"JINGLE Magazine helps me remember this wonderful thing called the 70s." -DENNIS GARCIA

👍 So thankful to hear from you, DENNIS GARCIA of Hotdog. We are deeply privileged. Your memories (with accompanying photos) of the 70s as JINGLE's happy days will forever be etched in our💕.  --The JINGLE Clan 

When I was a teener, it was a ritual... a habit to go and grab the latest issue of JINGLE Magazine -- the default music bible of all Pinoy rockers who matter.

It gave me the latest tidbits on the music scene…chords to songs I couldn't zifra…and a look at my then biggest-crush-in-the-world…the magazine's image model, 16-year-old Myra Mendoza.

Today, JINGLE Magazine helps me remember this wonderful thing called the 70s.

 

Let me reminisce with you my unforgettable memories and thoughts.

 

Night after night, you had the finest Pinoy musicians performing at a nearby club -- you heard right, every club was nearby since the phrase ‘traffic jam’ didn’t exist then.

So off you’d go to Rino’s on Roxas Boulevard to catch Boy Camara & Afterbirth performing their Elton John set -- Honky Cat, Take Me to the Pilot, Your Song…

Immediately following was the red-hot Emil Mijares & Time Machine with Celeste Legaspi and Anthony Castelo on vocals.

One sure thing, you ALWAYS got your money’s worth since three or four other bands were on the same bill including Pink & Purple or Bits & Pieces rocking the ‘stay in’ night away with solid tunes from Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Jethro Tull and Yes.

If soul music was more your bag, it’s off to Flame (down the road) with resident band Andre Wilson and the Howlers doing a string of James Brown hits and an occasional Tower of Power ditty.

A little farther down the road, Eduardo’s beckons with the Sangkatutak Band featuring Richard Merck and Ivy Violan.

For a bit of senti music, your destination can only be Wells Fargo… where the New Minstrels held court.

Over at Romulus, you can catch the Downbeats with the Juan dela Cruz triumvirate of Joey "Pepe" Smith(+), Wally Gonzalez and Mike Hanopol.

  

Or you can detour to Calesa Bar at the Hyatt where Bong Penera & Batucada transformed every night into samba night.

Your ‘pilgrimage’ wouldn’t be complete without dropping by Pension Pilipina in Ermita for a dose of Circus (wow, Boy Katindig, Walter Calinawan(+), Gerry Paraiso(+), Paco Gamboa(+), Rudy Lozano(+), Ray-an Fuentes, Basil Valdez, Richard Tann(+), Hajji Alejandro, Pat Castillo, Jacqui Magno, Ceres Jacinto and two Fil-Ams from SFO) who made you drool with a heart-stopping Earth, Wind & Fire set.

Before there was Hotdog, there was Red Fox (brothers Rene(+) and Dennis Garcia – 2^nd row center and rightmost - respectively) --
the Pinoy Rock band that was the darlings of Waikiki (Hawaii) in the 70s.

If you’re feeling extravagant and really want to impress a date, the only place to be seen in is at Third Eye (by the side of Luneta Hotel) with Philly group, Masters of Time, alternating with local rock band Red Fox.  Almost every night, you’ll catch a glimpse of blaxploitation actress Pam Grier dancing the night away. A special treat for patrons was Sam Peak, sax player of Masters of Time (and future member of Philadelphia’s MFSB) jamming with Red Fox. Imagine the sound of the Stones/Hendrix punctuated and pummelled by an Afro-American sax player as big and menacing as Muhammad Ali.

Those were the golden days of Pinoy ‘live’ music when bands were diverse, daring, distinctive… long before the scene became boring and -- turned comatose -- to the tune of Michael Jacskon’s “Happy”.

Those were the happy days of JINGLE.

DENNIS D. GARCIA

Strategy&Magic

http://www.facebook.com/chubiboDENNIS