External links
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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VST & Company | |
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| Origin | Manila, Philippines |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1978–1983 |
| Labels | |
| Past members | See personnel |
| Website | officialvst |
VST & Company (commonly abbreviated as VST & Co. or simply VST) was a Filipino disco band formed in Manila, Philippines, by Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Spanky Rigor. [3] The group was among the most successful Filipino bands of the late 1970s and is regarded as one of the original proponents of Original Pilipino Music (OPM). The primary studio members included Lorie Illustre (keyboards), Jun Regalado (drums), Roger Herrera Jr. (bass), Celso Llarina (guitars), Vic Sotto (vocals), and Spanky Rigor (vocals), while the performing lineup featured Roger Rigor, Male Rigor, Monet Gaskell, Val Sotto, and Jun Medina. The band also involved several orchestral musicians in its recordings. Alongside bands such as Boyfriends, Hotdog and Cinderella, VST & Company helped pioneer the Manila sound genre.
VST & Company achieved mainstream success with its debut hit single "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko", which contributed to the rise of disco culture in the Philippines and led to what became known as "VST Mania", a period of widespread popularity during the late 1970s that quickly turned the group into national celebrities. The group released five albums featuring notable hits such as "Rock Baby Rock", "Swing It Baby", "Disco Fever", "Magsayawan", "Kiss Kiss", "Magnifica", and "Step No, Step Yes". They also starred in three feature films—Disco Fever (1978), Swing It, Baby (1979), and Rock Baby, Rock (1979)—which reflected their popularity and influence on contemporary Philippine pop music.
In a 2019 interview uploaded on YouTube by ABS-CBN for ASAP , which featured the music of the Manila Sound, band member Monett Gaskell stated that during the 1970s, radio stations in the Philippines were required to play at least one Filipino song per hour. He added that Original Pilipino Music (OPM) eventually surpassed the sales of foreign LPs, contributing to the growing popularity of locally produced music. Fellow band member Male Rigor recounted that Tito Sotto, then affiliated with Vicor Music, once realized the potential for a new local band after hearing a waitress hum a song by the Boyfriends, who were signed under OctoArts. This observation led Sotto to consider forming a group that could rival the Boyfriends. [4]
The idea eventually materialized through the creation of VST & Company. According to the group's first musical arranger, Lorrie Ilustre, Sotto, then serving as Vicor Music Corporation's A&R manager, requested an urgent recording project to compete with a rival label's upcoming release. Ilustre collaborated with Vic Sotto, Tito's brother, and Joey de Leon, who composed what would become "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" (1978), with De Leon writing the lyrics and Sotto developing the melody. Ilustre arranged the song with the help of session musicians Jun Regalado (drums), Roger Herrera Jr. (bass), and Celso Llarina (guitars), completing the orchestration while on tour in Davao. After returning to Manila, he recorded the horn and string sections and finalized the track's production. [5]
The single was initially released with "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal" as the intended A-side; however, radio stations favored the B-side, "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko". The song became a major hit and marked the rise of VST & Company, establishing the group as one of the defining acts of the late 1970s OPM and Manila Sound movement. Upon the release of their debut album VST in 1978, the record quickly achieved gold certification. The album helped spark the rise of Philippine disco culture, leading to a period known as "VST Mania", during which the group rapidly gained nationwide popularity. [5]
Sotto stated that even though their songs were commercially successful, the band still needed to be promoted on television. He explained that he and his brother Vic preferred not to appear in front because they felt shy around Joey de Leon, who, as part of the trio TVJ, was already well established at the time. Sotto came up with the idea that Vic would appear in front along with Spanky Rigor and Celso Llarina, and that additional members would be recruited to perform lip-sync during televised appearances. Rigor selected his two brothers, Roger and Male, while Val Sotto, Tito's brother, Monett Gaskell, and Jun Medina also joined to complete the performing lineup. These members mimed the songs for television appearances, while the original studio musicians performed during live shows. [6] Their first major concert at Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City, was themed "Galactica"; meant to celebrate the box office popularity of the sci-fi epic, Star Wars: A New Hope . The band's primary members wore Darth Vader masks and matching black capes. The aftermath of the highly successful concert reflected band's immediate impact on Philippine pop culture. [5]
As the disco decade came to a close, VST & Company's last performance and public appearance as a band, would be during the nationwide Coca-Cola "Coke Litro" Tour. The promotional concert tour lasted an entire year, from 1982 to 1983. At the time the band quietly exited the entertainment industry, they had already completed five full-length albums filled with double platinum hits, and made three feature films. [5]
In an interview with actor Chinkee Tan on his YouTube channel, uploaded in August 2024, Tito Sotto recalled that after recording the songs "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" and "Ikaw ang Aking Mahal", he encountered difficulty deciding on the group's official name. Drawing inspiration from MFSB, a band popular at the time whose name stood for "Mother, Father, Brother, Sister," Sotto decided to form a name based on initials. He initially used his own initials, VST, which he had also used during his work with Vicor Music as Vicente Sotto the Third. However, to avoid giving the impression that he solely owned the project or its commercial output, he incorporated the initials of his brother Vic and Spanky Rigor, who were among the band's original studio collaborators. According to Sotto, when he registered the name VST & Company, the term "Company" referred to the rhythm section that performed on the original studio recordings. [6]
For its 2016 holiday season presentation, the Cultural Center of the Philippines premiered "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" on December 2, 2016. The dance musical, a collaboration between Ballet Philippines and ABS-CBN with the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gerard Salonga, celebrated the music of VST & Company. The libretto was written by Bibeth Orteza, with choreography by Carissa Adea, James Laforteza, and PJ Rebullida, and direction by Ballet Philippines artistic director Paul Alexander Morales. The production featured Karylle, Michael Pangilinan, Markki Stroem, Kyle Echarri, Cooky Chua, Sandino Martin, Jef Flores, and Noel Comia Jr. [7] [8] [9] [10]
VST & Company's contributions to Philippine music were recognized when they received the "Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino" award at the 30th Awit Awards, presented by the Philippine Association of the Record Industry on November 26, 2017.
In December 2017, the Adamson University Pep Squad won the UAAP Cheerdance Competition with a routine set to the music of VST & Company at the Mall of Asia Arena. Male Rigor later joined the celebration at the Adamson University campus in Manila, performing "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko" during the victory bonfire. [11]
To celebrate VST & Company's 40th anniversary, ABS-CBN's longest-running Sunday noontime show, ASAP Natin 'To , opened their February 16, 2020, episode with a full musical tribute to VST & Company. The variety show's stars performed rearranged renditions VST hits: Gary Valenciano opened the show with "Magsayawan", followed by Zsa Zsa Padilla performing "Awitin Mo at Isasayaw Ko", along with Elha Nympha, Zephanie and Janine Berdin. Ogie Alcasid performed "Step No, Step Yes", Martin Nievera and Billy Crawford did "Rock Baby, Rock". And for the finale, the entire cast closed with "Magsayawan".
Credits adapted from Lorie Illustre, Tito Sotto, [3] [6] and the VST Vol. album credits.
During the late 1970s, Filipino director Al Quinn directed two feature films that showcased the songs of VST & Company as the films' soundtrack: Disco Fever (1978), starring Vilma Santos, Christopher de Leon, and Cocoy Laurel; and Swing It, Baby (1979), that top-billed Vilma Santos and Romeo Vasquez, with Tito, Vic and Joey, and other stars of the decade such as Amy Austria, Walter Navarro, Rolly Quizon, Sandy Garcia, Geleen Eugenio, Bing Davao and Mike Monserrat. It was in this film that VST & Company made their big-screen debut. [5]
| Year | Title | Director | Starring |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Disco Fever | Al Quinn | Vilma Santos, Christopher De Leon, and Cocoy Laurel |
| 1979 | Swing It, Baby | Al Quinn | Romeo Vasquez, Vilma Santos, with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey De Leon |
| 1979 | Rock Baby, Rock | Oscar Miranda | Vilma Santos, Júnior, with Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, and Joey De Leon |
| Authority control databases: Artists |
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