The past decades have sent the rise and fall of the seemingly invincible artists and groups, Side A has braved the storms and persevered through whatever trends The name is synonymous with an unmatched classic-after-classic repertoire of songs (spanning a whopping collection of more than a dozen official albums, a Christmas album, singles and various greatest hits collections…) and unequaled live performances nationwide and abroad.
The band – composed of founding member Naldy Gonzales, veteran guitarist/vocalist Joey Generoso and veteran drummer Ernie Severino, former Take One guitarist Leevon Cailao and former Freeverse bassist Ned Esguerra –aren’t resting on their collective laurels. Their music lives on and just like wine, it gets finer with every new musical outing. Timed to their celebration of the band’s Silver Anniversary, Warner Music releases a special collection entitled “SIDE A 25”, a double-disc offering that includes twenty-five years of the greatest and bestmusic that the band has created.
Featuring vintage material from the band’s beginnings – “Eva Marie,” the Tagalog ditty “’Di Pa Huli,” the band’s breakthrough heartbreak anthem “Hold On” and the infectious remake of Labuyo’s “Tuloy Pa Rin,” this collection also puts together fan favorites through the years, including sentimental tracks like “Until Then,” “So Many Questions,” “Forevermore,” “Will I Ever,” “Set You Free,” “By Your Side,” “If Only” and “Let The Pain Remain,” among numerous others, and goes the extra mile with live renditions from their legendary 10th Anniversary Concert disc “I Believe In Dreams,” “Foolish Heart” and their revivals “Ang Aking Awitin” and “Tell Me.” And no new release is complete without a new track, in which the band happily obliges with “Before I Let You Go,” a previously unreleased original that, judging by the title alone, will have fans swooning to its bittersweet lyricism and melody.
This outing is special for Side A for two reasons. “First, it marks our 25th year in the business. And second, it is a gesture of thanks to our fans who have been supporting us through the years. We won’t be who we are and achieved what we had in the business if not for the fans.” says Joey Generoso.
Being the group’s silver anniversary, Side A treats its loyal fans to special live performances of their timeless hits in the country’s biggest shopping malls: September 18 at the Ayala Center in Cebu and September 30 at Abreeza Mall in Davao.
