Category Archives: Philippines

D’Swan Records discography and Eddie Peregrina

After posting about the Sunstrokes “Come On Lets Go” on D’Swan Records, I thought I’d do a discography of the label. This turned out to be a much more complicated task than I expected, many of the listings came from youtube videos.

I was also surprised that so many of the releases I could find were those of Eddie Peregrina. There are also supposed to be some by the Electromaniacs, the Blinkers (without Eddie) and Blue Eyes but I haven’t found listings for those yet.

Eddie Peregrina had many singles, nearly all ballads or light pop, but one of the best Filipino 45 I’ve heard is Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers’ “Blue Eyes”, a cover of Jackey Yoshikawa and His Blue Comets “青い瞳” (“Blue Eyes”), written by Jun Hashimoto and Tadao Inoue.

I also like “Two Timer”, and he also covered ? & the Mysterians “I Need Somebody”

Eddie’s real name was Edgard Peregrina, and he also played organ and lead guitar in addition to singing. He died at the age of 32 on April 30, 1977, a month after a devastating car accident.

The rest of the Blinkers were:

Edgardo “Bee” Morelos – rhythm guitar
Salvador “Buddy” Yap – bass
Max “Boy” Alcaide – drums
Edgard Oscar Asusr – keyboards

Eddie Peregrina D'Swan 45 Blue EyesLuis Lee and  his brother Mike Lee owned D’Swan Records. It seems the label started out as Playtex Records, then changed over to D’Swan. The two labels share artists like the Sunstrokes and Linda Alcid. Playtex also distributed the EdVper label that seems to have put out Tagalog versions of Eddie Peregrina’s songs and featured with a very cool label of two scorpions.

The earliest D’Swan releases seem to start circa 1965, and the last around 1970 or 1971.

One name that comes up on many of these releases is Danny Subido. Subido was involved with writing for many artists, including Norma Balagtas, Jean Lopez, Gene Cuneta, Leopoldo Silos, Nita Venezuela, and the Imperials. Subido would go on to join William Leary’s Wilear Records, then form a partnership in 1970 with Luis Lee.

There are many missing numbers here, if anyone can help with scans or info, please contact me.

Eddie Peregrina D'Swan 45 Two Timer45s:

Playtex 45s:

PT-1001 – The Sunstrokes – “Wild Thing” / “Where Will the Words Come From”

PT-1011 – Gene Cuneta & the Sunstrokes – “This Day” / “In the Country”

PT-1025 – Linda Alcid – “To Sir, With Love” / “Love Is Blue”

D’Swan 45s:

MSL-1036 – Eddie Peregrina and the Brambles – “What Am I Living For” / “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”

MSL-1045 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Say Yeah, Say No” / “Hang On Sloopy (Jerk)”

MSL-1055 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Game of Love” / “Give Me a Sign” (recorded at CAI Studio)

MSL-1058 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” / “The Way Of Love” (recorded at CAI Studio)

DS-1060 – Eddie Peregrina – “Need You” (Harrison) / Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Rags to Riches”

DS-1064 – Jaime Jose & the Deltas – “Let Me Tell Your Fortune” (featuring Toots Paragas on piano) / “Shame and Scandal in the Family”
DS-1064 – Eddie Peregrina – “No More Tears to Fall” / “Someday You’ll Know” (both by Subido)

DS-1076 – The Sunstrokes – “Come On Lets Go” / “Rubber Ball”

DS-1091 – Guzman Sisters & The Technocrats – “Hanky Panky” / “Monday, Monday”

DS-1101 – Linda Alcid – “Legata Ad Un Granello Di Sabbia” / “I Love You, I Love You”

DS-1104 – Willie & D’Pulpmakers – “I Can’t Be True” / “Don’t Stop Loving Me Baby”

DS-1107 – Willie & the Dyna-Souls – “I Gotta Get Hold Of Myself” / “Bus Stop”
DS-1108 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “I Feel Blue” (lyrics Toto Ealdama) / “Kokotsu No Blues” (Japan’s Biggest Hit)

DS-1110 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Forever” (Subido) / “Itsuademo”

DS-1113 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Together Again” / “Two of Us”

DS-1116 – Eddie Peregrina with D’Amarillo & his Orchestra – “Problems and Worries” / “Born to Cry”
DS-1117 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Bare Footin'” / “Top Twenty”

DS-1125 – Eddie Peregrina – “Cry” / “Love Me Now and Forever”

DS-1128 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “I’m Gonna Find Myself a Girl” / “Mardy” (Subido-Ealdama)

DS-1204 – Tilt-Down Men – “Sunny” / “Big Time Operator”

DS-1206 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks – “Watch Out” / “If I Had a Ticket”

DS-1208 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Blue Eyes” / “You Only Live Twice”
DS-1209 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “My Funny Valentine” / “Happy Happy Birthday Baby”

DS-1219 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks – “Don’t Worry Baby” / “One Little Pack of Cigarettes” (R.S. stands for Robert So)
DS-1220 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks – “Voice Your Choice” / “Won’t You Give Him (One More Chance)”
DS-1221 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Girl” / ?

DS-1224 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “I Need Somebody” / “I Know” (J. Saclo)

DS-1227 – Eddie Peregrina – “Born to Cry” (Peregrina – Grecia) / “Problems and Worries” (D. Subido)
DS-1228 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “I’m Gonna Find Myself a Girl” / “Mardy”

DS-1231 – The Lumberjacks – “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” / “What’s the Reason”

DS-1233 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Matador” (Subido) / “Don’t Ever Go”
DS-1234 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks -“Jennifer Eccles” / “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”
DS-1235 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks – “Mr. Commuter” / “Hold Me With Your Eyes”

DS-1240 – Jean Lopez – “Niki Hoeky” / “Crazy Bull Fandango”

DS-1255 – The Lumberjacks – “Sookie, Sookie” / “Do It Again”
DS-1256 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Midnight Caravan” / “Since You’ve Been Gone” (Subido)
DS-1257 – R.S. & the Lumberjacks – “It’s Nice to Be Out in the Morning” / “Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da”

DS-1261 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Heartaches” / “Two Lovely Flowers”
DS-1262 – Eddie Peregrina – “Only Yesterday” / “I Do Love You”
DS-1263 – Eddie Peregrina – “The Music Played” / “Love You and You Love Me” (arranged by D’Amarillo)

DS-1266 – Eddie Peregrina – “Goodbye My Old, Gal” / “Where is Tomorrow”
DS 1267 – R.S. and the Lumberjacks – “Sorry Suzanne” / “Something’s Happening”

DS-1270 – The Lumberjacks – “Special Delivery” / “Mercy”

DS-1272 – Eddie Peregrina – “Our Love Was Born” (Subido) / “If I Never Knew You Cared”

DS-1279 – The Lumberjacks – “In the Year 2525” / “Bad Moon Rising”
DS-1280 – Eddie Peregrina – “Love for Sale” (Subido) / “Say It With Flowers”
DS-1281 – Eddie Peregrina – “Follow the Rainbow” / “Girl I Hope to Meet” (both by Subido)

DS-1285 – The Lumberjacks – “Jam Up Jelly Tight” / “Swingin’ Tight”
DS-1286 – Eddie Peregrina – “Two Timer” (Subido) / “Adore You”
DS-1287 – Eddie Peregrina – “I Don’t Care” (Subido) / “Forever More” (L. Grecia)

DS-1299 – The Lumberjacks – “Shotgun Papa (Subido) / “Don’t Forget to Remember”

DS-1302 – Eddie Peregrina – “Someone” / “Love Conquers All” (Subido)
DS-1303 – Eddie Peregrina – “Didn’t You Say” (Joey Lardizabal) / “Lovers Lane” (Sonny Loremas)
DS-1304 – The Lumberjacks – “Baby Make it Soon” / “Stir tt Up and Serve It”

DS-1306 – Eddie Peregrina and Linda Alcid – “Sighin’ Sighin'” (Subido) / “Pledging My Love”

DS-1311 – Eddie Peregrina – “Oh Promise Me” / “Mother Song”

DS-1314 – The Lumberjacks – “It’s All Over Now” (Subido) / “No Time”

DS-1317 – Scarlet – “Everyday of My Life” / “You May Never” (Eddie Magno)

DS-1319 – Eddie Peregrina – “I Just Can’t Tell You” / “You Were in My Mind” (both by Subido)
DS-1320 – Eddie Peregrina – “On Your Wedding Day” / “Happy Birthday My Love” (both by Subido)

DS-1323 – Eddie Peregrina – “Don’t Hurt Me Again” (Subido) / “Love Is a Beautiful Thing” (Subido – not the Rascals song)

DS-1338 – Eddie Peregrina – “Love Me, Espie” / “Truly”
DS-1339 – Eddie Peregrina – “We Miss You” / “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
DS-1340 – Jonathan – “I Think of You” / “Where to Begin” (Love Story)”

DS-1342 – The Lumberjacks – “Up on the Roof” / “I Play and Sing”

DS-1352 – The Lumberjacks – “Long, Long Gone” / “Love Me Do”

DS-1357 – Eddie Peregrina – “I’ll Never Love Again” / “Blue Day”

DS 1363 – Eddie Peregrina – “Baby, Baby Don’t Ever Go Away” (Subido) / “She’s My First Love”

DS-1367 – The Lumberjacks – “Sweet Hitchiker” / “Teenage Senorita”

DS-1370 – The Lumberjacks – “Cryin’ Time” / “It’s the Real Thing”

DS-1386 – The Lumberjacks – “Down by the Lazy River” / “Sands in My Pocket”

DS 1392 – Jonathan – “Love Theme from the Godfather (Speak Softly Love)” / “Help Me Make it Through the Night”

DS-1397 – Eddie Peregrina – “I Apologize” / “The Diary”

DS-1403 – Jun Palencia and the Technocrats – “I Just Lost My Baby” / “She’s a Lady”
DS-1404 – The Technocrats – “Day After Day” / “For Ladies Only”
DS-1405 – The Technocrats – “Them Changes” / “Mr Big Stuff”

DS-1413 – Eddie Peregrina – “Lonely Boy” / “Too Late”

DS-1416 – Eddie Peregrina – “No Time for Love” (Subido) / “Ben” (Black-Schart)

DS-1418 – Eddie Peregrina – “Crazy Love” / “Raindrops in Summer”

DS-1425 – Eddie Peregrina – “Love Me Now and Forever” / “Cry”

DS-1439 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Can’t Go on My Own” / “Be True”

398 – Eddie Peregrina – “Hurt” (J. Crane, A. Jacobs) / “Without You” (Ham, Evans)

?? – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – “Memories of Our Dream” / ?
?? – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers -“Two of Us”
?? – Eddie Peregrina – “Remember Someone” / “Gone with the Day” (Subido)
?? – Eddie Peregrina – “I’ll Be Waiting For You” / “Don’t Ever Leave Me”
?? – Eddie Peregrina – “Don’t Ever Go Away” / “I Want You to Know”

D’Swan International:

DSI 7013 – Dreams – “I Will See You There” / “A Boy Needs a Girl” (licensed from 1968 Ireland release on Dolphin)

D’Swan LPs:

DSM-1001 – Eddie Peregrina – What Am I Living For
DSM-1002 – Eddie Peregrina & the Blinkers – Encore

DSM-1004 – Eddie Peregrina – Love Mood

DSM-1008 – The Lumberjacks
DSM-1009 – Eddie Peregrina – Greatest Hits

DSS-1011 – Jonathan – You’re Closer to Me
DSS-1012 – Eddie Peregrina – Eddie
DSS-1013 – Eddie Peregrina – The Jukebox King (1970)

DSS-1015 – The Lumberjacks – Volume II

DSS-1018 – Eddie Peregrina – Old Time Favorites

?? – Eddie Peregrina – At His Best

Thanks to Bård Hodneland and Michael Robinson for finding some missing titles.

The Sunstrokes

The Sunstrokes D'Swan 45 Come On Lets GoThe Sunstrokes came from Manila in the Philippines. The earliest release I can find is on Playtex Records PT-1001, a cover of the Troggs’ “Wild Thing” b/w “Where Will the Words Come From”, neither of which I’ve heard yet.

They also backed up Gene Cuneta on his single “This Day” / “In the Country” on Playtex Records PT-1011.

The Sunstrokes cut a good version of Ritchie Valens’ “Come On Let’s Go” backed with a cover of the Bobby Vee hit “Rubber Ball” for D’Swan Records DS-1076, recorded at C.A.I. Studio in the Philippines. Label credits are scant, but this seems to be a relatively early D’Swan release, circa 1966.

A later single I haven’t seen has versions of “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight” on one side, credited to Playtex Records, though probably some kind of later relaunch of that label.

There’s no info about the Sunstrokes out there, other than a mention as one of the Filipino acts that Danny Subido, owner of the Kath label wrote material for.

I will have more info on D’Swan in a discography of the label in my next post.

Bobby Gonzales

Bobby and Bobby Gonzales Mayon 45 SunglassesDespite the cool label, neither of these songs impress me. “Paiyakan” starts out like “Whittier Blvd” by Thee Midniters, but takes a turn into calypso territory fifteen seconds in. “Sunglasses” is light pop but works in that way.

I’m sure there’s great 60’s rock from the Philippines out there, but I haven’t heard much of it. There must be more than this, as Filipino bands were hired all over Asia as cover bands in night clubs. Can anyone contribute some?

R.J. and the Riots (Ramon Jacinto & the Riots) had many good cover versions and pop songs, but “Fuzzed” is a classic instrumental, sounding just like its title. Hear their odd take on “Shotgun” called “Teenstone” (?!) at Radiodiffusion Internasionaal, which also has some info on Ramon Jacinto.

Bobby Gonzales was better known for ballads, and he seems to have been a huge pop star going back to the ’50s, with some movie roles as well. The songwriter Levi Celerio is also famous in the pop and movie scene.

Bobby Gonzales Mayon 45 Paiyakan