Jay Durias joins the oldies trend

I have to admit that I was initially disappointed when I saw the title and song credits of the first solo album by Jay Durias, Songs I Grew Up With. What on earth is this? Is the guy who created the South Border sound and composed songs like Rainbow, Kahit Kailan, Love of My Life and other hits losing it? Why has he boarded the oldies train and in a big way too? I must say that he also has bad timing. With grammar and chords consistently going haywire in most of the CDs released by local bands, I do not think we can afford to lose somebody like Jay, who gets his notes and syntax right to doing covers.

But while I do question his judgement about making his all-important solo album a collection of oldies, I know he really should not be blamed for this. Just like Barry Manilow and Babyface, Durias is a songwriter, arranger and producer who at times wants to sing hits by other people. He is also a good singer whose singing seldom gets the attention it deserves. South Border has soloists and Jake only occasionally does lead vocals. Besides, he has to be given credit for coming up with a clever idea that makes this album very special.

Durias chose to do songs he remembers from his childhood for the album. Songs I Grew Up With is actually a sentimental journey about the music he loved during his growing up years in Davao. He researched all of them and even came up with a short intro about his memories for each one in his liner notes.

He says of Light and Shade by Fra Lippo Lippi from 1987. “This song became popular when I was in high school. It was heavily played by local radio stations favored by most passenger jeepney drivers. After school my classmates and I would actually wait for a jeepney with a good sound system for better listening pleasure while we listen to this song, which I swear, would be played at least once during our ride home, every day.”

I am sure that lots of people out there are able to relate to what Durias says about Light and Shade and also to the other songs as well which he arranged into a light, relaxing samba style. An expressive vocalist with soulful tones, he does all of them well. Best of the lot though, probably because they are unlikely choices for somebody from South Border, are I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song by Jim Croce from 1974 and Do That to Me One More Time by Captain and Tenille, which was very popular in 1980.

Other songs Durias chose from those he grew up with are Him by Rupert Holmes (1979), Reward by Basia (1989), Birthday Song by Don McLean (1972), You Can Do Magic by America (1982), My Cherie Amour by Stevie Wonder (1969) and Goodnight Girl by Wet Wet Wet (1992). Then as though to show that he is still primarily a songwriter he included one original composition in the bunch, Sa Hangin, which I am happy to say has the makings of another hit.

Incidentally, the press release about the album very carefully states that Songs I Grew Up With is just a temporary deviation from Jay’s chores with South Border. “This project should not be misconstrued. The solo project has the full blessings of his band mates and is in no way an indication that he’s leaving the band.”

So South Border fans can now look forward to a new album by the group still with songs by Durias, hopefully in the very near future.

Top 20 videos

Meanwhile, here are the Top 20 videos in the MYX Hit Chart for the week. Wag Ka Nang Umiyak by Sugarfree; Sanctuary by Callalily; Movie by Sponge Cola; Jenny by the Click Five; You are the Music in Me by the cast of High School Musical 2; Even If  by Sam Concepcion; Dinamayan by the 6Cyclemind; Never Let Her Slip Away by The Bloomfields; I’ll Be Alright by Sarah Geronimo; Crazy Love by Kim Chiu.

Gotta Go My Own Way by Nikki Gil; Wait for You by Elliot Yamin; Para Lang Sa ’Yo by Aiza Seguerra; The Take Over, The Break’s Over by Fall Out Boy; Misery Business by Paramore; Beautiful Girls by Sean Kingston; Bleed It Out by Linkin Park; Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; Sala by Pupil; and Walang Misteryo by Imago.

Reader’s feedback

From the mail: Got this message from Charlotte E. of Gov. Forbes, Manila who is obviously a Rico Blanco fan. She asks: “I want to ask you what you think of the Rivermaya search for a replacement for Rico Blanco. There is only one Rico Blanco and I do not think he should be replaced. Can they find somebody who can sing like him or write songs like him? Maybe Rivermaya can just retire now that he is not with the band anymore.”

Wow, Charlotte. Rico Blanco should thank heaven for loyal fans like you and hope that you will remain loyal until the time he decides to sing again. Now as to your question. It is Rivermaya’s prerogative to replace Blanco. Nobody is indispensable in the music business because there are always newcomers waiting in the wings and eager to do the job. And most of the time, these new guys turn out to be better. You are perhaps not familiar with the story but Rivermaya has been through this before.

Bamboo Mañalac, that talented rocker fronting a band that is also called Bamboo was initially with Rivermaya until he decided to leave and hole up in the US. People thought that was the end of Rivermaya, but not yet. Rico Blanco came along and the band was alive again. Now Blanco has also left to become a clothes designer and again, I say it is not the end of Rivermaya. Give whoever the new guy will be a chance Charlotte. Who knows you might even like him more than you do Blanco at this moment.