While many poorly crafted singles receive airplay or social media attention, some songs from the past were released without fanfare but deserved recognition.
Music fans should unearth great records and songs instead of just letting them be spoon-fed by cheap trends, weak songwriting, and bad performances. Here are some lost gold tracks I recall hearing
Memories by Eyescream
I was introduced to this band’s music by a friend who supported indie acts. I quickly noticed that this song is a brilliant showcase of hard rock, carried through good melody writing and song arrangement. The singing is very effective, too.
In My Prison by IV of Spades
I recall the moment the late great sound engineer Not Vinzons allowed me to listen to a song recorded by this band minus their lead singer, who went solo. It sounded like Duran Duran to me, and that’s a major compliment.
Bid Your Love by Sitti
The country’s bossa nova queen tried her hand at another genre. The result is a sexy piece that could have been big if listeners were open to letting Sitti step out of the genre she’s been associated with ever since.
Baka Sakali by Jay Jimenez
This acoustic piece earned some airplay but did not become as popular as it should have. Composition-wise, it is stylish; when you get to the chorus, you have to sing like a rapper. The tune has good recall and very relatable lyrics, like “na-low batt na ang cellphone ko / Pati pasensya’y naglaho.” The public missed out on this.
Happiness by Menaya
This track has a catchy chorus, and I must say, you can’t go wrong with a song that sounds like an ’80s gem.
Sa Sinehan by The Freesouls
Ted Reyes and the rest of the band may have scored a big hit with this if they had released their recording during their major label run in the late ’90s. Too bad they only put out one album, and their sophomore offering, Flowers For The Soul, which contained this song, was shelved—no thanks to a previous single, “Yatehan,” being frowned upon by some FM radio stations. The album, which I consider better than Shindig, was uploaded to digital stores in 2014. At least the whole thing has become available for fans like me to enjoy.
Pangako by True Faith
This song came too late for Medwin Marfil’s band because, by the time of its release, the group’s days as a hit-making machine were long over. Not that they couldn’t come up with new hits, but their peak period had already sailed. Had they recorded this in the ’90s, it would have been in the league of hits like “Alaala” or “Sa Puso Ko.” It is a brilliant song with a good keyboard riff and sweet chorus, with Medwin’s voice smoothly riding the line “Sa delubyong naranasan nitong pagod na puso.”
You Make Me by Eraserheads
It’s a pity that this track had to be released via a compilation of indie artists when in fact it features 75 percent of Eraserheads and was released under the name Eheads—minus one key member, Ely Buendia. Yes, it’s practically an Eraserheads release without its chief songwriter and lead singer. Subjectively, the track has a charm that makes it strong enough to have been included on the group’s final album, Carbon Stereoxide. We can imagine Ely’s voice on it, and it may have been a legit Eraserheads single. In fairness to the female singer on the track, Kris Gorra-Dancel gave justice to the song and made it sound sexy.
