October 01, 2006

Nostalgia Manila Exclusive Interview with Roger Rigor of VST & Company Part 1

Here's a big treat for all of you VST & Company fans! Nagkapihan kami ni Roger Rigor of the legendary hitmakers, VST & Company. Ang saya ng aming kwentuhan, as he shared with me all the fun memories nung mga unang panahon ng grupo. This is Part 1 of our Nostalgia Manila Exclusive Interview:



NM: Bumalik tayo sa simula, papano nabuo ang VST? Sino ang mga original members?

VST is a conglomeration of guys from two sectors of Manila: the Paco boys and the 461 boys---we referred to the Sotto brothers with Joey (De Leon) as the Paco boys, kasi doon sila nakatira and of course, the 461 boys are the guys like us from San Juan. But, the core section of the band, the rhythm section headed by Homer Flores, could be considered the driving force behind the music of the 70s---most of the guys in the band were active producers in the recording business...kaya, matindi...

NM: Close kayong mga magbabarkada, sino-sino ang mga kasama sa barkada ninyo?

The 461 boys have been together for many years, as with the Paco boys...the 461 boys were Spanky (Rigor), Male (Rigor), Monet (Gaskell), Celso (Llarina), Jun (Medina) and myself...Val (Sotto) was the lone Paco boy until Vic (Sotto) joined us in the latter part. That was because Jun Medina left for the States...and this was the height of the band as we would do all kinds of concerts around schools and provinces...prior to VST, the 461 boys were already into the music scene: Spanky and Celso were mainstays in the production house of in the very early days of Vicor music. They also were part of many bands from the past: Celso was with the Ramrods and Cinderella, and Spanky with Purple People and the Cinderella...they were also together in the superband of the early seventies called the Blackbuster band---where the mainstays were Bob Guzman (also a 461 guy, who eventually was the driving force behind Octo Arts and the Boyfriends), Celso, Spanky and Snaffu Rigor, the Ilacad brothers: Sunny, and Guy; and Willy Cruz, who eventually headed Jem records. Together with the Blackbuster were Charo Unite, Nanette "Dona Buding" Inventor and Aida Firme...
Monet also had his band stints with his San Beda friends, while Male tinkered in the theatre arts...as for myself, my only background in music was when the 461 boys would sing in church for weddings where the ultimate of singing was doing some real good harmonies...Of course, among all of us, it was Jun Medina who was the most veteran, being the guy from Olongapo, he had the voice and the presence of any band crooner...

NM: Saan ang home base ng barkada?

The home base of the barkada, especially the 461 boys, were at the house in Little Baguio. The address 461 General Lim was always filled with cars everyday as guys would flock to the house for some beers and a time to unwind with some dart games and singing. If the mood strikes everyone, the whole gang would drive out to see a movie. It used to be, in the early days of the seventies, the barkada, as they would always be together to watch a movie or whatever, will always attract some attention, since all would be sporting some really long hair---the hippie days, as we all fondly recall...Greenhills Shopping Center was the place to be...

NM: Ano ang usual gimmik ng grupo? Saan kayo gumigimmik? Mga paburito ninyong pasylalan at gimmik spots.

The 461 guys would also have some weekend sprees to Matabunkay, the summer place owned by the Estevas and Johnny Wilson...otherwise, it would be at Greenhills...and then, of course, the weekend basketball games at Greenhills park, where the boys remained unbeatable as the color Tangerine in the local Little Baguio Basketball League....we would also frequent St. Paul's College in Quezon City as we coached the girls' basketball teams for the WNCAA...and after these games, we would be having some weekend parties at the Estevas in Little Baguio.

NM: Any usual tambayan?

Ang paboritong hang-out ng barkada ay sa Greenhills Aristocrat dahil kabarkada ang may ari nito, si Butch Reyes. And then, meron pa yung Sun Moon Restaurant for the favorite pre-basketball merienda, "makimi"....pag masaya na sa 461 at andoon na ang tropa, yung paboritong pulutan ng lahat ay yung titsaron bituka ng Santa Lucia...yun at matinding game ng darts o chess, at may accoustic guitar, masaya na ang lahat...

NM: Sino ang iyong mga paburitong music artists noon? Mga madalas mong pakinggan nung araw?

At that time, the hit was the band Queen...which we would play while even playing basketball at the park...or, Dan Fogelberg, England Dan and John Ford Cawley, Yes, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Rick Wakeman, Deep Purple, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Crosby, Stills and Nash and many, others...

Don't forget to check out the VST & Company Photo Album at maraming mga photos na siguradong hindi mo pa nakikita.


Also Read: Nostalgia Manila Exclusive Interview with Roger Rigor of VST & Company Part 2

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hah! their hits also spawned movies...I-swing mo ako (Vilma Santos)

then there is Bongga Ka Day (Nora Aunor) from Hotdog hot.

what else?

on TV you had 4 na Sikat - with Arnold Gamboa(?); Winnie Santos , Lala Aunor and another guy I can't remember the name anymore. My classmates were crazy about them. Kunwari pa..no seriously, I was more in the US programs like Charlie's Angels, Little House on the Prairie, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys, 3's company (late na ngang ipalabas iyon).

On saturdays there was Discorama with Bobby Ledesma (where Body Beautiful Vivian Velez started)

Penthouse 7 with Chito (?) leading the cha-cha and salsa dances while the modern group was led by Mike Monserrat.

Flor de Luna vs. Anna Liza

Wardrobe malfunction of Ellen Esguerra in Seeing Stars with Joe (take it away) Quirino.

The Aldeguer Sisters also on Seeing Stars...

Scandals of the 70's :

Betamax queen - Vilma Santos supposedly with Romeo Vasquez

Paboritong tsismis magazine noon: Kislap Magazine na tinalbog naman ng Jingle Hot Magazine

Nostalgia Manila said...

Galing mo Jade! Excellent comments!

Tama ka sa "I-swing mo ako." At the time they were pairing up Monet Gaskell of VST with Vilma Santos, would you believe?

They also did "Rock Baby Rock"! I would love got get my hands on those films!

Maraming salamat! Will be posting more fun things soon. Stay tuned!

Anonymous said...

Dati kong crush yan si Roger. Naalala ko when we used to go to Shakeys to watch VST kilig na kilig kami ng mga classmates ko. Those were great times. Thank you for doing this interview. This is a great site.

Anonymous said...

I love you Roger!

rodski said...

lumaki ako sa Sampaloc, madalas ko makita si Rico J, Puno, at Joey De Leon, ang alam ko may bahay sila somewhere near balic-balic? taga Sampaloc ba si Joey? or Paco?, pero ibang klase talaga musika ng 'VST' malaki ang kontribusyon nila sa musikang pinoy nung dekada 70's, 'THE BEST' talaga ang 'VST' sana magkaroon sila ng comeback concert, 'Huling Hirit'ba sa panahon naman ngayon.

Anonymous said...

Ei Jade you must be talking about don-don nakr or boyet orca? hehe

Anonymous said...

hi jade! you are referring to Dondon Nakar of the 4 na Sikat fame.

Sa mga Pinoy shows you forgot to include Big Ike's Happening nad Superstar long before Germspecial reigned. Ms. Body Language, Frieda Fronda ( now a successful dentist in USA) also had a stint together with Ellen Esguerra at Discorama.

Sa mga US TV series, you also failed to mention Man from Atlantis with the webbed feet & hands of Patrick Duffy, CHiPs - guwapo ni Erik Estrada!, 6 Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Incredible Hulk.

Sa cartoons, babad ako sa channel 9 with Gulliver's travel ( liliputan's "you'll never make it); Archie, Uncle Martin, Josie & the Pussycats, Siegmond or Siegfried, the sea monster; The Great Space Race, Yoggi Bear. Pero Sesame Street for life fan ako kahit tumanda na sila Maria at Bob.

Tanong ko nga pala, kasi di ba taga San Juan or Little Baguio ang mga 461 boys, did they study in Aquinas, St. John's Academy or La Salle?

Nostalgia Manila said...

Hello May,

Big Ike's Happening was mentioned in Nostalgia List #12. Although not mentioned as Miss Body Language, Freida Fonda was mentioned in Nostaliga List #16, and Pormang Nostalgia's Faded Glory Hip Huggers. You can watch the opening video clip of The Six Million Dollar Man, which was recently featured. Most of the things you mentioned have been featured; you just have to do a bit more exploring here which makes it quite fun.

The answers to your question about the VST Boys in the upcoming interview!!!! Don't miss it so stay tuned!!!!!

Anonymous said...

lagay nman po kayo ng picture ng apat na sikat.

Anonymous said...

Wow, reading these really bring back those memories from the past. It's really funny that you mentioned Sesame Street, because recently I watched and Luis and Maria are married! Didn't Maria used to have a boyfriend, David? Nasulot si Maria!



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