charin nanthanakhon: aphimaha amata nirankan 2

artist: ชรินทร์ นันทนาคร (charin nanthanakhon) 
album: อภิมหาอมตะนิรันดร์กาล ๒ (aphimaha amata nirankan 2) 
tracklist: 
01. เนื้อทองของพี่ (nuea thong khong phi) 
02. หยาดเพชร (yat phet) 
03. ลมสวาท (lom sawat) 
04. ทาษทรมาน (that thoraman) 
05. กุหลาบในมือเธอ (kulap nai mue thoe) 
06. ในอ้อมกอด (nai om kot) 
07. เพราะขอบฟ้ากว้าง (phro khop fa kwang) 
08. เพื่อน้อง (phuea nong) 
09. น้ำตาแสงใต้ (nam ta saeng tai) 
10. สไบแพร (sabai phrae) 
11. สาวนครชัยศรี (sao nakhon chai si) 
12. รักซ้อน ซ่อนรัก (rak son, son rak) 

this week, a late-'80s retro revival for charin nanthanakhon! a luminary of the luk krung scene throughout the '50s and '60s, charin was invited by the folks at nithithat promotion to join with a number of his golden-age peers (suthep wongkamhaeng, sawali phakaphan, etc.) in a series revisiting some of their signature hits in an updated production style. the aphimaha amata nirankan project was helmed by a variety of leading names from the n.t. label roster; this tape finds the duties handed to thanongsak aponsiri of grand 'ex and phuean fame. charin's still got it here, and of course fans of the n.t. sound will find new things to love about these classic tunes.. enjoy! 

mani maniwan: chot mai rak chak mia chao

artist: มานี มณีวรรณ (mani maniwan)
album: จดหมายรักจากเมียเช่า (chot mai rak chak mia chao)
tracklist: 
01. จดหมายรักจากเมียเช่า (chot mai rak chak mia chao)
02. เพื่อนตาย (phuean tai)
sung by วรินทร์ วีระเทพ (warin wirathep)

this week, a real treasure: one of the most fascinating and enduring examples of language-mixing in thai music! originally broadcast on television via suthep wongkamhaeng's suthep show, "love-letter from a rented wife" dramatized the relationship between thai women in the northeast and their american g.i. partners following the u.s. war in vietnam and the withdrawal of military presence there. written by achan achin panchaphan and backed by the apollo band, the song is sung in a singular blend of thai and english, and is still covered often today.

a must-read for further context is my friend ben tausig's amazing new book, bangkok after dark: maurice rocco, transnational nightlife, and the making of cold war intimacies, which features extensive discussion of both this song and the real people who inspired it.

i'm also embedding below a short documentary that my friend pix co-directed for khang lang phleng on thai pbs, all about this song and the legacy of thai kham angkrit kham. 

suthep wongkamhaeng: kam kao / ni saneha

artist: สุเทพ วงศ์กำแหง (suthep wongkamhaeng)
album: กรรมเก่า / หนี้เสน่หา (kam kao / ni saneha)
tracklist:
01. เพียงคำเดียว (phiang kham diao)
02. สุดห้ามใจรัก (sut ham chai rak)
03. ดอกฟ้าในมือโจร (dok fa nai mue chon)
04. ครวญ (khruan)
05. อนิจจา (anitcha)
06. ลืมรัก (luem rak)
07. หลงคอย (long khoi)
08. นางอาย (nang ai)
09. สวรรค์มืด (sawan muet)
10. วาสิฏฐีจำแลง (wasitthi cham laeng)
11. ยามไร้ (yam rai)
12. คุณจะงอนมากไปแล้ว (khun cha ngon mak pai laeo)
13. หนี้เสน่หา (ni saneha)
14. เดือนเอ๋ย (duean oei)
15. ขวัญใจคนจน (khwan chai khon chon)
16. กลิ่นโคลนสาปควาย (klin khlon sap khwai)
17. ฉันหมุนโลกด้วยความรัก (chan mun lok duai khwam rak)
18. กรรมเก่า (kam kao)
19. หนี้กรรม (ni kam)
20. การคอยที่ไร้ค่า (kan khoi thi rai kha)

this week, cool mid-century sounds from suthep wongkamhaeng! mr. suthep of khorat (nakhon ratchasima) left his career in visual arts to join the royal thai air force band, after being spotted gigging as an intermission performer on bangkok's movie theatre circuit. following his tour of duty, suthep became a staple in the most popular of bangkok night spots and appeared frequently in mid-century silver screen musicals. writer 'rong wongsawan famously wrote that he possessed "a voice like the rubbing of satin in beer foam", soft and effervescent. this cassette, released on the little-known duang athit records (and produced, apparently, in singapore.. on chromium dioxide tape!) compiles material from long- and extended-play albums originally released via suthep's own private label, backed by prasit phayomyong leading the lolita band, namesake house group of the premiere '60s ratchadamnoen nightclub. enjoy!

 

thanin intharathep: phleng amata ngoen lan chut phiset

artist: ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ (thanin intharathep)
album: เพลงอมตะเงินล้าน ชุด พิเศษ (phleng amata ngoen lan chut phiset)
tracklist:
01. พี่มีแต่ให้ (phi mi tae hai)
02. ผู้เสียสละ (phu sia sala)
03. บอกรักฝากใจ (bok rak fak chai)
04. เผลอใจรัก (phloe chai rak)
05. อเวจีใจ (awechi chai)
06. คิดถึงพี่ไหม (khit thueng phi mai)
07. 30 ยังแจ๋ว (30 yang chaeo)
08. ตัวไกลใจเหงา (tua klai chai ngao)
09. กระท่อมนางผ่าน (krathom nang phan)
10. แม่ค้าตาคม (mae kha ta khom)
11. บ้านนาสัญญารัก (ban na sanya rak)
12. พี่มีแต่ให้ [ชาวด์ดนตรี] (phi mi tae hai [instrumental])

this week, country-meets-city with 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" variety 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 1990 cassette finds him outside of his typical ken, tackling hits of the more rural-oriented luk thung genre; songs made famous by sonkhiri siprachuap, sayan sanya, yotrak salakchai, ekkachai siwichai, and the like. for these tracks, he's backed by none other than the era's near-omnipresent lord of country music, num phuthai, who brings his yamaha yc-30-driven sound to nonpiya's minimalistic production style. enjoy!

 

[note: this tape had some bad dropouts for the first 30 seconds, so i did a little amateur splicing.. hopefully the edit is not too intrusive!]

 

sri krung brass

artist: ศรีกรุง บราส (sri krung brass)
album: ศรีกรุง บราส (sri krung brass)
tracklist:
01. สร้องแสงแดง (soi saeng daeng)
02. กระแต (kratae)
03. ลาวดวงเดือน (lao duang duean)
04. แขกต่อยหมอ (khaek toi mo)
05. แขกมอญ (khaek mon)
06. ไทรโยค (sai yok)
07. เขมรโพธิสัตย์ (khmer phothisat)
08. คลื่นกระทบฝั่ง (khluen krathop fang)
09. ลาวเสี่ยงเทียน (lao siang thian)
10. ก่อนสิ้นแสงตะวัน (kon sin saeng tawan)
11. มาลี นารี (mali nari)
12. นางในฝัน (nang nai fan)
13. ใจ (chai)
14. หยาดน้ำฝนหยดน้ำตา (yat nam fon yot nam ta)
15. โอ้ยอดหญิง (oi yot ying)
16. ค่ำแล้ว (kham laeo)
17. ใจบอบช้ำ (chai bop cham)
18. รอความหวัง (ro khwam wang)
19. ร่ายมนต์รัก (rai mon rak)
20. จำวันจาก (cham wan chak)
21. ความรักของฉัน (khwam rak khong chan)

this week, more great thai-international bachelor pad music from the sri krung brass! from what i can piece together about their history, the group was established by narot thawonbut circa 1935 as the house band for sri krung sound film studio, to provide incidental music for the films the studio produced. their membership, including bandleaders, would vary greatly over the years, from narot on to government public relations department band (later suntharaphon) veteran saman kanchanaphalin, and again to korean ex-patriot kangwan chonlakun (a.k.a. mr. charlie kang, born kang chulkoo), who handles the arrangements here. this collection features two of their original long-players combined onto one cassette: the first highlighting thai classical tunes in a "novel style" (where they were co-billed as/with eddy's trumpets team?) and a second revisiting more contemporary luk krung hits, both filtered through a range of cosmopolitan latin and soul influences.. enjoy!

[i must warn you, also, the compilers of this collection have gotten over-ambitious again, and the second side tails out before the final track is finished]

 

ruam phleng thai t.v. chut khwan khong riam

artist: various
album: รวมเพลงไทยทีวี ชุด ขวัญของเรียม (ruam phleng thai t.v. chut khwan khong riam)
tracklist:
01. ขวัญของเรียม (khwan khong riam)
sung by นันทวัน เมฆใหญ่ (nanthawan mekyai)
02. สั่งเรียม (sang riam)
sung by กำธร สุวรรณปิยะศิริ + นันทวัน เมฆใหญ่ (kamthon suwanpiyasiri & nanthawan makyai)
03. เคียงเรียม (khiang riam)
sung by กำธร สุวรรณปิยะศิริ (kamthon suwanpiyasiri)
04. ใจสนองใจ (chai sanong chai)
sung by จินตนา สุขสถิตย์ (chintana suksathit)
05. กุหลาบในมือเธอ (kulap nai mue thoe)
sung by ชรินทร์ นันทนาคร (charin nanthanakhon)
06. กุหลาบร่วง (kulap ruang)
sung by นงลักษณ์ โรจนพรรณ (nonglak rotchanaphan)
07. ศรอนงค์ (soranong)
sung by กำธร สุวรรณปิยะศิริ + อารีย์ นักดนตรี (kamthon suwanpiyasiri & ari nakdontri)
08. ขุนพลแก้ว (khunphon kaeo)
sung by มนัส รามโยธิน + หมู่ (manat ramyothin & chorus)
09. มาแก้ว (makaeo)
sung by มนัส รามโยธิน + หมู่ (manat ramyothin & chorus)
10. นางแก้ว (nang kaeo)
sung by หมู่ (chorus)
11. รุ้งสวรรค์ (rung sawan)
sung by นงลักษณ์ โรจนพรรณ (nonglak rotchanaphan)
12. กระแจะจันทร์ (krachae chan)
sung by ฉลอง สิมะเสถียร + อารีย์ นักดนตรี (chalong simasathian & ari nakdontri)
13. แว่วเสียงจำปูน (waeo siang champun)
sung by ฉลอง สิมะเสถียร + สวลี ผกาพันธุ์ (chalong simasathian & sawali phakaphan)
14. รุ่งฤทัย (rung ruethai)
sung by เพ็ญศรี พุ่มชูศรี (phensi phumchusi)
15. หนึ่งในร้อย (nueng nai roi)
sung by สวลี ผกาพันธุ์ (sawali phakaphan)
16. ทานตะวัน (thantawan)
sung by นงลักษณ์ โรจนพรรณ (nonglak rotchanaphan)
17. วิมานรัก (wiman rak)
sung by ฉลอง สิมะเสถียร + นงลักษณ์ โรจนพรรณ (chalong simasathian & nonglak rotchanaphan)
18. จันทร์ลอยฟ้า (chan loi fa)
sung by ฉลอง สิมะเสถียร (chalong simasathian)
19. บ้านทรายทอง (ban sai thong)
sung by สวลี ผกาพันธุ์ (sawali phakaphan)
20. รำพึง (ramphueng)
sung by นันทวัน เมฆใหญ่ (nanthawan mekyai)

this week, nostalgic old tunes from the thai small screen! our selections on this rather functionally-adorned cassette from sermvit stationary & record are compiled from the first decade or so of television in thailand, all broadcast on thai t.v. channel 4 out of bangkhumphrom palace in the early '60s. many of the singers featured here were also the lead actors of the televised lakhon (dramas) whose soundtracks they performed, including "ban sai thong", "phlae kao", "soranong", and more. they were backed, i believe, by the government public relations department band, for that classic luk krung sound.. enjoy!

ot & o: rak... wan wan

artist: อ๊อด รณชัย ถมยาปริวัฒน์ + โอ อัจฉรพรรณี หาญณรงค์ (ot ronnachai thomyapariwat & o atcharaphanni hannarong)
album: รัก...หวาน หวาน (rak... wan wan)
tracklist:
01. วนาสวาท (wana sawat)
02. ปาริชาด (parichat)
03. ขวัญ-เรียม (khwan-riam)
04. ธารน้ำรัก (than nam rak)
05. น้ำใจรัก (nam chai rak)
06. เรือรัก (ruea rak)
07. สัญญา (sanya)
08. สองใจเรา (song chai rao)
09. เพื่อน (phuean)
10. ขวัญ-เรียม [บรรเลง] (khwan-riam [instrumental])
 
this week, some sweet bangkok oldies with ot & o! ronnachai thomyapariwat (ot) was the front-man of khiribun, a star band of the early r.s. sound roster. atcharaphanni hannarong (o), was a label-mate of ot's at r.s., one third of the vocal trio puifai. in 1987, the two came together to try their hand at some luk krung classics on an album called "phlae kao". this cassette from the following year is a second helping of the same: retro city-music selections re-scored by impossibles' alum prachin songphao & co. with lush orchestration and synth backing. enjoy!

 

phaichit aksonnarong: khoi phi

artist: ไพจิตร อักษรณรงค์ (phaichit aksonnarong)
album: คอยพี่ (khoi phi)
tracklist:
01. กุหลาบร่วง (kulap ruang)
featuring วินัย พันธุรักษ์ (winai phanthurak)
02. คอยพี่ (khoi phi)
03. แรมพิศวาส (raem phitsawat)
04. คนจะรักกัน (khon cha rak kan)
05. ผิดที่เกินอภัย (phit thi koen aphai)
06. บ้านของเรา (ban khong rao)
07. ชายเดียวในดวงใจ (chai diao nai duang chai)
08. ถ้าฉันจะรัก (tha chan cha rak)
09. ฤทธิ์กามเทพ (rit kam thep)
10. หนี้มาร (ni man)

this week, '80s luk krung throwbacks from phaichit aksonnarong! miss phaichit, from buriram, had a foot in many somewhat disparate modern thai music scenes: her earliest records were internationally-minded disco-pop string, while her later material, particularly duets with kung kittikhun chiansong, charted super-smoothed-out luk thung country sounds. her mid-period saw collaborations with thierry mekwattana of phuea chiwit veterans carabao, not to mention her marriages to other "songs for life" stars: first nick niranam, and later wisa khanthap. then of course, there's today's tape: a 1985 look back at classics from suntharaphon & co.'s catalog of jazzy urban ballads. the arrangements are by anek rungrueang, and recall the sound of his work for azona contemporary phumphuang duangchan at the time. winai phanthurak from the impossibles helps open the album with a turn on vocals, as well. enjoy!

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!

dutduean dara: siang krasip chak kliao khluen

artist: ดุจเดือน ดารา (dutduean dara)
album: เสียงกระซิบจากเกลียวคลื่น (siang krasip chak kliao khluen)
tracklist:
01. บัวแดง (bua daeng)
02. ริมฝั่งน้ำ (rim fang nam)
03. เสียงกระซิบจากเกลียวคลื่น (siang krasip chak kliao khluen)
04. กระซิบสวาท (krasip sawat)
05. ฝนหยาดสุดท้าย (fon yat sut thai)
06. คาวหัวใจ (khao hua chai)
07. รักแรมไกล (rak raem klai)
08. มลทินใจ (monthin chai)
09. ฆ่าฉันให้ตายดีกว่า (kha chan hai tai di kwa)
10. ลุ่มเจ้าพระยา (lum chao phraya)
11. ยากจะหักใจลืม (yak cha hak chai luem)
12. ทะเลร่ำไห้ (thale ram hai)
13. อเวจีแห้งดวงใจ (awechi haeng duang chai)
14. โอ้ทูลกระหม่อม (o thun kramom)

this week, an eclectic outing from star dutduean dara! hailing from khon kaen, dutduean got her start when her uncle, musician prasit chamnanphrai of silver sand, petitioned her parents to let her do a recording with him at azona records. she then moved to bangkok and got a regular spot singing at "papa café" on vibhavadi rangsit road, gaining quite a following. thereafter, she was courted by a number of labels and frequently jumped between them, as well as releasing her own records independently. to me she's one of those artists who straddle the (admittedly often nebulous) boundaries of city and country.. while primarily remembered as a luk thung singer, this record features new takes on classic tunes penned by luk krung (and earlier thai sakon) luminaries like uea sunthonsanan, kaeo atchariyakun and narot thawonbut, sanga aramphi, chali intharawichit, sukhon phonphirun, a. kawi sattakowit, kamon thapkhanlai (as well as the more country-ish phaibun butkhan). also of interest is that the music here has, to my ear, a distinctly "chinese" sound, at least via the instrumentation.. unfortunately, the producer/arranger of the session is not credited. i don't think that any of the melodies are based off chinese originals, but if you know otherwise, please correct me. and most importantly.. enjoy!

oi atchara: talap thong suntharaphon vol. 37 "kunchae chai"

artist: อ้อย อัจฉรา (oi atchara)
album: ตลับทองสุนทราภรณ์ ชุดที่ ๓๗ "กุญแจใจ" (talap thong suntharaphon vol. 37 "kunchae chai")
tracklist:
01. กุญแจใจ (kunchae chai)
02. ที่รักขา (thi rak kha)
03. ประมูลใจ (pramun chai)
04. ป่าช้าใจ (pa cha chai)
05. รอดูใจ (ro du chai)
06. นึกฝัน (nuek fan)
07. เวียนตามกรรม (wian tam kam)
08. มิใช่ดอกฟ้า (mi chai dok fa)
09. ดวงฤทัยเป็นบ้า (duang ruethai pen ba)
10. ใครลิขิต (khrai likhit)
11. รักจ๋า (rak cha)
12. น้ำใจเจ้าแต้ม (nam chai chao taem)
13. สวัสดีบางกอก (sawatdi bangkok)
14. อย่าเกลียดบางกอก (ya kliat bangkok)
sung by ม.ร.ว. ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน์ (m.r. thanatsi sawatdiwat)
15. ราตรีสวาท (ratri sawat)
with วินัย จุลละบุษปะ (winai chunlabutsapa)
16. อ้อยใจ (oi chai)
with เอื้อ สุนทรสนาน (uea sunthonsanan)
 
this week, luk krung classics from oi atchara! oi seems to be one of the more obscure singers in the suntharaphon orbit, despite some very memorable hits; she joined during group's middle period, part of khru kaeo atchariyakun's "stars of tomorrow" project in the late '50s, along with maritsa amatayakun and butsaya rangsi¹, but aside from that i couldn't find a lot of biographical information. she has been out of the music industry for a long time, with word online being that she may live with her daughter in las vegas, nevada in the u.s.a. this collection from metro records features most (maybe all?) of her solo recordings with suntharaporn, plus duets with winai chunlabutsapa and bandleader uea sunthonsanan, and a response song to her biggest hit, sung by m.r. thanatsi sawatdiwat. enjoy! 

khlai arom kap wong dontri yot niyom tang tang

artist: various
album: คลายอารมณ์ กับ วงดนตรี ยอดนิยมต่างๆ (khlai arom kap wong dontri yot niyom tang tang)
tracklist:
01. รักเอย (rak oei)
02. ตาแสนกลม / เพลิน (ta saeng klom / phloen)
03. กราวกีฬา (krao kila)
04. งามแสงเดือน (ngam saeng duean)
05. นกเขาขะแมร์ (nok khao khmer)
06. สร้อยแสงแดง (soi saeng daeng)
07. ราตรีประดับดาว (ratri pradap dao)
08. สายทิพย์ (sai thip)
09. บุพเพสันนิวาส (bupphesanniwat)
10. หยดหนึ่งของการเวลา (yot nueng khong kan wela)
11. รักเมืองไทย (rak mueang thai)
12. เพียงคำเดียว (phiang kham diao)
13. นางฟ้าจำแลง (nang fa cham laeng)
14. ค่ำแล้ว (kham laeo)
15. ที่รักฉันคอยเธอ (thi rak chan khoi thoe)
16. แม้พี่จะขี้เมา (mae phi cha khi mao)
17. น้ำตาฟ้า (nam ta fa)

1-3 performed by วงดนตรี คีตะวัฒน์ (wong dontri khitawat)
4-7 performed by วงดนตรี วราห์ วรเวช (wong dontri wara worawet)
8-10, 15 performed by วงดนตรี ศรีกรุง (wong dontri si krung)
11-13 performed by วงดนตรี กังวาล ชลกุล (wong dontri kangwan chonlakun)
14 performed by วงดนตรี สง่า ทองธัช (wong dontri sa-nga thongthat)
16-17 performed by วงดนตรี รวมมิตร (wong dontri ruam mit)

this week, easy listening from mid-century bangkok's best orchestras! featuring a roster of groups in the mold of the government public relations department band (suntharaphon) who had cut their teeth backing the star singers of luk krung, these recordings are later efforts greatly influenced by american ensembles such as stan kenton's "artistry in rhythm" and "progressive jazz"¹, and likewise reflect the afro-cuban influence behind those works. some selections are instrumental versions of luk krung hits, some are prayuk-style thai classical compositions, and others are original pieces. expect "wall of sound"-style production, big brass, and dense latin percussion.. enjoy!

[i must warn you, also, the compilers of this collection have gotten over-ambitious again, and the first side tails out before track 7 is finished]

 

chittima chueachai: tha hua chai chan mi pik

artist: จิตติมา เจือใจ (chittima chueachai)
album: ถ้าหัวใจฉันมีปีก (tha hua chai chan mi pik)
tracklist:
01. ถ้าหัวใจฉันมีปีก (tha hua chai chan mi pik)
02. หลักไม้เลื้อย (lak mai lueai)
03. คำพรสะท้อนใจ (khamphon sathon chai)
04. คำแถลงการณ์ของหัวใจ (kham thalaeng kan khong hua chai)
05. พระจันทร์ตับในดวงใจ (phra chan tap nai duang chai)
06. เพชรบุรีตัดใหม่ (phetburi tat mai)
07. เพียงเห็นหน้า (phiang hen na)
08. อิทธิพลรัก (itthiphon rak)
09. กาลเวลา (kan wela)
10. ขาดเธอฉันไม่รู้สึก (khat thoe chan mai ru suek)
11. แล้ววันนั้นเธอจะซึ้ง (laeo wan nan thoe cha sueng)
12. รักยามจน (rak yam chon)
13. ตัวสำรอง (tua samrong)
14. คำพรก่อนจาก (khamphon kon chak)
15. ฝนซาฟ้าใส (fon sa fa sai)
16. โชคดี...ยอดรัก (chok di... yot rak)
17. โถ...ช่างกระไร (tho... chang krarai)
18. ฝันดี...โชคดี (fan di... chok di)

this week, old bangkok ballads from chittima chueachai, courtesy of a tape sent over by our pal gary from bodega pop! after losing her day job as an accountant, ms. chittima supported herself by performing at clubs around new phetburi road, the major entertainment district for u.s. soldiers on r&r from vietnam and other well-heeled nightlife denizens of the late-60s/early-70s. her subsequent recording career was supported by her husband, songwriter thawiphong maninin, and despite his apparently notorious philandering, the two remained together until his mysterious murder in a drive-by shooting outside of metro records in 1983¹. chittima still performs with some regularity today, having been a longtime wednesday-night staple at the niran grand hotel on sukhumvit 103. this cassette features a collection of early recordings, including her signature 1976 song, "tha hua chai chan mi pik (if my heart had wings)", which was nominated for the royal golden record award but was disqualified for being adapted from a japanese melody. the selections are mainly the sort of torch songs and latin-inspired dance numbers common to luk krung, with occasional nods to the more au courant disco sounds of the 70s. enjoy!

[note: the folks at amigo seem to have overbooked themselves on this production, as the tracks ending both sides tail-out before finishing]

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! 

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!

sisuda roengchai: chan cha yu phuea thoe ik wan

artist: ศรีสุดา เริงใจ (sisuda roengchai)
album: ฉันจะอยู่เพื่อเธออีกวัน (chan cha yu phuea thoe ik wan)
tracklist:
01. ฉันจะอยู่เพื่อเธออีกวัน (chan cha yu phuea thoe ik wan)
02. หนาว (nao)
03. จูบลวง (chup luang)
04. ห่วง (huang)
05. คิดไม่ผิด (khit mai phit)
06. วอนสวรรค์ (won sawan)
07. ฝนเศร้า (fon sao)
08. คอยเธอคืน (khoi thoe khuen)
09. กุหลาบงาม (kulap ngam)
10. จะจริงหรือไร (cha ching rue mai)
11. รักร้าง (rak rang)
12. คืนนี้พี่เหงา (khuen ni phi ngao)

2 sung by นิทัศน์ ละอองศรี (nithat la-ongsi)
4 sung by สุวัจชัย สุทธิมา  (suwatchai sutthima)
6 sung by เศวตชัย วิฑูรเทพ (sawetchai withunthep)
8 sung by มนตรี สีหเทพ (montri sihathep)
10 sung by สามารถ บริบูรณ์เวช (samat boribunwet)
12 sung by ศักดา อิทธิชัย (sakda itthichai)

many thanks to our generous pal dave novak for this week's record

a bit of an excursion today; trading our typically magnetically-fixed sound for the phonographic [feedback on my inexpert vinyl transfer welcome]! our featured star is sisuda roengchai, a luk krung singer in the suntharaphon orbit, and a nightclub fixture both in bangkok and parts more southerly around the mid-'70s. her biggest hit was the title song to the 1975 film "mae sai", although she left her singing career behind just a decade later, becoming a restaurateur instead^[1]. the music on this record (all the work of mononymous songwriter phonphirun) is a mix of slow ballads and waltzes, latin-flavored ballroom boleros, and interestingly, one indonesian kroncong-style number [track 9]. sisuda sings half the tracks (the even numbered ones), while the others are carried by a roster of male vocalists, including her closest collaborator, nithat la-ongsi. enjoy!

suthep wongkamhaeng: loi krathong siang rak

artist: สุเทพ วงศ์กำแหง (suthep wongkamhaeng)
album: ลอยกระทงเสียงรัก (loi krathong siang rak)
tracklist:
01. ลอยกระทงเสี่ยงรัก (loi krathong siang rak)
02. กินไม่ได้นอนไม่หลับ (kin mai dai, non mai lap)
03. ความในใจ (khwam nai chai)
04. ลืมเสียเถิดดวงใจ (luem sia thoet duang chai)
05. ภาพดวงใจ (phap duang chai)
06. เสียแล้วเสียไป (sia laeo sia pai)
07. วัยรุ่นกลุ้มรัก (wai run klum rak)
08. ยอดรัก (yot rak)
09. ยอดขวัญ (yot khwan)
10. ศักดิ์พี่มีน้อย (sak phi mi noi)

this week, upbeat holiday dance music from suthep wongkamhaeng! mr. suthep of khorat (nakhon ratchasima) left his career in visual arts to join the royal thai air force band, after being spotted gigging as an intermission performer on bangkok's movie theatre circuit. following his tour of duty, suthep became a staple in the most popular of bangkok nightclubs and appeared frequently in mid-century silver screen musicals. writer 'rong wongsawan famously wrote that he possessed "a voice like the rubbing of satin in beer foam", soft and effervescent. this cassette, based around a loi krathong-themed single, spotlights a number of popular mid-century dance rhythms; latin, thai and otherwise (off-beat, cha cha cha, tango, guaracha, talung and beguine), involving a big band, plenty of latin percussion and even some unexpected electric guitar licks. enjoy!

yotrak salakchai: ao nae

artist: ยอดรัก สลักใจ (yotrak salakchai)
album: เอาแน่ (ao nae)
tracklist:
01. เอาแน่ (ao nae)
02. ช้ำดวงใจ (cham duang chai)
03. เกี๊ยะลอยน้ำ (kia loi nam)
04. ยอดรักเมา (yotrak mao)
05. รักซิ่ง (rak sing)
06. ไม่เหมียนเดิม (mai mian doem)
07. จากเธอด้วยดวงใจ (chak thoe duai duang chai)
08. เมาตาสาย (mao ta sai)
09. วันครึ้มใจ (wan khruem chai)
10. คืนส่งตัว (khuen song tua)

this week, another great cassette from the late police corporal yotrak salakchai! yotrak was from phichit in northern thailand, the youngest of 8 kids. after losing his father at age 7, he and his siblings started singing ramwong music in local bars to help support themselves and their mother, earning enough to finance their schooling. after high school, yotrak himself moved down to nakhon sawan for a steady gig at a restaurant, where he started in with luk thung style (particularly the songs of phraiwan lukphet) and was picked up by a local radio dj, who passed him onto impresario chonlathi thanthong. under chonlathi, he came to be one of the biggest names in luk thung, from the late 70s until his untimely passing in 2008. this 1986 cassette on phanom nopphon's label (nopphon promotion and pictures, later nopphon silver gold co., ltd.) finds yotrak in hi-nrg disco mode, with songwriting from suchat thiangthong and arrangements by chittakon buaniam. i thought the cover photo may have been a still from one of yotrak's many film appearances, but it's actually from a music video shot to promote the album.. enjoy!

 

suthep wongkamhaeng: mon mueang nuea

artist: สุเทพ วงศ์กำแหง (suthep wongkamhaeng)
album: มนต์เมืองเหนือ (mon mueang nuea)
tracklist:
01. มนต์เมืองเหนือ (mon mueang nuea)
02. ดาวเหนือ (dao nuea)
03. หลงคอย (long khoi)
04. พี่รอคำตอบ (phi ro kham top)
05. แผ่นดินเสรี (phaen din seri)
06. ฉันมาจากดาว (chan ma chak dao)
07. นางอาย (nang ai)
08. สะอื้น (sa-uen)
09. เสียดาย (sia dai)
10. เหมันต์ที่ฉันเศร้า (heman thi chan sao)

today, more evergreen luk krung classics from suthep wongkamhaeng! mr. suthep of khorat (nakhon ratchasima) left his career in visual arts to join the royal thai air force band, after being spotted gigging as an intermission performer on bangkok's movie theatre circuit. following his tour of duty, suthep became a staple in the most popular of bangkok nightclubs and appeared frequently in mid-century silver screen musicals. writer 'rong wongsawan famously wrote that he possessed "a voice like the rubbing of satin in beer foam", soft and effervescent. this album is the 12th volume of an old series from the bangkok cassette co., ltd. (currently existing as maemaiplengthai), a mix of relaxed ballads and playful latin dance numbers. enjoy!

 

butsaya rangsi: nam ta dao

artist: บุษยา รังสี (butsaya rangsi)
album: น้ำตาดาว (nam ta dao)
tracklist:
01. น้ำตาดาว (nam ta dao)
02. ฝากรัก (fak rak)
03. พอกันที (pho kan thi)
04. กระซิบสวาท (krasip sawat)
05. หนองบัว (nong bua)
06. กล่อมวนา (klom wana)
07. ใกล้มือคว้า (klai mue khwa)
08. พรานรัก (phran rak)
09. สุดแท้แต่จะให้ (sut thae tae cha hai)
10. ฝนหยาดสุดท้าย (fon yat sut thai)
11. สั่งไทร (sang sai)
12. มัทรีร้องไห้ (matri rong hai)
13. ถิ่นไทยงาม (thin thai ngam)
14. ฉันไม่ชอบเดือนหงาย (chan mai chop duean ngai)
15. จากรัก (chak rak)
16. ฝากหมอน (fak mon)

this week, the bangkok big-band sound with butsaya rangsi! butsaya, of songkhla province in southern thailand, came to the capital to study at thammasat university, and joined a number of singing groups at schools and radio stations around the old city. she eventually joined the government public relations department band (later suntharaphon) and had a number of luk krung hits through the '60s, all while working her day job as a civil servant for various government agencies¹. she lived for several years in myanmar (burma) with her husband who was the navy attaché to the royal thai embassy in yangon². upon returning to thailand, she continued performing occasionally, until her health began to prevent her in the mid-90s, and she passed away in 2010. this cassette features some of her most memorable songs, in re-performances which seem to date from the 1970s. enjoy!