LIMITED TO 310 HAND-NUMBERED COPIES.
Among the many forgotten bands of the late ’60s, few shine as brightly (and unjustly overlooked) as Singapore’s own the October Cherries. From Singapore to Belgium to Abbey Road, the October Cherries reinvented themselves again and again — Truck, Col. Truck, Jade & Pepper — leaving behind a trail of dazzling Beatlesque pop-psych.
Col. Truck’s “One Fine Day” was released in the UK in 1976 and it’s the perfect companion to the Truck’s “Surprise! Surprise!” and October Cherries’ “Dreamseller” albums.
The October Cherries (Jay Shotam, Peter Díaz, Richard Khan and Benny Siow plus the “fifth” member Balram “Bal” Shotam), became hometown heroes in late-60s Singapore and Malaysia, crafting a shimmering brand of Beatlesque psychedelic pop that rivaled their UK contemporaries.
After government censorship and piracy stifled their career at home, the band relocated to Belgium, releasing the Pepperish gem “Dreamseller” in 1972. When guitarist Peter Diaz departed to join famous Belgian band The Pebbles, Jay and Bal responded with a bold studio experiment: Truck’s 1974 album “Surprise! Surprise!”—a reimagined, synth-enhanced reincarnation of their earlier work, bursting with fuzz guitars, Moog flourishes, and melodic charm. What began as “revenge” became their most adventurous and collectible release.
Soon after, the Balram brothers relocated to London and issued Col. Truck’s “One Fine Day” (mixed at Abbey Road and mastered at Pye Studios), another gem blending the melodic warmth of “Dreamseller” with a leaner production. These projects together form one of the most fascinating hidden chapters in Asian psychedelic pop history.
Long overlooked outside Southeast Asia, the October Cherries and their Truck offshoots are finally being rediscovered — a kaleidoscopic bridge between Beatles-inspired pop and early 70s studio experimentation.
RIYL: BEATLES, BEE GES, TIN TIN, AEROVONS, BADFINGER, FADING YELLOW COMPS…
Remastered sound. Insert with liner notes. Download card,
