MANILA, Philippines ? Tonyboy Cojuangco beamed as he mingled with the audience before show time last week. It was the album launch of the reunited 1960s band Electromaniacs at the GSIS Theater.

On the band?s invitation, the business magnate was playing as a guest rhythm guitarist. ?I?m not really good at this,? Cojuangco told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net). ?Maybe they?re just using me to pull in more people.?

The Electromaniacs, a major influence on Filipino musicians who came of age during its heyday, disbanded in the ?70s. It staged a surprise comeback last year via a couple of gigs featuring original lead guitarist Ernie Delgado and drummer Lito Toribio, and with two new members?bassist Bert Tuazon and rhythm guitarist Lenny de Jesus.

Tuazon and De Jesus were said to be instrumental in reviving the group. Tuazon, a doctor based in the United States, was a fan. He sought out Delgado and Toribio and their meeting led to casual jam sessions. The three eventually hooked up with De Jesus, a former government bureaucrat who plays the piano and guitar. Shortly after joining, De Jesus also became the band?s manager.

?At its peak, the Electromaniacs was one of the best bands in the country,? Cojuangco said. ?Parati silang last performers sa parties.?

Asked about his own musical journey, Cojuangco said he learned to play the guitar in grade school. ?I was in grade 7 when I took private lessons.?

He stopped playing in high school, although he continued listening to pop and, later, classical music. Eight years ago, he picked up the guitar again.

He recently turned up with Maan Hontiveros in a group called Guitar Friends Ensemble, which were featured in a series of shows for the Cultural Center of the Philippines? 40th anniversary.

Did he, by any chance, play in his partner Gretchen Barretto?s new CD?

?I was supposed to, in one track that needed a guitar,? Cojuangco replied. ?But the producer eventually decided to use another instrument.?

Front row fan

At the Electromaniacs show, Barretto was in front row. Cojuangco played in four numbers: Orleans? ?Dance with Me? which recalled the Earl Klugh version; Mason Williams? ?Classical Gas?; ?Cavatina? which was heard in the film ?Deer Hunter?; and Antonio Carlos Jobim?s ?Wave??said to be one of his favorite pieces.

At the finale, Cojuangco walked back on stage and sang backup vocals?with two other band members, former Electromaniacs bassist Emile Caballero and new full-time bass player Rolly Roldan?in an ensemble version of the Beatles? ?Here Comes the Sun.?

The show, hosted by Willie Nepomuceno and Boots Anson-Roa, stretched to about three hours, with the Electromaniacs performing in three sets. The title, ?Music and Memories??a takeoff from Nepomuceno and Roa?s radio show on dzMM Teleradyo?served as the impetus for the hosts to take the audience on a nostalgic, humorous trip back to the ?60s.

Covers and originals

During a break after the band?s first set, Nepomuceno regaled the crowd with his impersonation of singers, from Roy Orbison to Yoyoy Villame.

The Electromaniacs played both covers and originals that appear in its self-titled album, including the band?s signature instrumental piece, the bittersweet ?I Miss You So.? In an interview early this year, Delgado, the band?s main composer, said he had been writing new songs but decided not to include them in the album because he wanted fans and new listeners alike to hear what the Electromaniacs sounded like in its prime.

Open to the public, the show attracted many sponsors and accepted donations for a beneficiary?the Asosasyon ng Musikong Pilipino?which provides social and health insurance coverage for its senior session musician members.

Spotted in the audience were GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia, Senator Jamby Madrigal, Parañaque Representative Ed Zialcita, Palawan Mayor Edward Hagedorn, former Quezon City mayor Ismael Mathay, and Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando.