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| Click on the ASIN LP cover for news updates on the new album and a hairraising tour the band went through in Mindanao. Stories by ERIC CARUNCHO and REMY UMEREZ Click above for the Winners of the 2002 KATHA AWARDS |
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| TALK ABOUT JAILHOUSE ROCK !!! |
| The NO BAIL BAND just had a gold record on their debut album called "Hiram na Buhay" NBB members are all inmates at the Quezon City Jail. The album got its first coverage when ABS-CBN was doing a story on Leo Echegaray's case, the first death convict sentenced with lethal injection. During this coverage ABS-CBN discovered NBB existence. Band members are; Efren Dimayuga (vocals), Rene Zafran (guitarist/vocalist), Cenen Quiambao (band leader/bass) and Arnel Ranse (drums/keys). NBB was form last Sept 1997, previously the band was known as The Jail Boys. The name change was suggested to them by their jail mentor, Inspector Chua. All menbers are all former musicians in the 70's & 80's. If you remembered, Efren Dimayuga was a one time member of Sangkatutak Band and The Jerks, Cenen Quiambao is an ex-member of Sisa Band, Arnel Ranse came from Frictions, while Rene Zafran was a former popular folk singer. The new album contains 10 songs all of which were recorded inside the prison house and was facilitated by Alpha Records. "Hiram na Buhay" also comes in a single and tells about life's value with insights that only God has the right to take it away. Hiram was composed in 1995 by fellow prisoner, Bobby Escase.Other album cuts are "Sayang ka Kaibigan", "Paalam Na", "Old Maid", "Bakal na Rehas", "Bulag", "Green Grass of Home", and "Homeward Bound". Released under Alpha Records. |
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It's that time that we shut our traps and get really serious here. Recent sad events have again reminded us that indeed life, for all it's fun and laughter (which is how I always want it to be), just seems to bop me on the head with that reality blow... like now, and sez, HOY MAGOO! WALANG TRIP-TRIP!, UWI !!!! |
| PAYS TRIBUTE TO TWO OLD FRIENDS AND TRUE, FILIPINO MUSIC LEGENDS... |
| (courtesy of Lester & Pinoy Classic Rock mailing list) |
| HOWLIN' DAVE by Cousin Hoagy |
| Heres a guy that began his radio career in the light of the Martial Law years. He was the neighbor of my cousin, Johnny in Pasay, near Park Avenue |
| and Libertad. I always got along with him. He was a natural when he began his career at DzRJ in Santa Mesa. He had one characteristic that makes a good rock jock. He loved music. He ate up everything going on. I remember him bringing me a record of American Country & Western from Nashville, Tennessee and begging to hear it on the air. Howlin' Dave spent much of the 1970s getting his chops down, announcing style and gaining a taste for PINOY ROCK which was a very important feature of life in Martial Law. When the show, Pinoy Rock & Rhythm, was developed by Charlie Brown and Double A. It was mainly about the live Pinoy Rock scenes that thrived in Olongapo City and Manila. Angeles City was still just putas. |
| At the same time, PUNK started to be played with, Never Mind the Bullocks, being the start for me. I shared it with Howlin' Dave, who in turn pulled out Sioux and the Banshees! He had turned a corner. BuddyTrinidad, one of our Judges in the NU Rock Awards 2001, is a member of BETRAYED. He told me that Howlin' Dave was where he listened on Sundays. |
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| His show alternated Pinoy cassettes with the latest PUNK!. His influence spread. High School student at the time, Francis Reyes (lead guitar of The Dawn), told me it was Howlin? Dave. Francis in a strange way, carries on the torch of Pinoy rock with hundredsof CD's from the entire length of the Philippines. Francis Brew needs an entire staff to undertake and catalog and listen to what is a commitment. It will be nice to take a photo of them together. |
| Check out Page 9 of the NU Rock Awards 2001 (www.nu107.com) on some of the observations of Eric Caruncho of the Philippine Daily Inquirer. His collection of newspaper stories outlines some of the era. His book, Punks, Poets and Poseurs, is available at your favorite Pinoy bookstore on line. By the 1980's, PUNK was it and Martial Law was beginning to get funky and tiring. |
| Tommy Tanchangco produced a series of Annual concerts near the World Trade area on Manila Bay. It was called, Brave New World. It was aired on RJ AM 810. Conceived by Howlin' Dave from his love of the book, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. |
| Between Tommy, Dave and the hundreds of bands that they attracted, the musical Concert moved around the rim of Laguna de Bay to Pililla and U.P. Los Banos. Ask anyone from The Jerks and Myrene who influenced them to the music. |
| Pinoy Rock I guess is a generic expression of the times. It was in fact, the BEST YEARS of his life he told me. Maybe it was. But it's only the 25th Anniversary of PUNK in 2001. |
A loose Birthday. Angst, energy, and the focus away from not really being Free had infused the scene. The BNW Concerts ended, Buddy Trinidad recalls, with Howlin' Dave singing the Paul Anka hit of the teeny bopping Sixties, My Way. Not that anyone recalls that version. Frank Sinatra made it his song for years. But The SEX PISTOLS stole the entire song in its straight forward middle of the road manner. It was transformed into a Anthem of PUNK! Howlin Dave ended each show over the 1980-1985 run of BNW. He was backed by whoever was there that night. The Jerks did. Teddy Diaz and The Dawn at the end of the day did. Buddy and Betrayed did. I wonder who else? Joey Ramone? COUSIN HOAGY© 2002 |
| Hard Rock, Soft Spot |
| By: Eric S. Caruncho |
| THE OLD woman is toothless and bent double with age, and there is a milky |
| white film over the irises of both eyes blinking in the pale afternoon light. |
| but there is also a glint behind them as she talks about her favorite grand-son. |
| "Napakabait na bata 'yang si Joseph" she says in that low, quivering voice old people have. "Walang makapagsasabi na may sinalbahe si Joseph. May nabalitaan na ba kayo na may masamang record 'yan?" |
| She pauses, and the wrinkled mouth curves into the barest hint of a smile. |
| 'Yung ibang record niya...alam n'yo na kung ano 'yon, she says, running a finger under her nose. (No one can tell you that Joseph ever did anyone harm. Have you heard anything about him having a bad record? As for his other record...well, you know what that is.) |
| Born Concordia Go in 1912, the woman everybody calls Lola - sometimes "Lola Smith" - is now 89 and frail. A similar air of decrepitude and faded gentility hangs over the living room of her old house in Kamuning, bought, she says, for P600 before the war. What must have been the latest modern conveniences of 1951 lay gathering dust and cobwebs. |
| But the memories remain fresh, specially the ones concerning her grandson, Pinoy rock pioneer Joey "Pepe" Smith. |
| "Ganyan lang si Joey nung namatay si Smithy," she says, holding her hand about three feet above the floor. A former US Navy pilot, Edgar William Smith succumbed to bone cancer, leaving Joey and younger brother Raymond in the care of their mother. Shortly after Joey's eighth birthday, his mother Conchita - Lola's only child - died suddenly of hepatitis, leaving both boys in Lola's care. They were sent for in Clark Air Base, and settled in Lola's house in Kamuning. |
| Early on, Joey showed an affinity for music, especially rhythms. Lola's coathangers would often disappear, turned into makeshift drumsticks with which the boy would practice drumming patterns on the sidewalk. Later on, when he was older, Joey would sneak over to the house of a friend who lived four blocks away.The friend owned a real drum kit which Joey would practice on. |
| "Naloko 'yan sa drums," recalls Lola. "Binabantayan ko sa pintuan ng eskuwela, baka pumuslit." |
| (He went ga-ga over drums. I would stand guard at the school gate in case he tried to skip classes.) |
| A disciplinarian of the old school, Lola believed in spare the rod, spoil the child. She was especially on her guard against Joey falling into bad company. |
| "Nakabantay ako diyan," she remembers. "Sinusundan ko pa 'yan pag nababarkada dahil ang mga kaibigan niyan, nagnanakaw ng manok sa kapitbahay, papatayin, tapos kakainin!" |
| (I would watch out and follow him because some of his friends would steal chickens from the neighbors and eat them.) |
| Lola's weapon of choice was the rubber hose - common in most households when kerosene was the cooking fuel of choice - with which she would whack Joey mercilessly whenever she caught him running with shiftless chicken thieves, all the way home. |
| Maliit pa si Joey, sinusuheto ko na 'yan, she recalls. |
| (I disciplined him from when he was small.) |
| Lola also frowned on Joey's obsession with pop music, at least in the beginning. She put her foot down when her grandson started staying out all night practising with band mates, or playing at weekend parties. She would lie in wait in the kitchen and ambush Joey when he tried to sneak in. |
| "Minsan dumating 'yan, umaga na, may dala-dalang 'kulele. Ba't ngayon ka lang!" Alam mo ginawa ko? Pinukpok ko sa kanya ang 'kulele, "Ba't hindi ka umuwi kagabi?" Tapos hinampas ko sa sahig ang 'kulele, durog-durog!" Kaya hindi naging salbahe ang Joey - sinusuheto ko." |
| (One time he came home late with a ukelele. You know what I did? I broke it over his head.) |
| As Joey got older, however, dissuading him from playing in combos became a lost cause, and Lola conceded. Besides, Lolo indulged the boy, even borrowing drums so he could practice at home, much to the chagrin of the neighbors. |
| In 1959, Joey formed his first bona fide group, the Blue Jazzers. Six months later, he changed the band's name to the catchier Villains. When the surf music craze hit town, they became The Surfers and landed a six-month gig in Saigon in the early years of the Vietnam War. Finally, at the peak of global Beatlemania, Joey joined the Downbeats, the group with which he first tasted rock stardom, such as it was in Manila in the '60s. |
| "Noong araw, pag-umuwi 'yan galing sa tugtog, nakahanda na ang isang basong Klim na may dalawang pula ng itlog. Pag Linggo, ang ulam nila bulalo, mechado." |
| (When he came home from a gig, there would be a glass of milk with two egg yolks waiting for him. Sundays there would be bulalo and mechado.) |
| Eventually, Joey left the Downbeats to join the legendary Juan de la Cruz Band, helping usher in the golden age of Pinoy rock in the early '70s. At the height of their fame, the Juan de la Cruz Band could fill stadiums such as the Araneta Coliseum. Lola was there. |
| "Noong araw nagpupunta pa ako sa tugtugan, she recalls. "Bumabayad pa ako sa Araneta pag hindi ako nabibigyan ng ticket." Noong araw sinisipa ni Joey ang drums." |
| (I used to go to the concerts. I would even buy tickets to Araneta Coliseum. Joey used to kick his drums over.) |
| Through the ups and downs of his career as the country's first (some say only) rock star, Lola has been the one constant in Pepe's tumultuous life. Pepe has had at least four major relationships and about as many children. The women came and went, as did the money, the cars and the rock'n'roll lifestyle. But Lola remained. |
| When Pepe was busted for possession of drugs in 1992 and served 19 months in the Quezon City Jail, singing "Ang Himig Natin" for the other inmates, Lola was there to visit. No rubber hose this time, just a gentle admonition to be more careful next time. |
| When Pepe's eldest daughter Queenie (now singing with the showband Civil Eyes), whom Lola also brought up since she was little, delivered Pepe's first grandchild, Lola was there to pay the hospital bill. |
| And now that times are tight, Joey and family have once again moved into Lola's house in Kamuning. |
| "Alam mo, wala din namang suwerte si Joey," Lola shakes her head sadly. |
| (Joey never has the luck) But who can tell when luck will turn? |
| Some people say that Pepe has lost it, that he's too addled with chemicals, too lazy or simply too old to regain the old spark. But anyone who has followed Joey Smith's career can tell you: never write Pepe off. |
| The man has fallen and crawled back so many times he seems indestructible. Or at least his liver is. |
| (Urban legend has it that sometime in the late '70s, Pepe composed an entire album's worth of material for what was to be Nonoy Marcelo's full-length animated feature "Alyas Pepeng Kidlat" after sequestering himself and the other musicians in a rented apartment for several weeks. When the time came to record the songs in the studio, according to this particular legend, Pepe had completely forgotten all the lyrics.) |
| No such problem with the current project (working title: "Ploink!"). Judging from the preliminary mix, it is a solid slab of classic Pinoy rock. Recorded with guitar ace Jun Lopito and bassist extraordinaire Dondi Ledesma, the project's mix of blues, ballads and solid raunch'n'rollshowcases not only the trio's instrumental virtuosity, but thefrontman's old stage charisma as well. |
| As the opening number, a classic blues stomper driven by Lopito's searing slide guitar, announces: "ETO NA AKO. HANDA NA BA KAYO?" |
| reproduced with permission from the writer, ERIC CARUNCHO Special thanks to The Philippine Daily Inquirer ( copyright 2002 ) |
| Philippine Pop Music by KATHY LLAMAS (Feb. 15, 2000) |
| The Philippines has long been known as a melting pot of cultures and these various influences have manifested themselves in the evolution of Philiippine pop music. Most noted of these influences are the Spanish and American genres which are rather obvious in the type of songs that have become very popular through the years. After the era when trios did away with Besame Mucho and Cielito Lindo, the ballads (baladas) became the sought after genre. |
| By far the culture with the most influence on Philippine pop music is the American influence. This was very prevalent during the 50's and 60's when rock n' roll was very popular. That was the time Filipinos had a counterpart for every popular musical idol like Elvis Presley, and the Beatles. And to imitate well, "plakang-plaka", was the thing to do. It was not until the 70's that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) surfaced as Filipino artists struggled to produce original hits. In the late 70's and early 80's, the radio station I was with in Manila, DZRJ(The Rock of Manila), pioneered in the promotion of Filipino artists and actually paved the way for what we now know as "Pinoy Rock" and "OPM". I remember the artists that gained popularity through the efforts of the radio station such as Florante de Leon, The APO Hiking Society, The Juan dela Cruz Band, Maria Cafra, Sampaguita, Petrified Anthem, Asin, Tito Mina and a host of talents, and composers. |
| When the KBP (Kapisanan ng Mga Broadcaster ng Pilipinas) mandated radio stations to play at least 2 Filipino selections an hour, this helped further in the promotion of Filipino music. At DZRJ, we were playing whole programs of Filipino music as in the program, Pinoy Rock and Rhythm. These type of programs then introduced new genres such as Pinoy Jazz, and the Manila Sound. |
| The 80's brought about the emergence of awards and organized competition within the Filipino pop music scene, which gave rise to more artists and composers producing more original material. The Metro Pop Music Festival was one such event which recognized new Filipino talents. |
| The 90's gave birth to new genres of Filipino pop music to include rap, alternative, punk, ska , and ethnic influences such as the music of Joey Ayala. With the dawning of the new millennium, it would be interesting where new influences will come from. Or will they recycle back to where they started? With Latin music becoming the trend, it could just be that we will be back belting modernized versions of "Besame Mucho" all over again.. |
| 1971-Where were you then? Peace, Love and incense filled the air. |
| Acid Rock was on, White Rabbit, Energy Pills, Freedom Highway, |
| Psyclones, Drug Cult, Pink N Purple, Birth of the Cool, each every |
| mother's son of them mainlining xeroxed sounds from then current rock |
| greats---Clapton, Bruce, Baker (Cream), Winwood, Blind Faith, Led |
| Zep, Deep Purple, Moody Blues, ELP, YES, Jefferson Airplane, Hot |
| Tuna, Grateful Dead, Who, 10 Years After....The Woodstock fever |
| came down on us. Antipolo-the Manila Rock Fest, ahh, the great times. |
| Elsewhere, dropping out from the psyched out mainstream, turning in |
| and turning on to something deeper, freer, were Alex, Edmund, Vic |
| Marlon, Bing and Mario. Wat's dat sound? Coryell, Hancock |
| Mclaughlin, Dream or Weather Report? man who knew... |
| AnakBayan knew and probably a few. |
| 1972-AnakBayan, jazz/rock, they go together. Then came the F.T.A. |
| show: Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Anak Bayan at the Rizal Baseball |
| Stadium. Did it really happen? Yes it happened and Anak Bayans |
| successful debut spelled more big gigs--the rock opera Tommy, Jingle |
| mags Rock & Roll Fest. Those were the ups and downer days my friend, |
| when rock gigs were among life's high times. |
| 1973-The yellow ballooon had burst. It was time for something else, |
| something new. Something more tangible and more lasting than a 40 minute electric stage set. And in those days when your memory lasted only as long as your next toke, who was to recall what band played what song? |
| So it happened. "Ang Himig Natin" broke through DZRJ's black & white format and PINOY ROCK became a reality. What were once occasional vices were now habits. You got the local goods on your radio and for a change, on your battered turntable. And ANAKBAYAN was ready with the goods when it happened. "Jeepney Rock" took off simultaneously with "Ang Probinsyana". The success of these two tunes led to a commission to rearrange and record two songs from the sarsuela, "Ang Kiri". "Tayo'y Magpapawis" and "Tayo'y Magsayaw" were redone by the group and pressed into give-away singles to help drum up attendance for the shows. |
| 1977-Four years after the ill-fated sessions, the hidden/forgotten eight songs that comprised the 1973 ANAKBAYAN tapes resurface from the vaults and are pressed over to another set of hands and heads. The old 8 track masters have been remixed, filtered, equalized and carefully edited. No redubbing was done, all the voices and instruments are the original performances of the group. The spirit of the '73 sessions have been captured and carefully preserved in this record. Judging from the current crop of local rock albums, the vintage ANAKBAYAN tapes are right here and now, in tune with whatever is going on. |
| Mike Jamir (Writer/Critic) on Anak Bayans' self titled album released in 1977. |
| Last year, a friend and a legend passed away. He was well loved by friends for his good natured personality, in fact all these years that I have had the priviledge of his friendship, I have never seen him get mad. he was always smiling or laughing. "Bosyo" was loved and respected in the Filipino music scene and regarded unanimously as The Best Filipino Drummer ever. A title nobody dares challenge, to this day... EDMOND "Bosyo" FORTUNO |
| KATHY LLAMAS is CEO of PHILRADIO.COM based in Florida, U.S.A. |
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| reproduced with permission from the author. ANAKBAYAN PHOTOS courtesy of PinoyClassicRock.com |
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| Pepe himself admits that in the bad old days, he came pretty close to entering that great rock'n'roll hall of fame in the sky more than once. One time, after a case of mistaken identity, he almost became a salvage victim. And earlier this year, he walked away from the car crash that killed fellow musician Noe Espino a.k.a. Bespren Diego, with barely a scratch. |
| And now, 25 years since leaving the Juan de la Cruz band, Pepe has a real, honest-to-goodness solo album. Finally. |
| Although he wrote the official Pinoy rock anthem & "Ang Himig Natin", and several of Juan de la Cruz's hits, Pepe has never had a solo album. A number of cult classics such as "Summer Winds" and "Dr. Quack" were released as radio singles, credited to "Joey Smith and the Airwaves." But due to one snafu or another, a solo album never materialized. |
| MIKE VILLEGAS of RIZAL UNDERGROUND fame, and Ethnic Rock Diva, BAYANG BARRIOS, tie the knot ! |
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| Click on the blues harp for the story... |
| A PINOY ROCK WEDDING... |
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| Painting by: BENCAB |
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| Philmusic.com |
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| THANKS FOR THE HIT !!! |
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| Last June, another Pinoy Rock Legend passed away... JUN FABUNAN Bassist and younger brother of Restie Fabunan of Maria Cafra fame. (Something tells me that there must be a really big gig scheduled up there that's gonna be happening soon, cause a lot of 'em legends, lately seem to be in demand in Rock and Roll Heaven.) |
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| November, 2004 The PHILIPPINE VIOLATORS are celebrating 20 years of Pinoy Punk Rock by releaseing a special Anniversary CD compilation featuring many rare & unreleased tracks selected by Senor Rotten (guitars) to share with the fans! This CD also marks the first US release for the PHILIPPINE VIOLATORS as it is being manufactured & distributed by IKR, an independent record label based in Houston,Texas. For more info, please visit: http://www.itchykorean.com |
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