But no matter what happens, Spagheti by the Sexbomb Girls, Mr. Suwabe by Parokya ni Edgar, Bulaklak by the Hot Babes and Otso-Otso by Bayani Agbayani, are here for us to enjoy, admire or deplore. No matter what you think though, it cannot be denied these hits are playing a big part in keeping the music industry alive during these difficult times.
Because of this, nearly every record producer is finding ways to get into the novelty bandwagon. And because being funny is one of the prime selling points, a good way to do this is to ask a comedian to do the recording. That is the reason why we now have a new album by Joey de Leon. A former disc jockey turned movie and TV star and dedicated punster, Joey is known for his wit, which can be biting, sweet, filled with pathos or merely irritating. He is also a gifted lyricist. Anybody who can put Tagalog lyrics to the Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody is. He can be serious too. I think that his Kaba, recorded by a young Dina Bonnevie many years ag,o is a truly beautiful love song.
Joey’s new album is Joey to the World. Get a load of that cover! It has Tough Hits as its sub-title. That means that just like the portion of the same title he shared with the brothers Sotto – Tito and Vic, in their early TV show OK Lang and the album series Tough Hits they released many, many years ago, Joey has written and now performs a new set of tunes listeners might find amusing.
Admittedly, I do not relish the thought of listening to some of them again. Joey’s humor, while often intelligent, can go overboard with bad taste at times. There is one tune though that I feel speaks volumes about the reality of combining true love with being human, which deserves more than mere passing thought during this Valentine season. The title is Testing and it is set to the music of the Vehnee Saturno composition popularized by Ariel Rivera, Sana Kahit Minsan. Joey sings it with all the sincerity of somebody serenading his one true love.
Paano mo ba talaga masusukat ang iyong pagtingin
Ok ka bang lumolobo ilong ng lab mo paghatsing
Kahit na magmintis pa ang kanyang English
At lahat ng sabit sa kanya’y kaya mong tiisin
Pag siya ba’y nautot nang biglang matakot ay Ok lang sa ‘yo
O di kaya ay biglang nagmura nang magulat ito
Paano ba talaga ang lab mate-testing
I think para malaman darling mo ay pawisan at siya ay putukan
Diyan masusubukan kung tunay mong mahal
Pag bagong gising darling mo at siya ay natural
Di pa nagmumumog, wala pang almusal
Tunay pagtingin mo pag nakatagal
Ubod ng baho ang kantang ito
Ngunit madalas ang lab naglalaho
Dahil sa baho, sa bantot at putok
Kung tiis mo’y proof then your love is true
Testing kung tunay mong mahal
Pag bagong gising darling mo at siya ay natural
Di pa nagmumumog, wala pang almusal
Tunay pagtingin, yes tunay
Ikaw ang nais ko hanggang hukay
At kahit na ang amoy niya ay ukay-ukay
Amoy ukay
Diyan masusubukan, testing
Diyan masusubukan
Other cuts in the album all with lyrics by Joey de Leon are Canton, Isputoki Song, Thin Girl, Lab Asan Na?, Hahanapin Ka My Love (Sa Bawat Kanto’t Sulok), Bakit Puppy?, Daliri, Sensya Na, Tao Lang and Paepek Epek the first single release. Featured as guests in some songs in Joey to the World are Joey’s Eat Bulaga! cohorts, Toni Rose Gayda and the Sexbomb Girls.