Retro Rush - SUBAH

Here’s a trivia for you, especially for all those who claim to know their Pancham better than they know themselves (based on a statement made by an authentic Pancham fan once!)

R. D. Burman composed the title track for a TV serial back in the 80’s. He even sang in it! What was it?

Stumped? Here’s a clue.

It was aired on DD-2 (that’s Doordarshan Channel2 Metro, dude) and earned a good deal of notoriety by getting banned after just a couple of episodes or so, for allegedly glorifying drug-use (instead of condemning it as the original intention of the series purported to be).

Still blank? Ok, here’s one more clue for you.

It had Salim Ghouse in it. Oh, don’t remember him? How could you forget those cold eyes and that deep voice, the much neglected bad-man of Bollywood? (I saw him last in a Shahrukh Khan vehicle called Koyla a few years back. What a waste of talent.)

Still clueless?

Well, it was called SUBAH (ring any bells?)

Bharat Rungachary, an immensely talented young man who had started his career as an Assistant Director to Hrishikesh Mukherjee on classics such as including Gol Maal and Naram Garam, was its director. Many consider SUBAH the first serial on DD on college life and drug abuse. It was probably Rungachary’s best work. What a shame it had to get banned!

And guess what, I just found a clip on the title track on YouTube!!!

Pancham does a great job here (as usual). Crooning in his inimitable style, this is at par with some of the best of his music that you know about.

So turn up the volume and listen to it guys. You’d love it!

Retro Rush - SUPERUNA

There was a time, very very long ago, when some of the best albums used to get mixed at EMI's Abbey Road studio in London on 24-track analog mixers, slap basses were, well, played on actual bass guitars, Bappi Lahiri was several stones lighter and Runa Laila was really hot.

I guess it was the early part of the 80's, the time when SUPERUNA was made.

That piece of history is still with me. A 25-year old vinyl disc, still lodged precariously in a sleeve with frayed edges.

The old times rolled again last evening, on my Yamaha belt-drive turntable, hooked up with my home theater set-up via a Sony FH-15R pre-amp.

I took a deep breath as I settled down in my favorite couch after carefully placing the needle on the plastic, listening fondly to that electrifying first crackle that the diamond-tipped pin makes as it comes in contact with the vinyl.

And then, the music started.

'Disco Premee' (with a nod to the famous intro to BoneyM's "Nightflight To Venus"), 'Pukaro' (again, deeply indebted to BoneyM's "Malaika"), the silly 'Holiday', the groovy 'Haiya-Hoo' and the funky 'Romance'. And of course, Runa's absolutely magical rendition of 'De De Pyar De' - I was blown away!

Tabun's (Tabun Sutradhar, guys) guitarwork was so refreshing, even after all these years.

And of course, the magic of the man behind it all, the great Alokesh Lahiri, better known as Bappi Lahiri. Those guitar chops, synth accents, bass-slaps and electronic rhythms - oh, they don't make 'em like that anymore!

Pure retro rush!