If you have ever seen the Girls In The Garage Oriental Special comp and wondered who the ‘Unknown Artist’ was who performed “If You Ever Go”, I can tell you. It was Shirley Nair and the Silver Strings from Singapore. The song appeared on what I believe was their first single.

At the age of nineteen Shirley had joined a group called the Checkmates singing Beatles covers and other beat songs. That was in late 1964. She did not stay with the Checkmates long before she teamed up with the Silver Strings. It seems the band only released a handful of records backing Shirley, including the songs “If You Ever Go”, “You’re The Boy”, “Too Late For Tears”, “Come Home To Me”, “Don’t Leave Me”, “I Won’t Let You See Me Cry”, “I’ll Remember Today”, and “Two People”.

Unlike many other Singaporean performers of the day, Shirley wrote her own material, at least that’s the case with the stuff I have seen. The overall impression I get from Shirley the singer/songwriter and the Silver Strings is a positive one. These are good pop songs.

Included here are what were probably Shirley’s second and third singles, from late 1965 or 1966. Why the band did not go on to produce more music, I do not know. I cannot find any information about what happened to Shirley, but it seems the Silver Strings may still be performing in Singapore at sixties revival concerts.