One of the Record Store Day (RSD) 2024’s recent releases was a hitherto unknown and recently unearthed gem in Andre Wilson & The Chocolate Cake’s 1977 single, “Manila Walk”.
The single was released locally back in 1977 under Gemini Records and featured American expat Wilson who formed the seven-piece band.
In a news item in the old Panorama magazine dated March 20, 1977, it is mentioned that Andre Wilson & The Chocolate Cake opened for American soul band Gladys Knight and the Pips who held a three-night concert series at the Folk Arts Theater from March 4-6 of that same year.
In a Facebook interview with Wilson who now resides in Osaka, Japan, he stated that “’Manila Walk’ was written about that time when Dewey Boulevard (later Roxas Boulevard) was abundant with clubs”.
Wilson also said the song was written in 1976 and released a year later.
“It was an exciting time,” recalled Wilson who was also with the Filipino funk band, Howlers, that was inspired by Tower of Power, and released an album also in the mid-70s.
Though born in Langley, Virginia, United States of America, Wilson arrived in the Philippines when he was 12 years old as his father, an American serviceman, was stationed at Clark Air Base on Pampanga.
Regarding participating in the Philippine music scene, Wilson simply said, “I could not resist the action that Roxas Boulevard provided.”
The flipside of “Manila Walk is the song “Where Did I Go Wrong”, and the single is the second release from independent label I Found It Records; an exclusive RSD Pilipinas 2024 release. The limited edition release on red vinyl fetches for Php 950 and is available at Treskul Records in their Mandaluyong and Cubao branches.
I Found It Records’ inaugural release was SSS Koffee in March of 202, the band that Andre Wilson & The Chocolate Cake morphed into.
SSS Koffee’s one and only single release is titled “Gogoy (Live it Up)? b/w” “I Want You to Know”.