Hale is a Filipino alternative rock band, formed in Manila, Philippines in 2004. The group originally consisted of singer and guitarist Champ Lui Pio, bassist Sheldon Gellada, guitarist Roll Martinez and drummer Omnie Saroca. This line-up remained unchanged until the departure of Saroca in 2008; he was then replaced by Paolo Santiago. In March 2017, Chino David of Silent Sanctuary became the band's fifth member.
Hale | |
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| Origin | Metro Manila, Philippines |
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| Past members | Omnie Saroca |
Hale signed to EMI, now PolyEast Records in 2004 and released their self–titled debut album, Hale (2005). The album was critically acclaimed; resulting in the accolade as the Awit Award’s Group of the Year. The band’s debut album included the single "The Day You Said Goodnight" which brought them mainstream success in Southeast Asia. The following year, the band released their second studio album Twilight (2006) which received mostly positive reviews and critical success. The band released their third album Above, Over and Beyond (2008) which received generally mixed reviews and saw limited success. This is the last album featuring original drummer Omnie Saroca. Paolo Santiago (formerly of Join the Club) subsequently replaced him as the band began recording their fourth studio album Kundiman released in 2009.
In 2010, the group disbanded. Lead singer Champ Lui Pio announced his intention to begin a solo career as a musician and actor.
In January 2015 after weeks of speculation that the band was reuniting, the group held their first gig. Their first single in five years "See You" was debuted in early 2015 and their fifth album Time and Space under Warner Music Philippines was released via iTunes and Spotify. In 2016, the group collaborated with singer Sarah Geronimo for the song "The Great Unknown". It was written by the band's lead guitarist, Roll Martinez, for Geronimo's twelfth album. The song's music video peaked at no. 1 on both MYX Philippines and MTV Philippines charts.
During the 2022 Philippine Presidential Elections, Hale performed at political rallies of the Uniteam, in support of President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
History
edit2004–2005: Formation and early years
editRoll Martinez and Sheldon Gellada were music majors from University of Santo Tomas. Champ Lui-Pio was from De La Salle University - College of Saint Benilde. Omnie Saroca was from Technological University of the Philippines. The four of them formed Hale in mid-2004, and soon after signed up with EMI Philippines (now PolyEast Records) in November 2004.[3]
2005–2006: Hale and mainstream success
editIn 2005, the band released their debut self–titled album Hale, consisting of singles, "Broken Sonnet", "The Day You Said Goodnight", "Kahit Pa", "Kung Wala Ka" and "Blue Sky" together with "Tollgate" which was released together with the re-issuing of the album on March 2, 2006. "The Day You Said Goodnight" marked the first steps of Hale's massive success to the mainstream and gained tremendous popularity as the singles were released. Their big hit single, "The Day You Said Goodnight” was also nominated many times by most of the music media as OPM Song of the Year of 2005. Soon, the band was also nominated as Band of the Year and Best new OPM group artist for 2005 in numerous music awards.
Hale re-issued their debut album together with the single "Tollgate" on March 2, 2006.[4] At the same year, the debut album had reached 90,000 copies sold. They were also chosen to make a commercial endorsement for Nescafé Philippines and a jingle "One Moment, One Nescafé" written by them in promotion of the Nescafé products.
2006–2008: Twilight to Treehouse Production and hiatus
editHale released their sophomore effort Twilight on September 30, 2006, consisting of singles "Waltz", "Hide And Seek", "Shooting Star" and "The Ballad Of".[5] The music video of "Waltz" was also nominated many times as the Most Favorited Music Video in 2006, marking another step of Hale's success to the mainstream. The album was also certified Gold (15,000 copies sold) a week after its release.
It was said that the band encountered tremendous amount of pressure to record their sophomore effort. On the other hand, their effort was meant to reflect their success from the preceding album as a band where their musical influences and styles had encompassed a wider spectrum of musical arrangements.[6]
Having encountered pressure from the mainstream successes of their first two albums, the band self-imposed a 10-month hiatus. During then, they established the Treehouse Productions where they would help the needy children suffering from mental and physical illnesses through music. In the process, other music acts eventually signed up for Treehouse Productions to help the band achieve their objectives, such as Rico Blanco and Mayonnaise.
2008–2009: Above, Over and Beyond and the departure of Saroca
editSoon after their hiatus, they released their third effort, Above, Over and Beyond, which consisted of singles "Pitong Araw", "Leap Of Faith", "Over And Over (And Over Again)" and "Sandali Na Lang" on April 28, 2008.[7] Even before the release of their third effort, "Sundown", which featured Monique Rae, was released as a jingle for the promotion of the local toothpaste product, Close-Up. Despite expectations, album sales for the album was low due to economic woes of the band's music label, EMI Philippines. As a result, the band resulted in promoting the album independently which, however, saw limited success. Hence, just like Twilight, the success of the album did not come up to par with the former albums.[8]
Hale drummer and percussionist Omnie Saroca left the band in the same year to focus on other issues outside the music industry. In turn, former drummer Paolo Santiago of Join the Club joined the band to replace Omnie Saroca in late 2008.
2009–2010: Kundiman and final days
editTheir fourth and final album, Kundiman, released on July 28, 2009, the band started promoting their album soon after its release, about a month after the first single, Bahay Kubo, went for radio airplay. Other singles include "Kalesa", "Harinawa", and "Magkaibang Mundo".[9][10][11]
Of all eight songs in the album, written in Tagalog. They also sought guidance with OPM band Mayonnaise's Monty Macalino in the song composition and arrangements of the album.[12]
2010–2015: Break–up and side projects
editThe band announced that they are no longer interested to have gigs and producing more music. Champ Lui Pio announced his intention and interest in acting and being a solo music artist. Champ's decision to disband Hale was allegedly kept from his bandmates, who were not given prior notice and only learned of the break-up after his public announcement. The band officially went on their separate ways on August 6, 2010. It was announced through their official Facebook page.[13][14]
2015–2017: Reformation and Time and Space
editRumors of the band reuniting, while not widespread, started online in mid-2014 until word became official that the band had reunited through their gig on January 13, 2015. This was also their first gig since their break-up in 5 years.[15] Their first single "See You" debuted on January 27, 2015.[16]
Their EP, Time and Space, was released on March 30, 2015 via ITunes and Spotify. It was announced through Hale's official Facebook page.[17]
In 2016, they collaborated with singer Sarah Geronimo for the song The Great Unknown which was written by the band's Roll Martinez. It was released as the second single from Geronimo's album with the same title.[18]
2017–present: Sixth studio album, arrival of Chino David and future
editOn September 8, 2017, the band released "Alon", accompanied by its lyric video.[19] The song would later be featured in the soundtrack for the 2017 Metro Manila Film Festival entry, Siargao. The song was awarded "Best Theme Song" at the awards show held on December 27, 2017.[20][21] After touring with the band in early 2017, violinist Chino David (formerly of Silent Sanctuary) has officially joined the band on October 9, 2017. The music video for “Alon” has been released on December 10, 2017.[22] The band released their fifth full-length album of the same name in June 2018.
In February 2024, Hale reunited with the EMI label, now relaunched under UMG Philippines.[1][2]
Band members
edit- Current members
- Champ Lui Pio - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2004–2010, 2015–present)
- Roll Martinez - lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–2010, 2015–present)
- Sheldon Gellada - bass guitar (2004–2010, 2015–present)
- Paolo Santiago - drums, percussion (2008–2010, 2015–present)
- Chino David - violin, keyboards (2017–present)
- Former members
- Geronimo "Omnie" Saroca - drums, percussion (2004–2008)
- Timeline
Discography
edit- Studio albums
- Hale (2005)
- Twilight (2006)
- Above, Over and Beyond (2008)
- Kundiman (2009)
- Time and Space (2015)
- Alon (2018)
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award Giving Body | Category | Nominated Work | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 97.1 WLS-FM Year End Awards | Song of the Year | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Won |
| Magic 89.9 WTM Year End Awards | OPM Song of the Year | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Won | |
| MTV Pilipinas Music Awards | Best New Artist | — | Won | |
| NU Rock Awards | Best New Artist | — | Nominated | |
| Rising Sun Award | — | Nominated | ||
| Song of the Year | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Nominated | ||
| Best Male Award | Champ Lui Pio | Nominated | ||
| Music Video of the Year | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Nominated | ||
| RX 93.1 Year End Awards | OPM Song of the Year | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Won | |
| OPM Band of the Year | — | Won | ||
| TM 89.9 Year End Awards | Best New OPM Artist | — | Won | |
| 2006 | Awit Awards | Best Ballad | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Won |
| People's Choice Award for Favorite Band | — | Won | ||
| MTV Asia Awards | Favorite Artist (Philippines) | — | Nominated | |
| MTV Pilipinas Music Awards | Best Pop Video | "Kung Wala Ka" | Won[23] | |
| Artist of the Month for October | — | Won | ||
| MYX Music Awards | Best Music Video | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Nominated[24] | |
| Favorite Song | "The Day You Said Goodnight" | Nominated[24] | ||
| Favorite New Artist | — | Nominated[24] | ||
| Favorite Group | — | Nominated[24] | ||
| Smart People's Choice Award | Best Group of the Year | — | Won | |
| SOP Pasiklaband (GMA 7) | Best Pop Rock Band | — | Won | |
| 2007 | MYX Music Awards | Favorite Artist | — | Nominated[25] |
| Favorite Rock Video | "Waltz" | Nominated[25] | ||
| Favorite Group | — | Nominated[25] | ||
| NU Rock Awards | Best Album Pacakaging | Inksurge.com for "Twilight" | Nominated[26] | |
| 2009 | MYX Music Awards | Favorite Song | "Pitong Araw" | Nominated |
| NU Rock Awards | Best Album Packaging | (Eric David for "Kundiman") | Nominated | |
| Producer of the Year | (with Angee Rozul & Monty Macalino for "Kundiman") | Nominated | ||
| RX 93.1 Year End Awards | OPM Band of the Year | — | Won | |
| 2010 | MYX Music Awards | Favorite Music Video | "Bahay Kubo" | Nominated |
| Favorite Group | — | Nominated | ||
| 2017 | Metro Manila Film Festival | Best Theme Song | "Alon" for Siargao | Won |
| 2019 | PMPC Star Awards for Music | Album of the Year | "Alon" | Nominated[27] |
Other Awards
edit- Gold Award (15,000 units) for debut album Hale (June 2005)
- Platinum Award (30,000 units) for debut album Hale (August 2005)
- Double Platinum Award (60,000 units) for debut album Hale (November 2005)
- Triple Platinum Award (90,000 units) for debut album Hale (May 2006)
- Gold Award (15,000 units) for second album Twilight (October 2006)
References
edit- ^ a b "Universal Music Group Philippines announces re-launch of EMI Records Philippines". Universal Music Group. February 5, 2024. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Bodegon-Hikino, Kara (February 6, 2024). "Universal Music Group Philippines announces relaunch of EMI Records Philippines with Hale, Dionela, CHNDTR, Gracenote, and more". Bandwagon Asia. Retrieved February 22, 2024.
- ^ "Hail To Hale". titikpilipino.com. EMI Philippines. Archived from the original on March 2, 2006. Retrieved March 2, 2006.
- ^ "Hale repacks Hale". EMI Philippines. Retrieved March 12, 2008.
- ^ "Hale's 'Twilight' album now out in the market". Sun Star. Archived from the original on December 7, 2007. Retrieved September 24, 2007.
- ^ "Hale "waltzes" into a 6th no.1 in a row". showbizpinoy.com. Retrieved July 3, 2007.
- ^ "Hale releases third EMI album "Above, Over and Beyond"". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved May 1, 2008.
- ^ "Hale far from saying 'good night'". inquirer.net. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
- ^ "Attention all HALERS - Champ". haleofficial.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2009.
- ^ "Carrier single of Kundiman... Is just around the corner - Champ". haleofficial.com. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ^ "Kundiman album launch". haleofficial.com. Retrieved July 18, 2009.
- ^ "Hale releases new CD entitled Kundiman". titikpilipino.com. Archived from the original on January 31, 2010. Retrieved August 10, 2009.
- ^ "Hale-no-more". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on August 26, 2010.
- ^ "Ex-Hale frontman Champ Lui Pio pursues solo career with Synergy". Archived from the original on February 9, 2011.
- ^ "Hale's Secret Set At 12 Monkeys". Archived from the original on January 20, 2015.
- ^ "The countdown begins. Hear their comeback single "See You" on the 27th Tuesday. Help us spread the word". Facebook. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
- ^ "Time and Space". Facebook. Archived from the original on February 26, 2022.
- ^ Viva Records (September 26, 2016), Sarah Geronimo feat. Hale -The Great Unknown [Official Music Video], archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved April 9, 2017
- ^ "HALE releases new single, "ALON"". Myx.ph. September 9, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Full List: Winners of the MMFF 2017 Gabi ng Parangal". Rappler. December 27, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ^ Ranoa-Bismark, Maridol (December 28, 2017). "Joanna Ampil, Derek Ramsay lead MMFF 2017 winners". The Philippine Star. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ "Hale launches the music video of "Alon"". One Music PH. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2017.
- ^ All in the Family: The MTV Pilipinas Video Music Awards 2006 Winners,[dead link] "TitikPilipino.com", Retrieved 2008-01-29
- ^ a b c d Baby A. Gil (May 1, 2006). "List of 1st MYX Music Awards nominees". PhilStar. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c Baby A. Gil (February 5, 2007). "A MYX Magna for Apo nominees". PhilStar. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- ^ "And the nominees are ..." Inquirer.net. November 26, 2007. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
- ^ "FULL LIST: Nominees for 2019 Star Awards for Music". news.abs-cbn.com. Retrieved October 30, 2019.