This Valentine post is especially dedicated to the one person who agreed to marry me.

MARRY ME
music & words: Patrick Monahan

Forever can never be long enough for me
Feel like I’ve had long enough with you
Forget the world now, we won’t let them see
But there’s one thing left to do

Now that the weight has lifted
Love has surely shifted my way

Marry me today and every day
Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe
Say you will, say you will

Together can never be close enough for me
Feel like I am close enough to you
You wear white and I’ll wear out the words I love you
And you’re beautiful

Now that the wait is over
And love and has finally shown her my way

Marry me today and every day
Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe
Say you will, say you will

Promise me you’ll always be happy by my side
I promise to sing to you when all the music dies

And marry me today and everyday
Marry me if I ever get the nerve to say hello in this cafe
Say you will, say you will marry me

Listen to this song’s First Dance Mix (the violin and beats makes it perfect for soon-to-weds still looking for a song for their onsite video).

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

The new song “Been Waiting” by Regine Velasquez, sure sounds like a wedding song.  Who would think otherwise, especially not when the songbird herself is about to get married to singer/songwriter Ogie Alcasid before Christmas this year — December 22, 2010 to be exact. It says so in the couple’s Save-the-Date card (as described in the quote below which appeared in Inquirer’s Dollywood early this month).

(photo by Nice Print | layout by Print Divas)

The couple’s photo looks like they are at a masquerade ball with Regine’s face partly shown with a mask up her forehead and a shimmering diamond ring on her finger. She is hugging Ogie who’s faced towards her so only his back is shown in the fairy-tale like shot.

Here’s what’s printed at the back of the postcard: We realize that our wedding venue is a long way from home. Here’s our recommendation to help make your whole trip memorable, exciting and extraordinary as possible. We know that everyone wants to be in their best attire so as early as now we are giving you an advice. Gentlemen: Formal suit paired with pastel-colored shirt. Ladies: Formal pastel-colored flowing dress.

Since it was her studio who edited the music video for “Been Waiting” (as conceptualized by Regine herself ), we asked Charisse Tinio of Nice Print some questions to get some details about the song. Did Regine write it? When has Ogie first heard it?  Will this be the wedding song?  Which part of the ceremony will Regine sing this?

In response, we got an email from Charisse with the full text of Regine’s actual SMS as reply to our queries.  Here’s what she said:

HI! no i did not write the song, i dont have that talent eh - hehe! well this song is part of my new album “FANTASY”, OGIE helped me actually with all the songs for this album. Ogie was the one who called the songs writers to give me diff songs. and this song “been waiting” ogie and i both Love. it was also Ogie’s idea to share our prenuptial photos with everybody, specially our fans. we always see our fans, make videos of us, so we thought it would be nice to share this with them. atleast even if we cannot invite everyone to the wedding, we get to share even part of our wedding to them thats actually the reason why we came up with this MTV video featuring our prenup photos. This is not the wedding song, but we will show the mtv during the reception we are still undecided about which will be our wedding song as there are a lot to choose from

How cool is that?!!  Thanks Charisse!

Anyway, here’s the music video of the song “Been Waiting”.  Aside from OgRe engagement shoot, it also showed the sketch of the bridal gown by Monique Lhuillier. Full lyrics is also pasted below.

BEEN WAITING
(composer: Francis Salazar)

I have been waiting, for such a long time
For you to hear this song
The joy you bringing, no words could take place
You made may darkness bright
I feel so lonely until you owned me
Im lost in cold here but you have found me

I have been waiting to share a lifetime with you
Ive been so lonely until you own me
Im lost in cold here until you have found me
I have been waiting for such a long time
For you to hear this song

The love we once shared is all that matters
Until this life is through
Ive been so lonely until you own me
Im lost in cold here but you have found me

I have been waiting, for such a long time
For you to hear this song
The joy you bringing, no words could take place
You made my darkness bright
I feel so lonely until you owned me
Im lost in cold here but you have found me
I have been waiting, for such a long time

I have been waiting to share a lifetime with you

(below is an excerpt from Lea Salonga’s column “BACKSTORY” for today’s edition of the Inquirer.)

MANILA, Philippines—My husband Rob and I just celebrated our sixth wedding anniversary on Sunday. We spent it in Cebu working—he as president of AmbientMedia, overseeing my concert “Your Songs,” and I as the artist singing at the Waterfront Hotel.

However, when the concert ended, he took a few minutes for a little old-fashioned romance and gave me a bouquet of roses as the curtain call music was playing. What he didn’t know was that my brother Gerard and I were told that he would be making that sweet presentation (thanks to our production manager, Liza Camus), so we prepared a surprise of our own.

I kept Rob onstage, and then signaled Gerard to end the chaser music and start “Two Words.” I sang it to my husband, pretty much the same way I rendered it on our wedding day six years ago. And yes, it got the same reaction, but without the body-wracking sobs.

Wow, it’s been quite a while since that beautiful wedding ceremony. I remember that day very well (and since there are numerous videos posted on YouTube, it’s easy to relive it). However, that’s not how our story began.

It started on Nov. 5, 2001—the night of our very first date. [READ MORE….]

(via Manila Bulletin) Known for her hits “Everyday” and “Sa Isip Ko,” Agot Isidro takes on a new role as a ‘wedding singer’ as she returns to the music scene via “White Lace and Promises,” a collection of well-loved wedding songs.

Released under PolyEast Records, Agot said the concept of “White Lace and Promises” is just right for the ‘ber’ months.

“Contrary to popular notion that June is the wedding month, it is actually during the ‘ber’ months that more Filipino couples walk down the aisle. The nights are longer during this time and people anticipate receiving their Christmas bonus,” she said during the press conference for the album held at Discovery Suites on Oct. 14.

She shared that choosing songs for the album was a challenge “because there are so many good wedding songs.”

Nevertheless, Agot and PolyEast were able to come up with an album they could be proud of—one that features versions of OPM classics and international standards that can be used for both intimate and big weddings.

Agot confessed that she initially balked at recording a version of Basil Valdez’s signature song, “Ngayon at Kailanman.”

“I didn’t think I could sing this song. I thought the song was too ‘big’ for me and I knew how popular and well-loved this song is to Filipinos. I hope I gave justice with my version,” she related.

Her version eventually ended up as the album’s promotional song.

The singer-actress also did a duet with Martin Nievera on the Patti Austin-James Ingram song, “True Love.” She said the Concert King had to sing four songs prior to recording “True Love” to enable his vocal cords to stretch because it was arranged in a key higher than he is used to.

Other songs in “White Lace and Promises” are Rico J. Puno’s “Together Forever,” The Carpenters’ “We’ve Only Just Begun” [the second verse of which is where the title of Agot’s album was lifted],  Shania Twain’s “From This Moment,” and The Corrs’ “Runaway” (which Agot sang at the Judy Ann Santos- Ryan Agoncillo nuptial on April 28).

Agot said she is reminded of her wedding to businessman Manu Sandejas whenever she listens to her latest album. The two tied the knot on Oct. 7, 2000 at the St. John Bosco Church in Laguna.

“Unlike some people who recall their weddings as blurs, I remember mine very vividly. It was raining while the priest was saying mass, but the rain stopped as soon as we [Agot and Manu] stepped out of the church,” said she.

Incidentally, Manu agreed to be photographed as Agot’s love interest for the album’s inlay. She said that Manu replaced a Brazilian model for the task when negotiations for the latter didn’t fall through.

Agot is choosy in accepting invitations to sing at weddings, preferring to do so only for people whom she knows well..

“Weddings are very intimate occasions, [so] there’s this danger of becoming an ‘unwanted stranger’. It’s important that you discuss with the couple what they want to sing. The music is your connection with them,” she explained.

album tracks:

1. Ngayon at Kailanman
2. Here There and Everywhere
3. Runaway
4. This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)
5. Together Forever
6. I Will
7. From this Moment
8. When You Say Nothing at All
9. We’ve Only just Begun
10. Fallen
11. Looking Through the Eyes of Love
12. True Love (duet with Martin Nievera)

The year was 1973.  Ninoy wrote an ode for Cory from within his prison cell in Fort Bonifacio as a political detainee during the Marcos Regime.  The original poem is composed of 19 stanzas symbolic of the years of their marriage.  It’s a tribute to his wife sacrifices for him and their family as he served his country and fought for freedom.  Its theme was both emotional and political.

In 1987,  singer/songwriter Jose Mari Chan was commissioned to set the poem into music.  The piece adopted the first line of the poem for its title “I Have Fallen in Love (with Same The Woman Three Times)” and was included in Chan’s top-selling album “Constant Change” which has since achieved a Diamond Record status (10 times platinum in terms of sales). The song didn’t get as much airplay on the radio then as much as the big hits from the album (i.e. “Beautiful Girl”, “Please Be Careful With My Heart”).  But the paean now serves as one of the theme upon the former president’s demise.

On the day of Cory’s passing, the Joe Mari Chan was interviewed by Arnold Clavio & Vikki Morales for GMA News detailing about how the song came to be.  When requested by the news anchors to sing parts of the song, Chan obliged but turned emotional midway.  Below is a clip of that 9-minute interview:

A remake by Christian Bautista is due to be released soon and will be included in his new album containing 19 Jose Mari Chan classics. Below is the full lyrics of the song and a YouTube clip as Bautista sang it live for the first time in yesterday’s tribute for Cory in ABS-CBN’s Sunday noontime show, ASAP.

I Have Fallen in Love (with the Same Woman Three Times)
words by Benigno Aquino, Jr.
music by Jose Mari Chan

 I have fallen in love
With the same woman three times
In a day spanning 19 years
Of tearful joys and joyful tears

I loved her first when she was young
Enchanting and vibrant, eternally new
She was brilliant, fragrant
And cool as the morning dew

 I fell in love with her the second time
When first she bore her child and mine
Always by my side, the source of my strength
Helping to turn the tide

But there were candles to burn
The world was my concern
While our home was her domain
And the people were mine
While the children were hers to maintain

So it was in those eighteen years and a day
‘Til I was detained; forced in prison to stay

 Suddenly she’s our sole support
Source of comfort
Our wellspring of hope
On her shoulders felt the burden of life

 I fell in love again
With the same woman the third time
Looming from the battle
Her courage will never fade

 Amidst the hardships she has remained
Undaunted and unafraid.
She is calm and composed
She is God’s lovely maid

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Full text of the original poem is posted here.