Nostalgia at the Big Dome with Bryson and Osborne - SOUNDS FAMILIAR by Baby A. Gil

It will be Valentine’s Day in November when two chart champs from the ’80s, Peabo Bryson and Jeffrey Osborne perform at the Araneta Coliseum this weekend. These two stalwarts of American pop music belong to a time when R&B meant soulful "make out" songs, a type of music that remains a strong favorite among Filipinos. They are set to topbill the Viva Concerts presentation, Celebration of Love, which showcases some of the most loved hits of the past few decades by two of the greatest voices in the world.

Bryson is one of the best known exponents of the romantic ballad and master of the duet. Recent years have seen him singing pop versions of tunes from Disney movies like Beauty and the Beast with Celine Dion and A Whole New World with Regina Belle. But before these came about, there was Tonight I Celebrate My Love, a lovely duet with Roberta Flack, that conquered Manila like mad and became a staple everywhere from concert halls down to the smallest jukebox joints. Think duets and karaoke and you will find people singing Tonight I Celebrate My Love. He also has duets with Kenny G., Natalie Cole and Lea Salonga. And not to forget Peabo was also behind the hits If Ever You’re in My Arms Again, Without You, Show & Tell, Can You Stop the Rain and others.

Bryson was born in the small town of Greenville in South Carolina in 1951. He grew up listening to the music of R&B pioneers like Sam Cooke, Little Anthony & and the Imperials, The Drifters and Ike & Tina Turner. He was in his first band by the age of 14 performing covers of popular tunes. He decided to make music his career after meeting guitar virtuoso Moses Dillard of the Tex-Town Display, who introduced to him to the right people and got him his start as a recording artist. Peabo’s first hit was Do It with Feeling. This was followed by Reaching for the Sky, Feel the Fire, I’m So into You, and Let the Feeling Flow, which have since become soul classics.

Osborne’s biggest selling song is undoubtedly On the Wings of Love. Pinoys so love this tune that the thought that Osborne will be performing this live at the Big Dome already makes the prize of the admission ticket worth every cent even during these difficult times. He was also the man behind Stay with Me Tonight, The Last Time We Made Love, You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song), She’s on the Left, Only Human and his duets with Dionne Warwick Love Power and Take Good Care of You and Me.

Osborne comes from Providence, Rhode Island. It was there where he grew up listening to the likes of Johnny Mathis, Sarah Vaughan, The Temptations and The Four Tops. He learned how to play the trumpet as a child but switched to drums as a teenager. One of his early gigs was as drummer for the O’Jays. It was also as a drummer that he later joined the R&B group LTD. He initially shared lead vocal chores with the other members, but they later decided that his singing should be LTD’s definitive sound and Osborne took over the lead with the big hit Love Ballad. This was followed by Back in Love Again, Holding on When Love is Gone and others.

Peabo’s latest album is Unconditional Love. I do not know if this is available in the local shops but I think it should be. The album has a lovely new ballad composed by today’s leading songwriter Diane Warren, Somebody in Your Life and a soul version of Jim Brickman’s The Gift sang by Peabo and Roberta Flack. Osborne’s latest album is That’s for Sure. I do not also know if this has been released locally but it includes a tribute to his former band LTD with a solo live version of their big hit Love Ballad.

Available or not, we will get the chance to hear them do these new recordings and their old hits live on Friday and Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum. Special guest at the show is Regine Velasquez. Tickets are reasonably priced at P1500 for Patron and Lower Box seats; P1200 for other Lower Box seats; P600 and P500 for Upper Box; and P150 for General Admission.