Kurrt Watkins and Soul Sister 7
I Ain't Buying No Saigon Tea
1969 · Not On Label · Thailand
- Artist
- Kurrt Watkins and Soul Sister 7
- Title
- I Ain't Buying No Saigon Tea
- Release
- I Ain't Buyin No Saigon Tea / Theme For Billy
- Year
- 1969
- Label
- Not On Label
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Thailand
- Songwriter
- Kurrt Watkins
- Genre
- Blues · R&B
- Primary theme
- Home Front Perspective / Soldier's Perspective
Annotation — Blues songs
Unknown biographical details about this artists. The record was released in Thailand, copy-righted 23 July 1969 - Kuurt Watkins may have been an active service G.I., or recent veteran, and if so, likely serving in the Vietnam War due to the theme found in the lyrics of the song, "I Ain't Buying No Saigon Tea", about prostitution in Saigon, South Vietnam. It's also possible that he was a US artist, who played for US soldiers in Bangkok, while not necessarily serving in military himself. As mentioned, the song looked at Saigon nightlife, with US G.I.s visiting bars, and possibly engaging prostitutes: "well I took a trip to Saigon... tried to kiss a girl, she yelled 'GI, please be nice'".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: Rum here, pretty baby, sit down on your daddy's knee / Yes I'll give you all my money / Buy you hairspray baby / But ain't buying no Saigon tea / When I first arrived in Vietnam they put me in Ch Chi / And all I heard from dawn to dusk was 'buy me Saigon tea' / Well I took a trip to Saigon and bought some shrimps and rice / Tried to kiss a girl, she yelled 'GI, please be nice' / Well the girls they say we're butterfly and call us boo-koo sao / And if you try to hug a girl she call you dinky dao / I was sitting donw in Bung Tao feeling sad and blue / Tried to touch a girl one night / She yelled 'GI what you do'
Notes
Thai pressing, no label name or catalogue number. Matrix (etched): A ATP 5502-1 / B ATP 5503-1. Kurrt Watkins credited Written-By, Performer, and saxophone (uncredited). Discogs notes: 'Copy righted 23 July 1969'. Discogs genre Funk / Soul; styles Rhythm & Blues, Soul. Justin owns a copy (bought 2022-10-01, spreadsheet spells 'Kuurt'). Picture sleeve (front: photo of Kurrt Watkins with tenor saxophone); back: "Written and played by Kurrt Watkins – All rights reserved – Copy righted 23 July 1969"; red Side 1 label, 45 R.P.M. Kurrt Watkins was a US serviceman; released in Thailand (source: a book – reference to follow from Justin). [From the record sleeve and label]
About the artist
Kurrt Watkins was a US GI who recorded a couple of soul and funk 7-inch singles in Thailand, with Soul Sister 7 and with The Magnificent 6. [Source: Discogs]