A Cascade of Nostalgia

A cascade of nostalgia — all from a trickle of hope.

Last year, when concert producers Steve O’Neal and Long Tall Howard were out riding around with the Friends of Distinction during their first Manila tour, a Cascades song came up on the radio, prompting O’Neal to remark, "If you could find those guys, I’d really love to bring them here."

Little did they know that then-session guitarist Chuck Crews had recently recorded with Cascades frontman John Gummoe, and was more than willing to act as their bridge.

Armed with that vital link, O’Neal finally tracked down Gummoe in Los Angeles summer last year and broached the idea of a reunion tour in Manila. As the 66-year-old Gummoe recalls, "I actually turned Steve down initially, because I knew it was a lot of work getting the group together. But the more I thought about it, and when he went back in October and talked some more, I thought we’d give it a shot."

But getting the group’s nod turned out to be a piece of cake compared to the more gargantuan task ahead: convincing their Manila-based fans that the band members are alive and well, contrary to the persistent rumor that they figured in a plane crash decades earlier.

Looking all hale and hearty during their press conference at the Holiday Inn Galleria earlier this week, original Cascades members John Gummoe, Tony Grasso and Gabe Lapano (with session guitarist and musical director Chuck Crews) promptly squelched the issue. Gummoe admits he has no idea how the story started, only that it originated and spread in Asia.

Despite a 30 year hiatus, the group’s seamless vocal harmonies showed no signs of slack, judging from their impromptu a capella performance. "I’ve been told my age and my voice don’t quite jive well," Gummoe quipped. "I’ve been very lucky my voice has held up because I sing all the time."

The last time the Cascades performed together was in 1996, at L.A.’s Greek Theater. "But we just sang then," he added. "We didn’t play our instruments."

Well-loved by their legions of Filipino fans for their catalog of dreamy and romantic melodies, the Cascades popularized such hits as Shy Girl, The Last Leaf, Let Me Be, Dreamin, Lucky Guy, My First Day Alone, Punch and Judy, and Was I Dreamin.

But to this day, Rhythm of the Rain remains the group’s most popular anthem — recently ranked as the one of the most performed songs of the century. Written by Gummoe and first released in November 1962, the song continues to endear itself to the younger generations.

"Everytime I hear it, the song seems to have a life of its own," Gummoe shares.

"In the industry, they call it a song that has legs. It just keeps moving. When we recorded it, there was a chemistry among the people who worked on it, and it just all came together like it was meant to be. The idea came first, the lyrics next and the music came last."

Unlike most of his contemporaries who wouldn’t want to dilute their ‘classic works’ with modern-day pop excesses, Gummoe doesn’t mind flirting with other genres.

In fact, he consented to a dance remix of Rhythm of the Rain during the late 90s — upon the prodding of an LA-based DJ. "I’ve never thought of the original version as being so sacred that I can’t do it any other way," he stresses, "and as you’ll see on my new CD, there’s a very slow, romantic version which is the way I always thought it should be recorded, since it’s a song about lost love. The tune lends itself to that."

The group is equally excited about the prospects of touring the Asian circuit soon.

"We enjoy performing and bringing our music to our audience here in Asia," Gummoe says, "which is possibly our best audience in the world. But a lot of it depends on how we fare during our Manila gig. We’re actually quite nervous since we’ve been told that a lot of Asian-based booking agents are coming to the weekend gigs."

But when pressed for long-term plans, Gummoe would rather keep mum for the moment. "It would be fun to tour for the next five or six years," he point out, "but there are other things in life I want to do. I love to travel. I like to buy run-down property, fix it up and sell it for profit. I’m always interested in writing and producing my music. I have an acre and a half of property I like to take care of. There’s really never a dull moment."

Still at his prime, Gummoe counts himself lucky for not having succumbed to the rock and roll lifestyle during their heyday. "I found that lifestyle destructive," he muses.

"Maybe I just liked myself too much to get involved in all that – the drugs, whatever. It was all there for the taking then, yes. I just didn’t want to run myself down. That’s just who I am."

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Cascades fans can catch the group at the Hard Rock Café tonight with rock and roll legend Ramon ‘RJ’ Jacinto and the Elderly Brothers as special guests.

Tomorrow, the band will perform at the Araneta Coliseum with comedian/singer Willie Nepomuceno as special guest. Their third and last leg will be at the Waterfront Hotel, Cebu City on Saturday, April 16, and will also feature Area One.