MANILA, Philippines - Corinne Drewery was an aspiring fashion designer in London before fate and circumstance led her to join Swing Out Sister?the ?80s duo that put a fresh spin to ?60s pop and Burt Bacharach-style arrangements.

As a child she had dreamt of becoming a singer, after hearing Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross and other pop divas.

A chance encounter with future SOS keyboardist Andy Connell at the hip Manchester club Hacienda?where she went to audition for another group?sealed her destiny to become the vocalist of SOS.

The group first performed here at the height of its fame in the late ?80s. It has remained active and just recorded a new album, ?Beautiful Mess? (Universal Records).

Drewery chats with Inquirer Entertainment while on tour, en route to SOS? concert tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum.

What do you remember most about the time that SOS first played in Manila?
I remember the audience being so enthusiastic. We did three encores! Also the temperature?we had never performed anywhere as hot as Manila before.

You were studying fashion design in London before joining the group. What made you decide to become a singer?
I had a horse-riding accident that fractured my skull. After a few months of recuperation, I decided to pursue my childhood dream.

You have a very distinct vocal style that?s reminiscent of great ?60s pop records. Who were your musical influences and what did you like about them?
Growing up in the ?60s, I remember Dusty Springfield, Shirley Bassey, Sandie Shaw, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Dionne Warwick ... I wanted to be like them when I grew up! Looking back, it was probably because they sang such great songs. Dionne, Dusty and Sandie all sang Bacharach and David numbers. Shirley Bassey sang the James Bond themes. All of the songs that have influenced Swing Out Sister had great arrangements and production.

Was there a particular vision or direction that SOS wanted to pursue in the early years?
We all had a different idea of what direction we should take. I wanted to make pop songs like the ones I had grown up listening to. Andy was more influenced by jazz artists such as Joe Zawinul and Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, Hermeto Pascoal and arrangers such as Claire Fischer and Eumir Deodato. We both found common ground in the film scores of Ennio Morricone and John Barry, and the songs of Bacharach and David. We knew what we were trying to do with the first album, ?It?s Better To Travel,? but I think we achieved the sound we were searching for with our second album, ?Kaleidoscope World.?

You?re back sporting the same bob hairdo.
I always have my hair cut at Vidal Sassoon, where Mary Quant had her iconic cut done in the ?60s. Also it?s easy to maintain on tour!

Tell us about meeting Andy for the first time at the Hacienda.
I was actually auditioning for a group called Working Week. The members invited me to see them play at the Hacienda. Just before they went on stage they surprised me by asking if I would like to sing a song with them.

It was my first public performance so I was quite nervous. Then I saw Andy in the audience. He congratulated me on my performance afterwards, but I?m sure he was just being polite. We became friends and I later auditioned for Swing Out Sister?only this time I got the job!

What point in the group?s career was its most exciting phase? And what albums reflected this period?
?Kaleidoscope World? and ?Somewhere Deep in the Night? were our most adventurous albums, although perhaps not the most accessible. ?The Living Return? also covered new ground as we recorded it live with producer Ray Hayden and I co-wrote some of the songs with the band that you will see on stage in Manila.

The latest album ?Beautiful Mess? has lots of ?60s-style melodies. What is it about the ?60s that you really love?
The sheer joy and immediacy of the music. Pop was new and exciting then, it was like a totally fresh format to be explored. People were looking for fun and the music reflected the newfound freedom of post-war society.

What can your Filipino fans expect at the concert?
A fabulous time!

(E-mail pconcepcion@inquirer.com.ph)