Jose Mari Chan: The soundtrack of his life

How can Valentine be complete without Jose Mari Chan whose musical journey has brought him to all corners of the world, regaling audiences with songs from deep in his heart without being afraid for love to fade and bidding everybody, “Can we just stop and talk awhile?”

Through the years, Joe Mari, “a businessman by day” who deals with the sound success of sweet (yes, sugar!), has reaped trophies and “platinum” awards, and continues to win more fans from the younger generation. You never get tired of singing or simply listening to his songs, do you?

On Feb. 13 and 14, Joe Mari will once more serenade lovers of all shapes and sizes, of all ages, at his A Heart’s Journey concert at the Music Museum, directed by Chi de Jesus with Marc Lopez as musical director. His special guest is Sheryn Regis who will do a duet of Please Be Careful With My Heart with Joe Mari who originally recorded it with Regine Velasquez, and a solo of Joe Mari’s smash-hit Constant Change and a medley of her own hits.

Thank you for your smile

that never fails to brighten my day

For the tender look

when you gaze at me with eyes that warm

my heart.

For the music of your laughter

Touch that makes my pulse go faster

Thanks for all the memories of a lifetime.

Thank you for the fire that you have set

ablaze within me

With your kisses you’ve awakened this old

heart from its slumber

I feel like 17 again

it’s all because of you.

Thanks for choosing me from all the rest

though I’m far from being the best

Most of all I want to thank you, Love, for loving me.

That’s from Thank You, Love, a Jose Mari Chan song from one of his albums, seldom heard on radio yet often on the lips of many lovebirds all these years.

As with Zsa Zsa Padilla (in yesterday’s issue), Funfare asked Joe Mari to quote some favorite lines from his 20 Favorite Love Songs other than those he has written. He included Thank You, Love, though. Here are the 19 others:

 1. 7th DAWN

I’ll be near you when nights are misty

or when the dawn stars come shining thru

I’ll find you, I’ll be just a dream behind you

For my love will lead me to the 7th dawn and you

2. MY ONE AND ONLY LOVE

You fill my eager heart with such desire

Every kiss you give sets my soul on fire

I give myself in sweet surrender...

 3. HOW DEEP IS THE OCEAN

How far will I travel to be where you are?

How far is the journey from here to a star?

And if I ever lose you, how much will I cry?

How deep is the ocean, how high is the sky?

4. SO IN LOVE

Taunt me and hurt me

deceive me, desert me

I’m yours till I die.

so in love with you am I

5. ANYWHERE THE HEART GOES

I hold you inside where my love never dies

and you will always live somewhere in me

6. I TALK TO THE TREES

I can see us on an April night

sipping brandy underneath the stars

Reading poems by the candlelight

to the strumming of guitars.

I will tell you all the books I’ve read

and the vineyards that I’ve seen in France.

And I’ll send the children off to bed

and I’ll ask you for a dance

7. UNSPOKEN

If I could say the words I leave unspoken

I’d be the greatest poet of all time.

I’d sing your praise in every shining phrase

To me you’d be the reason for every rhyme

8. WHAT MATTERS MOST

It’s not how long we held each other’s hand

What matters is how well

We loved each other.

It’s not how long I held you in my arms

What matters is how sweet our years together

9. YOU AND I

You and I are going on together

Till the time we have is gone together

Watch the evening drawing on together

Growing older, growing closer

Making memories that light the sky

10. LOVE LETTERS

Love letters straight from your heart

Keep us so near while apart.

I’m not alone in the night

When I can have all the love you write.

I memorize every line

I kiss the name that you sign

11. I’LL WALK ALONE

I’ll always be near you wherever you are

Each night in every prayer.

When you call I’ll hear you

No matter how far

Just close your eyes and I’ll be there

12. TWO FOR THE ROAD

Two for the road we’ll travel down the years

Collecting precious memories

Selecting souvenirs

and living life the way we please...

As long as love still wears a smile

I know that we’ll be two for the road

and that’s a long long while.

13. WHEN I FALL IN LOVE

When I give my heart

It will be completely

Or I’ll never give my heart

14. UNEXPECTED SONG

I don’t know what’s going on

Can’t work it out at all

whatever made you choose me.

I just can’t believe my eyes

You look at me as though

You couldn’t bear to lose me

15. YELLOW DAYS

She would hold me and a smile would spread around her so completely

And the softness of her kiss would linger sweetly

16. LISTEN TO MY HEART

All my life I’ve been on the road

Going one place towards one dream

The road would wind and down it I would go

Always searching, never finding

But even in my darkest hour I always knew

that someday somehow the road would lead to you

17. YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO ME

Kiss me and I’m strong enough to turn the strongest tide

Just sigh and I go wild inside

I’ll be everything you ever want me to be

Oh my darling, you are everything to me

18. GOD ONLY KNOWS

If you should ever leave me

Though life would still go on, believe me,

The world could show nothing to me

So what good would living do me?

God only knows what I’d be without you

19. MOMENT TO MOMENT

Just an ordinary day becomes adventure

Such sweet adventure I never knew...

From moment to moment

Every moment that I live

I live for every moment with you

(Note: A Heart’s Journey, also the title of Jose Mari Chan’s latest album, is presented by Dome Events Production and Dental First, in cooperation with Oriental Assurance Corporation, Crowne Plaza Hotel and MYX. Radio partners are 100.3 RJFM, 91.5 Energy FM, 93.9 IFM and 101.1 Yes FM. Tickets are priced at P3,300 for orchestra center, P2,200 for orchestra side and P1,100 for balcony. For inquiries, call Ticketworld at 891-9999 and the Music Museum at 721-6726.)

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