Despite its outstanding craftsmanship, singles stalled at the charts while record sales floundered. To make matters worse, Jimmy was castigated by the press for being candid and confident – an impression that unfairly paints him as "cocky and overly confident."
"I was devastated. My self-esteem sank so low that I didn’t see the point of writing songs anymore," Jimmy recalls.
But the fighter that he is, Jimmy brushed gloom aside and found therapy in doing live gigs with his band, Essence. People’s reception, however, was ambivalent.
"They didn’t know whether I was R&B, alternative or pop. In truth, I listen to all these genres so eclecticism couldn’t be helped. My set always included songs that I love but are totally outside the trend. Most would just stare at me while a few would nod in appreciation. I realized that if only I could find people who like the same music I do, then I would have galvanized my own market," says Jimmy.
On the day his record contract lapsed, Jimmy took advantage of the freedom it afforded him, and that very same night, wrote a song totally removed from anything he had done. One that he had yearned to do but was never given the chance. The one song that would change his career forever – Let Me Be The One – has become the anthem of lovers all over the country.
"The success of that song was a total surprise to me. Unlike past efforts, Let Me Be The One was not crafted to become a hit song. In fact, I just recorded it at home because I never intended to release it commercially. I was at my lowest point and visions of success were farthest from my mind," Jimmy reveals.
But the fighter in him never gave up. Armed with demo CDs of Let Me Be The One, wrapped in crumpled bond paper held together by scotch tapes, Jimmy went from one radio station to another hoping DJs will play his song.
"It’s true," Jimmy narrates laughing. "DJ Eric Perpetua of Wave 89.1 – who broke the song in the station – had to literally pick it up from the trash can. I guess Eric was intrigued by the lyrics I wrote on the bond paper. He read one line, then another until he read the whole thing. Eric liked the words so much he gave the disc a spin, expecting the usual good lyrics but lousy melody."
But Eric loved everything about the song so much he presented it to station manager Joe D’ Mango as fast as the eject button of the CD player would allow. Having secured approval, Eric called up Jimmy and played the song on air minutes later.
Within a week, Let Me Be The One shot to No. 1 and stayed for six more weeks. The tides had finally turned.
"It’s one thing for me to hear my song on air. But to see it go straight to No. 1? I felt vindicated. It made all the times I spent wishing on stars worth it," Jimmy enthuses.
Surprisingly, Jimmy refused record offers from major labels. When others would have cashed in on the instant fame the song brought about, this singer-songwriter opted to ride out the hoopla and concentrated instead on serving up an album that would meet the strictest standards – his.
"I didn’t want to put out an album I wouldn’t be proud of. Resources were low and the inspiration to write songs took a while. I wasn’t about to deplete the family savings just to come up with an album. More importantly, I hated the idea of coming up with half-baked music," he shares.
Following the same formula that worked for Let Me Be The One, Jimmy wrote songs at his own leisurely pace and recorded at home.
"I’d be up at 3 a.m. just writing and writing. Most songs were unfinished while some did not even get past the first verse. For recording, I relied on an almost obsolete computer, some semi-professional microphones and a hose to keep the dogs from barking in the middle of sessions. Hisses and pops were left untouched because, they felt right," Jimmy narrates.
The result is the most unadulterated work people will hear from Jimmy. Dubbed as Musikero, the CD is a 10-track study of how quiet moments can be harnessed into tour de force events.
"I like the simplicity and honesty of acoustic music. I also like the amount of control it affords the source. When I do acoustic, nothing comes between the music and the audience. They are two hearts speaking to each other: the singer and listener. How do you beat a connection like that?" Jimmy muses.
Among the songs in Musikero, released under BMG records Pilipinas are Wish You Were Mine, Akin Na Lang Sana Siya, Balang Araw Minette, Knowing That You’re Coming Over, Hahanapin Kita, Safe Place and the lead single The Man I Was With You.
"I don’t know if people will like my music or not; I’ll never know the answer if I don’t go out there and do what my heart tells me to. Whatever it is, I’ll take my chances, " Jimmy declares.