VST & Co.

Infobox musical artist
Name = VST & Company
Years_active = 1979 - Present
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Quezon City, Philippines
Genre = Pop, Disco

Label = Vicor Music
Current_members = Monet Gaskell
Celso Llarina
Jum Medina
Male Rigor
Roger Rigor
Spanky Rigor
Marvic Sotto
Val Sotto

VST and Company is a Filipino pop band famous in the 1970s. Being pioneer and icon of the Manila sound, VST and Company performed disco fever songs such as "Swing it, Baby", "Magsayawan", "Awitin mo, Isasayaw Ko" and "Disco Fever". The band rose to fame with other bands such as The Hotdogs, Cinderella and The Boyfriends which are also Manila Sound icons. The band faded with the Manila sound when the genre OPM rose to popularity in the 1980s.

The Manila Sound

Actually, the 1970s is the disco era. Foreign performers such as the Bee Gees, ABBA and Donna Summer influenced the disco fever in the Philippines. VST and Company is a Filipino disco fever icon in the Philippines.

The band started in the 1970s with Vic Sotto, now a famous comedian, who also wrote songs for the group and performed "Disco Fever" with VST. The band consisted of different Filipino musicians time after time until they collided in the 1980s.

The band performed disco fever favorites such as "Rock Baby, Rock", "Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko" and "Magsayawan". Because it is a Manila sound group, VST and Company also used Tagalog-English lyrics in some hits like "Etcetera". Yet some songs are romantic, and they're like Kundiman jingles mixed with disco fever.

Such romantic songs are "Ikaw Lang Ang Aking Mahal" (You Are my Only Love), "Kiss...Kiss", "Ipagpatawad Mo" (Forgive Me), "Etcetera", "Iswing Mo Ako" (Swing Me), "Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko" (Sing it, I'll dance it) and "Mabuti Pa Nung Bata".

The band is a big contributor to the Manila sound era because of a lot of disco fever songs that until now are disco classics.

Their music can give a flashback to the days of the love bus, hippie hairdos, groovy discos and peace signs... the 1970s.

Disco Fever hits

*Magsayawan
*Awitin Mo, Isasayaw Ko
*I-swing Mo Ako
*Swing it, Baby
*Disco Fever
*Rock Baby, Rock
*Step No, Step Yes
*The Disco Rock

Romantic Songs

Ikaw Lang Ang Aking Mahal

Ipagpatawad Mo

Etcetera

Kiss...Kiss

Magnifica

Puede Ba

Huwag Na Sanang Magagalit

Ano Kaya

Habang Buhay Kitang Mamahalin

Mabuti Pa Yung Bata

Revivals

Such sweet music inspired a whole modern music industry. Disco fever hits became reggae, bossa nova, pop and rock and roll favorites today after some revivals.

JANNO GIBBS, pop balladeer, made a revival of "Binibini".

BROWNMAN REVIVAL, today's famous reggae band, blended reggae tunes to the songs "Ikaw Lang Ang Aking Mahal" and "Binibini" on their fist album, "Steady Lang." Another VST & Co. classic, "Disco Fever" is remade as "Reggae Fever" on their second album, "Ayos Din."

KALA, a new funky Filipino band, blended funk in "Rock Baby, Rock".

MAYONNAISE, hard rock group, made a revival of "Ipagpatawad Mo".Kala and Mayonnaise revivals are part of HOPIA MANI POPCORN.

THE BOSSA NOVA EXPERIENCE with bossa performers Alejandro and Isabella made a collection of VST and Company hits blended with bossa nova.

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* [http://www.himig.net VST & Co. songs and lyrics ]