The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

[app_engine]

#261 ஐ வான்ட் டு டெல் யு சம்திங்
மற்றும்
ஹே யு யு கம் டு மீ
(ஆனந்த, 1987 )

Recently, skr sir had been trying to collect rAsA's English songs and this Anand movie is notorious for contributing 2 among his list, though not entirely English songs Both are part of this post and I've heard them on buses, both as songs themselves and as fillers (cassette ends). Nicely paced, dance worthy and some interesting arrangements (guitar / wind konjam thookkal & drums as per prevailing standards of the time). In any case, I don't remember having any emotional connections with these songs but I'm fairly sure they were heard around TN and can be classified as "bus-hits".

Like I mentioned in an earlier post, let me use these songs to talk about a huge shift in my music listening sensitivities around this time period. I am very sure most IRF's who are today in 40's-50's had undergone similar shifts during their lifetime (some prompted by IR getting into other lang fields, others prompted by his interviews / statements etc). Most hubbers here can relate to predominantly listening to alternate forms of music at one point of lifetime or others. Well, to me that started during late-87 and went on to full-blown state in the next few years It wasn't like the leanings towards MJ or MFM but on a much more strong bonding level. Ofcourse not HFM (already informed in a reply to Plum).

While frequenting the cassette / recording shops in Palakkad (actually there weren't too many, 3 or 4 cassette shops & only one recording place I'd been to), on one evening I spotted this casstte with a beautifully illustrated inlay card. It had the name "Paul Mauriat"! What! I couldn't believe my eyes and kaNNaikkasakki vittu, maRupadi pArththu made sure. The album had the name 'nagekidori'. (From the time I read about him in Kumudam sangeethakkanavukaL, his appreciation for EdhO mOgam etc, the name was strongly wired in my mind and I didn't have even think a second to recognize the name). Within a minute, the cassette was mine and I was feverishly walking to the room to stuff it into the walkman.

'nagekidori' was PM's own composition and had mesmerizing flute work that did something to the nAdi-narambu. Then there was the instrumental version of Whitney Houston's "Didn't we almost have it all" that I immediately recognized and was spellbound by the tremendous arrangements. The best piece, however, was "back to the pyramids" (I'll try to get youtube links once I reach home). It pushed the spirit to some levels that I've never experienced prior! (Ofcourse, I may not feel the same way today - but at that age, circumstances and position, it was...unlike anything I've experienced before...do I sound like some sAmiyArs / preachers? Music has power I say!)

Thus started my hunt of any cassette with his name on it! 'Love is blue' 'Classics in the air 2/3' are among the best but there were just too many and every visit to Bangalore had me hunting around the music shops for some collection of him or other and I was also feverishly sharing them with many associates, relatives (sometimes gifting - last year I met a cousin after years and she had Love is Blue on the smart phone (not by PM, some other version) and recalled how I introduced to her that track years before). I was overjoyed when identifying the Mozart symphony that was used by National Panasonic as demo to be PM's version!

It wasn't a fad but lasted for years, changing my music listening taste forever! Even now, I can't stop with just one listen of 'love is blue'!

[V_S]

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Too good post App The way you kindle everyone's memories and invite everyone to post is one of the most unique quality of your posts.
Yes, till 1986, as far as western music is concerned, I had only listened to MJ, Boney M, ABBA, Wham! and Tina Turner (apart from the ones our Maestro introduced). I was thinking MJ was the only superstar of western pop/rock music (ofcourse still he is), but I was blind and could not ready to accept any other songs as that great. My friends at my college introduced me to whole new world, especially in 1987 from there I did not look back. When I was sure MJ would win Grammy for his Bad in 1987, there came a big surprise from U2 in the form of Joshua Tree. When we were watching the Grammy could not believe U2 grabbed that. To be honest, didn't like them at all at that time, but that was one cracker of an album. which goes with me everytime. Sameway, I got introduced to so many artists, right fom Megadeath, Europe, Dan Seals to Houston to Tracy Chapman and the list goes on. But once I get back to our Maestro, it will again take months to go back to them. Thanks for your wonderful post about Paul Mauriat which made me write this.

I don't remember these numbers now, will have to listen to it in the evening.

PS: Sorry to say this, Another bad thing is the amount of exposure I got into the contemporary western music (all kinds). It is so huge that if any indian song does the same/similar tune, singing or arrangement, immediately it is disqualified for next listen from me, as I find nothing new and I have a feeling that I have heard these kind of songs many times before. Just singing in indian lyrics won't help for me, if it was a pure pop/rock song. That's a bad habit, but I cannot help it.

[app_engine]

PS: Sorry to say this, Another bad thing is the amount of exposure I got into the contemporary western music (all kinds). It is so huge that if any indian song does the same/similar tune, singing or arrangement, immediately it is disqualified for next listen from me, as I find nothing new and I have a feeling that I have heard these kind of songs many times before. Just singing in indian lyrics won't help for me, if it was a pure pop/rock song. That's a bad habit, but I cannot help it.

Why sorry? I think that's a GOOD habit

Who wants to listen to such rehashes?

Some Indian music has "better sounds" than original compositions or that such are "cool" to listen or listening to such is a requirement to be accepted by peers etc are not valid reasons to culvitate a liking for rehashes

[skr]

Lovely write up App
Nice knowing your experiences.
I feel Raaja's music also slowly underwent a change during this period (for the good only) with albums like Anand and Poovizhi Vaasalile (which came a year later) which had a jazzy flavour to it.The song 'I want to tell You something' is an absolute stunner. SPB at his effortless best , the chorus is so goosebumpy.
The song overall is so breezy and feels like u r taking an early morning walk humming along in a spectacular hillstation under the backdrop of a picturesque landscape ..
Check out SPB's humming chromatics in the 2nd interlude (also notice the bass guitar playing along-Wah re Wah) from 02:52 to 03:06, which is laced throughout with chromatic passages.Instantly transports you to dreamland.

[app_engine]

nanRi V_Sji & skr!

I need to post two more songs today to catch-up and will possibly end the year 1987 with them

Not that many SPB-IR hits in that year.

[Murali Srinivas]

app,

Anand was produced by Sivaji Productions and it was directed by C.V.Rajendran and not by Billa Krishnamurthy. As Jai had pointed out it was a remake of a film called Majnu, a Nagarjuna starrer. This was the second film done by Sivaji Productions with Prabhu being the sole hero [meaning NT was not there], the first one being Aruvadai Naal that came in 1986. This was November 1987 release. Jai had already massacred it and there is no use in me trying to give a life to it. So only some tidbits

app, you must be aware that Thalavattam was remade as Manasukkul Mathaappu with Prabhu in the lead and I assume that you had seen Thalavattam. But even before Manasukkul Mathappu came out, some scenes like, where Lal tries to impress Lizzy [like putting flower decorated I Love you on the road etc] and many such small things were reproduced in Anand, when Prabhu tries to woo Radha [maybe Telugu had taken it from Thalavattam]. Though one cannot by any standard rate this as Prabhu's good attempts [compared to the variety of roles he was doing at that point of time like Aruvadai Naal, Palaivana Rojakkal, Chinna Thambi Periya thambi, Megam Karuthirukku, Chinna Poove Mella Pesu, Kavalan avan Kovalan and Poo Poovaai Poothirukku, to quote a few], it was not bad either.

All that you quoted were good songs but the most popular was aararo aararo by Lata.

Regards

[app_engine]

Thank you Murali sir, for the clarification on the production house & director for Anand!

Ofcourse, thALa vattam was a big fav movie those days (pon veeNai ennuLLil a big fav song and my collegemate / colleague was a big Karthika fan).

Also, I had 'dEvanin kOvil moodiya nEram' on a Sony cassette and possibly listened 100's of times during those years on headphones...

[al_gates]

App,
just curious. Did you buy a boatload of AA batteries those days to run your walkman? This used to be a sore point with me as pair of batteries can run for a listening time of only 48 hours and I have to wait for some days before asking parents for money to buy new batteries.

[app_engine]

al_gates,
I had a few advantages :

1. I was employed and was spending 50% of my salary, called "stipend" and no cuts / taxes etc, all by myself
(In 1987, 50% of Rs 2350 was a lot - for e.g. the room rent was Rs 175 and one could have all three meals at good restaurants for < Rs 15 a day)

2. Used an adopter when at room

3. With 6 day work week, practically 8 to 8 at workplace plus travel plus sleep plus restaurants etc left very limited time for music listening

[app_engine]

#262 ஏத்தி வச்ச நெருப்பினிலே
(ஆளப்பிறந்தவன், 1987 , சித்ராவுடன்)

Very sweet song with signature rAsA arrangements (strings, shenoy, tabla, flute) and a nice folkish melody. SPB & KSC sing so sweet that this song is instantly catchy! I hate to repeat this but I'm instantly reminded of bus travels again. I don't remember listening to this song otherwise. Thanks to thiraippadal, I can hear this again and based on the memory recall, happy to list it here as a "bus hit". Net search says this movie had Sathyaraj / Ambika and A S Prakasam was the director. (We talked about him for Sivaji's "sAdhanai" and not surprising that he could get yet another sweet melody from rAsA as their association goes back to echchil iravukaL days).

As in the case of most 1987 movies that had SPB, don't know the fate of the film. (OTOH, I know very clearly what happened to a few non-SPB movies that had IR, Gangai Amaran / Ramarajan combo's enga ooru pAttukkAran was a hit , KH-MR's nAyakan was a hit ). Well, if there are any thiruvALarkaL / thirumathikaL who had opportunities to undergo the viewing pleasure of this movie, please post your experience. (I don't expect any selvan / selvi's to have any familiarity with this kind of movies )