Revisiting the Genius of Gary V. - You Got Me Working and Betty's In Bed

About the same year Michael Jackson released the iconic, 'Thriller' album, Gary Valenciano released 'Gary' - an album with almost the same energy and bounce as that album from the King of Pop - and unsurprisingly, for many Filipinos, Gary V. remains the local King of Pop.

These two songs - You Got Me Working and Betty's In Bed - were the first two songs in that album, and these were my theme songs during the summer of 1983. I couldn't stop playing Gary's tape in my Walkman. These were just the perfect anthems to that enjoyable summer vacation we had in my cousins' house in Ozamiz City.

I did meet Gary years later, after an MTV show and Vic and I went backstage. I requested him to perform these songs in his next concerts and he said that he couldn't since the label owned the songs and not him. Isn't that sad? I did see a Youtube video of him doing You Got Me Working so maybe everything turned out well in the end. I haven't heard him perform Betty's In Bed live, though. Now that would be a treat!