MANILA, Philippines?Gary Valenciano pauses before naming his favorites on ?GV25,? the all-star tribute album that Star Records produced to coincide with his 25th anniversary in show biz.

The double CD features 25 pop singers and musicians covering tunes that the 44-year-old singer-songwriter has recorded.

Says Gary, ?It?s like eating ice cream ? I have my favorites at this moment [which] can change like flavors of the month [but] let me see now ? I like how Erik Santos sang ?Gaya ng Dati.? He wasn?t even feeling well when he recorded. Martin Nievera was good in ?Narito?... I heard tinutukan siya nang husto ng producer (Jonathan Manalo) to sing the last few lines on a higher note.?

He continues: ?Randy Santiago and ?Eto Na Naman?... Christian Bautista and ?Break Me? ? I was told he kept stopping and breaking down while singing it... Aiza Seguerra and ?Fool ?Til the End? ? the first ballad that I wrote... Rachelle Ann Go and ?Paano?... that was well-rendered.?

Although he knew of the project since the planning stage, he wasn?t directly involved in the recording. ?It would have been awkward on my part,? he says, ?because it was their tribute to me.?

Still, he was obliged to help out when he was really needed. ?My son Paolo was doing ?Look in Her Eyes? and it was not his genre. I decided to take out one part and I told him, ?You sound like me ? ? and he goes, ?Well, I?m your son.??

Big concert

The rest of the artists, in order of appearance on ?GV25?: South Border, ?Laughter All the Time?; Zsa Zsa Padilla, ?Ikaw Lamang?; Kyla, ?What More Can I Say?; Mark Bautista, ?You Got Me Working?; Toni Gonzaga, ?Wait Forever?; Jed Madela, ?Until Then?; Sam Milby, ?Each Passing Night?; Jericho Rosales, ??Di Bale Na Lang?; Sharon Cuneta, ?Sana Maulit Muli?; Piolo Pascual, ?How Did You Know?; Sarah Geronimo, ?Kailangan Kita?; Richard Poon, ?Wag Mo Na Sanang Isipin?; Pops Fernandez, ?Reachin? Out?; Jamie Rivera, ?Letting Go?; Bituin Escalante, ?Take Me Out of the Dark?; Kuh Ledesma, ?Could You Be Messiah?; Vina Morales, ?Natutulog Ba ang Diyos?; and Sheryn Regis, ?Pasko Na, Sinta Ko.?

As part of the anniversary celebration, Gary is performing on Nov. 14 and 15 at the Araneta Coliseum. ?Live at 25? is unusual for its numerous guests, including Rivermaya, Bloomfields, Sugarfree, Salamin, Powerplay, Yeng Constantino, Laarni Lozada, the Philippine All-Stars, G-Force, two artists from the tribute album (Rosales and Go), and Gary?s children Paolo, Gabriel and Kiana Valenciano with the Manoeuvers.

?Why not?? Gary quips. ?It?s my anniversary.?