REMINISCING

I was born during the late fifties -- the era when rock 'n' roll had just started to dawn although Marlon Brando once said in an interview that rock 'n' roll was born way back in the thirties, my mother and father's heydays. I can still remember how my Kuya (Gilbert) would then play his five-string guitar while prodding me on to sing "Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear" by Elvis the Pelvis. He's a big fan of Elvis, you know. My mother would just grin and would give an ear as she goes about her daily household chores.

When I was three, my father (before he died) would take us to his office's Christmas party and would egg me and my older brother to sing in front of his officemates. It was always a case of my mother cajoling me to go up the stage first with me sheepishly refusing unless my brother would do his stint ahead. After him, I would readily render "Love Me Tender" to the delight of my father who endlessly beamed with pride. All these are but reminiscences after a year has passed and with my father gone.

During grade school days, I was a bit of a "star" in school. I would often be asked to sing for my classmates in a number of impromptu programs organized by one of my teachers. This was, of course, before regular classes commenced. Before my turn, I would sing to myself so as not to falter later on. As I was called, I'd stand in front of the class, without much ado and ho-hums, and do my thing, a cappella.

One time, as we were busy preparing for a big school festival where I was asked to sing (the teachers did not hold second thoughts about choosing me as a program participant-performer all because I was too gutsy to stand up and be heard), a schoolmate volunteered to provide my number with a guitar accompaniment. Much to my glee, we practiced real hard "Hurtin' Inside" by the Dave Clark Five. But when it was time for us to perform, we discovered that his guitar, which he carelessly left lying on the table before our number, was just insanely out of tune! If only he thought of properly placing the guitar atop the table with the strings lying flat on the surface, we would not have panicked and be gobbled up by jitters.  Worse yet, my partner hasn't learned the art of tuning his own guitar. Well, as the old adage goes, the show must go on. And it did just as well. The twanging of those out-of-this-world chords to accompany my song left my ears terribly hurting the day after and many more days to come. But despite this minute misfortune, we were applauded, only to find out in the end that the bravado was meant for trying... hard.

My older brother had an above-average guitar player friend for he knew the chords of songs by such biggies then as the Beatles, Zombies and Bee Gees, to name a few. We'd all sit atop our school's fence (which was just a stone's throw away from our house in San Juan) at nighttime and jam to our hearts' content. Those were the good old days.

High school came as I was about to get started playing the guitar on my own. I used to borrow an old beat up guitar from a friend and play my heart out until my fingers were very sore. My Kuya upon seeing me nurturing an interest in music, with my incessant requesting, brought home different songbooks with guitar chords that I may use for practice. But to my dismay, I discovered that the chords and lyrics were erroneous. It was perhaps my penchant for music that made me feel I was right. I even strummed some bars and sang some lines to my Kuya to prove my point. My impish insistence elicited a nod of seeming approval from him.

After some time, my Kuya decided to publish a music magazine. He consulted my mother who, after a series of deliberation, decided to pawn part of our property as bank collateral so as to obtain a sizeable loan to finance our business. My Kuya approached some willing artist-friends and asked them for help in brainstorming the music mag. He also conferred with a lot of musicians (band members, actually) and asked for their share by taking on the task of obtaining the chords and lyrics of what was hitting it big during those days. Thus, JINGLE was born (October 1970, to be exact). The rest is history.

***This was first published in Music of the 60's (Best of JINGLE Series No. 4).

The Personal Pleasure of PUERTO PRINCESA

T'was a short plane trip years ago from Manila to Puerto Princesa Airport. The usual greeters -- drivers/employees actually of big and small hotels -- with placards await outside waving their welcome signs. My wife and I spotted ours in a jiffy. The city proper is lined up with eateries, service-oriented businesses, a sprinkling of fastfood joints, small hotels... a typical urban provincial scenario – busy in a laid back way… unspoilt by the metro’s crass commercialism.

Empire Suites Hotel 

We checked into the Empire Suites Hotel (situated along Rizal Avenue) right in the heart of Puerto Princesa. It is consistently recognized over the years as Traveller's Choice by Trip Advisor. Good part about these 3-star hotel accommodations is that they’re not as tourist-y as the bigger ones and they’re walking distance to some good drop-by-and-enjoy go to’s (for free). And because you want to spend and maximize the day in the sun, you opt for these hotels which are value-for-money night sleep-ins -- crashed into clean comfy beds dead-tired from all the sightseeing and exploring. The hotel staff is well-trained and accommodating, too.

Subterranean National Park 

Photo credit: zenrooms

Our first itinerary that morning -- after partaking of our free buffet breakfast was the biodiverse Puerto Princesa Subterranean National Park, also called the St. Peter Underground River, voted as the new entry into the 7 Wonders of Nature. It was also hailed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. It is one of the world's longest navigable underground river that boasts of a second floor (off limits to visitors during that time). 

Photo credit: zenrooms

The stalactites and stalagmites are “gigantinormous”! These natural rock formations are just awesome – Mother Nature’s work of art. You simply forget time and the world outside as you weave through the labyrinth of limestone caves – wet, cold, dark and quite eerie, too. 

Photo credit: zenrooms

It is definitely bat territory (the stench can be irritating but bearable overpowered by the magnificence of what the dark has to offer). While paddling (motorized bancas are not allowed inside the cave to prevent diesel emission and mechanical noise from polluting and causing irreparable damage to the pristine caves), our boatman served as our travel guide, dishing out his routinary spiels, pointing to the amusing rock formations above us complete with some naughty anecdotes. These native guides have mastered their way not only through the caves but to the funny bones of their guests as well. 

Outside the caves are lush canopies of trees where wild monkeys dwell. Our eldest son, Juan Paolo (who's visited the place ahead of us), warned that these creatures have adapted to the presence of tourists in the area and (sadly) have learned to snatch food (and grab colourful plastic bags or foil pouches even that look like chips bags). My wife has warned that, as these monkeys eat human food and forage from the garbage which visitors leave behind, they probably have rabies as well. So feeding and petting them is exposing yourself to the danger of being bitten. Animals in their natural habitats should be left to Mother Nature’s care. 

Honda Bay Frolic 

Photo credit: thetripguru

The scheduled Honda Bay tour followed the next day. It is a three-island hopping experience: Starfish, Luli and Cowrie.  The sun, the sand, the sea... If this isn't paradise on earth, what is?

Photo credit: moniqueliveslife

Starfish is a sandbar perfect for snorkeling with cabanas and spa huts for the tired and weary souls longing for some relaxation. 

Luli is another sandbar that is visible only during low tide and is invisible during high tide. The local vernacular “lulubog-lilitaw” explains this island’s shorten name “Lu-li”. “Lulubog” means “to submerge” while “lilitaw” means “to emerge”.

It has a 20-ft. diving platform that I tried, albeit hesitantly. I was egged on by my wife Neri to try it (so I can tick it off from my bucket list of once-in-a-lifetime experiences). Manakot-nakot nga ako. Mataas kasi yung tatalunan at malalim ang tubig. But there was a rescue guy (employed by the local tourism group) to aid first-time divers and non-swimmer thrill-seekers... I opted to swim it out as I hit the water to boost my ego. Madaming nanonood. Nakakahiya... 

Kinabuchs 

With a good tan and aching limbs, we decided to go out for late dinner and a couple of beers afterwards to wash away the fatigue. We asked the hotel concierge where best to go and he points to this open-air native restobar four blocks away from our hotel – Kinabuchs Grill and Bar that was famous for serving exotic cuisine featuring crocodile meat (sisig) in its menu alongside Palawan’s tamilok (woodworm) that are either eaten raw upon harvest or best prepared the kinilaw way. We passed off these gastronomic delicacies and settled for a bilao of steamed seafood instead with ice cold San Mig Lite to chill the night out. (Note: Kinabuchs is owned by Philippine motocrosser Edward "Butch" Chase hence the strange name.)

Iwahig 

Together with our friends Dr. Fritzi Aquias and her husband Sir Leo Aulida (of the PNP Crime Laboratory in Puerto Princesa), we went to Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm located about 20 kilometers away from downtown Puerto Princesa. The 45-minute relaxing drive took us through a long verdant stretch of fire trees, acacia trees and Palawan Cherrie trees endemic to the area. 

Iwahig is recognized as one of the largest open prisons in the world, with an area of around 34,000 hectares, and is a declared National Historical Landmark of the country in 2004. Inmates (or maybe “outmates” would be a more appropriate term) are allowed to roam freely, live with their families and do farm work for a living (the inmates have a share in the harvests) and engage in recreational activities (sports, etc.) inside the colony. There are no bars of cold steel to lock them in. 

Iwahig is a commune that allows for correction that reforms not punishes so that the inmates may be restituted and integrated back to society. After whispered prayers of gratitude for safe travel at the St. Joseph the Worker Church inside the colony, we wandered around until we arrived at the central plaza where a basketball tournament was going on. Penal guards and inmates played together in a team while other guards and families excitedly cheered on the sides. 

Photo credit: sassyfied

We then decided to move on to the massive and historic Recreation Hall – the architecture of which pushes you back in time -- historically dating back to the Hispanic Era. There was an exhibit going on of the so-called “prison art” – wood-burned masterpieces, paintings, miniature art inside bottles, woodwork and native handicrafts. All souvenir pieces were being sold by the inmates themselves who gleefully rendered a song-and-dance production number for us. So moved by their palpable excitement and gratitude for the visit, we had to hold back the tears – not wanting to make them feel pathetic.

Later on, an inmate approached and urged me to buy his work. “Boss, salamat po sa dalaw. Bilhin niyo na po ito. Pansigarilyo lang…” We were told by our two PNP friends not to give money if we were asked or begged. If resources allowed, my wife Neri wanted to buy everything to be of consequential help. But we can only share a substantial amount to a common donation box without taking anything for ourselves in return. 

Looking back, I remember that Fritzie and Leo, police officers that they are, have kept their guard over my wife and I from a distance not wanting to close-in and make anyone feel uncomfortable. Their sharp but barely noticed head flicks or intermittent side gazes when we were approached and spoken to by (friendly) inmates affirmed that “expecting the unexpected” was second nature to law enforcers having been trained to be alert and on-guard at all times (with or without the threat of imminent danger). 

They really took the day off from work to make us feel the Palawano hospitality. Although both of them come from other parts of the Philippines, they decided to settle in Palawan after doing their tour-of-duty as PNP Crime Laboratory specialists. Oh, how they loved their work in Palawan where petty crimes were usually offshoots of drunken melees or land disputes. No stressful SOCO work. They had loved the place so much they built a house (and Dr. Fritzie’s clinic for the barrios) integrating indigenous materials into its architecture. The husband-and-wife team would only fly out once a year to visit family in Manila and the North then hurry back home to Palawan.

Badjao Seafront Restaurant

Photo credit: ladyandhersweetescapes

The four of us had late lunch at Badjao Seafront Restaurant, a restaurant on stilts above the crystal clear waters on the coast of Honda Bay. Wow! What a treat. Its entrance is Mother Nature’s way of preparing your tummy for a gustatory delight. 

Photo credit: ladyandhersweetescapes

To get to the main dining area, we walked through a narrow elevated pathway (of wooden slats) surrounded by tall mangroves. Then you come upon a doorway with a very welcoming “Dayon Camo” sign. 

Photo credit: ladyandhersweetescapes

The interiors are colorful, warm, homey and truly reflective of the culture of the South. Needless to say, the menu is as festive as the whole place – extensive in its local and international cuisine offerings. The service is so full of heart. Good place. Good food. Good conversation. Good company. 

Photo credit: ladyandhersweetescapes

The sea salt in the air is invigorating to the skin as you dine al fresco. Calm waters. Clean air. For a couple of hours, the gods allowed us to enjoy the experience of their sacred sanctuary. 

Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center 

Formerly known as Crocodile Farming Institute, there are two types of endemic crocodiles here: the Philippine Freshwater Crocodile or Mindoro Crocodile (Crocodylus Mindorensis) and the Saltwater Crocodile or Indo-Pacific Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus). We had a very brief stopover here as we were trying to cram in a few more spots in our itinerary. My wife isn't one to enjoy the site of live crocs so she just enjoyed shopping croc-inspired trinkets at the souvenir shop.

Plaza Cuartel 

Reminiscent of Fort Santiago, Plaza Cuartel (ironically also known as Lover's Park) is great in its history but very sad in memory. It once served as a garrison of American and Filipino soldiers until they were invaded by the Japanese. The once stronghold became a prison and a place of suffering and pain. It is the site of the infamous Palawan Massacre. The tunnels where 150 American prisoners of war (POWs) were incarcerated during World War II. But on December 14, 1944, the Japanese decided to kill them all by burning them alive. Many perished but eleven prisoners were able to survive and escape the mass execution. We didn't stay long here either as there was an inexplainable heaviness we felt inside the grounds. 

Mitra’s Ranch 

Photo credit: thepoortraveller

Owned by the family of the late Senator Ramon Mitra, this piece of land is perched on Sta. Monica Heights, which offers a stunning view of the city. Their stable of horses is grand (and so are the thoroughbreds they own), so we heard. But that's off limits to public scrutiny of course. Only the front part of their property is open to tourists. Most of the Mitra estate is kept private, understandably, for security reasons.

Baker's Hill 

Photo credit: thepoortraveller

Who goes home from a trip without the much-awaited pasalubong? It is a tradition that is genetic code of the Pinoy travellers whose national pastime is picture-taking. Baker's Hill, located in Sta. Monica, is situated on a hill hence the name. It is a popular stopover where tourists can hoard over local delicacies for their pasalubongs. Past their bakeshop is a well-tended garden that weaves through a mini-theme park that provides a very good background for photo ops. It was like a small Christmas village with all the trimmings -- except that it was not Christmas then. 

Homebound 

Palawan is an archipelagic island in the MIMAROPA Region and is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. Puerto Princesa, while classified as a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region, has a quaint rustic charm juxtaposed with modernity you just can't help getting addicted to.  

While future itineraries (after the pandemic of course) include San Vicente, Coron and El Nido (the last two being lesser options because everyone seems to have them on top of their priority list), Puerto Princesa will always be an “unforgettable first time” – one whose memory urges you to come back for more. We will… 

 

Soon.

MUSINGS OF A CERTIFIED MALL RAT (Part 2)

The evolution (in terms of branding and marketing) of modern day malls has gone several notches higher since its early manifestation because of crippling competition by reigning top brass entrepreneurs: Sy, Ayala, Gokongwei and the Double Dragon partnership of Injap Sia and Tony Tan Caktiong (concentrated in the Visayas/Mindanao regions), to name a few.

TRIVIA: In 2014, SM North Edsa in Quezon City was known to have the largest (1.5MW) solar power system installed on a shopping mall in the world.

SM Prime Holdings, with its flagship SM Supermalls, lords it over the pack by a mile for decades now and it looks like it will stay that way for a very long while. Their SMDC sister company is concentrating primarily on constructing strategically located condominiums in the metro -- high risers sprouting like mushrooms in A1 areas for accessibility. With the doomed reality of nerve-wracking and unrelenting day-to-day traffic congestion everywhere, yuppies deem it wise to rent or own condo units near their places of work. Stress-free nga naman ito. Kaya nga nag-boom all of a sudden ang ganitong business...

TRIVIA: The five-level Ayala Malls Manila Bay (in Pasay City – the land of international airports and casinos) is the biggest Ayala Mall to date at 400,000 square meters. Among its most notable features: a 10-theater cinema on its upper floor, and a sprawling one-hectare central garden outside its grounds.

The Ayala Group of Companies -- which have diversified into building condos decades ago long before the think-tanks of Henry Sy mulled about it -- has found their rightful niché in that remunerative area.

They have also invested in environment and family-friendly state-of-the-art malls with well-manicured gardens and mini parks... toe-to-toe, eyeball-to-eyeball with their No. 1 adversary... that (slowly but surely) are gaining ground, placing a close second to Henry Sy's mammoth malls. Their Trinoma spread is fast catching up with neighboring SM North, snaring a sizeable consumer market share in the process. Ikaw na ang maging pedestrian stop ng MRT EDSA.

TRIVIA: Robinsons Land Corporation wanted to build a commercial development on an acquired lot along Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City. This piece of land was special – it was the former site of the original Magnolia Ice Cream House, which was torn down to make way for Robinsons Magnolia. This, of course, broke the hearts of many who used to frequent the iconic ice cream parlor.

Not far off the bend are the Gokongwei-owned Robinsons malls located in conspicuous locations: Ortigas Center, Pedro Gil, Aurora Blvd., Metro East, Novaliches, Otis, Malabon... to name some of its biggest branches.

 

Mall Groceries

SM Hypermarket has entrenched itself as the leader (in all aspects) among all competitors. Knowing that a sizeable amount of family resources is allotted for groceries, and to keep their loyal followers happy and satisfied, SM now has two prerequisite “they've-got-it-all” groceries in their selected city malls. Money-rakers ang groceries. We all know that...

They also have Save More, a smaller but very well-stocked grocery in every conceivable busy corner of the Metro. Of course, who is not to exclude the presence of Watson's which is now clearly visible outside of the malls, too. According to an insider, Henry "Tatang" Sy's vision is “SM every 5 minutes”. This means that, as you drive along major thoroughfares, you'll be seeing “an SM entity” -- be it a mall, condominium, convenience store, drugstore, bank, etc.

The Gokongweis have Easymart as their answer to SM's build-up that are also located in busy corners and side streets nationwide.

If I may add S&R and Landers, both catering to the affluent crowd with their higher end grocery goodies. Both of these outlets are fast catching up with the leaders in the industry.

 

A Word of Advice

These groceries need to have clear-cut policies re throwing unsold, cut-up veggies and fruits in the dump during closing time. A lot of Filipino families are starving. Instead of throwing excess foodstuff as waste, separate what can be redistributed for consumption and mobilize the local government units (i.e. barangays) to pick them up for distribution to those in need. Kesa itapon nang walang kapararakan. Sayang lang. The world is at the throes of a global food crisis. A viable program on this could help ease the problem.  

 

Convenience Stores

TRIVIA: Tote'm Store (an ice company and convenience store) started in 1927 in Dallas, Texas. Its name changed to 7-Eleven in 1946 to reflect their new store hours—7:00am to 11:00pm—in order to capitalize on the post-World War II economic boom.  It now has more than 55,000 stores worldwide.

As a side story, the convenience store biz pioneered by the 7/Eleven franchise based in Dallas, Texas is worth mentioning. They now have 2,300 (and still growing) plus stores nationwide. The Philippine franchise is exclusively owned by a group of Filipino businessmen.

The Ayalas and Tantocos (of the Rustan’s Group of Companies) have gone the convenience store route culture owning FamilyMart which was recently bought by maverick business mogul Dennis Uy.

Other notable companies are Mini Stop (owned and operated by the Gokongweis) and new player on the block Alfamart (owned by SM).

 

They've Got Everything Inside

Sprawling grocery outlets, modern theaters with Lazy Boy-inspired seats, gadgets hub (laptops, cellphone stores, telecom sales outlets, digital accessories, etc.), hardware stores (Ace, True Value, Handyman), dental and medical clinics (can you believe?), pet grooming, beauty salons, lounging areas for rest and wi-fi connectivity, food courts, sporting goods stores, bills payment centers, art galleries, jewelry stores, furniture shops, car dealership, music stores, salons and barber shops, wellness and health spas, banks ("we find ways" to get your hard-earned money), call centers, chapels (Trinoma's air conditioned glass-walled main chapel is a perfect sanctuary), ice skating rinks, bakeshops, ramen houses and buffet restos (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Mongolian), private and government offices, gyms (Fitness First in SM Aura has already introduced swimming pools as come on), bowling centers, satellite government services (LTO, SSS, DFA, PhilHealth, GSIS, Pag-IBIG, etc.), wheelchair and stroller rentals, koi ponds, penthouse gardens, children's play areas, e-bingo and gaming arcades -- not to forget (am I selling out?) the "multi-nationals" with their fastfood joints.

Jollibee, Chow King, Mang Inasal, Burger King, Yoshinoya, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (all owned exclusively by the Tan Caktiong consortium), Max's group (Pancake House, Teriyaki Boy, Dencio's, Le Couer de France, Yellow Cab, Krispy Kreme, Max's House [“the house that fried chicken built”]), McDonald's, Starbucks [my fam's go-to public work space], Shakey's, Pizza Hut, North Park, Tropical Hut (which started the burger culture in the country... nakaplato pa ang burger noon), Dunkin’ Donuts (now re-branded as Dunkin'), Tokyo Tokyo, Hap Chan, Savory, Taco Bell, KFC, Kenny Rogers, Bon Chon, etc. Did I forget your fave place? These food outlets keep the ever-burgeoning mall business afloat year in, year out. Food has remained the No. 1 go-to thing for the mall-loving Pinoys. Masarap tayong kumain... me included!

Current Situation

But the current COVID-19 pandemic has caused a big dent in their daily take. Plenty of mall shops/restos were forced to reduce their workforce or stop operation. Who wants to gamble and wait until everything comes back to normal which is unforeseeable in the future.

Grocery stores are the only outlets standing tall and proud for these malls who have streamlined their operations, maintaining a handful of employees as skeletal forces. People need to buy food essentials -- fresh meat, veggies, canned goods, fish, fruits -- the prices of which are skyrocketing lately.

We don't know when movies will make a return of the comeback to entertain us once again. Or will it ever be? We also don't know if everything will still be the same as before. These are crazy times indeed, truly unprecedented in the history of mankind...

 

 

80's ROCK SINGLES PLAYLIST PART 2

Had a rather hard time choosing from a bumper crop of diverse genres that permeated the 80's rock scene. Nonetheless, it was all worth it. Loaded kasi siya. Post-punk, new wave, movie themes, jazz rock, synth-pop, adult contemporary, straight up (and stripped down) rock and everything else in between more than made up for my part 2 blog entry. The Pinoy Rock music scene had a languid run though, save for the punk movement that banged (and barged!) its way into the 80's care of Tommy Tanchangco's Twisted Red Cross. Special mention goes to the Urban Bandits, Betrayed, Wuds and Philippine Violators for being at the forefront of the 80's sudden burst of activities. Dear friends, enjoy this playlist in these unresolved virus-laden times even if some of you might lock horns with my choices. I say touché...

discogs.com

🌻"Sweet Child o' Mine"/Guns n' Roses (1987). Off Appetite for Destruction LP, and garnering 1B YouTube views, this one features the prototypical Slash riff and is just right for our opening salvo...

🌻"Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2)"/Pink Floyd (1980). The video sarcastically condemning regimented schooling created a global uproar. This protest song sparked debates all over, and was even banned in some countries; written by bassist Roger Waters: "We don't need no educashonnn!"; The Wall was officially released in Nov. 1979...

amazon.com

🌻"A Girl in Trouble"/Romeo Void (1984). Formed in San Francisco by saxophonist Benjamin Bossi off their Instincts album featuring vocals by Debora Iyall; a classic case of one-hit wonder group; funked up.

🌻"Steppin' Out"/Joe Jackson (1982). 12M views; JJ plays piano in his hotel room in the vid; "We/So tired of all the darkness in our lives/With no more angry words to say/Can come alive/Get into a car and drive/To the other side"; surreal...

🌻"Mad World"/Tears for Fears (1983). "And I find it kind of funny/I find it kind of sad"; we're now living in a f...ed up world that we mistreated for so long.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"You're the Best Thing"/The Style Council (1984). Led by Paul Weller -- formerly of punk rock/new wave/mod revival band The Jam; from Café Bleu; one of my esteemed soulful/suave/sophisticated/silky smooth/charming/chillax/relaxed/no frills/poised crooners. Nobody comes close.

🌻"Roam"/The B-52's (1989). Lamierda mode dapat after 'house arrest': "Roam if you want to/Roam around the world" except in Wuhan, of course!

🌻"Brass in Pocket"/The Pretenders (1980).The vid features Chrissie Hynde as a waitress with a big crush on someone who's inconsiderate of her feelings. Wapakels...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Jojo"/Boz Scaggs (1980). Featuring Toto members as sidemen; from Middle Man and about pimping: "His baby stays high/Got to keep her sweet/He keeps her just right/Keeps her on the street"; sinkupado.

🌻"I Melt with You"/Modern English (1982). A time-honored new wave hymn care of this group from Sussex, England; "I'll stop the world and melt with you." Rhetorical words to impress the young girls. Boladas-to-the-max!

🌻"The One I Love"/R.E.M. (1987). Sparks (parang lusis) all over the 24M views video; from Document; use this chord pattern Em--D--Em---- for the verses; "A simple prop to occupy my time."

genius.com

🌻"Wasted on the Way"/Crosby, Stills & Nash (1981). Written by Graham Nash off Daylight Again; "I am older now/I have more than what I wanted/But I wish that I had started/Long before I did." Started what?

🌻"Never You Done That"/General Public (1984). Formed by vocalists Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger who passed on at 56; my niece's (her name is Michelle) most-loved 😍 tune.

discogs.com

🌻"I'll Be Over You"/Toto (1986). Brothers Mike (bass) and Jeff Porcaro (drums) both passed on in their prime; trivia: toto is Spanish slang for vagina; written by Randy Goodrum and Steve Lukather: "As soon as forever is true/I'll be over you." The perfect break-up song. Hugot galore pa more!

🌻"Need You Tonight"/INXS (1987). 21M views; lead singer Michael Hutchence was found dead in 1997 in Sydney, Australia. Cause of death: suicide by hanging; INXS was formed by the Farrish brothers in 1977; danceable groove.

🌻"Everyday I Write the Book"/Elvis Costello & the Attractions (1983). Londoner EC had always been vocal about his reverence for the Beatles, just like countless musicians of our time; post-punk singer/guitarist/songwriter...

🌻"The Killing Moon"/Echo & the Bunnymen (1984). The balalaika (Russian guitar) intro is amazeballs; off Ocean Rain.

🌻"Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)"/The Icicle Works (1984). English alt rock band; their name was derived from "The Day the Icicle Works Closed" by science fiction author Frederik Pohl; new wave entry.

🌻"So Far Away"/Dire Straits (1985). Written by leader Mark Knopfler off Brothers in Arms; country-flavored; "I'm tired of making out on the telefone"...perfect line for social distancing. Layu-layo muna!

discogs.com

🌻"Here I Go Again"/Whitesnake (1982). Written by David Coverdale (formerly of Deep Purple) and Benny Marsden, this glam rock -- characterized by spandex, long, curly and teased hair, multi-colored outfits, heavy make up, screeching vocals -- ballad brought in big bucks for the group. I say DC copped out bigtime!...

🌻"Avalon"/Bryan Ferry (1982). The vid features a Barbie look-alike model; written by Bryan Ferry: "When the samba takes you/Out of nowhere/And the background's fading/Out of focus"; BF could have branched out as a GQ model or an actor while still hot. Sobrang guwapo, eh.

🌻"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"/U2 (1987). "I have spoke with the tongue of angels/I have held the hand of the devil/It was warm in the night/I was cold as a stone" -- poetic lines from the ever-infallible Bono...

discogs.com

🌻"I Love Rock 'n' Roll/Joan Jett & the Blackhearts (1981). Another classic case of one-hit wonder group; original songwriter Allan Merrill died on March 2020.

🌻"Don't You Want Me/Human League (1981). Danceable synth-pop off their Dare album; from Sheffield, England.

🌻"Girlfriend in a Coma"/The Smiths (1987). From Strangeways, Here We Come; "There were times when I could have strangled her." Typical Morrissey...

🌻"West End Girls"/Pet Shop Boys (1984). The PSB are Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe; "In a west end town a dead-end world."

🌻"Addicted to Love"/Robert Palmer (1985). Roots rock, blues rock, pub rock; he died at 54 in Paris, France in 2003. Cause of death: heart attack. Really now...

amazon.com

🌻"People Are People"/Depeche Mode (1984). For the uninformed: depeche is pronounced depeshi or dipesh; their name (derived from a French magazine) means "fast fashion" or "fashion dispatch"; Dave Gahan (vocals) and Martin Gore (vocals, guitar) led this synth-heavy/new wave/dance group.

🌻"I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)"/Donald Fagen (1982). From The Nightfly; "What a beautiful world this will be/What a glorious time to be free"; a must-play album for these crazy times; jazzy.

🌻"One Thing Leads to Another"/The Fixx (1982). Infectious groove...

discogs.com

🌻"Here Comes the Rain Again/Eurythmics (1983). "I want to dive into your ocean/Is it raining with you?" Double entendré lines, don't you agree? Hmm...

🌻"Hurts So Good"/John Cougar Mellencamp (1982). Heartland music from American Fool; "Sink your teeth right through my bones, baby"...gigil time!

🌻"Back in Black"/AC/DC (1980). The group's name means that a business starts being profitable again. It also means chickboy (or chickgirl): pwede sa chick, pwede sa boy; guitarist Angus Young -- always in shorts and coat and tie -- never ceases to steal the show with his jaw-dropping antics onstage.

🌻"I Want to Know What Love Is"/Foreigner (1984). Transatlantic Brit-American group formed in New York and London led by vocalist Lou Gramm (from U.S.). Best of both worlds.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"You May Be Right"/Billy Joel (1980). "Remember how I found you there/Alone in your electric chair/I told you dirty jokes until you smiled"; upbeat.

🌻"Square Rooms"/Al Corley (1984). "They don't listen/They don't care/If a man is in despair"; to all the city dormers whose parents are from far-flung provinces, I sympathize with you in these troubled times...

🌻"Love Vigilantes"/New Order (1985). Ian Curtis (vocals) and Bernard Sumner (guitar/keyboards) formed Joy Division -- their first band before NO -- after seeing the Sex Pistols in concert; "I want to see my family/My wife and child waiting for me/I've got to go home/I've been so alone, you see" -- a soldier's plea...

imgflip.com

🌻"Sunglasses at Night"/Corey Hart (1983). From First Offense; Canadian CH could easily pass off as an actor.

🌻"Boys Don't Cry"/The Cure (1980). "So I try to laugh about it/Cover it all up with lies"; formed in West Sussex by guitarist/singer/songwriter Robert Smith (the only constant group member) in 1978.

🌻"Modern Love"/David Bowie (1983). From Let's Dance album; "There's no sign of life/It's just the power to charm/Still lying in the wind/But I never wave bye-bye"; rest in eternal peace, David. Thanks for the music...

discogs.com

🌻"Open Arms"/Journey (1981). Songwriters: vocalist Steve Perry and keyboardist Jonathan Cain; "Lying (laing) beside you/Here in the dark." Tsalap niyan!

🌻"Summer of 69"/Bryan Adams (1984). "Man we were killin' time/We were young and restless/We needed to unwind"; from Reckless; BA is singer/songwriter/record producer/guitarist/photographer/philanthropist/activist all rolled into one.

🌻"Promises, Promises"/Naked Eyes (1983). "Arm in arm we laughed like kids/At all the silly things we did"; galaw-galaw tayo, baka masobrahan sa lockdown...

🌻"How Soon Is Now"/The Smiths (1984). Used in the TV hit series Charmed (been watching this with my kids) starring Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty and Holly Marie Combs; off Hatful of Hollow from the blokes of Manchester, England; "I am human and I need to be loved/Just like everybody else does."

🌻"Roll With It"/Steve Winwood (1988). Written by famed songwriters E. Holland, L. Dozier, B. Holland, W. Jennings, Steve Winwood -- names I often encounter in JINGLE before; from Virgin Records owned by business mogul Richard Branson who leads roughly 400 different companies around the world. Walang-wala...

smule.com

🌻"Baby Can I Hold You"/Tracy Chapman (1988). From her self-titled Elektra debut that also features "Fast Cars" and "Talking 'Bout a Revolution"; a colored folk rock artist, truly a rare find indeed! Parang Jimi Hendrix lang.

🌻"Amanda"/Boston (1986). Released six years after it was recorded; reached No.1 in Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in Nov. 1986 and written by do-it-all guy Tom Scholz who used a 12-string guitar for this.

🌻"Dance Hall Days/Wang Chung (1983). Nominated for MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist; from Points on the Curve.

🌻"Don't Stop Believin' "/Journey (1981). "Just a small town girl/Livin' in a lonely world/She took the midnight train goin' anywhere"; written by Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry and Neil Schon; faultless arena rock cut.

discogs.com

🌻"Solitude Standing"/Suzanne Vega (1987). Alt rock; "And she turns to me with her hands extended/Her palm is split with a flower with a flame"; angsty and guitar-driven.

🌻"In Between Days"/The Cure (1985). Writer: Robert Smith; "Yesterday away from you/It froze me down deep inside"; read somewhere that his bouffant 'do is a wig. Malamang! Many other old hand rockers have hair transplants though.

🌻"Englishman in New York"/Sting (1988). 192M YouTube views; from ...Nothing Like the Sun, and featuring Branford Marsalis on soprano sax; the b&w video features world renowned British author Quentin Crisp (the subject of this song) who migrated to NY to escape England's discriminatory treatment of gay men...

🌻"When I See You Smile"/Bad English (1989). By battle-scarred Hollywood songwriter Diane Warren; all-star group: Cain, Schon, Castronovo (all from Journey) with Ricky Phillips (Styx, The Babys) on bass and John Waite on vocals.

🌻"The Flame"/Cheap Trick (1988). Formed in Illinois, U.S. and led by Robin Zander (vocals) and Rick Nielsen (guitar) off Lap of Luxury.

🌻"The Love Parade"/The Dream Academy (1985). 298K views. Payat! YouTube wasn't around then; "Oh, the love parade goes on/Even when you're gone/It'll go on forever."

en.wikipedia.org

🌻Mega-sellers: "Livin' on a Prayer"/Bon Jovi (1986); "Can't Fight This Feeling"/REO Speedwagon (1984); "Another One Bites the Dust"/Queen (1980); "With or Without You"/U2 (1987); "Every Breath You Take"/The Police (1987); "Let's Groove"/Earth, Wind & Fire (1981); "Dancing in the Dark"/Bruce Springsteen (1984); "Inspector Mills"/America (1982); "True" and "Gold"/Spandau Ballet (1983); "Whatever We Imagine" (1981) and "There's No Easy Way"/James Ingram (1983); "Heaven"/Bryan Adams (1984); "Alone"/Heart (1987).

🌻"Cum on Feel the Noize"/Quiet Riot (1983). Founded by guitarist Randy Rhoades; "So you think my singing's out of time/It makes me money." You can also criticize the way I look, but hey...I earn big bucks more than you. I also get all the pretty girls...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"These Dreams"/Heart (1986). "Is it cloak and dagger/Could it be spring or fall/I walk without a cut/Through a stained glass wall." The first line means espionage, mystery or secrecy; led by sisters Ann (singer) and Nancy Wilson (guitar).

🌻"Rebel Yell"/Billy Idol (1983). "In the midnight hour/She cried more, more, more." Nabitin?

🌻"Shattered Dreams"/Johnny Hates Jazz (1988). "You said you'd die for me"; led by songwriter/keyboardist/vocalist Clark Datchler; the b&w video has 8.1M views.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Whip It"/Devo (1980). "Crack that whip/Give the past the slip/Step on a crack/Break your momma's back"; from Freedom of Choice; devo is slang for devastated.

🌻"We Got the Beat"/The Go-Go's (1981). This group has produced Belinda Carlisle and Jane Wiedlin who both had illustrious (sakto lang) solo careers in the 80's.

🌻"Owner of a Lonely Heart"/Yes (1983). Vet Brit prog/art rock progenitors since 1968; brilliant!

🌻"Back in the High Life Again"/Steve Winwood (1986). "It used to seem to me/That my life ran on too fast"; the mandolin adds a different dimension to the song.

imdb.com

🌻"Money Changes Everything"/Cyndi Lauper (1983). Written by Thomas Gray from her She's So Unusual debut album; they say it is the root of all evil. I say amen to that!

🌻"The More You Live, the More You Love"/A Flock of Seagulls (1984). The video's seaside setting with matching flying seagulls is absolutely flawless; off The Story of a Young Heart.

🌻"Synchronicity II"/The Police (1983). The Mad Max-inspired video features wind blown papers; The Police played their final gig for Amnesty International in 1986. Sting then went solo after that...although his first output The Dream of the Blue Turtles was released in 1985.

🌻"Just Can't Get Enough"/Depeche Mode (1981). "It's getting hotter/It's a burning love/And I just can't seem to get enough of"; computerized dance music.

discogs.com

🌻"Always Something There to Remind Me"/Naked Eyes (1983). Written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach and originally recorded by various female acts in the 60's; off Burning Bridges.

🌻"Der Komissar"/After the Fire (1982). Originally done by Austrian Falco; disco-inflected.

🌻Best of 80's movie themes: "Footloose"/Kenny Loggins (1984) starring Kevin Bacon; "Fame"/Irene Cara (1980) who also stars in the movie; "La Bamba"/Ritchie Valens (1987) starring Fil-Am Lou Diamond Phillips; "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)"/Christopher Cross (1981) starring Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli in Arthur; "Flashdance...What a Feeling"/Irene Cara and "Maniac"/Michael Sembello (1983) starring Jennifer Beals; "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"/Phil Collins (1984) starring Rachel Ward and Jeff Bridges; "Sweet Freedom"/Michael McDonald (1986) used in Running Scared starring Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines; "Pretty in Pink"/The Psychedelic Furs (1986) starring Molly Ringwald; "It Might Be You"/Stephen Bishop (1982) from Tootsie starring Dustin Hoffman.

discogs.com

🌻"Sunday Morning"/The Bolshoi (1986). A subtle jab at Catholicism: "Oh, how we'd kneel down/Oh, we were so quiet/Never any light there/I don't care/It's not right there"; I'm keeping my mouth shut...

🌻" Freeze Frame"/J. Geils Band (1981). From Massachusetts and formed by guitarist John "J." Geils; fronted by enigmatic performer Peter Wolf who married and divorced actress Faye Dunaway in the 70's. Rockers attract drop-dead gorgeous models, too...

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"Taken In"/Mike & the Mechanics (1985). Led by former Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford; written by Mike Rutherford and Christopher Neil; a personal fave I never get tired listening to.

🌻"Missing You"/John Waite (1984). Reached No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100; he is from Lancaster, UK; 22M views; JW is a deadringer for Redford White (RIP). Don't you think so?

🌻"Beds Are Burning"/Midnight Oil (1987). Off Diesel and Dust; "How do we sleep while our beds are burning?" asks this Aussie band.

discogs.com

🌻"Wishful Thinking"/China Crisis (1983). Led by Gary Daly and Eddie Lundon; "And if I wish to comfort the fall/It's just wishful thinking"; China has not only created a worldwide crisis...they even disrupted everyone's lives...

🌻"Never Surrender"/Corey Hart (1985). CH faded into oblivion after having three certified hits to his name...

🌻"I Love You"/Climax Blues Band (1980). Classic rock love song by this Brit band
from Flying the Flag; "Thanks again for being my friend/And straightening out my life."

genius.com

🌻"Down Under"/Men at Work (1981). From Business as Usual; led by Colin Hay (singer/guitar).

🌻"When Smokey Sings"/ABC (1987). "When Smokey sings, I hear violins"; off Alphabet City; paying homage to legendary Motown act Smokey Robinson.

pinterest.com

🌻"Big in Japan"/Alphaville (1984). German synth-pop group; "Neon on my naked skin, passing silhouettes/Of strange illuminated mannequins."

🌻"Sowing the Seeds of Love"/Tears for Fears (1989). This Beatlesque cut was written by Ian Stanley and Roland Orzabal and has 77M views; "Politician granny with your high ideals/Have you no idea how the majority feels/So without love and a promised land/We're fools to the rules of the government plan/Kick out the style, bring back the jam, yeah, yeah."

🌻"German Girl"/The Lotus Eaters (1984). From No Sense of Sin; "German girl, through you I have learnt/German girl, through you I want to go."

🌻"A Little Respect"/Erasure (1984). Extensively promoted by the Universal Motion Dancers in the 80's on national television.

🌻"You Can't Get What You Want"/Joe Jackson (1984). JJ is also proficient in sax playing; from Body and Soul.

en.wikipedia.org

🌻"I Keep Forgettin' "/Michael McDonald (1982). Jazzy and upbeat; arguably the best male vocalist of our time.

🌻"Old and Wise"/Alan Parsons Project (1982). Haunting (and lilting) ballad written by Alan Parsons and Eric Woolfson and sang by Zombie Colin Blunstone (unlisted); "As far as my eyes can see/There are shadows approaching me."

🌻"It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"/Billy Joel (1980). From Glass Houses; edgy songwriting from the New Yorker.

🌻"Hey Nineteen"/Steely Dan (1980). From Gaucho; "The Cuervo gold/The fine Colombian/Make tonight a wonderful thing"; eargasmic; great tequila promo...

amazon.com

🌻"They Dance Alone"/Sting (1987). Protest song from ...Nothing Like the Sun; the metaphor refers to mourning women who dance the Cueca -- Chile's national dance -- alone with photos of their disappeared loved ones (desaparecidos) in their hands. Tsk tsk...

🌻"Once Upon a Long Ago"/Paul McCartney (1987). The b&w MTV and colored animation were intermittently mixed together; discovered this gem of a song rather late; "Picking up scales and broken chords"; ballad from the master songweaver.

🌻"The Love Shack"/The B-52's (1989). The group's name is slang for exaggerated "bouffant" hairdos.

een.wikipediaa.org

🌻"Overjoyed"/Stevie Wonder (1985). Jazzy; just one of those unfading SW hits...walang pagkalaos.

🌻"Never Die Young"/James Taylor (1988). "Snychronized with the rising moon/Even with the evening star"; another late song discovery of mine...

🌻"Somebody"/Bryan Adams (1984). Written by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance; the staccato guitar riff is funk rock at its finest...

🌻"Cities in Dust"/Siouxsie and the Banshees (1985). Irish legend says that a banshee is a female spirit whose wailing warns of an impending death in the house.

🌻"Mad World"/Tears for Fears (1983). From The Hurting and written by Roland Orzabal; "All around me are familiar faces/Worn out places, worn out faces."

🌻"Something About You"/Level 42 (1985). Jazz funk, sophisti-pop from World Machine; led by Mark King (vocals/bass); 5M views.

hollywoodreporter.com

🌻"Ebony and Ivory"/Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder (1982). Universal in its appeal; two geniuses of our time collaborate: "We all know that people are the same wherever you go."

amazon.com

🌻"Agila (Haring Ibon)"/Joey Ayala at ang Bagong Lumad (1981). In times of uncertainty, we dream: "Nais kong lumipad tulad ng agila/At lumutang-lutang sa hangin"; from Panganay ng Umaga; perfect for concluding this playlist...