Dick Abel

Singapore musician (guitar, tenor sax) band-leader, conductor & arranger who led The Harlequinettes (which broadcast over Radio Malaya in 1954), provided arrangements for recordings by Trudy Connor (Unique 1955), helped establish The Malayanaires in 1956, was a member of the instrumental trio Tiga Sekawan (1959–1960), and conducted the Radio Singapore Orchestra in 1960.

One of Dick Abel’s most important contributions to the music broadcast over Radio Malaya (later Radio Singapore) was his role as a founding member of The Malayanaires. This very popular dance orchestra continued to broadcast on radio until the late 1960s. It was broadcast on both Radio Singapore and Radio Malaysia during the 1960s because while in theory these were separate radio services the transmitters for much of Radio Malaysia’s audience were located in Singapore and during the 1960s both co-existed to some extent and only gradually became fully separate during that decade.

“Dick Abel is well known to Singaporeans… for his excellent work on Radio Malaya before he went seeking his fortune in K.L. He is playing at the Harlequin Club in Kuala Lumpur.” [The Singapore Free Press, January 20, 1954, 13]

Left for London in May 1960 but was back in Singapore in 1963. Broadcast over Radio Singapore with Dick Abel & His Sextet/Septet [The Straits Times, June 8, 1963, 9].

The Malayanaires – By pooling local talent Radio Malaya in Singapore has come up with a dance orchestra that is easily the best in South-East Asia. The orchestra, called the Malayanaires, made its first broadcast six weeks ago, and since then has won a big listening audience in Malaya. Because of its popularity and the high standard of its musicianship, the Malayanaires may become a permanent fixture in future Radio Malaya programmes. Said programme supervisor, Mr. Derek Cooper, “A number of people who heard the Malayanires play for the first time thought they were listening to an American orchestra.” Australian nightclub singer Helen Lorain who made a recording with the orchestra recently, said it was “a thrilling experience” to work with the musicians. The augmented orchestra has 14 members, half of whom have been drawn from various bands in Colony nightclubs. For its broadcast on Sept. 22, which was recorded last week, a string section was introduced for the first time with first class results. The men behind this successful combination are producer Vernon Palmer, leader-saxophonist Dick Abel and pianist-arranger Gus Steyn. + photos featuring Dick Abel & Gus Steyn. [The Straits Times, September 16, 1956, 9]