Part of the household name “Mel & Joe” since the 1970s, Mel Ferdinands has been on his music journey for more than five decades.
He was also a member of a local favourite band Gypsy, which had its heyday in the late 80s with hit songs like You Left Me For Another and The Sky’s The Limit.
Outside the music world, Mel is the co-author of Mel & Joe’s autobiography I Play & Sing: Celebrating a Musical Journey Spanning 40 years in Singapore and an actor known for local productions Sunny Side Up (2022), Sugee Cake (2020), and Kin (2018).
He journeyed through and devoted his passion to different art forms, striving for self-fulfilment while bringing joy to people from all walks of life.
Read on for more about this artiste’s life experience and insights from his interview with Vintage Radio SG, a digital radio station available online and via mobile app.
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Mel Ferdinands: "Growing up there's always music in the house"
Mel grew up in a musical family. His father used to play instruments including the ukulele and the harmonica, and his mother used to sing.
He has five siblings and was the fifth in terms of age.
"We always have friends over and people would improvise."
His oldest brother Dixie started off learning the guitar at five, and his sister Emily learnt the bass. With another older brother Dennis as a drummer, a little Ferdinands family band was forming.
Mel, still very young then, wanted to join the scene and so took up the ukulele. At nine, he moved on to play the guitar. Dixie was his guitar hero and gave him a lot of useful advice.
Mel’s first guitar was small and couldn’t be tuned to standard guitar tuning, hence he had to figure out how to play along with other people’s chords.
In primary school, with a supportive principal who always encouraged them to sing at assembly, Mel, together with his younger brother Joe, continued honing their stage skills.
When Mel was 12 years old, he and Joe took part in the then-popular Radio & Television Singapore’s Talentime in 1971 as a young duo. Interestingly, they competed against his brother Dixie, who paired up with his army colleague.
The first song they performed on television was Act Naturally by The Beatles – one of Mel’s favourite songs till now. In the end, Mel & Joe won third runner-up and thereby made a name for themselves.
Mel Ferdinands: "Music has to be about pleasure, not pressure"
After secondary school, Mel decided to do pre-university and pay for the programme by himself. He started working as an assistant piano teacher and going to night classes. These classes kickstarted his interest in history and reading, which went on to inspire his music making.
In the 1980s, Mel joined the country western band Gypsy, set up by Dixie. It was one of the most sought-after bands at that time and received overwhelming performance requests.
Credit: Vintage Radio SG
While most people would feel content with such status quo, Mel chose to leave the band.
"I wanted to do something different, so I took a huge leap of faith and got together with a couple of guys."
They formed a highly guitar-oriented band that played alongside Gypsy. While Gypsy performed mostly in hotels, Mel’s new band performed mostly in bars. In 1990, the band was invited to play at the ASEAN Tourism Forum.
The whole band-forming experience, full of challenges but also rewards, left a deep impression in his heart.
Off stage, music has played an equally important role in Mel’s life. Once, his mother fell and was sent to the hospital. Missing her at home, his father gradually became depressed.
To comfort his father, Mel went to the internet and found New Kid In Town by Ray Dylan, which his father, a music enthusiast, soon fell in love with. Mel wrote out the words to the track so that they could sing along, and even did a recording of the song with his father, who had since passed away.
"Every time I play the song, it brings back a lot of fond memories."
Mel Ferdinands: "It is important to keep your mind busy"
Mel used to be with the Singapore Armed Forces Film Unit and would receive many production requests. With the nomination from a Facebook friend, he was contacted by Mediacorp for an audition for the local TV series Kin and was selected to play Derek Shelley.
Mel has also appeared in commercials for various companies such as KFC. His current main job is teaching music semi-full time at Studio72. He teaches guitar (both classical and electric), ukulele, bass, as well as vocals.
“My students are aged from nine to 73. I teach and learn from them – it is a dual process.”
When asked about his future plans, Mel shares, “We all need something fulfilling. I still enjoy performing, and I look forward to occasional gigs because they keep me in touch with the audience and help me stay relevant.
“I want to continue doing what I can do and bring joy to people through music, through acting, and through teaching.”
This content was originally aired on Vintage Radio. To listen to the complete podcast, click here.
