My Scratch Pad

Sugarfree

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:01:10 +0800

Hari ng Sablay. Sablay, if I'm not mistaken, is street language for failure ... what my generation knew as palpak.

Anyway that was the first hit of this Filipino group or the first one I heard anyway. My students sang it a lot, that's why. I didn't think much of the song because It seemed like every airhead in the street was singing it.

A long time later, I saw this group in Cito Beltran's talk show. That's when I began to like them.

I like Kwarto, the first clip here, because it's sad. Period.

The second clip is the group's version of one of the Apo Hiking Society's popular hits, Batang-bata Ka Pa.

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Superwoman

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:42:16 +0800

Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick & Patti LaBelle--Superwoman

A radio hit circa 1989 (by a different artist) that brings back memories of reviewing for the Bar, of singing to myself that "dum .. dum.. dum.. dum.. I am a superwoman" to keep myself awake, of deep puffs of Marlboro lights and cold coffee, of finding it super-difficult to absorb doctrines and jurisprudence after staring at the lights of nearby Heritage Hotel and watching the sky slowly turning from deep dark blue to dull yellow-orange.

Dum ... dum ... dum ... dum ... I am a superwoman ... dah ... dah ... dah ... dah.

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The Good 'Ol Days

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:59:07 +0800

06 When It Was Done

02 Didn't We

The majestic Mt. Kanla-on ... the awesome view of Negros Occidental and Guimaras across it ... the indescribable beauty of seeing the sun going down in all its golden beauty.

What better way to summon these back to my memory than these two beautiful songs from Hugo Montenegro's Colours of Love album!

1972. We sang these songs endlessly.

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A 50th Birthday Compilation

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:52:12 +0800

I am now burning a series of CDs for my friend, Doc Y, who is turning 50 in a few days.

These are among the songs I have chosen:

1. Gino Vannelli's Crazy Life from The Best of Gino Vannelli - The Millenium Collection. I played this song a lot on my radio show especially when I had to do the graveyard shift.

For those too young to know Gino Vannelli, let me quote this from the CD insert:

As a forerunner in the field of fusion-rock music in the 70s, Gino Vannelli's work is completely original in composition and sound. Combining rock and jazz, Vannelli's song structure was incredibly innovative, as was his use of instrumentation. Vannelli's music is not just complemented by drums, but propelled by that instrument in a busy, yet beautifully melodic manner executed by some of the best in the industry - Graham Lear (Santana), Mark Craney (Jethro Tull) and Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting).

Mr. Blue by Michael Franks (from his CD, The Art of Tea). The avid music fan my age who does not know Michael Franks must have been sleeping through the 70s and the 80s. He dished out a lot of hits that made our radio station's list of Most Requested Songs but I chose Mr. Blue because I have an unforgettable anecdote about this song.

When I was first sent to our sister station in Cebu (this was around 1977 or 78), one of the DJs played this song from an open reel tape. He said it came straight from another DJ in the U.S. I fell in love with the song so I wasted no time looking for a hundred and one ways to get that tape so I could bring it back to Bacolod and play it on my show. I succeeded but also got a strongly worded memo from the station manager for "transporting radio property without permission".

3. For the Love of You - a remake done by Boyz II Men. A lot of people from my generation would probably ask, "Boyz to what?" But this remake version - the original was done by the Isley Brothers - is very good.

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Tony Bennett's Super CD

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 23:55:54 +0800

I have never seen in one CD so many big names in music - Bono, Micahel Buble, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Elton John, Juanes, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, George Michael, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and last but certainly not the least, Stevie Wonder. They each had a duet with Tony Bennett in his latest CD: Duets ... An American Classic. The links below are his duets with my idol, Sting (The Boulevard of Broken Dreams) and my late mom's favorite song, done with my favorite Barbra Streisand.

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Itchyworms' Love Team

nobody@vox.com(Bugsybee) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 02:10:01 +0800

11 Love Team

I have recently been buying a lot of CDs of Filipino bands and I am happy there are a lot to choose from (I am not surprised considering the awesome and talented musicians that we have).

The band called Itchyworms is among those I like best, maybe because the melody (and funny lyrics) of their songs remind me of my top favorite Filipino band in the 70s, Hotdog (Dying to Tell You, Manila, Deep Purple and Nice to Know We Try ... the latter two songs I've been dying to find but my search has so far been futile).

Here is an interesting song from Itchyworms: Love Team. The lyrics are funny (but I know it happens).

Di naman talaga tayo magsinta
pero gusto nila
kahit ayaw mo
bagay daw tayo
Di naman totoo mga yakap mo
pang eksena lamang ito
di mo lang alam
na nababaliw na 'ko sa 'yo
di ko na yata kaya 'to
ang aking lihim na pakay
ay ang lahat ng ito'y gawing tunay
Chorus:
Sana wag mong sisihin
Kong di ko kayang pigilin
Sabi mo na mahal mo 'ko
Ngunit di naman seryoso
Sana magkasingkulay
ang drama at tunay na buhay ko
ang tanging pag-asa ko
ay nasa tambalang ito
Sinungaling ka
Kapag may tao nilalambing mo 'ko
pero pag wala
ay sumasama ang turing mo sa 'kin
ay parang hanging bitin na bitin
Di nila alam na sa dulo ng tagpo
Di na patok ang linya ko
Nag-iiba ang iyong asta
Hanggang sa susunod na eksena
Repeat Chorus ... instrumental ... repeat chorus.

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