The Music Played: Nora Aunor's Breakthrough Song

Recorded in 1968 under Alpha Records, “The Music Played” is Nora Aunor’s breakthrough single. Before scoring this first big hit, Nora had earlier released singles under two recording companies—Citation Records and Josper Records—which the public ignored. Movie-TV star and Alpha recording artist Carmen Soriano then recommended Nora Aunor to Alpha executive Buddy de Vera.

Nora’s first single under Alpha was also mildly received. De Vera’s wife Linda insisted that Nora be given another chance. This time Nora recorded a cover of “The Music Played,” which, as Rito Asilo puts it, "changed the course of her career—and that of Philippine show biz!" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 15, 2019).

Nora Aunor was only 15 years old when she recorded this song. According to Joe Quirino: “Hers is a voice which everyone expects to come from a grown woman, not from a young girl.” Norma L. Japitana said: “A young girl with the most haunting voice, Nora Aunor is just going on sixteen. But she sings with the emotion of one who has gone through life’s emotional torrents” (The Weekly Nation, March 3, 1969).

“The Music Played” is an adaptation from a Spanish song with music by Udo Jürgens and lyrics by Joachim Fuchsberger. Mike Hawker wrote the English lyrics, and Matt Monro recorded the song in May 1968. Nora Aunor’s version was arranged and conducted by Doming Valdez.

Images in the video were scanned from actual photos owned by Mercy Masangcay and now archived at the Noraniana Section of the Iriga City Public Library in Iriga City, Camarines Sur. Music by Alpha Recording Company.

“The Music Played” is part of Nora’s first LP titled "Nora Aunor Sings," under Alpha Records, first released in April 1969 and reissued in compact disc in 1999 as Volume 1 of the series Classic Collection of Nora Aunor.

Lyrics:
An angry silence stayed where love had been
And in your eyes a look I’ve never seen
If I had found the words you might have stayed
But as I turned to speak the music played

As lovers danced their way around the floor
I suddenly watched you walk towards the door
I heard a friend of yours suggest you stay
And as you took his hand the music played

Across the darkened room the fatal signs I saw
We’d been something more than friends before
Well, I was hurting you by clinging to my pride
He had been waiting and I drove him to your side

I couldn’t say the things I should have said
Refused to let my heart control my head
But I was made to see the price I paid
And as he held you close the music played
And as I lost your love the music played

Видео The Music Played: Nora Aunor's Breakthrough Song канала Superstarstruck