klin dok mai)
08. รอยรักรอยร้าว (roi rak roi rao)
09. ทาษน้ำเงิน (that nam ngoen)
10. ถ้าฉันมีคนรัก (tha chan mi khon rak)
11. ถ้าเธอรักฉัน (tha thoe rak chan)
12. จำจาก-จำลา (cham chak, cham la)

this week, wongchan phairot and her chorus bring us easy listening luk krung classics! a bangkok native, wongchan started her singing career at age 9 after winning the phu khao thong temple fair contest, and under the sponsorship of khru mongkhon amatayakun began recording children's songs for the t. ngek chuan record store. as she got older, she performed with a number of cosmopolitan outfits like the royal thai navy band, the bangkok cha-cha-cha band, and hon hanbuntrong's hawaiian aloha band, before joining khru mongkhon's famous chularat. with chularat, she moved towards the luk thung scene, even taking on suraphon sombatcharoen (for instance) as a songwriter. by the time (late '70s?) of today's featured cassette, however, she was firmly back in the city music camp, performing urbane luk krung ballroom numbers and ballads by the likes of wet sunthonchamon, kaeo atchariyakun and phoem khlaibanleng. vocally, she's joined by her chorus for some close harmony (think: the ray charles singers).. 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!

 

phongsi woranut: khon sut thai

artist: ผ่องศรี วรนุช (phongsi woranut)
album: คนสุดท้าย (khon sut thai)
tracklist:
01. คนสุดท้าย (khon sut thai)
02. บาร์หัวใจ (bar hua chai)
03. ฝากดิน (fak din)
04. ผิดหวังยังคอย (phit wang yang khoi)
05. ชั่วโมงสุดท้าย (chua mong su thai)
06. หญิงขายตัว (ying khai tua)
07. ปัญหาหัวใจ (panha hua chai)
08. น้องเป็นคนรักที่เท่าไหร่ (nong pen khon rak thi thao rai)
09. รักจ๋ารัก (rak cha rak)
10. คนเลวที่ฉันรัก (khon leo thi chan rak)
11. คนสำรอง (khon samrong)
12. น้ำตาหยดสุดท้าย (nam ta yot sut thai)

hope everyone will forgive the length between posts; due to a massive hard drive failure, the blog was out of commission for a little while.. but after a month's absence, all has been recovered and we're ready to go! to make up for time lost, let's get back into things with a real gem from the incomparable phongsi woranut! if you're a regular here, you probably know of phongsi by now; luk thung's first female star and rival to the genre's king, suraphon sombatcharoen. this album is from a bit later in her career (the 1970's, i think), and features one of her most beautiful and enduring singles, "fak din" (track 3). while the brass-laden ballads may be light of atmosphere, the subject matter of these songs is heavy; the lyrics tell tales of death, prostitution and love gone wrong. classic luk thung from an timeless star.. enjoy!

photchaman phimchan: photchaman 3

artist: พจมาน พิมพ์จันทร์ (photchaman phimchan) 
album: พจมาน 3 (photchaman 3) 
tracklist: 
01. สาวมหาชัย (sao mahachai) 
02. สาวทุ่งรวงทอง (sao thung ruang thong) 
03. สาวบางหลวง (sao bang luang) 
04. เด็ดดอกรัก (det dok rak) 
05. ลานเท (lan the) 
06. ฝั่งหัวใจ (fang hua chai) 
07. แว่วเสียงซึง (waeo siang sueng) 
08. แม่สอดสะอื้น (mae sot sa-uean) 
09. สาวแม่กลอง (sao mae klong) 
10. แฟนเก่า (faen kao) 
11. ฉันรักเธอ (chan rak thoe) 

12. สาวทุ่งรวงทอง [ดนตรี] (sao thung ruang thong [instrumental]) 

this week, sweet and mellow retro covers from photchaman phimchan! hailing from nakhon sawan in the central plains, photchaman was married to phon phraisan, one of the leading sound-alikes of suraphon sombatcharoen who stepped up following the star's untimely death. she and phon did several duets albums together, winning a fan base through the '80s with their versions of classic luk thung hits. after a decade out of the spotlight, she came to prominence again in the 2000s as part of the red shirt movement, where she took the stage to repurpose several of her old hits as tributes to (at the time) exiled prime minister thaksin shinawatra. most recently, she's found success as an online fortune-teller, doing tarot card readings over social media^[1]. this cassette though, her third solo album, takes us back to 1989, and draws more from the urbane luk krung canon, as opposed to the country-style luk thung material that she'd focused on up to then. it features production by samak wongsarot, an old hand from uea ari chao kao, bringing some unusual arrangements and a lightly chinese-inspired, kim-forward sound. enjoy! 

phloen phromdaen: khaeng ma

artist: เพลิน พรหมแดน (phloen phromdaen)
album: แข่งหมา (khaeng ma)
tracklist:
01. แข่งหมา (khaeng ma)
02. เสน่ห์น้ำมันพราย (sane nam man phrai)
03. เรื่องของที่ดิน (rueang khong thi din)
04. กรรมของคนกรุงเทพฯ (kam khong khon krung thep)
05. ไอ้เก๋จอมแก่น (ai ke chom kaen)
06. ไปเสียได้ก็ดี (pai sia dai ko di)
07. ทำดีโดนด่า (tham di don da)
08. ก๋วยเจ๋ง ก้วยจั๊บ (kuai cheng kuai chap)
09. จอมสำออย (chom samoi)
10. น้ำท่วมอีสาน (nam thuam isan)
11. ชอบกลเหมือนคนชอบกัน (chop kon muean khon chop kan)
12. ลุงสาเข้ากรุง (lung sa khao krung)
13. คนบ๊องส์ (khon bong)
14. รักข้ามรุ่น (rak kham run)

this week, an album from the "king of talking music", mr. phloen phromdaen! phloen grew up on his parents' farm in aranyaprathet, on the border with cambodia. at age 20, he entered a radio contest and landed a spot in a local ramwong band. however, like so many others, he fell in love with the new style being pioneered by suraphon sombatcharoen et al, which would come to be known as "luk thung". he used his own savings to record original songs, and eventually these sessions produced his massive hit "ชมทุ่ง (chom thung)", which won him a spot among the biggest stars of the era, and even starring roles in several films. shortly thereafter, phloen became interested in comedy and inventive ways to incorporate clever wordplay and skits into his tracks. what he came up with was เพลงพูด (pleng phut) or "talking music", which is exactly what it sounds like.. phloen will stop the band periodically & engage in witty banter with his bandmates. needless to say, thai comprehension would help to appreciate the skits, but the songs are great as well! the tape itself, on the other hand, has seen better days.. hope you will enjoy nonetheless!

luk thung: classic & obscure 78s from the thai countryside

hope everyone will forgive a moment of self-promotion here:
the album that david murray & i (& many others!) have been working on is finally available on dust-to-digital/parlortone records! compiled from dave's incredible collection of 78s, this album features 14 beautifully-restored classic early-60's luk thung recordings from the likes of suraphon sombatcharoen, waiphot phetsuphan, phloen phromdaen, suchat thianthong & many more! none of these songs have ever been available outside of thailand before (and few have even seen re-release domestically!). they represent a critical moment in luk thung's history, when internationally-minded pop stars began looking to local folk sounds for inspiration. as a result, you'll hear wild accordions & latin horn sections mingling with thai hand drums & finger cymbals, while singers wail & swagger about life's simple joys & struggles. the lp is pressed on high-quality vinyl with a 6-page full-color insert filled with history & images. if you're without turntable, the album can also be got on itunes and amazon! i hope everyone will check it out, i can't recommend it highly enough!

order here!

preview:
Phloen Phromdaen – “Ruedu Haeng Khwam Rak (Season of Love)” by dusttodigital

kung tuangsit riamchinda: super hit

artist: กุ้ง ตวงสิทธิ เรียมจินดา (kung tuangsit riamchinda) 
album: ซูเปอร์ฮิต (super hit) 
tracklist: 
01. กำนันกำใน (kamnan kam nai) 
02. ขาดคนหุงข้าว (khat khon hung khao) 
03. ใครลืมใครก่อน (khrai luem khrai kon) 
04. รักจางที่บางปะกง (rak chang thi bang pakong) 
05. จักรยานคนจน (chakkrayan khon chon) 
06. รอวันเธอว่าง (ro wan thoe wang) 
07. เขมรไล่ควาย (khamen lai khwai) 
08. โชคดีที่รัก (chok di thi rak) 
09. ไอ้หนุ่มตังเก (ai num tang ke) 
10. ความรักเหมือนยาขม (khwam rak muean ya khom) 

this week, luk thung classics get a digital pop update at the hands of kung tuangsit! best known as the smooth vocalist for nithithat super-group phuean, kung's solo efforts began in 1990 with this cassette, the first a series revisiting country classics. kung takes his own spin on songs made famous by suraphon sombatcharoen, sayan sanya, yotrak salakchai, etc. in prior decades. with new arrangements and production by grand 'ex alum/phuean co-founder thanongsak aphonsiri, you're all but guaranteed a good time. i've got a second volume to post, too, if you enjoy! 

 

pong prida: sao fang khong

singer: ปอง ปรีดา (pong prida)
album: สาวฝั่งโขง (sao fang khong)
tracklist:
01. สาวฝั่งโขง (sao fang khong)
02. สาวอยู่บ้านได๋ (sao yu ban dai)
03. สาวป่าซาง (sao pa sang)
04. เที่ยวฝั่งโขง (thieow fang khong)
05. เจ้าสาวไปใส (chao sao pai sai)
06. เดือนคล้อยคอยสาว (duean khloi khoi sao)
07. รำวงเชียงน้อย (ramwong chiang noi)
08. ค่ำคืนนี้พี่นอนหนาว (kham khuen ni phi non nao)
09. น้องนางบ้านนา (nong nang ban na)
10. เหรียญดอลล์ (rian doll)
11. คอยสาวค่อนคืน (khoi sao khon khuen)
12. กลิ่นฟางสาบสาว (klin fang sap sao)
13. เพื่อน (phuean)
14. ตามนาง (tam nang)
15. เตือนหญิง (tuean ying)
16. อีสานก้าวหน้า (isan kao na)

this week, it's luk thung veteran pong prida with his great high tone and delightful whistle. born in khon kaen province in isaan, pong grew up studying carpentry but secretly harbored ambitions to become a singer like his idol, somyot thasanaphan. eventually he dropped out & made the trip to bangkok, where he auditioned for many groups (including somyot's) but was denied from all. following this failure, he went back & forth between working factory jobs, boxing, and monkhood, all the while desperately sticking to his dream. his tenacity caught the sympathy of nakhon thanomsap (the entertainer best known for his blackface character, "gungadin"), who took him under his wing & got him spots on records, playing khaen or whistling for stars like suraphon sombatcharoen. in a short while he would be recording his own tunes and touring the nation! in time he returned to isaan, where he formed a group which performed locally in udon thani and across the border in laos, before settling down as a farmer. here now are his sad songs, for you to enjoy!

chatri sichon: samak rak, samak faen

artist: ชาตรี ศรีชล (chatri sichon)
album: สมัครรัก สมัครแฟน (samak rak, samak faen)
tracklist:
01. สมัครรัก สมัครแฟน (samak rak, samak faen)
02. ชำรักจากชลบุรี (cham rak chak chonburi)
03. รักหรือเปล่า (rak rue plao)
04. รอไม่ไหว (ro mai wai)
05. เมฆบังฟ้า (mek bang fa)
06. แฟนมีแฟนใหม่ (faen mi faen mai)
07. รักเก่าเขาลืม (rak kao khao luem)
08. ขวานทองของไทย (khwan thong khong thai)
09. น้ำตาพ่อตก (nam ta pho tok)
10. ชายสามโบสถ์ (chai sam bot)

this week, i'll be sharing another collection of golden-age luk thung from chatri sichon! (we've had one with an identical title before, albeit a different tracklist, so apologies to everyone trying to keep their discographies straight). chatri, from chonburi, got his start in samniang muangthong's ruam daokrachai band, but left to help suraphon sombatcharoen's wife sinuan rehabilitate their band after her husband's murder in 1968. in that role he was primarily a songwriter, but within a year chatri had founded his own band and cut his first records. this cassette features some those early tracks, propelled by wheezing accordions, hand-drums and chatri's own rough-cut vocals. the b-side features some harder-to-find songs of his, heavy on liké breakdowns and other folk-song flourishes. enjoy!!

preview:

sayan sanya: ya ma khit thueng chan loei

artist: สายัณห์ สัญญา (sayan sanya)
album: อย่ามาคิดถึงฉันเลย (ya ma khit thueng chan loei)
tracklist:
01. อย่ามาคิดถึงฉันเลย (ya ma khit thueng chan loei)
02. พิณสะกิดสาว (phin sakit sao)
03. มนต์เมืองเหนือ (mon mueang nuea)
04. เสน่ห์สาวเวียงพิงค์ (sane sao wiang phing)
05. หนาวลมที่เรณู (nao lom thi renu)
06. อ่านหัวใจ (an hua chai)
07. รอยรักในอารมณ์ (roi rak nai arom)
08. เทพธิดาหลงฟ้า (thepthida long fa)
09. เขมรไล่ควาย (khamen lai khwai)
10. ควายหาย (khwai hai)
11. อาทิตย์อุทัยรำลึก (athit uthai ramluek)
12. ทั้งรักทั้งแค้น (thang rak thang khaen)

this week, we'll hear from "the original sweetheart", sayan sanya! 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 finds him in the late '70s, revisiting ten hits from the decades prior, tunes made famous by the likes of suraphon sombatcharoen, thun thongchai, and sonkhiri siprachuap, as well as a couple new ones that sayan had first crack at. enjoy!