Just when you thought you'd lost your "Ding Dong" for good
Anyone under 40 is unlikely to have heard "Ding Dong", which was a hit luk thung song in the 1970s. It was so popular that Waipoj Petchsuphan was named a National Artist in 1997. It was so popular that it's now making a comeback - sort of.
A Thai expatriate living in the Netherlands who goes by the name Pannarch said on Pantip.com last week that a commercial for juice on TV there features a Thai song. She’d done some research and found out more about the catchy luk thung tune, and soon enough the Coolbest juice commercial itself was posted on YouTube.
It’s drawn lots of comments from Thais, most of them proud that this four-decade-old track was chosen for the ad. “Whoever picked it is genius!” Thitichai Petchpinkaew commented on YouTube. “This is so cool,” added Narissara Banchang Thongtuam. “Full credit for finding a proper remix.”
Others, though, were cynical, wondering if the juice maker has the legal right to use it. But there’s the rub: Was “Ding Dong” itself original – or borrowed from a track on the 1971 album “Gli Alluminogenie” by an Italian outfit called the Troglomen? Believe it or not, that was a hit in Thailand too. The two songs have little in common except for the phrase “ding dong”, which evidently has something to do with sexual intercourse, according to people who know about these things.
“I think Waipoj’s version is totally different and the music is much cooler,” YouTube user Dingdong Deejung commented, and, with a name like that, he (or she) ought to know.
Sad turn for Tony Jaa
In the most recent episode in the roller-coaster saga of action-film star Thatchakorn “Tony Jaa” Panom, we left his sister Charinthip “Waew” Yeerum pleading on TV for him to get in touch with their mum and dad because their father, Thongdee, was quite ill. “Where is brother Jaa?” she wept.
Unfortunately, Thongdee died yesterday morning at Surin Hospital, the victim of high blood pressure and a stroke and, as far as we know, Jaa had still not been in touch.
Jaa has, however, learned the bad news, according to his manager, who calls himself Mike and presumably is the one running Jaa’s publicity on Facebook and Twitter. He says Jaa is already in Thailand making a Hong Kong film and will be attending his dad’s funeral.
“I am Tony Jaa’s manager,” Mike posted on Facebook yesterday. “Tony just received the very sad news that his father passed away unexpectedly this morning. I hope you will join me in expressing our heartfelt sympathy to Tony and his family in this sad and difficult time.”
Jaa came in for criticism on the same page nevertheless, with several fans accusing him of “deserting” his father. But most of the messages by far were expressions of understanding and offerings of condolences.
