ENTERING Suburbia in Malate can give you a bad case of goosebumps. Side A's rendition of Kalapana's ''The Hurt'' is so haunting and heartbreaking that you dare not break the spell by singing along with them.

They infuse so much passion, enthusiasm and soul in their songs that music and singers often become one. They can't help but stamp their own mark on the song.

Kelly Badon (lead guitar/vocals) grins, ''Nag-show nga ang Kalapana dito at pinasalamatan kami. Pumasyal sila sa tinutugtugan namin at pinakinggan nila 'yung version namin ng kanta nila.''

Naldy Gonzales (keyboards/vocals) shares, ''Whenever we play a song sa mga puwesto namin, naa-identify na sa amin 'yung kanta. Minsan nga, akala pa ng audience sa amin talaga 'yon.''

Joey Generoso (lead vocals/acoustic guitar) recalls, ''Nung mag-start pa lang akong maging vocalist ng Side A, 'Foolish Heart' ang parating pinapakanta sa amin.''

Ernie Severino (drums/percussion/vocals) interjects, ''Parang kulang ang gabi nila kapag hindi nila nadinig ang 'Foolish Heart.' In a way, naging signature song na ni Joey G yon. Ganoon din ang nangyari sa 'Tuloy Pa Rin Ako.' Nag-originate muna yon sa banda na Labuyo, tapos ni-revive namin sa puwesto bago pa mai-record ni Randy (Santiago). Naka-jam pa namin si Randy no'n.''

They all have this ''contagious'' excitement and eagerness to jam with their fellow musicians, be they foreign or local artists.

Joey G notes, ''Grabe 'yung nerbiyos namin tuwing makakasama namin sa concert si Gary (Valenciano).''

Naldy adds, ''Walang taong sumisikat, araw lang, pero kapag napanood mo si Gary V magsayaw, matitigilan ka talaga. Mai-intimidate! Iisipin mo kung may buto ba si Gary.''

Kelly grins, ''Nakaka-challenge. Dream come true din sa amin nung mag-back-up kami kay Stephen Bishop sa Ultra.''

Naldy agrees, ''Masarap ang pakiramdam! Sulit din 'yung pagod namin noong maki-jam din sa amin 'yung banda ni Kenny Loggins sa Faces Disco.''

With ''Dance with Me,'' ''Only You'' and ''Harvest of the World,'' they attempt to exude that boy-band appeal. The neat vocal blending probably stems from the fact that they are good friends offstage.

Aside from the constant flow of jokes and stories, they bond whenever they eat good food. They have their own food specialties: Joey G cooks pasta, Naldy makes liempo and fish miso soup, and Joey B's kids love his seafood pasta. Thus, being part-owners of Suburbia seems to be a natural business choice for them. How are they as businessmen?

Joey G shares, ''OK naman. Alam ko na ang ins and outs ng business na ito. Pumupuwesto pa lang kami sa Hyatt noon, dream na namin ito.

"Sigurista ako as a businessman. Maingat ako sa investment kasi mahirap kitain ang pera. Hands-on din ang approach ko. Kapag may napansin akong hindi maganda, sinasabi ko kaagad.

"Noong kabubukas lang namin, bumisita ako ng Saturday. OK naman 'yung banda na nakasalang, pero maagang natapos yung set nila. Sabi ko kay Tito Bert (de Leon), 'Parang bitin ang tao.' Kasi nakita ko na sinasayawan din ng tao 'yung piped-in music. Noong sumunod na linggo, dalawang banda na 'yung pinatutugtog namin.

"Nakikialam kami sa sound. Concerned kami sa mga banda at sa audience. Worst criticism sa amin noong magbukas kami: 'Ang pangit ng tunog!' Kaya we had to improve 'yung sound equipment namin. Musicians kami kaya importante sa amin na magastuhan ng tao 'yung tunog at performance ng bawat banda.''

They all share a wistful look as they temporarily leave their business to embark on a US tour this month.

Naldy enthuses, ''Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Washington D.C., Chicago at Toronto--magpe-perform kami para sa Filipino communities at Americans. Ibang klase mag-perform sa harap ng mga foreigners kasi hindi naman sila fan. Ibang klase silang mag-scrutinize. Hindi sila basta-basta nagre-react.''