call it Shanty!

The Quests - Shanty (1964)

Quite a few have been requesting for more of The Quests. So here's Shanty, The Quests' first big hit, and their signature tune. Released in 1964, it stayed at the top of the Singapore Hit Parade charts for at least 12 weeks, even ousting the Beatles' "I Should Have Known Better"!

The Quests continue to play Shanty when they perform, although this isn't very often - usually for specially organised heritage events or charity dinners. I was fortunate to see them live last year (a series of concerts by 60s bands for Senior Citizen's Week!), and it was truly amazing. The band had so much energy, and so did the crowd. I think their stage presence puts some of the new local bands to shame. Vernon definitely deserves his "Cliff Richard of Singapore" title because he was jumping around like an Energizer bunny, and I'm sure some of the older ladies in the crowd were swooning when he serenaded to the audience!

The Quests' official site. Not much there now, but you can email Henry Chua, (the original Quests bassist and composer of Shanty!) to purchase their cds and his book.