MANILA, Philippines—In a season of comebacks and reunions, guess who’s recording again?

The Electromaniacs, considered the country's premier “combo” in the early 1960s, went back to the studio recently to lay down tracks for its first full-length album in more than 40 years.

At its peak, the band recorded some 15 singles but waxed only one LP, “Lovers Guitar,” released in 1963 by Dyna.

Known primarily as the band managed by movie actor Jose Mari Gonzalez, the Electromaniacs became famous for its guitarist, Ernie Delgado — whose playing style was legendary for making the guitar “sing,” rendering lyrics a non-necessity.

Some of its most popular tunes include “I Miss You So” and “Lovers Guitar” — the latter widely regarded as the Electromaniacs’ signature sound, but was actually the band’s reworking of an original by a musician named Ellen Davis.

The band and Gonzalez parted ways in 1966. Delgado himself left the group in 1968 to try his luck in the United States, but returned to the Philippines a year after. “I was hoping to join American bands, but I had little preparation; nothing came out of it,” he said. “Plus, I was traveling on a tourist visa.”

The Inquirer dropped in one night, in a spacious recording studio in an exclusive village in Alabang. The band was supervising the mixing sessions for the new album tentatively titled “The Best of the Electromaniacs,” set for release early this year.

Although Delgado has been writing new material, he said he’ll be recording them for a follow-up release. Meanwhile the “Best of” album has 18 tracks — the band's old hits plus covers of “Cavatina” (theme from “Deer Hunter”); “Classical Gas” (Macon Williams); the “Hawaii Five O” theme; and the 1941 big band classic, “Chatanooga Choo Choo,” among others.

Better version

“We’re doing this to make our songs available to collectors who may want to hear them again in re-recorded versions. Compilation muna. Sort of... a better version,” Delgado said.

Electromaniacs fans can expect “a great listening time” with the “Best of” album, said Lenny de Jesus, former Presidential Management Staff head of the Ramos and Estrada administrations — who’s now the band’s rhythm guitarist and manager.

The other original member is drummer Lito Toribio. A new bass player, Anna Treichler (a pediatrician at Makati Med by day) takes the place of another doctor, Bert Tuason, who’s in the United States.

“As a performer, it’s a new experience for me,” De Jesus admitted. “To measure up to the standards of a legendary guitarist like Ernie, it’s such a big thrill. Ernie and Lito [would] correct me on the proper tempo, syncopation … Kung mag-correct sila, very precise, measured.”

The recording was done at a quick pace, De Jesus said — four sessions averaging five songs each time. This was possible because the band had been rehearsing the material at De Jesus’ Makati condo. The album is said to have been rushed in time for a concert on Jan. 9 at the SM Mall of Asia, organized by the online community Pinoy Classic Rock.

Surprisingly, Delgado said he was not influenced by the Shadows or the Ventures — two foreign bands that people tend to associate with the Electromaniacs. "Ang hilig ko, chords progression, music nina Julie London at Barney Kessel. Dun ako talaga na-influence, sa chords ni Kessel, who’s a guitarist.”

Pressed to expound on what made him a household name among local musicians, Delgado reflected: “I created my own style, yung maganda para sa kin, na iba rin sa tunog ng Shadows or Ventures. Ano siya e, sweet sound, yung tone. Nasa gitara rin. There’s a big difference between the sound of a Fender and a Gibson.” (He uses a Gibson SG model.)

Toribio offered his own take: “From the start, I liked to call our sound sophisticated rock ‘n’ roll... we had a sweet sound and it’s not a simple thing. People said they can play Shadows and Ventures, but not Electromaniacs. Bakit? Mahirap daw gayahin.”