POWER 105's Power Switchers Club

POWERful Blogpost #105
POWER 105 DZBM-fm

Power Switchers Club

I guess some of you may have anticipated my Blogpost #105 so here it goes....just my own tribute to "THE POWER STATION" POWER 105 DZBM-fm and the Power Switchers Club. I first heard about POWER 105 back in 1985 and to be exact AUGUST 1985. YUP!! I can still remember my first time when I was able to tuned in to this great Manila New Wave Radio Station. Actually it was LINGGO NG WIKA(Pilipino Language Week) when we were at the classroom listening to the music of "The Power Station DZBM POWER 105". WOW!! YOUTHFUL MEMORIES INDEED!! The station was playing music from THE CURE, ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN,.....a lot of DEPECHE MODE, NEW ORDER, NICK KERSHAW, STRAWBERRY SWITCHBLADE just to name a few. Of course there were also a lot of Obscure New Wave Bands and Songs on their playlist.

THE POWER SWITCHERS CLUB was the CLUB organized by the BM people wayback mid-1986 just before the station would change and remove their New Wave Format. It was revived by December 1987 and the second batch of POWER SWITCHERS was ready for registration by early 1988. There were four of us in the group who went to register with the First Batch of Power Switchers back in 1986 but we weren't able to pick up our IDs because the station ultimately changed their format. When the registration was revived in 1988 we went back to the station and asked and verified if our receipts from our 1986 registration were still valid. Sadly, they said that we have to re-register again. Waaaah!! Another payment? Hmmmp!! That's unfair!! He He He!! This time there were six of us in the group and we all decided not to push through with the registration. Naaah!! The four of us who were told to re-register didn't mind it anymore. Well, I have created an exclusive POWER SWICTHERS CLUB I.D. featuring Looney Tunes Character "TASMANIAN DEVIL" just for my POWER105 BLOGPOST since TAZ is one of my favorite BM DJs back then. Recently the POWER SWITCHERS CLUB was sort of reborn but this time as a Yahoo Group.

Good thing BENJIE COLLANTES of "THE VAULT" was able to preserve his copy of the POWER SWITCHER application form and was kind enough to share it here in my little blog. THANKS AGAIN BENJIE!!

Just added info about POWER 105 taken from the DZBM-fm My Space website which I linked here in my blog last year during the early days of my BLOG. YUP!! One of the first three links here on "THE DOCTOR IS IN". Click the POWER105 LOGO to enter the site:

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This site is dedicated to all Power Switchers around the world and to the now defunct Power 105 BM FM. DZBM 105.1 FM - (circa 1985-1991) 131 Del Monte Ave., Quezon City, PHILIPPINES STUDIO 711.3937.

The year 1963 marked the birth of the Mareco Broadcasting Network, Inc. (MBN, Inc.) in the radio industry, with DZBM as its first AM station. The station..s purpose was, originally, as a promotional medium for Mabuhay and Villar records, which were both owned by Mareco Broadcasting Network. MBN, Inc. also produced and marketed foreign music labels from over a hundred major international recording companies. DZBM made a major impact in popularizing radio as a prime entertainment medium in Manila, since the station was consistently at the top of the charts in the surveys during that time. Eventually, DZBM opened its doors to commercial advertising, due to its increasing patronage, especially from the youth of the Philippines. The station moved from AM to FM band for enhanced sound quality. The move to FM was to DZBM..s advantage. Playing vinyls (12"s, EPs, and LPs) plus superior sound quality in radio broadcasting became the trademark of DZBM 105.1 FM, which became known to its listeners as ..The Power Station... In the 1980..s, DZBM played the most obscure sounds, extended versions, b-sides and the hottest new wave hits. The evolution of DZBM, from the new wave station to the Jazz station it is today, is a result of the numerous changes in management of the Mareco Broadcasting Network, Incorporated.

POWER105 DJ's: Chelle - D * Randy Brown * Michael Davis * Dr. D'e * Harry Nolan * Paul Hunter * Tasmanian Devil.

RANDY BROWN

(PRESIDENT OF POWER SWITCHERS CLUB)

MICHAEL DAVIS and CHEL D.

DR. D'E

HARRY NOLAN

TASMANIAN DEVIL

(P.R.O. of POWER SWITCHERS CLUB)

Photos courtesy of:

POWER SWITCHERS YAHOO GROUP

DJ MIKE of 33 1/3

JORDAN VICTOR LUCIANO of ALPHABETZ Mobile

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I really love this radio station and who would forget their RADIO ID TAG that goes something like this: "The...The...The...Power Station...Power Station". CLASSIC Indeed!! Nothing to do with Robert Palmer's 80s band okay. He He He! The radio signal was also excellent and with great sounding echo and bass on it. Hmmmp!! I have visited the station only four times which was right in front of SIENNA COLLEGE but I may say it's still memorable for me since I was able to meet two of my favorite BM DJs Tasmanian Devil and Harry Nolan. Actually both HARRY NOLAN and TASMANIAN DEVIL started as a TEAM on their radio show and their Tandem was dissolved by 1988 wherein both DJs were given their own Individual timeslot. Talking about tandem....Of course PINOY WAVERS would definitely remember the BADUY DJ POP Tandem of HILL BILLY WILLY and GROVER of 93.9 WKC on the same era which was the 80s. HA HA HA!!POWER105 have also their so-called "POWER EXCLUSIVES" which were music that's exclusively played on POWER105 during those days like VOICE OF AMERICA, FRUITS OF PASSION, H20, THE LOVER SPEAKS, THE EXPLORERS, and many more. A memorable portion on POWER105 is their "LIGHT AND EASY FAVORITES" broadcast every 12noon to 1pm wherein it showcased New Wave Music on the lighter side. This was where DIFFERENT SEASONS by JOHNNY HATES JAZZ, LOVE YOU by PRIMAL SCREAM, LAST SUPPER by HOWARD JONES, and of course who would forget BROKEN LAND by THE ADVENTURES just to name few became popular. I will be having a seperate Blogpost on both POWER EXCLUSIVES and THE LIGHT AND EASY FAVORITES so hang on to your seatbelts. He He He!! By early 1991 POWER 105 began playing Hard and Heavy Metal Music definitely a far cry from what they were known for. Well, I guess because it just entered the DECADE of the 90s.

WHY POWER SWITCHER? Well, I guess you made the RIGHT SWITCH. You SWITCH ON AND OFF THE POWER or plainly you've SWITCHED listening to POWER105 instead of WXB102 or NU107.

HAVE YOU MADE THE POWER SWITCH?

THE...THE...THE.

POWER STATION...POWER STATION!!

-DR. STIRRING RHOD-

1987-The Year That Was!

1987- The year that was in New Wave Manila FM Dial!!

Hmmmp! Wondering why I entitled this Blogpost as "1987-The Year That Was"? Well, It's my 87th blogpost today and I just remembered that 1987 was a very interesting year for the New Wave Radio Scene here in Manila. Of course, I will be posting about what I personally remembered regarding the great FM dial events that occurred in this memorable year. At the start of 1987, just before the 1st year anniversary of the FEBRUARY PEOPLE POWER REVOLUTION of 1986, there were news of the sequestration of "The Station That Dares To Be Different" DWXB102.7 FM by the newly installed CORY Government. At first, I really didn't took noticed of this news since a lot of sequestrations have been going on by the Philippines Presidential Commission on Good Goverment (PCGG) back then. By the tail end of March 1987, I guess that news was very certain because I've been having difficulty tuning-in on XB and their Radio Programming schedules began changing. The radio signal became more irregular. This was the time when XB would be on air sometimes for only 3-4 hours a day usually on the afternoons just after school. It would be 5-8pm, 6-9pm or even no broadcast at all .The schedules became more erratic. If I'm not mistaken this would go on up to the early part of April 1987. It's only on the Month of May that regular radio programming went back to normal and by June the imminent sequestration was about to happen. The XB DJs then called on a Radio People Power beside the now condemned PHILCOMSEN Building in Ortigas in an effort to save the station. Sadly, by June 9 1987, WXB102 made their farewell broadcast with XB DJ Allan K. on air. I was with my friends when we were listening to the final hours of the XB broadcast so I can't forget those times. That was very bad news for Pinoy Wavers and Punks who have been avid listeners of the station. The 102 Club was born but due to unavoidable circumstances back then I wasn't able to join the club. Waaaah!! The last 102 party entilted "THE FINAL CURTAIN" was held few days after XB signed off.

After almost 5 months without any New Wave/Punk radio station on the FM dial in Manila, came a Test Broadcast on November 1 and 2 of 1987 on radio frequency 107.5 FM. YUP!! The station was "The Home Of New Rock" DWNU 107.5 FM on the rise broadcasting at Paseo De Roxas in Makati. A lot of us thought it was an XB resurrection of sort but we were wrong because its playlist and concept would be very much different from WXB102. Pinoy Wavers and Punks cheered with the new radio station that was also called "The Cutting Edge In New Rock",but the continous and repeated song formats by NU107 didn't satisfy their cravings for more New Wave music and has disappointed a lot of listeners. Sometimes, you get to hear the same song played repeatedly in a 3-hour radio program span. Their playlist was also good and they have their own style in programming and have introduced a lot of new bands and songs.

Good thing just before Christmas 1987, I was able to listen to the first return New Wave broadcast of DZBM POWER105 hosted by none other than Legendary BM DJ "THE TASMANIAN DEVIL". He even had a radio contest that moment. YUP!! It was indeed a breath of fresh air since the format of NU107 was saturating everyone and there was already a need to have a competition and POWER105 DZBM would be the appropriate radio station to do that. Thus, another New Wave Radio explosion happened here in Manila that would stretch up to the end of year 1990 which benefitted every New Wave enthusiasts back then. Modern Rock,80s Alternative, Synthpop, New Wave, Punk......anything you call it. IT IS STILL NEW WAVE for PINOYS!! DZBM POWER105 have indeed played also a lot of obscure music and their playlist was awesome too. More Bands and More Songs to be played on air. The Power Switcher Club was reborn which I was a member of. The POWER STATION was back!!

CHEERS to WXB102, DZBM POWER105, and NU107!!

Click here for my Previous Blogposts about this three radio stations:

http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/2007/08/wxb102-dzbm-power105.html

http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/2007/08/rise-of-nu107.html

http://docmuzic.blogspot.com/2007/08/returning-from-journey-power105.html

That was 21 years ago!!

-DR. STIRRING RHOD-

"BROKEN LAND"-The Adventures

As the Legendary DZBM POWER 105 DJ CHEL D.'s famous farewell lines after her radio show back in 1988-90 would go:
"GOTTA GO, GOTTA HIKE, GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH MY LIFE,CATCH YOU BACK TOMORROW SAME PLACE,SAME TIME...Bye Francis!! ....Bye Marvin!!"
........... then THE ADVENTURES' "Broken Land" INTRO starts to spin on POWER105's turntable.

BROKEN LAND lyrics
- THE ADVENTURES
(from the album: THE SEA OF LOVE)
These rivers run too deep
With schemes of men for days that lay ahead
They sell their souls so cheap
They breed mistrust and fill my heart with dread
When did the boy become a man
And lose his life to learn

So much confusion to this plan
These times are not changing

Show me the love to keep us together
Open up your hearts don't turn me away
Comfort me through this stormy weather
From where I stand, I see a broken land

This boy had learned to fail
In times like these to cry seems so absurd
His own life's crisis pales
In the shadow of this truly dying world
These are the games we played at school
Our hands raised in despair

With no exception to the rule
These times are not changing

Very Famous New Wave Song among PINOY WAVERS!!
Ayos ba CHEL D.?

Download the song here:
Broken Land- The Adventures
http://download.yousendit.com/21DEF62E7E2DCB0A

Watch the video here:

GOTTA GO!!!!.............

GOTTA HIKE TOO!!!.....

-DR. STIRRING RHOD

Returning From The Journey POWER105

With the massive success of NU107's test broadcast , DZBM POWER105 then decided to bring back their NEW WAVE format on DECEMBER 1987. Now, another NEW WAVE RADIO WAR has just began that would stretch up to the early part of the 1990. It was also a healthy competition like the previous XB vs. BM and the PINOY NEW WAVERS definitely benefitted again. The EIGHTIES!!! What a great decade in music!!!

WXB102 & DZBM POWER105

NEW WAVE music was the in-thing during the 80's in MANILA. Of course, PINOYS were very much into this kind of musical genre that rocked the entire nation. There were two influencial radio stations which brought NEW WAVE music at it's peak. Although during 1980-1984 this genre have invaded Manila's FM stations, these two radio stations:WXB102 "The station that dares to be different" and POWER 105 DZBM FM "THE POWER STATION" were the ones who really dug deep into the music. In 1985, both stations started the so-called NEW WAVE RADIO WAR. XB going on the FM frequency dial 102.7 and BM on 105.1. I've tuned in to both radio stations and because of them I really got into collecting NEW WAVE/PUNK stuffs from the original Vinyl Records,Casette Tapes,CDs, VCDs, DVDs. A great experience indeed! THANK YOU VERY MUCH XB and BM.