“Xavier L.”
A Fakesoundchecks radio fiction
This was sent in by a listener named Xavier L., whose American family stayed in the Philippines after Mount Pinatubo forced the closing of the Subic Bay U.S. military base in 1992. Xavier wrote that he was born on the base in the early ‘80s and was weaned on Filipino radio.
This was the only nation where one Norwegian band made it almost as big as a-ha did worldwide (and even made it bigger than in Norway). According to the Wikipedias, “The band’s popularity in the Philippines prompted them to tour the country in 1988. In Manila, their shows sold out six times over two weekends."
This 1998 clip from Bayawan City came from an all pop-rock hits station which features the start of a Fra Lippo Lippi song called "Shouldn’t Have to Be Like That”, from a 1986 album called “Songs”. It’s about as well known there as “Take On Me” is everywhere else.