FRUITCAKE

by Eraserheads

 

There's a fruitcake for everybody
There's a fruitcake for everyone
There are b-sides to every story
If you decide to have some fun

Take a bite
It's alright
There's some brandy and star margarine to make it bright
Take a bite
It's alright
A little lovin' and some fruit to bake
Life is a piece of cake

It's the season for being happy
But the reason is dead and gone
If the reason for being happy
Takes a backseat when the season's done

Just take a bite
It's alright
Taste the taste that sent all mothers giggling in sheer delight
Take a bite
It's alright
A little lovin and some fruit to bake
Life is a piece of cake
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/eraserheads-fruitcake-lyrics.html ]
Everybody, everywhere people do you really care
Christmas time has once again arrived
Everybody, everywhere people do you really care
Christmas time has once again arrived
Mistletoe and a little snow
But we don't get it there at fruitcake heights
Mistletoe and a little snow
But we don't get it there at fruitcake heights, oh' no!

Stars are falling down from heaven
But it's nowhere near our town
Miracles are falling down from heaven
But it's nowhere near our town

There's a fruitcake in everybody
There's a fruitcake in everyone
There are b-sides to every story
If the story has just begun

Just take a bite
It's alright
Taste the taste that sent all mothers giggling in sheer delight
Take a bite
It's alright
A little love is why it's all alone
She ran away from home

 

 

Eraserheads, or E-Heads was a Filipino Rock band of the 90s, formed by

 Ely Buendia, Raimund Marasigan, Buddy Zabala and Marcus Adoro.

The band is one of the most successful, most influential,

critically acclaimed, and significant bands in the history of OPM.

Eraserheads are also credited for spearheading a second wave of Manila band invasions,

 paving the way for a host of influential Philippine alternative rock bands.

The band released several singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one.

The band achieved critical and commercial success with their third album Cutterpillow,

 which achieved platinum status several times. Eraserheads received the

Viewer's Choice Award for Asia from the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards.

The early years

In 1989, two college bands from the

 University of the Philippines, Diliman wer

both in search of new members for a new group.

Curfew, which consisted of Buddy Zabala on bass,

Raimund Marasigan on drums and Marcus Adoro on

guitars met up with Sunday School, which consisted of

Ely Buendia on vocals and Raimund as session drummer

in December of the same year. Ely's first two college bands

(Bluidie Tryste and Sunday School) were too unstable,

 so he decided to post an audition notice on a

university message board. Only Raimund, Buddy,

 and Marcus showed up (Raimund was first since

he knew Ely and performed with him before,

then Buddy and Marcus were next). According

to an interview with Myx, Raimund said he first

auditioned as bassist while Buddy as drummer.

But they noticed that it did not sound right,

the two switched places, and the rest was history.

Mainstream success

In July 1993, Eraserheads started recording their debut album called

Ultraelectromagneticpop!.^[5] The album featured "Pare Ko", "Toyang"

 and "Tindahan ni Aling Nena", all of which were also present in Pop-U!.^[6]

The album also featured a sanitized version of "Pare Ko" called "Walang Hiyang Pare Ko".^[7]

 Later in the same year, BMG

 initially released 5,000 copies of the album. The album became a smash hit,

 with the songs "Ligaya", "Pare Ko" and "Toyang" topping the charts that, by

 the end of the year, BMG sold 300,000 copies, and Ultraelectromagneticpop!

 turned sextuple platinum.^[1]

The album met some opposition as the Philippine Association of the Record Industry

 (PARI) attempted to censor "Pare Ko" but without success.^[8] The public

 was said to have found its OPM Fab Four in Eraserheads, opening the

second wave of band invasion.^[1] The Eraserheadsmania was born.^[9]

In October 1994, Eraserheads released a follow-up album entitled Circus.^[5]

 The band said that the album aptly described their life since their smashing debut.

The album was unpredictable and unconventional compared to the OPM ballads

 at that time, and established the band members as good songwriters and musicians.

 The songs varied in style and mood, ranging from euphoric and hilarious to tender

 and somber.^[8] In the same year, Eraserheads played during the

Miss Universe Pageant which was held in Manila.

Four of the songs became successive hits: "Kailan", "Magasin", "Alapaap"

 and "With a Smile".^[10] Circus turned gold in just 30 days with 20,000 copies

sold. Eventually, it turned quintuple platinum with 200,000 copies sold.^[10]

 But like ultraelectromagneticpop!, it too had its share of controversy.

In August 1995, Senator Tito Sotto, who was involved in an anti-drug

 campaign at that time, called for a ban on the airplay and sales of "Alapaap"

over an alleged promotion of drug abuse in the lyrics of the song.^[5][8]

 In response, Eraserheads denied the allegation, saying that it was just

 a misinterpretation, and that the song was the band's "ode to

 freedom", not an "ode to drug abuse".^[11]

Their much-awaited third album, Cutterpillow, was launched via a colossa

l open-air concert attended by fans and followers(sold thousands of

copies in one night). With Christmas barely a month over, Eraserheads

 opened 1996 by making history in the Philippine music scene once more.

Cutterpillow turned gold, even before it hit the record stores, as a result of

 the pre-selling promo campaign. Soon, the band shot the music video for the

song "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (The Last El Bimbo) from the album.^[9]

Later that year, the band came up with a conceptual Christmas album Fruitcake.

This was shortly followed by a release of a companion storybook of the same title.^[9]

Also in 1995 the band was given a shot at acting when they co-starred with

 Comedian/TV Host Joey De Leon of "Eat Bulaga" in a comedy film produced

By GMA Network's Cinemax Studios (now GMA Films), "Run Barbi Run".

Going international

The year 1998 was marked with a series of gigs outside of the Philippines.

Eraserheads' first ever overseas gig was at BMG Records' "Sentosa Pop Festival"

in Singapore in March 1997. It was then followed by a mini U.S. tour in May. Then,

 four months later in September, they were at the Radio City Music Hall in New York

to receive the coveted "Moon Man" trophy for winning the 1997 MTV Asia Viewer's Choice Award,

 which made Eraserheads the first ever Filipino artists to win the award.^[9][12]

The promotional CD versions of "Milk and Money", "Hard to Believe" and "Andalusian Dog",

 all for the album Sticker Happy, were mixed at Electric Lady Studios, New York City

 in September 1997.^[13] Electric Lady Studios was built by the rock legend Jimi Hendrix.

The tracks were recorded earlier in Manila, however.^[13] Their fifth album, Sticker Happy,

 was released a few days after the MTV Awards. A month later, they were back in Singapore

 for a series of shows and appearances for MTV Asia.^[9]

In February 1998, they represented the Philippines at the annual "Asia Live Dream

'98" for NHK Broadcasting in Tokyo, Japan. Then in May, they embarked on another

U.S. tour, taking them from Oakland to Los Angeles and to New York.^[9]

The band toured the U.S. under the Happy Box

production outfit, which was formed by brothers Haro De Guzman and Levan

 "Schizo" De Guzman and some other friends.^[14]

August 1998 saw the release of the album Aloha Milkyway in the Asian region,

 and finally in the Philippines two months later. The album contains chart-topping

songs that have been re-mastered, as well as five new songs.^[9]

In early 1999, they did sold-out shows in Hong Kong, Sydney, and Dubai.

Their next album, Natin99, was released in May.^[9]

Between May and June 2000, they did another tour of America dubbed, "The

Pop Machine Tour – USA2000", taking them from New York to Chicago and to California.

During their tours, they also had Noel Garcia of The Pin-Ups as an

addition to their expanded line-up, who played guitars, keyboards and (sometimes), drums.

After almost two years, the much-awaited studio album, Carbon Stereoxide,

was released in March 2001, featuring the tracks, "Maskara", "Playground", "Hula" and "Palamig".^[9]

Break-up

After weeks of speculation, it was confirmed that the main songwriter and

 lead singer, Ely Buendia, had left the band in mid-March 2002 for "reasons unknown".

 However, in subsequent interviews, Buendia pointed to business matters

as the cause of the band's break-up.^[15]

In PULP Magazine, Buendia's wife and manager, Diane Ventura, claimed that the

breakup started with a miscomunication between Buendia and the band's roadie,

the result being that Buendia and Ventura turned up late at a mall gig.

This upset the roadie who snidely referred to the couple as "unprofessional".

Buendia's band colleagues and crew at the gig gave Buendia "a cold shoulder",

 related Ventura, being under the impression that Buendia had come late

 deliberately. The next day, Buendia brought the incident to the attention

of the band's management boss, Butch Dans, to which he allegedly

 reverted the blame to the roadie's "unprofessionalism". Dans, however

, allegedly chose to consider the roadie's account over Buendia's

without much deliberation. Dans allegedly quipped that Buendia and

Ventura were "probably too high on drugs" to remember the gig's schedule.

 Ventura stepped in to dispute the allegation and vehemently denied that

she and Buendia were even told of the schedule. Unfortunately, the other

 three Eraserheads also believed the roadie's story, which disturbed

Buendia because he felt betrayed of their longstanding friendship. Buendia

later announced to his mates through SMS that he was quitting the group.^[16]

In another interview, Marasigan said he was eating in SM Megamall,

 a local shopping mall, when he heard of the news (how he heard of it,

was not clear). He said he was "semi-surprised" and wondered if Zabala

 already knew about it.^[17] Adoro told of the story now famous among

 Eraserheads fans about Buendia's cryptic text message. He said Buendia

stated in the text message that he had already "graduated."

 Adoro quipped in the same interview that it was natural for Buendia

 to graduate first, since he was in batch '87 of their college

(UP Diliman), while the rest were in batch '88.^[17]

Zabala confessed in an interview that

 disbanding had not been that

far away from the members' minds.Adoro expressed the belief of some people

 that the band was getting too old, and that it was "selfish" for the

 band to continue, likely referring to comments about how it's time

 for other bands, besides Eraserheads, to shine.^[18] The band made

it clear, though, that Buendia's departure from the band wasn't in any

 way violent and that there was no shouting (sigawan) or any confrontation involved.^[18]

Without relenting, the three remaining Eraserheads decided to continue.

Within a few weeks, the "new" Eheads debuted at Hard Rock Cafe in

Makati City on April 19, featuring a female singer-guitarist, Kris Gorra-Dancel,

from the band, Fatal Posporos. However, after a few months, Adoro had quit

 the band as well. The remaining members of the Eheads added Diego Mapa

and Ebe Dancel to their lineup and renamed their band, "Cambio".

After the break-up

Tribute albums

Just a few years after the break-up, the tribute album

Ultraelectromagneticjam!: The Music of the Eraserheads was released in honor of the band.

The second volume is in the works.^{[citation needed]}

Many questioned whether the time was right for a tribute to a group that had

 just disbanded four years ago, with its former members still active in the music industry

. Buendia had mixed feelings about the tribute album, saying that "It���s too early

to be taking part in it and I don���t see myself being part of it kasi (because)

 I���m still doing something here...To be part of it is like acknowledging

 na tapos na ako (that I am finished); isa na lang akong trophy na

 itatago na (I'm just a trophy to be shelved). Siguro kung

uugud-ugud na ako (Maybe when I'm really old), that���s the time

 I���m gonna look back." Ironically though, he does guest vocals

in one of the tracks, "Superproxy 2k6" by the late Francis Magalona.

On May 9, 2012, Star Records and Star Cinema released

The Reunion: An Eraserheads Tribute Album,

 a tribute album of their own that accompanies the film The Reunion.

North American Tour Reunion

Eraserheads held another reunion concert in the United States (San Francisco,

 Los Angeles & New Jersey) and Canada (Toronto) from October 12 to 20.^[31]

Guitars

Ely Buendia uses

• Peavey Tracer
• Fender Stratocaster
• Fender Telecaster
• Fender Jaguar
• Fender Jazzmaster Tremolo
• Gibson Les Paul Custom
• Gibson SG
• Gretsch Electromagnetic Ebony & Goldtop
• Gretsch Nashville Reissue
• Gretsch Brian Setzer 6128 Custom
• Rickenbacker 360/12
• Yamaha Acoustic Guitars
• Taylor & Martin Acoustics

Marcus Adoro uses

• Fender Stratocaster
• Fender Telecaster
• Fender Jazzmaster
• Fender Mustang
• Squier Hello Kitty Stratocater
• Squier Telecaster
• Squier Jagmaster
• Gibson SG
• Gibson Les Paul
• Gibson ES-335
• Gretsch Black Falcon
• Danelectro12 String
• Yamaha Acoustic Guitars
• Taylor Guitars
• Dean acoustic guitar (used in the reunion concert and the final set)

BasseS

Buddy Zabala uses

• Fender Jazz Bass
• Rickenbacker 4001Bass
• Fender Precision Bass (early 1993–2002)
• Fender Jaguar Bass
• Aria Pro Bass
• Wal Several Custom Bass
• Yamaha Acoustic Bass Guitar
• Gibson Les Paul bass

Drums

Raimund Marasigan uses

• Yamaha Several Custom Drums
• Yamaha Green Maple Custom Drums
• DW Custom Deluxe Drums
• Remo Drum Accessories
• Sabian Various Custom Cymbals
• Zildjian Custom Cymbals
• Pearl Drumsticks
• Latin Percussion

Keyboards

Ely Buendia, Marcus Adoro, Buddy Zabala, Raimund Marasigan,

& Jazz Nicolas use keyboards for their onstage performances.

• Roland Fantom-X
• Roland GR-300
• Roland XP-50
• Roland XP-80
• Roland Jupiter-4
• Roland Jupiter-6
• Roland R-8
• Roland JX-3P
• Roland JX-8P
• Roland JV-1080
• Roland JV-2080
• Clavia Nord Electro 2
• Clavia Nord Modular
• Korg Karma
• Korg M1
• Korg M3
• Korg MS2000
• Korg Oasys
• Yamaha MM6
• Yamaha CS2x
• Yamaha RM1x
• Yamaha Keytar
• Upright Piano (Sticker Happy)

Amplifiers

• Vox Amplifiers
• Peavey Amplifiers
• Laney Amplfiers
• Ampeg Custom Amps
• Bass Amps

Studio albums

• Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)
• Circus (1994)
• Cutterpillow (1995)
• Fruitcake (1996)
• Sticker Happy (1997)
• Natin99 (1999)
• Carbon Stereoxide (2001)

EPs and demos

• Pop U! (1991)
• Fruitcake (1996)
• Bananatype (1997)
• Please Tranpose EP (2003)

Compilations

• Aloha Milkyway (1998)
• Eraserheads: The Singles (2001)
• Eraserheads Anthology (2004)
• Eraserheads Anthology 2 (2006)

Live albums

Others

       "Alam Mo Ba" – Sung by Jo Awayan – (Composed by Ely Buendia & Jojo Bacasmas)

• "Feel So Strange" – Sung by Agot Isidro – (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "How Can I Be Sure" – Sung by Agot Isidro – (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Kundi Rin Lang Ikaw" – Sung by True Faith (Composed by Ely Buendia & Jojo Bacasmas)
• "Mga Babae" – Sung by Novia (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Something Always Brings Me Back to You" – Sung by Novia (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Halo-Halong Digmaan (War Mix)" – Performed by Various Artists
•  (Composed by Ely Buendia and Raimund Marasigan)
• "Hanggang Ngayon" – Performed by Various Artists (including Ely Buendia)
• "Girl On Da Magazin" – Sung by Legit Misfitz – (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Black Whole" – Sung by Domino (composed by Ely Buendia & Lally Buendia)
• "Marble" – Sung by Domino (composed by Ely Buendia & Lally Buendia)
• "Sucke" – Sung by Domino (composed by Ely Buendia & Lally Buendia)
• "Stone's Throw" – Sung by Sponge Cola (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Awit Ko" – Sung by Jao Mapa (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Talikogenic" – Sung by Jao Mapa (Composed by Ely Buendia)
• "Gimik" – Sung by Jao Mapa (Composed by Raimund Marasigan)
• "Pacman" – Sung by Protein Shake – (Composed by Raimund Marasigan)

Publication

• Pillbox Volume 1 Number 1

Editor: Redel D. Ramos

Art Director: Cynthia F. Bauzon

Release: 1996

Published by: Pop Infinity Limited Laundry

© 1996 P.I.L.L. Corporation

• Fruitcake

A separate companion storybook for the album Fruitcake (1996)

Story by: Eraserheads

Text by: Ely Buendia

Edited by: Jessica Zafra

Illustrated by: Cynthia F. Bauzon

Release: 1997

Published by: Anvil Publishing, Inc., Pasig City

Printed by: Cacho Hermanos, Mandaluyong City

© 1997 Eraserheads

• Pillbox Volume 3

Editor: Marie Jamora

Art Director: Cynthia F. Bauzon

Release: 1998

Published by: BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc.

© 1998 BMG Records (Pilipinas) Inc.

Magazine cover appearance

• Myx Magazine "Eraserheads Reunion Concert Collectors Issue" (October–November 2008)
• Pulp Magazine (2000)

Filmography

• Run Barbi Run as themselves
• Kuya cameo role Marcus as Drug Pusher
• Masakit sa Dibdib cameo role Ely Buendia
• Tulad Ng Dati Buddy as himself with cameo role Raimund Marasigan

Awards and nominations

Rock & Rhythm Magazine:

• Won: Album of the Year – Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1993)

NU Rock Awards:

• Won: Album of the Year – Ultraelectromagneticpop! (1994)
• Won: Listener's Choice Award (1995)
• Won: Band of the Year (1995)
• Won: Album of the Year – Circus (1995)
• Won: Album of the Year – Cutterpillow (1996)
• Won: Best Music Video – "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (1996)
• Won: Song of the Year – "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (1996)
• Won: Artist of the Year (1997)
• Won: Listener's Choice Award (1997)
• Won: Producer of the Year – Robin Rivera for Fruitcake (1997)
• Won: Best Album Packaging – Fruitcake (1997)
• Won: Best Video – "Fruitcake" (1997)
• Won: Drummer of the Year – Raimund Marasigan (1999)
• Won: Hall of Fame (2003)

Note: Ely Buendia accepts the award for the Eraserheads

Guillermo Memorial Award:

• Won: Most Favorite Band (1995)
• Won: Most Popular Group/Singer/Entertainer (1997)

Monster Radio 93.1 : Countdown Top 7:

• Won: Band of the Year (1997)

Awit Awards:

• Won: Album of the Year – Cutterpillow (9th Awit Awards)
• Won: Best Alternative Recording - Fruitcake (10th Awit Awards)
• Won: Album of the Year – Sticker Happy (1998)
• Won: Best Performance by a Group/Duo – "Pop Machine" (2000)

Katha Music Awards:

• Won: Album of the Year – Cutterpillow (2nd Katha Music Awards)
• Won: Best Rock Album – Cutterpillow (2nd Katha Music Awards)
• Won: Best Rock Song – "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (2nd Katha Music Awards)
• Won: Best Rock Group – (2nd Katha Music Awards)
• Won: Best Rock Vocal Performance – "Fruitcake" (3rd Katha Music Awards)
• Won: Best Album Packaging – Fruitcake (3rd Katha Music Awards)

Parangal Ng Bayan Award:

• Won: Best Group Performer Award (1997)

MTV Video Music Awards:

• Won: Viewer's Choice Award for Asia – Eraserheads' "Ang Huling El Bimbo" (1997)

Note: This is the first award given to Filipino. Next is Kyla

MTV Pilipinas:

• Won: Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)

Note: A special tribute performance featuring local artists Jimmy Bondoc, Paolo Santos, Nyoy Volante and Barbie's Cradle doing a medley of the songs, "Ligaya," "Alapaap," "Kaliwete", and "Magasin"

Myx Music Awards:

• Won: MYX Magna Award (2009)

Note: Raimund Marasigan accepts the award for Eraserheads

References