Someday

I was still in college when the following song from the Canadian band Glass Tiger hit the airwaves:

It was 1986 when this song came out. Funny but it always reminds me of a particular college classmate. I first heard this song from him. He was softly singing it in the classroom one afternoon while we sat waiting for our professor to come in. I asked him what song it was and he said that it was called "Someday" by a group called the Glass Tiger.

He was an amusing and very interesting character to say the least. He was a year older than I am but I always had interesting conversations with him. He was the type of person one can have endless conversations with about any topic under the sun. Like a number of people I know, he was outwardly geeky and a bit obese. In class, he would often just look around, silently observing the goings on around him. Thus, the average person might ignore him or assume that he's just like any other nerdy guy. But he certainly wasn't.

Highly intelligent and possessing a bit of a wild streak, he was also an amateur palm reader. He had a wacky and irreverent sense of humor. He came up with a list one day of sexual positions that obese couples can engage in. Some of them, he himself came up with. When he was in the mood, he could let loose with four-letter words and indulge in dirty jokes just for the heck of it. No subject was taboo.

My day's coming to an end. I'm feeling quite drained, both physically and emotionally. Unfortunately for me, this day was not unlike many that came before it. I hope this song will make me feel better because of memories of a happy friendship that it brings to me everytime I listen to it. I haven't had much contact with him ever since we graduated from college. But knowing him and his family, I'm sure he's doing quite well.

When I come home you telephone
To say you're waiting for me
I ask you why - I hear you cry,
But you're still waiting for me

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
To cry over me
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Now I'm alone, you telephone
To tell me you don't need me
I ask you why, you tell me lies
And say the truth would hurt me

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
To cry over me
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Oh, Oh . . . someday

Down in the street where lovers meet
That's where I'm waiting for you
In the streets where lovers meet
I'm still waiting for you

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
And then you'll cry over me [cry over me]
Someday I'll be losing this fear

Someday you'll be shedding your tears
And then you'll cry over me [cry over me]
Someday I'll be losing this fear

A Couple of Sentimental Favorites

It's a quiet Saturday evening where I am so I decided to enjoy the moment by listening to some favorite songs. My CD player has been quiet these past couple of months because thanks to a rather busy work schedule, I wasn't able to spend some time listening to any of my CDs. Anyway, with some free time on my hands finally, I decided to end the quiet streak to once again listen to some old favorites.

I've loved this Free Movement song from the very moment I first heard it played on DWRK 96.3.

It was the mid-eighties. I was in college and at the time, RK 96 (which was how DWRK 96.3 was known then) was the station I listened to whenever I needed my "oldies fix".

The radio station was still rather new at the time and during my first couple of years in college, the station broadcasted out of a building at the corner of Senator Gil J. Puyat Avenue (Buendia Avenue) and Bautista Street in Makati City. If my memory serves me right, the building's ground floor was occupied by a branch of the United Coconut Planters Bank. ("UCPB") The radio station set aside Wednesday of every week to play nothing but oldies songs all day. The folks at DWRK called this program "Oldies Wednesday". Or maybe it was "Sixties Wednesday"? Hahaha! I can't exactly remember now but anyway....

It was through RK 96's oldies Wednesday program that I was introduced to the song above. It's called "The Harder I Try (The Bluer I Get)" and was a tune that The Free Movement released back in December 1971. I love the song for the simplicity of its lyrics and the beauty of its music. Talk about true "easy listening". Too bad though that as a group, The Free Movement didn't last long for the group had ceased to exist by 1973.

Anyway, let me just share with you the lyrics of this little musical gem a great vocal group gave us from the distant past:

At night I find that I can't sleep
All day long I walk the streets
My heart is filled with misery and pain
Tears fill my eyes when I speak your name

The harder I try,
The bluer I get;
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

I can't get over losing you...
I can't get over losing you...

I'm so lonely I've lost my pride
And I've got tears that I can't hide;
Every day I'm so sad and blue
Without your love, what would I do?

The harder I try
(The harder I try)
The bluer I get
(The bluer I get)
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

Last night I held someone new
But when I kissed her lips I was seeing you
A kiss like this has no meaning you see
And life without you has no future for me

Oh, the harder I try
(The harder I try)
The bluer I get
(The bluer I get)
Lord knows that I
I haven't gotten over losing you.

I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)
I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)
I can't get over losing you...
(Losing you...)

As for the radio station DWRK 96.3, I was a junior in college when it moved from its humble digs in Buendia to its new and current location at the FEMS Tower 1 Building on Zobel-Roxas Street. I still make it a point to listen to the station whenever I'm in Manila. The building that used to house the station at the corner of Buendia Avenue and Bautista Street is still there. A UCPB branch still occupies its ground floor. Like the song above, this station has remained a sentimental favorite of mine because I remain grateful for the countless songs it introduced to me many years ago, songs I still love listening to to this day.

Discovering Me

I want to live, I want to give;
I've been a miner for a heart of gold.
It's these expressions I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old.

I guess everyone goes through a phase where a person starts to depart a bit from the person his parents want him to become to that of the type of individual he thinks he ultimately wants to be.

I wasn't introspective at all during my childhood and early teen years. My needs were simple and shallow: I wanted to have fun but at the same time, I wanted to stay out of trouble, especially with my parents. Having fun was easy because I was an easy-going and gregarious kid. I stayed out of trouble with my folks by observing the appropriate conduct when in the presence of other people (except in the classroom), by doing my fair share of the housework (we stopped having maids when I was eight), and by trying my best to earn good grades at school.

Although I passed all my subjects in school, I must admit I passed a few of them without really internalizing or understanding them. I thoroughly studied the subjects I loved but for those that I didn't, I used fear of my father's wrath to motivate myself to study and pass them.

I made a lot of "friends" in school without really giving much thought as to why I even considered many of them as such. I ended friendships either through heated arguments or through fights and didn't think much afterwards as to why those friendships ended. I disliked and viewed some of my teachers with utmost contempt and yet at the same time, I wasn't certain as to why. At home, I did and accepted as truth a lot of things my folks told me.

But my education and all the experiences I had up to that point were all catching up to me. After all the studying and living, I was starting to learn. I started to develop my own views and I started to question long-held beliefs especially in matters of faith, culture and tradition. I started to develop my own interests and views but yet lacked the confidence to voice them to my parents out of fear. In countless talks over the dinner table, I realized that although my parents worked hard to send their children to schools they believed would provide quality education, they were not exactly prepared to hear statements or assertions that went against their own beliefs and biases. Thus, ever the diplomat, I largely kept my views to myself. For the sake of maintaining harmony at home, I felt I had to maintain a semblance of conformity.

But outside the home, things were different. I became a lot more selective with my friendships. Although I continued to outwardly maintain a friendly demeanor, I became more guarded within. I distanced myself from people I deemed were mere users. I shunned people who felt the world revolved around them. Whereas before, I used to hang out with almost anyone in my class, I now started limiting myself to just four or five really close friends. Whereas before, I had accepted the majority's view as truth, I now started thinking on my own. I became more vocal with my friends about the hypocrisy I saw around me.

The process of self-discovery undeniably brought with it a fair amount of loneliness. Everything comes at a price I learned. My struggle and effort to become my own person brought with it a lot of arguments and misunderstanding both within the home and outside of it. I love my parents a lot but there are things in this world where they and I will never agree on. With other people, the process was a bit easier in a way because all it took was to cut off all contact with people I no longer trust or agree with. With the friends I have left at this point, they will probably remain my friends to my dying day. The relationship I have with them is such that they're never afraid to tell me things I may not want to hear and vice versa.

But outside of books and friends, music became a refuge for me. It was through music where I found strength and validation. One of the songs I listened to a lot during this time was Heart of Gold, a 1972 hit by Neil Young. This song had been around for many years when I first heard it as a sophomore in high school. The opening guitar and harmonica riffs conveyed the sense of loneliness one felt while in search of a true friend or a true love. I listened to this song a lot during those days when I needed gentle, caring souls to understand me. This song remains one of my favorites to this day.

Heart of Gold was a single cut from Mr. Young's 1972 album, Harvest. Let me just share with you below Mr. Young's beautiful live performance of this song from the early 1970s. Enjoy.

Fire and Rain

"I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again."

A sad one but this is my favorite James Taylor song.

It's an introspective song that speaks of heartache, personal loss, and broken dreams. This is one of the songs I love to listen to whenever I find myself in a reflective mood. I was already a student in college when I got to know and love this song. I was working on recovering from a relationship that had ended much too soon. I found comfort and, eventually, strength in the song's words.

To this day, I still listen to this beautiful song whenever life's troubles decide to spend time with me. The song's words help me face down the challenges that come my way. A lot of times, I look to its words like a prayer that will help get me through the rough times.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus.
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way.

However, it is not only during such moments that I listen to this tune. There are also times when I turn to it to simply enjoy a quiet moment.

Fire and Rain was James Taylor's first hit. Released in February 1970, the song was released as a single from his second album, Sweet Baby James. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts that same year. The clip above was from a live performance of the song that Mr. Taylor did back in 1970 on British TV.

I like live performances done in intimate settings such as the one in this clip. I chose it because Mr. Taylor's fine live performance was complemented by an appreciative and yet very respectful audience. The words, music, and the emotion expressed resonated with the audience.

Just yesterday morning, they let me know you were gone.
Susanne, the plans they made put an end to you.
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song;
I just can't remember who to send it to.

I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.

Won't you look down upon me, Jesus.
You've got to help me make a stand.
You've just got to see me through another day.
My body's aching and my time is at hand
And I won't make it any other way.

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you again.

Been walking my mind to an easy time my back turned towards the sun,
Lord knows when the cold wind blows it'll turn your head around;
Well, there's hours of time on the telephone line to talk about things
to come,
Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground.

Oh, I've seen fire and I've seen rain,
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end;
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend,
But I always thought that I'd see you, baby, one more time again, now.

Thought I'd see you one more time again....
There's just a few things coming my way this time around, now....
Thought I'd see you, thought I'd see you fire and rain, now....

Ain't No Sunshine

It's Monday and it's a holiday here in the States as the country marks Labor Day. I'm nearing the end of a long weekend and frankly, I'm not very happy about it. Instead of making the most out of this day, especially with the gorgeous weather outside, I'm feeling a bit stressed with the thought that I'll be back at work in less than 24 hours.

I'm feeling a bit exhausted physically and mentally. I need a real long break but except for quitting the job (which is definitely not an option), I am limited by company policy to the number of personal and vacation days per year I'm allowed to take. I wish I could take and lump all those days into one long extended vacation. But it's certainly not possible given the demands at work. Thus, I have to content myself with taking a day off every once in a while not unlike a swimmer who needs to come up for air every few seconds as he swims towards the finish line.

And to add to my blues, I miss being with her. A short two-minute song the words to which I find simple yet personally meaningful are helping me through the moment.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And she's always gone too long
Anytime she goes away.

Wonder this time where she's gone,
Wonder if she's gone to stay;
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.

And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know

Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
But ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
Only darkness everyday.

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away.

Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.

And now I write.

This song's called "Ain't No Sunshine" and was written and performed by the great Bill Withers. The song, cut from his debut album "Just As I Am", became the first hit for Mr. Withers when it was released back in 1971. The song peaked at number 3 on the Billboard charts. The above live performance was from 1972 on a music program called "Old Grey Whistle Test", a music show that ran on British television, specifically the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation), from 1971 to 1987.

Bill Withers was a gifted musician and lyricist. From the above video, you could see that he was also a great singer gifted with a rather powerful set of lungs. What caught my attention the first time I heard this song was when he came to the part where he repeatedly sang "I know, I know..." continuously and without pause for a total of 26 times. I've tried singing this part several times but it's always left me gasping for breath. Hehehe

Some of you may have never heard of this guy but I'm pretty sure that a lot of you know of at least one other particular song of his. Back in March 1987, an R&B group called Club Nouveau scored a number one hit on the Billboard Charts with the song "Lean On Me". The song struck a chord with listeners because of its very positive message of extending love and care for one's neighbor. It longed for a strong sense of brotherhood in a time when an individual's needs seems to be valued more than the community's.

Club Nouveau eventually won a Grammy for Best R&B Song. Lean On Me also became the group's first and only number 1 hit. Mr. Withers was the man who wrote the song and was the first artist to take the song to the top of the charts back in July 1972. The following video is a live performance of the song by Bill Withers:

This song remains very popular because its positive message of love and friendship continues to resonate. Aside from Club Nouveau, the song has been covered by a number of other artists such as Al Jarreau, Michael Bolton, and Limp Bizkit, to name a few.

Bill Withers scored other hits aside from the two I just mentioned. His other hits that I count as personal favorites are "Lovely Day" and "Just The Two Of Us". Just The Two Of Us was a collaboration with the late saxophonist Grover Washington (1943-1999) and topped the charts worldwide in 1981. But at the time and for some reason, a lot of radio stations in Manila mentioned Grover Washington as the artist behind the song. But just to help set the record straight, Mr. Withers co-wrote the song and performed the vocals as evidenced by the following video:

Mr. Withers retired from recording in 1985.

First Video Ever Played on MTV

The Beijing Olympics has been all over the news lately. In fact, it has practically dominated the global news spotlight that not even a shooting war that has erupted between the former Soviet republic of Georgia and its bully-of-a-neighbor Russia could nudge it from the headlines. Anyway, as a result of these two major events, August 1 went by quietly last week with hardly anybody noticing a little milestone. On that date, the music channel MTV quietly marked its 27th anniversary.

It was on August 1, 1981 when MTV made its debut to a new generation of music lovers. It was an immediate success. It revolutionized the music industry and spawned successful sister music channels such as VH1 and CMT (Country Music Television).

The following is the music video that holds the distinction as the first ever to be played on MTV:

The song is called "Video Killed the Radio Star" and was performed by a British New Wave band called the Buggles. The song was written by Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes and Bruce Woolley before the band was formed. However by the time the Buggles as a band came into existence, only Messr. Horn and Downes remained. Mr. Woolley was no longer with his two songwriting partners by then, having decided to pursue his own music interests.

Mr. Horn did the vocals and played bass guitar on the song while Mr. Downes played the keyboards. Two ladies, Debbie Doss and Linda Jardim, provided the backup vocals.

The song was no longer new by the time MTV made its debut in 1981. The song was originally released in October 1979 and became an immediate number one hit in the United Kingdom. Although the song got a lot of airplay and gained quite a bit of following in the United States, its sales were not strong enough to crack the Billboard Top 40.

Given the song's title, one could say that the folks at MTV were quite cocky but prescient when they decided to use it as their debut music video. At the dawn of MTV, no one could have predicted save for the visionaries at MTV that the music channel would revolutionize the music industry. It provided a new channel (no pun intended) for music artists, old and new, to be introduced to music fans.

I was already a freshman in college when I got introduced to the music videos shown on MTV. At the time, cable television was pretty much non-existent in the Philippines. People's television sets were powered by antennas then and thus, tv programming was obtained from the five Filipino TV networks that were in operation (or were allowed to operate by the Marcos Dictatorship) at the time namely, BBC 2 and RPN-9 (both stations operated by the Benedicto family), PTV-4 (operated by the government), GMA-7 (owned by Menardo Gimenez), and IBC-13 (also government-operated).

There were hour-long television shows then that featured the latest MTV videos. It was through those music video shows where I first saw new and rising recording stars such as Madonna, Duran Duran, Boy George and the Culture Club, Tears For Fears, and Wham among many others. Unfortunately, my memory is failing me at the moment for I can't recall what those shows were. Sigh. Can anybody recall what they were?

As a group, the Buggles were a one hit wonder. However, members of the band, specifically Mr. Horn, found success afterwards as a record producer for acts such as Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Lisa Stansfield, Yes, China Crisis, LeAnn Rimes, and Seal. Mr. Horn was also a co-writer of Seal's hit "Kiss By A Rose".

Let me leave you then with the lyrics of the song that helped usher in a music channel that forever changed the music industry.

I heard you on the wireless back in Fifty Two
Lying awake intent at tuning in on you.
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through.
Oh-a oh

They took the credit for your second symphony.
Rewritten by machine and new technology,
and now I understand the problems you can see.

Oh-a oh
I met your children
Oh-a oh
What did you tell them?

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Pictures came and broke your heart.

Oh-a-a-a oh

And now we meet in an abandoned studio.
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago.
And you remember the jingles used to go.

Oh-a oh
You were the first one.
Oh-a oh
You were the last one.

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far
Oh-a-aho oh,
Oh-a-aho oh

Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

In my mind and in my car, we can't rewind we've gone to far.
Pictures came and broke your heart, put the blame on VTR.

You are a radio star.
You are a radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.
Video killed the radio star.

Let's "Take Five"

I apologize that I've been busy with personal matters the last several days. However, as I took a break from work earlier this evening, a term common to musicians, "take five", came to mind. The expression originally referred to a short five-minute break musicians took. Whenever such a short break was called, one often said "Let's take five".

However, this expression also reminded me of a classic jazz tune from 1959 also called "Take Five". The tune was composed by the late Paul Desmond who as saxophonist was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Dave Brubeck was the pianist and completing the quartet were the other two members: drummer Joe Morello and bassist Eugene Wright. The tune gained fame for its distinctive saxophone melody, as you will later hear, and for Mr. Corello's outstanding drum solo.

The following video shows the quartet performing the tune on a tv show called "Jazz Casual", a show that was hosted by jazz columnist Ralph Gleason who would eventually co-found Rolling Stone Magazine. This particular segment was aired on American public television back in October 1961:

The band performed the tune live on the show and it explains the less than excellent quality of the audio. The stage is practically bare and one finds the camera shots quite basic. However, in lieu of the rather low production values, what the viewer gets is pure entertainment thus making it possible for the tune's beauty to shine through.

Overall, I personally find the tune's melody rather relaxing, lending credence to the song's title. I love listening to this tune often at night when I'm either out for a quiet drive or enjoying a quiet evening at home.

However, since the tune was performed live in the studio, the quality of the audio leaves quite a bit to be desired. In order to better appreciate the tune, I am adding the following clip that features the aong's recorded version:

The Dave Brubeck Quartet disbanded in 1967. Sadly, unlike the band's other members, the tune's writer, Mr. Desmond, is no longer around. A heavy smoker, Mr. Desmond succumbed to lung cancer in 1977. But even though he's gone, he left us a gem of a tune that's become part of jazz music history.

"Damdamin"

If I'm going to write about my first Original Pilipino Music (OPM) blog entry, then let it be about a song performed by the great Rico J. Puno, the "Total Entertainer" himself.

Rico J. Puno's songs dominated the airwaves during the 1970s and this particular song was no exception. This song, "Damdamin" ("Feelings"), penned by Joseph Abando and Baby A. Gil, was a single from the "Tatak Rico J" album and became a hit for Rico Puno in 1978.

The song was typical of many of Rico's songs for its words struck a chord with many of the song's listeners. This particular song spoke of unrequited love, a love that never came to be because both parties denied what they truly felt for each other. I'm writing about it because I count it as one of my personal favorites.

This is how the song went and below it, I'm also including its lyrics for your reference:

Kahit ako'y 'di mo ngayon pinapansin,
Nakatanaw man sa iba ang paningin;
Kailan ma'y huwag akalain na aking daramdamin
Ang pag-ibig ko ay nililihim ko rin.

Kahit tuwina'y aking napapangarap ka,
At alam kong gayon ka rin sa 'kin sinta;
Kailan ma'y 'di sasabihin na minamahal din kita
'Pagkat lihim din ang damdamin ko.

At kung tayo'y 'di na muli pang magkita,
Kapwa tayo malulungkot na dalawa;
At duo'y sisihin damdaming sinungaling
Na 'di nagsabing mahal din kita.

At duo'y sisihin damdaming sinungaling
Na 'di nagsabing mahal din kita.

On a personal level, although I liked the song when it first came out, I was way too young to appreciate its message. The words didn't really leave an impression until years later when I myself had to deal with the pain of a lost love. However, unlike the song, it wasn't an unrequited love for this girl M and I were an item for a little over a year.

We both knew from the very beginning that it was a love that was bound to end sooner or later because by going out with me, she had defied her family's wishes. M came from a traditional Chinese family and in many of those families, falling for a non-Chinese person was not looked upon with approval. As for me, although my family wasn't as conservative as hers, my mom was also a product of her time and had some anti-Chinese attitudes as well. I had no such problem with my father. None of our parents knew about us. But even then, when the end eventually came, it still hurt.

M's married now and to a gentleman her parents obviously approved of. When I flew home to Manila last year to attend to some family matters, my college classmates hosted a mini-reunion in my honor. I saw her at the event and was surprised to learn that she was the one who organized it. I also found out later from my parents that she had tried to reach me at home while I was out. Of course, my parents were clueless about who she really was.

Although the feelings for her have long gone, the memories remain. And whenever I hear this song played, memories undiminished by the years bring her back. I have moved on with my life and I'm pretty happy where I am at. All I can do is to wish her well with hers and hope that she's happy too. Farewell, M.

I'm Your Venus

After all the geeky stuff, it's time once again for a music break.

The following became a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts back in 1986 for the all-girl trio Bananarama.

The song's called "Venus" and as a dance tune, it got played a lot in dance clubs and parties I went to at the time. Now I don't really dance a lot (wink wink) but at the time, if you wanted to see me on the dance floor, this was one of the dance tunes that you had to play. (Naks!)

It was quite difficult for me to control myself whenever I heard this song played while on a jeepney or bus. For some reason, I couldn't prevent tapping to the beat of this tune. I just had to tap on something regardless of whether it was my shoes on the jeepney/bus floor or my fingers tapping on one knee or both. Hehehe

Although I liked this song when it became a hit in 1986, it was not the first time I heard it and it also wasn't the first time the song hit #1 on Billboard's charts. In fact, this song was not a dance tune at all. Bananarama's version wasn't the original.

In its original version, "Venus" was a rocker piece from a Dutch band called "Shocking Blue". The song was written by the band's founder Robbie van Leeuwen, released in late 1969 and became a #1 hit in early 1970. The following video shows the band performing the song in its original version.

The band's lead singer was the late Mariska Veres (1947-2006). Mr. van Leeuwen, the song's composer, was the guitarist who stood next to her. What stood out on the video were examples of fashion trends from the late 1960s/early 1970s through the long black wig and false eyelashes Ms. Veres wore.

But as to the music, the song's sound was of the basic electric guitars-and-drum combination. It had none of the synthesized sounds that became quite prevalent in the 1980s. Although the group managed to stay popular within their native Holland until they disbanded in 1974, they were not able to score another hit as big as "Venus" internationally. As a result, outside of their home country, the group remains classified as a "One Hit Wonder".

The First Double A-Sided Single

This post is part recording music history and part tribute to a great band.

For decades before the compact disc (CD) came out in the early 1980s, the world had the vinyl record. The vinyl record was termed as such because it was manufactured out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The records were played on a turntable and for a while, they came out in four speeds or "RPMs" ("Revolutions Per Minute") namely, 78 rpm, 33 1/3 rpm, 45 rpm, and 16 2/3 rpm. However, by the 1950s and up to the eventual demise of the vinyl record in the early 1980s, two speeds remained dominant in the record market: the 33 1/3 rpm for "long-playing" (LP) records and the 45 rpm for the "singles".

The practice prevalent in the recording industry in those days was that a recording artist would go into the recording studio and record several songs that will be compiled onto an LP or "album". The artist and his/her recording producer would then select the song they deem the "best" out of the songs recorded and release it to the public as a single. The "best" song was placed on the top or "A" side of the single while a song of "lesser quality" (for lack of a better term) was placed at the bottom or "B" side. Once the "A" and "B" sides of a single were selected, the singles were then "pressed" (another old recording industry term used to describe the record manufacturing process) and subsequently released and marketed to the record-buying public.

Such was the standard practice for a lot of the recording artists during that period. However, Talent is one thing that's never distributed evenly. As a result, every once in a while, there were artists that came along that were so enormously gifted that the recording industry had to make some adjustments or changes to its practices just to accommodate the volume of high quality songs these individuals produced.

The Beatles was one such group.

Led by the songwriting tandem of the late John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the Beatles dominated the music world during the 1960s. This songwriting duo cranked one hit tune after another in spite of a grueling work pace. Unlike recording artists these days who produce albums at the average rate of one every two years, the Beatles produced two albums every year. One album was released around the May-June period while the second album was released around the Christmas season. And while they were not recording, they had commitments to do concert tours, and movie and television appearances.

But even in the face of everything that was thrown at them, the Beatles still managed to come up with a significant number of high quality songs. The Lennon-McCartney songwriting effort was so prolific that on top of the two albums they produced each year, their recording company, Parlophone in the United Kingdom, had to issue singles for some very good songs that did not make it on any Beatles album. Examples of these songs were "She Loves You", "From Me To You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "I Feel Fine".

But it was in 1965 when they became the first band in music history to record and produce a "Double A-Sided Single", meaning that both songs were good enough to make it on the A side of any single.

Released in early December 1965, "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" were the two songs that made up the first double A-sided single.

"We Can Work It Out" was essentially a Paul McCartney composition. This was a song he wrote supposedly about a spat he had with his girlfriend at the time, the British actress Jane Asher. John Lennon provided Mr. McCartney with the song's middle shift and refrain.

The following shows a promotional video that was produced for the song. On the video you will see Paul McCartney doing the lead vocals, John Lennon providing backup vocals (and humor) while on keyboards, the late George Harrison playing lead guitar, and Ringo Starr playing drums.

The other song on the single, "Day Tripper", was a John Lennon composition. There is some confusion as to what actually inspired the song. Mr. Lennon stated in an interview that the song was about a prostitute on a "day trip" while Mr. McCartney, on the other hand, admitted years later that the song was about drugs.

The following shows the promotional video that was produced for the song. In a departure from a Beatle rule that a song's composer does the lead vocals, Paul McCartney sings lead while John Lennon does the backup vocals.

This Double A single eventually landed and stayed at the top of the UK Charts for five weeks from December 1965 to January 1966 and was at the top of the US Charts for three weeks in January 1966. (Source: About The Beatles)

In their remaining years as a group and as a testament to their talent, the Beatles would go on to release three more of these Double A-sided singles: "Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby" (released August 1966), "Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane" (February 1967), and "Something / Come Together" (October 1969). The band broke up in April 1970.

It has been almost 40 years since their breakup but not a single musical artist or band has come close to duplicating what the Beatles accomplished. News came out recently that Mariah Carey had just scored her 18th #1 hit on the Billboard Charts with the song "Touch My Body". This feat put her two singles shy of the Beatles' all-time record of 20 #1 hits.

However, one needs to put things into their proper perspective. One needs to consider the fact that it took Ms. Carey close to two decades to accomplish her feat, having been a recording artist since the early 1990s. The Beatles, on the other hand, accomplished their record within the eight years (1962-1970) the band was together. Let's also add the fact that all of the Beatles' #1 hits were Beatle compositions.

The songs, the numbers, the chart records, and the band's enduring popularity even among members of generations that were not yet around during their years of existence provide lasting evidence of the band's greatness.

On another note, to my countrymen in the Philippines who are dealing with the fury of Typhoon Frank, may this note find you and your families safe and secure. You all take care.

Rocky Mountain High

The song featured in this post was originally written as a tribute to a place of great natural wonder in Aspen, Colorado. "Rocky Mountain High" was performed by John Denver and it's a song which he co-wrote with Mike Taylor. The song was released and became a Top 10 Hit back in 1973. I remember as a kid, that I had enjoyed listening to this song even though the words didn't really make much sense to me at the time.

It was years later when I "rediscovered" this song. Even though its words spoke of deep affection for mountains, for some reason I found strength and inspiration in them while in the midst of making a life-changing decision.

Aside from economic reasons, I needed a profound change in my life and a defining one at that. From a professional standpoint, I felt there were constraints that prevented me from delving into areas I had technical expertise in but could not practice in my country. On the personal side, I wanted to prove something to myself and I wanted to start anew in a place where nobody knew me, where my academic background, especially the college I came from, didn't matter much. In short, I wanted to see how far everything I've learned would take me.

He was born in the summer of his 27th year
Comin' home to a place he'd never been before
He left yesterday behind him, you might say he was born again
You might say he found a key for every door

When he first came to the mountains his life was far away
On the road and hangin' by a song
But the string's already broken and he doesn't really care
It keeps changin' fast and it don't last for long

It was at that age when I made the difficult decision to pull my stakes up and try my luck in the States. I gave myself six months to see if things would work out for me. I promised my parents that if the six months ended without my finding a job, that I would immediately head for home. I told them that they did not even have to remind me to come home. Should I fail to land a job, I promised them that I will board the first flight home on the exact day the six-month period would end. That was the deal.

I landed in the States in early December and stayed with an uncle while I looked for a job. But it was the Holiday season, not really a good time for jobhunting since a lot of people were in a holiday mood. Plus, most of the companies were busy with their yearend wrap-up activities. So I hunkered down and prepared for myself for the possibility that it may take me at least two or three months to land my first interview. But still, I looked through the classified ads of any newspaper I could get my hands on, even ones I saw that were left on a bus seat, at a supermarket, or on a park bench.

My uncle didn't have a computer at home and thus I ended up using his office computer on weekends. The internet was then at its infancy and thus, all job applications were mailed through the post office. My first job interview came a month later in January.

Although I was a little nervous prior to the interview, I felt that my work experience and skills satisfied all the ad's published requirements for the job. That first interview was followed by two more rounds of interviews with the same company. Within a week, I got offered and accepted a job with the first company I interviewed with. The rest, as they say, is personal history.

I will be one of the first to admit that I'm not the sharpest tack in the box. In fact, I could be quite dense at times. However, if there's anything I can share with people who are planning to try their luck overseas it is this: a very good work ethic will always be appreciated anywhere you go in the world. We may trip or fall from time to time but whenever we do, we should always try our best to pick ourselves up, brush the dust off, and keep going.

And the Colorado rocky mountain high
I've seen it rainin' fire in the sky
You can talk to God and listen to the casual reply
Rocky mountain high

Just a few notes on the video. It was from the Tonight Show in 1973, back in the day when the late Johnny Carson, Jay Leno's predecessor, hosted the show. John Denver's performance on the show was live and the video also shows Mr. Carson's interview of Mr. Denver afterwards where the latter talked about what inspired him to write the song.

The video shows a young John Denver. He projected innocence and a youthful naivete during the interview, still awed with his success and expressed pride that his parents were able to watch him perform at New York's famed Carnegie Hall. He went on to enjoy many years of success as a recording artist scoring hits such as "Sunshine On My Shoulders", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", and "Annie's Song". He even went to the Philippines for a series of concerts back in the early 1980s. Yours truly even saw him perform on the noontime program "Eat Bulaga".

Unfortunately, Messrs. Carson and Denver are no longer with us. John Denver died in a plane crash in California back in 1997 while Johnny Carson died from natural causes in 2005.

Life's Trials

We all have our down moments and they happen for a number of reasons. Like everyone else, I also have my own set of issues or problems to deal with. Some, you can say, were of my making. Some, on the other hand, were not. Some arose out of stupid mistakes while others were the unintended consequences of actions done with the best of intentions. And finally, some became my problem simply because they were thrust upon me as a matter of moral and family responsibility.

We try our best to deal with the issues before us and we deal with them in the best way we know how. But sometimes, our personal limitations that result from factors such as our upbringing, education, and life experiences hinder us from arriving at the best possible solution. Such limitations often lead us to frustration and despair.

Thinking of some of the issues I have in front of me, I couldn't help but be in a bit of despair earlier today. Music is one of the things I seek refuge in in such moments. And thank God for the following song for it reminds me that a time will come when the issues we all face will eventually come to a resolution.

All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

I had a little book was given to me,
And every page spelled liberty.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

If religion were a thing that money could buy,
The rich would live and the poor would die.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

There is a tree in paradise
The pilgrims call it the tree of life
All my trials, Lord, soon be over.

Too late my brothers, too late, but never mind.
All my trials, lord, soon be over.
All my trials lord, soon be over.

As I have done in the past on this blog, I will be remiss if I don't at least provide you with some information on the song.

The song is called "All My Trials", an American folk song. A number of music artists such as Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul & Mary helped popularize it during the 1960s . The song became a popular protest song during that time, a period when protests erupted around the world clamoring for badly needed social reform and an end to the disastrous Vietnam war. The fight in the United States was over civil rights and the Vietnam war while in the Philippines and a host of other Third World nations, the fight was over social and economic reforms and non-alignment with the superpowers.

Going back to this song, it was never clear as to who originally wrote it. The Peter, Paul & Mary CD I have simply classifies the song as "Traditional", meaning the song's been around for generations that it was difficult to determine its origin with finality. The lyrics I posted above also came from the said CD. The folk singer Joan Baez added some verses to the original lyrics while Peter, Paul & Mary stuck with what seem to be the song's original words.

Regardless, the song captured the imagination of the protest movement because it helped hold out the hope that in spite of the challenges they faced fighting for what they believed in, they knew that someday, their struggles will be over.

The Boys Named Goo

And even though the moment passed me by
I still can't turn away
Cause all the dreams you never thought you'd lose
Got tossed along the way
And letters that you never meant to send
Get lost or thrown away

The first time I heard both this band and this song was on my car radio as I was driving home from work one summer evening back in 1995. The song is called "Name" by a band called the Goo Goo Dolls. Up to that point, I had never heard of the band and thus I was quite unfamiliar with any of their songs and their music. As I've stated on a previous post, I tend to love songs that create a new and original sound and once I heard this particular song, I felt that it was no exception.

What impressed me was the lead and bass guitar playing. The song's guitar intro impressed me and piqued my interest. Thus, I listened to the entire song as it played out and became more impressed with the musicianship that I became an instant fan. I felt those guys were pretty damn good. Plus, the band also had a pretty cool name. Although I don't profess to have an eye for talent, I felt at the time that this band was very good and could hit it really big.

I was quite impressed that I did some research on the band. I eventually found out that the Goo Goo Dolls were actually a trio of musicians named John Rzeznik (vocals and guitar), Robby Takac (bass guitar), and Mike Malinin (drums). From the sound I heard, I had expected them to be at least a quartet. Mr. Rzeznik was both the singer and songwriter for both the songs featured on this blog entry.

To this day, I'm not sure if "Name" got a lot of airplay or even became a hit back home in the Philippines. But what I was pretty sure of was that sooner or later, one of their songs will eventually get the band the attention and admiration it deserved.

Well, the band didn't disappoint because two years later in 1997, they finally gained worldwide fame when they released what would prove to be their biggest hit song "Iris". The band was commissioned to write the song as part of the soundtrack for the movie, "City of Angels".

Both the music and lyrics were great on this song. I felt the song perfectly captured the film character's feelings of love and despair. In my humble opinion, the best words were in the first two stanzas and the chorus.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Cause sooner or later it's over
I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me
Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

Fast Car

As a music lover, I've always been a sucker for songs with music that bring an original, new sound to the public's ears. But I also go for the entire package. It's a big bonus for me if a song with beautiful and original music is also endowed with a great set of lyrics. It's poetry set to music.

The following song is one of those. I've loved this song from the very moment I first heard it when it came out in late 1988.

The song's called "Fast Car", written and performed by Tracy Chapman, a great American folk singer. The acoustic guitar introduction and sound was, for me, one of the most original I've ever heard then and since. In terms of originality, I would rank it up there with the guitar and sitar combination that served as intro on the Beatles' song "Norwegian Wood".

I loved the lyrics too. They spoke of sadness, heartbreak and disappointment. In her desire to leave a life of despair and hardship behind, a girl fell for the charms of one who seemingly offered her a way out poverty, one who could help her fulfill her lifelong dreams. But as they lived a life together, she finally realized that all the hopes she had in him were misplaced.

Ms. Chapman eventually won a Grammy ("Best Female Pop Vocal Performance") for this song. Let me then share with you the words that went with the music.

You got a fast car
I want a ticket to anywhere
Maybe we make a deal
Maybe together we can get somewhere

Any place is better
Starting from zero got nothing to lose
Maybe we'll make something
But me myself I got nothing to prove

You got a fast car
And I got a plan to get us out of here
I been working at the convenience store
Managed to save just a little bit of money
We won't have to drive too far
Just 'cross the border and into the city
You and I can both get jobs
And finally see what it means to be living

You see my old man's got a problem
He live with the bottle that's the way it is
He says his body's too old for working
I say his body's too young to look like his
My mama went off and left him
She wanted more from life than he could give
I said somebody's got to take care of him
So I quit school that's what I did

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so we can fly away
We gotta make a decision
We leave tonight or live and die this way

So remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And we go cruising to entertain ourselves
You still ain't got a job
And I work in a market as a checkout girl
I know things will get better
You'll find work and I'll get promoted
We'll move out of the shelter
Buy a big house and live in the suburbs

So remember we were driving driving in your car
The speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
And I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone

You got a fast car
And I got a job that pays all our bills
You stay out drinking late at the bar
See more of your friends than you do of your kids
I'd always hoped for better
Thought maybe together you and me would find it
I got no plans I ain't going nowhere
So take your fast car and keep on driving

You got a fast car
But is it fast enough so you can fly away
You gotta make a decision
You leave tonight or live and die this way

A Little Lesson 2

Since the weather has turned warmer in my part of the world, I decided this morning to pull the car out of the garage so I could do some serious cleaning and washing. I must say that it took me a good two hours to clear the clutter off my garage and to bring back some sort of shine on my garage floor.

As I was wrapping up, one of the neighborhood kids stopped by for a quick chat. The kid thanked me for helping him out a few weeks ago. You see, the school year is coming to an end here in the United States and a lot of high schools are either currently having or have recently completed their junior and senior proms. So two weeks before his school prom, this particular kid had stopped by my place to ask me if I can show him a few moves on the dance floor. Since he was a very good kid, I happily obliged.

I showed him a few moves and within an hour or so, he was able to master both the moves and the steps. He happily told me this morning that he was such a hit on the dance floor, that he was able to impress this girl so much with his dance moves that they're now dating, and that as a result, he has become quite a popular kid in school. He was so happy that when I asked him if I could take a video of the dance moves I taught him, he was more than happy to grant my request. The only thing I asked was that he be careful because my garage floor was still a bit slippery after the washing I did.

Good kid, isn't he? The kind that will make any dance mentor proud. :D

Which brings me to this other kid I tried to help out a month or so ago. Although a bit chatty, this kid shows quite a bit of promise as a dancer. I strongly believe that he has the talent. He has the fundamentals. I showed him a different set of moves this time. As you will see in the following video, I think he has the moves too.

Unfortunately, the video also showed the problem I have with his parents. I have not found them to be that cooperative and supportive of their son's talent. His father even interrupted his son's dance to ask the kid to make a quick run to the neighborhood store to get a pack of cigarettes.

Were it not for that one interruption, both the dance and the video could have certainly turned out a lot better, right? I think so too. :D

Anyway, and seriously now, the dance tune you heard in both videos was called "Let It Whip" by the American funk music group called The Dazz Band. The song came out in 1982 and was hugely popular in a lot of dance parties I went to at the time. The song was a very big hit and it won the group a Grammy in 1983. I remember that every time this song was played, teens, myself included, immediately got up to dance to it.

Now if you will excuse me, I'll just get my car back into my garage. Thanks.

Video credits: Lejone Ehran (First video), Theqdective (Second video)

Not in Love

Talk about a love song with unconventional lyrics. The song's words talk about a man who denies having strong feelings of love for his special someone.

The song's called "I'm Not in Love" performed by the British band 10CC. The song, written by band members Graham Gouldman and Eric Stewart, was released in May 1975 and quickly became a worldwide hit for the group.

I was still a kid at the time this song became popular. I immediately fell for it mainly due to the beauty of its music and because of the way the group performed it. I loved the way the lead and backup vocals blended. But although I quickly learned its words, I never gave much thought to what they truly meant. All I knew was that the song was about love or maybe, the absence of it. In short, I liked and sang the song without understanding it.

I was already in my early college years and after experiencing my first romances when upon hearing the song played on DWRK 96.3 one weekday afternoon that I suddenly realized what its words meant. That was when I really listened to the lyrics and internalized them. I saw the song in a different light after that.

Let me then share with you its lyrics.

I'm not in love
So don't forget it.
It's just a silly phase i'm going through.
And just because
I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made.
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

I like to see you.
But then again
That doesn't mean you mean that much to me.
So if i call you
Don't make a fuss
Don't tell your friends about the two of us.
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

I keep your picture
Upon the wall.
It hides a nasty stain that's lying there.
So don't you ask me
To give it back.
I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time
Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time

I'm not in love
So don't forget it.
It's just a silly phase i'm going through.
And just because i call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made.
I'm not in love
I'm not in love

A Little Lesson

Feeling rather a bit blue and lonely earlier this evening, I decided that I needed to do something positive to lift my seemingly sagging spirits. So I sat for a while and did some serious thinking. After a few moments, I decided to do something that I haven't done in a long while.

So I decided to fix up a part of my living room, moved some of the furniture out of the way to create a little open space, and put up some striped drapes as background. I then went upstairs to put on a white shirt, dark trousers, and a pair of shoes that I haven't worn for quite a while.

Once I got back downstairs, I pulled out my tripod, set a video camera on it, and trained the camera on a particular spot on my living room. After setting the scene, I then rehashed all the complex movements in my mind, moves such as The Rolling Grapevine, the Eggbeater, the Travolta, and the Chicken. Ok, I think I'm all set.

Here it goes then, "a 5, 6, 7, 8...!!"

Ok, now if somebody could please get me a glass of water, I'd appreciate it. Thank you. :)

Seriously, the music you hear in the background is called "The Hustle". Released in 1975, "The Hustle", by Van McCoy, became one of the biggest dance hits during the disco era. In the US, it remains a favorite in dance clubs and ballroom dances more than 30 years after its release.

Now, if you would please excuse me, I think I'll just lie down for a while.

Monday, Monday

This song was the #1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart on this day in 1966.

The song is "Monday, Monday" by the group "The Mamas and The Papas", a group known for their elegant vocal harmonies. This song was written by the groups's founder, the late John Phillips. He is the gentleman with the guitar in both videos. For the information of my younger readers (ouch!), he was also the father of Chynna Phillips of Wilson-Phillips, a trio of ladies who shot to fame in the early 1990s.

Aside from John Phillips, the other members of The Mamas and The Papas were his then wife Michelle Phillips (Chynna's mom and also a former actress), the late Denny Doherty, and the late Cass Elliot. The group went on to win a Grammy in 1967 for this song.

They also scored another hit later in 1966 with the following song, "California Dreamin'". Although a big hit, this song failed to reach #1 unlike Monday, Monday.

Personal issues between the members led to the band's breakup in 1968. Ms. Elliot pursued a solo career for a while but suddenly died in 1973 from cardiac arrest. John Phillips died in 2001 because of illnesses suffered from years of drug abuse. Denny Doherty died in early 2007. Although these folks have long been gone, their music still lives on.

A Day of "Wonder"

When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way.

I was in my early elementary years when this particular performance on my favorite educational television show turned me on to both the artist and the song.

The artist was the great Mr. Stevie Wonder and shown above was a live performance of his 1973 hit "Superstition" that was featured on the popular children's tv show Sesame Street.

As a child, I had spent a lot of time in the company of older cousins. The music they listened to at the time became my music too. Thus, at a very early age, I was already exposed to both electric and electronic sounds on a number of pop and rock songs that were popular at the time. That early exposure to rock and pop music quickly turned me on to this song the moment I heard its opening notes. My eyes stayed glued to the tv throughout the entire performance. I became an instant fan.

It wasn't a surprise to me then when many years later, I read on some magazine that some music critics consider the above performance of Superstition on Sesame Street as one of Mr. Wonder's finest live performances ever of the song.

Superstition wasn't his first hit. Prior to this song, he had already scored hits with the songs "For Once In My Life" and "My Cherie Amour", the latter being another personal favorite. He first became famous in the US back in 1963 when he scored a hit song called "Fingertips (Pt. 2)". But it wasn't until the early 1970s when he truly became a worldwide superstar.

Mr. Wonder went on to score more hits throughout the 70s and the 80s with songs like "You Are the Sunshine of My Life", "Isn't She Lovely," "I Just Called to Say I Love You", "That's What Friends Are For", and "Part Time Lover" to name a few.

But to this day, Superstition remains a sentimental favorite of mine simply because a great live performance of this song on a children's television show introduced me to a great artist.

To honor such a great artist, let me end this write-up with the following:

Question: Have you seen Stevie Wonder's new house?

Response: Nope, but neither has he.

There's A Filipino in the "Association"

This entry entailed some digging through the musical archives and I wonder if a lot of Filipinos are aware of this fact. But decades before fellow Filipino Al Pineda or "Apl.De.Ap" became famous worldwide as a member of the Black Eyed Peas, and a decade before Freddie Aguilar hit it big internationally with his hit song "Anak" ("Child"), there was Larry Ramos, Jr.

Larry who? Yes, Larry Ramos, Jr., a Filipino who was born and raised in Hawaii. Back in the 1960s, there was a band called "The Association" who hit it big and became popular with songs such as "Windy", "Never My Love", "No Fair at All", and "Cherish". Unbeknownst to many Filipinos today, Larry shared lead vocals with fellow bandmate Russ Giguere on a couple of the band's biggest hits, "Windy" and "Never My Love".

"Windy" became the first #1 hit for The Association in July 1967. I don't think you'll have a hard time spotting him in the following video:

A few months later, in the fall of 1967, the band had another million-seller called "Never My Love". The following video shows the band performing the song on The Ed Sullivan Show:

The band broke up in the early 1970s when their style of music fell out of favour with the public. Though a comeback was attempted later, the band never regained the fame they enjoyed during the late 1960s.

Where is he now? Larry now lives on a 300-acre farm in Grangeville, Idaho. As recently as 2003, he was still performing around the US with co-vocalist Russ Giguere in a re-formed Association doing about 80 to 100 concerts a year.

Source: Honolulu Star-Bulletin