The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB [Archive] - Page 8

app_engine

13th September 2011, 12:25 AM

#144 தேன் பூவே பூவே வா தென்றல் தேடி
(அன்புள்ள ரஜினிகாந்த், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0237'&lang=en)

It's irritating to see a number of internet resources naming Krishna Chandar as the male singer of this song :shock: I don't know whether there's another version on the disk with KC or he is credited wrongly in some cassettes / CDs or whatever. Or could it be that there was "a different Krishnachandar -not the guy of EdhO mOham / pudichchAlum pudichchEn / aLLi vachcha malligaiyE- but another who mimicked SPB" :think:

At one point of time, I did go to some of those links and verified that it was exactly the same SPB-SJ song that I'm used to. Also, I very clearly remember the radio days announcing this song as the one by my fav pair. It would be quite interesting to trace and find out how this "net-goof-up" happened / who started it first etc. (I've mentioned about this way back, on page 10 (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?8541-The-Golden-Era-of-Dr.IR-and-Dr.SPB&p=531456&viewfull=1#post531456)of this thread )

Great song, with phenomenal prelude that feels like a thuLLal stream jumping out of a hill and a brilliant second interlude!

Movie was directed by Natraj who had done a couple of peculiar roles on screen prior. (One was 'manasAtchi' of Rajinikanth in moonRu mudichchu, another was the rapist in moonRam piRai...I'm immediately reminded of Kamal's kadi joke on seeing suppiramaNi in a water tank - "pAsam, pAsamuLLa nAy"). IIRC, reportedly among the off-field friends of Rajinikanth (possibly the film institute connection).

Meena was child artist on wheel chair, singing 'Rajini uncle' in this movie (muththu maNichchudarE vA, what a lovely song in KJY's voice)! For those who watched this movie at the time of its release, ejmAn / veerA / muththu were kind of embarassing but that is the way the industry runs. Sridevi acted as kid and jOdi to Shivaji. Actresses also get to play lover & mom to some heroes over a period of time (Sujatha, for e.g.) While such things typically happen after years / decades (or in some multi-role movies), we have also seen some funny things happening during the same time period (ShreyA & NayantArA played jOdi to real-life mAmanAr & marumagan, for e.g.)

My most fav song from this movie is ofcourse 'kadavuL uLLamE Or karuNai illamE' - a song that gives goosebumps in the prelude and welling up of tears in a few places elsewhere! rAsA at his best there! Ofcourse he was brilliant in this duet for ambi chEchi who dances around with Rajkumar (was he the brother of Latha , the MGR heroini ?)

Rajinikanth comes as Rajinikanth in this movie which did moderate biz I think. (Unlike many other dud movies that try to cash on the popularity of a mega star by bringing him in for a couple of scenes but fail miserably). I remember watching it in Trichy town with my hostel neighbor (needless to mention which neighbor, groucho would have guessed it already :wink:).

Plum

13th September 2011, 04:33 AM

Indeed, (MGR Latha) Rajkumar. Grouch and I had a fiscussion over this recently. Apparently, there is a dud Rqjkumar in the 80s from Malaysia, too.

We are now entering a period where perhaps one of the years will have 100 SPB songs for IR. Good luck, app, covering all of them

groucho070

13th September 2011, 07:00 AM

Eh, app? Which neighbour? I yam confused-ya. I am with you = AzhagAna pookkal. Sanggathiyila pinnirupAr SPB.

And thanks app, plum (I avoided KRV punching, so obvious) and genesis.

app_engine

13th September 2011, 08:23 AM

Eh, app? Which neighbour? I yam confused-ya.

He was referred in a prior post and I thought you'll remember him as the Ambi chEchi fanatic :wink:

groucho070

13th September 2011, 08:31 AM

Ah, I see. Okay okay.

groucho070

13th September 2011, 03:31 PM

Hah, speaking of whom. It's 5pm plus here in Malaysia, and the Tamizh radio station is playing songs with theme: Ambika & Radha :bluejump: :redjump: (might be relevant).
Will list them out as they play
1. Eyy UnnaittAne (Kadhal "I hate, signed Plum" Parisu)
2. Hi everybody, wish you a happy new yearrrr..........(SKV)come on Ambiga doesn't get to lip synch here, what's wrong with the station???.
3. Kavithai AranggErum NEram (That Seven days that Bagyaraj avoided aerobics) Yesss...her debut in Tamil?
4. KAdhal Oviyam kAnum kAviyam - (Seriously dude, I started the new wave, see my film title got "wave" in it, Anbudan Unggal Barathiraja). Radha, bleh.
5. Poovadai kAtru - (gopurams are never leaning tower of Pisa), app, Krishnachander is not bad here. Come one....cut him some slack, maybe a pair.
6. kAthal MaharAnee kavithai poovirithAl. (second entry, not my fault Plum).
7. Sokkupodi pakkathila vacchurukken (Mother's warior)Of all songs, jeez....
8. Eyy kuruvi, chitttu kuruvi (The one where Bharathiraja gives respect to NT by making him hen-pecked and show off to young chicks by lifting rock, groan....)

Okay, 6pm, news, and I yam veedu going....bye....

app_engine

13th September 2011, 04:40 PM

groucho,

reg your question on 3, Ambika's debut in Thamizh could be the Kamal movie kadal meengaL which predates wOh sAt din. (Dances with Suman for the MV classic 'enRenRum AnandhamE, inbangaL AyiramE')

mgb

13th September 2011, 05:10 PM

app_engine

13th September 2011, 09:50 PM

didn't she make her debut in tamil for the film "sakkalathi" ?

appadeengaLA? That is a 1979 movie (vAda vAttudhu, enna pAttuppAda enna thALam pOda). I know the hero was Sudhakar, no idea about the heroini...If Ambi chEchi, that is prior to kadal meenkaL...

app_engine

13th September 2011, 10:13 PM

#145 கல்யாணச் சேலை உனதாகும் நாளை
(அம்பிகை நேரில் வந்தாள், 1984 , ஷோபா as claimed in thiraippAdal, sounds like SJ to me) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0172'&lang=en)

Quite a 'mangaLakaramAna' song, even though there's a mild tinge of sadness (possibly invoked by the parithAba chorus voices and the shenoy in second interlude). There's also some amount of northie-ism / SAR-ishness etc...

I remember listening to this song often on buses / radio but never cared to check the movie name. Also, I remember seeing the Mohan / Radha posters of this movie but never cared to find out what songs existed in it. Such was the prolificity of rAsA during this time, after thoroughly routing all the competition away. Sometime during this year, TR , who used to come up with hit songs every now and then since OTR, had his (possibly) biggest career hit - uyiruLLa varai ushA. His UU and subsequent albums got played around TN in a big way and was perhaps the only alternative to the flood of IR numbers.

I've seen some strong remarks back & forth in IR's new albums thread about people commenting on whether IR has lost his touch / lost "it" / out of form / coming back to form etc.

While it's true that IR comes up with some winners even in the year 2011 (SRR in Telungu is a sure biggie, for e.g.), it's no longer a winner each week :wink: That may be the difference which drives some old timers into desperation :-)

genesis

14th September 2011, 03:26 AM

Is it same Shoba - Vijay's mom?

Divine22

14th September 2011, 05:57 AM

Yes, the lyrics are : Kalyana selai unathaagum naalai,,,

And the female singer , some website says her name is Shobana, Shoba...

This TFM page says her name is Devi.

http://www.tfmpage.com/forum/5284.06:11:54.html

Thanks.

app_engine

14th September 2011, 05:21 PM

nanRi, genesis & Divine22.

Corrected the errors :oops:

app_engine

15th September 2011, 12:59 AM

#146 அலை மீது தடுமாறுதே சிறு ஓடம்
(அன்புள்ள மலரே, 1984 , வாணி ஜெயராமுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0230'&lang=en)

Another song which I've heard frequently on radio and knew not much about its background. In some ways (orchestration, feel) sounds like 'veLLaippuRa onRu Enguthu kaiyil varAmalE', even making one feel that the director possibly pointed out that number to rAsA and asked something similar.

I've just noticed that thiraippAdal says the director is B R Ravishankar. I was wondering for a minute 'where did I hear this name before'. Then it dawned upon me that eera vizhikkAviyangaL (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00125&lang=en)too has his name as the director :shock:

While EVK is today hailed as one of the best works of IR ever, it was not that big a hit those days and the popularity was pretty much limited to radio and IR-fanatics. That the EVK movie managed to get released was a chamathkAr in itself but the same director getting another chance is a bigger chamathkAr :-)
(dig - I'm curious to see naNban by Shankar whether the chamathkAr thingy is retained and what is the word in Thamizh. Also, I'm curious to see the climax of naNban - whether the same "delivery" scene will be retained...if so, won't it look like a repeattu from enthiran and thus less shiny?)

Interesting to hear VJ here with SPB. Though she wasn't singing that many numbers for IR, she did get some good ones. In the same year, she got that fantastic 'inRaikku Enindha AnandhamE' in Vaidheki kAthirundhAL, a movie with no SPB song.

Divine22

15th September 2011, 06:07 AM

nanRi, genesis & Divine22.

Corrected the errors :oops:

No worries ;)

Sureshs65

15th September 2011, 08:11 PM

App,

Came to know of the 'alai meedhu' song only a couple of years back. Raja either made it first in Telugu or remade it (my guess is he made it there.)

It is a very happy song in Telugu and also it has a curious mix of Telugu and Hindi. Janaki giving company to SPB. I like this version very much.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ6n_eIB2vQ

app_engine

15th September 2011, 09:26 PM

That's quite interesting info, Sureshji!

(Going by Plum's theory, it could also explain the VJ presence in this song - i.e. " borrow the other-lang's track, translate the lyric, record with available singer, don't even bother the busy IR " :wink:)

Sureshs65

15th September 2011, 10:58 PM

My feeling is that Plum may be right :)

app_engine

16th September 2011, 12:58 AM

#147 வாலிபம் வாழ்க, வையகம் வாழ்க
(தேவி ஸ்ரீதேவி , 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0612'&lang=en)

IR had typically provided something special to GA directed movies. GA being a musician / poet had great ears possibly. Or, he had more liberty than others in demanding from IR. And it's possible that IR too wanted to do something special to his thambi.

I would rate kOzhi koovuthu as one of the all-time-great-albums-ever-in-IFM. (May be I'm telling this repeatedly but can't help it). The other noteworthy ones being grAmarAjanned enga oo p & karagam.

In any case, DSD is not one of those specials. However, it had two nice numbers. This sweet SPB-SJ number and the 'dasarathanin' sweetie. Our thanjai sponsored TDK had these numbers which were frequently getting played in the hostel. These songs also had a decent amount of radio time even though can't be called phenomenal hits (as in teakkadai, bus, thiruvizha, functions).

As mentioned before in another thread, the same friend tortured us by dragging to Trichy Maris Rock theater to watch this movie where possibly we were the only audience :lol2: (It was an AVM Rajan + his daughter show which failed to evoke any public response).

I love the rhythm arrangement for the pallavi - IR special there and also the switch to tabla in saraNam - another IR signature!

app_engine

16th September 2011, 01:03 AM

app_engine

16th September 2011, 01:54 AM

We are now entering a period where perhaps one of the years will have 100 SPB songs for IR. Good luck, app, covering all of them

Interestingly, it looks to me like 1984 will have a smaller # of SPB-IR hits than 1983 :wink:

Possibly SPB started getting extremely busy outside the IR-TFM-domain by this time.

In any case, let's visit the count of 1984 at the "year end".

From rAsA's debut year 1976 to 1983, that we've covered so far, 1983 tops with 38 agmark hits :-)

app_engine

16th September 2011, 01:58 AM

genesis

17th September 2011, 12:17 AM

Finally, after quite sometime, I'll have a 'maRRa' song for Friday tomorrow.

That too for a biggie. Which is quite appropriate after these three smallies this week :-)

Let's welcome the girl of "April 18" who was only 18 then :wink:

After couple of visits to google, I figured who you are talking about. But there is no "Friday" song from EO? Megam Kottatum is the special song from this movie, but that does not fall in Friday category.

And you seem to have unfair bias for கேரள நாட்டிளம் பெண்கள். IIRC, my mom or dad said this girl from Padmini's family looked like "முருங்கைக்காய்க்கு கையும் காலும் முளைச்ச மாதிரி இருக்கு".

app_engine

17th September 2011, 12:21 AM

#148 முத்தம் போதாதே சத்தம் போடதே
(எனக்குள் ஒருவன், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0808'&lang=en)

Though this maRupiRavikkadhai with two Kamals flopped and got forgotten in the streams of time - despite Kamal taking the pain of changing his face to look like "asian" for one of the roles - the music continues to mesmerize. We have two SPB solos coming up in the next two days (and one of them is phenomenal, evergreen). This "kiss" song got chosen to be hosted first because of the friday connection :wink: Actually there is not much of "maRRa" stuff (i.e. on the surface, there could be slEdai biz) except the first word, which had been associated with Kamal in the TF more than any other artist, thanks to the media.

Way back at the time of 'sattam en kaiyil', there was huge hype in newspapers like dhinathanthi and weeklies like kumudam about a foreign actress and Kamal's idhazh to idhazh with her. I think from that point, there is always some news or other about KH & his ummA to some latest arrival. (It continues to this day, if one goes by a recent charchchai in the TF section in one of the KH threads, with a few HCKHFs chasing NOV :lol:)

So are the references to muththam in KH songs ("kannaththil muththaththin eeram adhu kAyavillaiyE" has the word, 'ponmEni uruguthE / nilA kAyudhE' kind of songs have the saththams related to muththams etc). With that background and boys still not out of the SKV effect even after many months, one can guess what was the reaction to this song in the hostel.

The panasonic stereo was playing this often in the hostel and I had additional headphone sessions as well. What a sweetie! A fantastic tabla delight with great recording, nice string sections, iLamaiththuLLal singing by SPB and konjal singing by SJ!

I think this one is Vairamuthu - 'pudavai-puthaiyal-unakkE-padaiyal' - how words play around in this man's pen! He also does some mild politics stuff by recalling 'thamizh nAttil eppOdhO madhu vilakku'. Did I say limited "maRRa" stuff? Well, upon seeing the whole lyric, I take it back. The first line of second saraNam is :shock: material in a film song.

It was interesting those days to see the big eyed niece of Padmini in the ads. I didn't know during student days that her aunty was from Kerala but years later I could recognize her face to be a typical south Kerala one. There was a very similar looking next-door neighbor in Palakkad who was in love with the boy at the opposite house for decades (i.e. since childhood) and finally married him against the wishes of her dad. Me & wife used to pity seeing her for a couple of years (trying to get ok from the stubborn dad) - before happily attending their reception where her dad was absent.

Shobhana, with her nice dancing skills, could portray a variety of expressions with ease (check out veLLanakaLude nAdu or thEnmAvin kombaththu or maNichitraththAzh or dhaLapathi), started in both Malayalam & Thamizh in the same 1984 when she was 18, per wiki. April 18 was the Malayalam film and EO the Thamizh one. Though EO didn't give her the required strong start, she had a hit with KBR in idhu namma ALu and survived...

app_engine

17th September 2011, 12:40 AM

And you seem to have unfair bias for கேரள நாட்டிளம் பெண்கள்.

Too much feeding of "subbaNNA" material during school days, perhaps :-)

Plum

17th September 2011, 12:44 AM

April 18 has another smallie(in app's words) connection to TF.
Unishe April in Bengali and Debashree Roy in that - brought to Tamil as Chintamani by pandiarajan. Manaivi Ready was it?

Enakkul Oruvan - from the YGM as lead comedian phase of Kamal. Enough said. Forgive. Forget. Flush from Memory. But then indha rasiayan engE maRakka vudaRAn. Indha padathai ellAm memory-la firmA implant paNNidaRAn :evil:

app_engine

17th September 2011, 01:14 AM

Indha padathai ellAm memory-la firmA implant paNNidaRAn

After all these years, there came a movie in new millennium with the title 'saththam pOdAthE' :-)

balaji

17th September 2011, 07:35 PM

app_engine

17th September 2011, 10:10 PM

app_engine

Just a thought: When you and your friends are enjoying the Illayaraja's hits, was there in any specific song in that time period 81/84, that stuck a chord with your out-of-state friends(above the Vindhiysas)?

Just curious? Can't imagine, unless one is stone deaf, you are not getting swayed by at least some of his songs

Bala

Good question :-)

During the Agate time period (1st sem), the whole year was in one hostel with wingmates from around the country. There was significant cross-cultural interchange.

'kaNNE kalaimAnE' was a huge fav and NI students sang / played on guitar etc.

However, from the next sem, there was choice of hostels (one of the two) and also choice of wingmates. From 4th sem, in the single room stuff, each wing had 21 rooms (6 wings per hostel) and the closer friendships were mostly limited to your wing / floor mates and people tend to flock based on their background / identities etc.

That limited the cross-cultural connection to a great extent and I had limited opportunities to strike lasting friendships with Hindi-speaking boys :-( Except some "common-room-carrom-cricket" connections. So, didn't have much interactions with them.

Generally speaking, however, during music / entertainment programs, festember etc, all the popular hits of rAsA were enjoyed by students from all states :-)

app_engine

18th September 2011, 07:14 PM

youtube of insufficient kisses :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vD8ho_yowI

balaji

19th September 2011, 01:07 AM

Thanks app-engine

Nice to note IR's music did move others as well.. Never was lucky to be in an environment where IR's music ruled and we had people who are say RDB's fans and others trying to "at least" accept his great music. (Even though in IMHO SDB/RDB rank second to IR, that is a far second., way behind....)

Thanks for sharing your personal experience.

Bala

genesis

19th September 2011, 03:04 AM

Ofcourse, Plum, we're only dealing with Thamizh numbers in this thread. It's very much possible that IR had similar number (or bigger number) with SPB in other languages, especially Telungu. In TFM, he seems to have diversified quite a bit with a variety of male singers (KJY / PJ / MV / IR himself & some odd ones) but it wouldn't have been the case in TeFM.
Raja was always well diversified with his male singers. TFM was that way lucky.... KJY was for soft melodious songs, SPB for lively entertaining songs, MV for folkish fast songs, IR for soulful sad songs and PJ somewhere in between KJY and SPB . Because of the dominance of KJY/SPB in Kerala/AP, I **think** there was not that much diversity in MFM and TeFM. That being said both KJY/SPB are well capable of rendering any type of song... just there was no variety.

But in female singers after the exit of Jensi, Raja mostly used Janaki for more than 80% of his songs, rest 20% was shared between PS, VJ and SPS; until 1985 when he found Chitra.

groucho070

19th September 2011, 07:36 AM

Enakkul Oruvan - from the YGM as lead comedian phase of Kamal. Enough said. Forgive. Forget. Flush from Memory. But then indha rasiayan engE maRakka vudaRAn. Indha padathai ellAm memory-la firmA implant paNNidaRAn :evil::lol: Good good. Big hit at home, video cassette remba nAlA odinuchu.

App, great job as usual. Also, hope you can give comparison with Kamal's version of Megam Kottattum next.

19th September 2011, 11:57 AM

Waitees! Kamal's version of Megam Kottatum aa? Ippidi oru version iruka enna? :-? :oops:

Plum

19th September 2011, 01:06 PM

Ofcourse, yes, KV. Infact, when I try to recollect the song, I am only getting Kamal's version in the head.

19th September 2011, 02:01 PM

kEttAchu! Koot, but (thalaivarE manchikOnga) SPB gambheeramE thani ya.
(that drums+mrudangam postlude.. arAjamgam, akkramam, asuraththanam)

Plum

19th September 2011, 02:04 PM

Not disputing any of that. But printla megam kottattumnu parthavune mind-la kamal voice dhaan odichu. Maybe last time I heard it, which must be a good decade back, I heard the
Kamal version perhaps

19th September 2011, 02:19 PM

Plum

19th September 2011, 02:49 PM

Depends on the emotion I guess. Keep in mind that dubbing songs are always difficult as we agreed during our recent discussion on salangai oli, in this very thread.
Saying that, it is very difficult to choose on kodai kaala kaatre. MV has a coarse texture which adds its own flavour while Lover Boy Bala makes it dripping with romance. On second thoughts, MV perhaps suits better the hardened older man, the teacher played by Pothen, who, while appreciative of the romance and beauty, is also suitably tempered by Life and its vicisittudes to not get too mushy about it.

Plum

19th September 2011, 02:53 PM

Does the song have a KJY version, too? There is a Pani neer Pookkal in Malayalam, which is, I think, the malayalam dubbing of this movie

19th September 2011, 03:33 PM

MV’s voice has a certain soap-on-wet-floor quality, which to me, doesn’t quite work for many of his songs. Personally, I find him best suited for folkish songs (with a handful exceptions like Aasai nooru vagai) while SPB, KJY and PJ seem to fit the polished types better.
And my order of preference of the versions of Kodai kAla kAtre is gult, mall, tam.

app_engine

19th September 2011, 05:44 PM

3 songs due today...2 for weekend will be covered by EO numbers and one more from next movie...

V_S

19th September 2011, 07:50 PM

Sorry to miss your treasure posts dearly App. Slowly catching up. Some great and rare songs shared, need some more time to catch up.

genesis

19th September 2011, 08:05 PM

Strange enough, I’ve had a contrasting opinion on some other songs that has versions by these two.
Kanmani anbOdu kAdhalan and NinaivO oru paravai… SPB’s gult versions come nowhere close to Kamal’s Thamizh rendition, to me.

Related digression:
Thanni karuthurichu - MV v/s SPB - MV wins hands down.
kOdai kAla kAtre - MV v/s SPB - SPB, big time.
kAdhal Oviyam pAdum kAviyam - IR v/s SPB - IR, without an iota of doubt.

EnnayA pattern idhu!

While I know about Kamal version of Megam Kottatum, never heard these SPB versions:

Thanni karuthurichu
kOdai kAla kAtre
kAdhal Oviyam pAdum kAviyam

Are these parts of some "un-sung" album by SPB?

Think KJY in kAdhal Oviyam pAdum kAviyam... way better than IR.

app_engine

19th September 2011, 09:36 PM

While I know about Kamal version of Megam Kottatum, never heard these SPB versions:

Thanni karuthurichu
kOdai kAla kAtre
kAdhal Oviyam pAdum kAviyam

Are these parts of some "un-sung" album by SPB?

Think KJY in kAdhal Oviyam pAdum kAviyam... way better than IR.

Those are in other languages, not in TFM :-)

app_engine

19th September 2011, 10:29 PM

Sorry to miss your treasure posts dearly App. Slowly catching up. Some great and rare songs shared, need some more time to catch up.

Take your time :-)

(Like MMKR joke of wait a minit for 5 minits, there was this kadi joke at Palakkad workplace - take your time but finish it today)

app_engine

19th September 2011, 10:37 PM

Nice to note IR's music did move others as well..
Thanks for sharing your personal experience.

You're welcome balaji...actually I must thank you for giving kooli to eat karumbu :-)

nanRi groucho!

As you've probably understood already (from my hub history), I'm no way qualified to compare KH v/s SPB (singing or anything - except compare their heighttu-weighttu). At the max, can mention the versions and state my personal preference :-)

Nerd

19th September 2011, 10:45 PM

Ofcourse, yes, KV. Infact, when I try to recollect the song, I am only getting Kamal's version in the head.
Dint IR say this on record about this song - "Indha paattu nee paadina aLavukku Baluvaala mudiyalai"

App, naan innum thanga magan-E mudikkalai.. Will get here soon :oops:

app_engine

19th September 2011, 10:59 PM

Dint IR say this on record about this song - "Indha paattu nee paadina aLavukku Baluvaala mudiyalai"

App, naan innum thanga magan-E mudikkalai.. Will get here soon :oops:

Does IR specifically mention this song (in the Guna cassette)? I don't recall... My guess was he meant 'rAjA kaiya vachchA adhu wrongAppOnadhillE' :-)

app_engine

19th September 2011, 11:09 PM

Sureshs65

19th September 2011, 11:24 PM

app_engine

19th September 2011, 11:31 PM

Reg the Kodai Kaala Katre, my take on Malaysia's singing. (What I wrote as a tribute to Malaysia when he passed away.)
http://sureshs65music.blogspot.com/2011/02/kodai-kaala-katre-tribute-to-malaysia.html

Nice to read your article again :-)

I'm posting this link to the MV thread in current section :-)

Plum

19th September 2011, 11:34 PM

Suresh, awesome write-up(and you know I don't say that often). How did I miss it?

Sureshs65

19th September 2011, 11:45 PM

Thanks app for the comment and posting it in the relevant forum. I rarely step out of Raja thread :)

Plum: I am honored :) Seriously. I think I posted this when you were mostly off tfmpage. I guess it is to app's credit that he pulled you back in :)

app_engine

19th September 2011, 11:58 PM

#149 எங்கே எந்தன் காதலி
(எனக்குள் ஒருவன், 1984 ) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0805'&lang=en)

This song can possibly compete to be in the top-10 by way of length among IR songs. (> 7 min).

Had it arrived during the 78 rpm record time period, it would have occupied both sides of the disk and still struggled to fit in. One remembers songs like 'pOdachchonnA pOttukkuREn', 'avaL paRandhu pOnAlE', 'jegam pughazhum puNya kadhai' kind of songs from that era where one had to flip the disk to play the second part of the song. Even radio stations did that (I didn't get it - after all, they had those big spool tapes where these could be recorded and replayed...looks like they only played the disks direct or stored on spools without editing / removing the flipping). There were players that had mechanism to automatically flip the disks. I'm not sure if the radio stations had one like that.

It was also not unusual to listen to 'keeRal'led repeats on radio those days and someone manually pushing the needle to escape from the endless 'malarum, malarum, malarum' from the 'thottu vidaththottu vidaththodarum' song :lol:

With this song, however, there's some +ve to the length. i.e. from my personal POV. After the initial sweetness and grand orch for the engE endhan kAdhali, I lose interest midway - during all those audience interactions etc - but love the later part of the song after almost 5 minutes when the 'ennaippOlappAda yArumillai' portion comes up!

There were not many fans for this song @ hostel but I loved it and so were a few HCIRFs. With the movie's dismal show, not many cared for the song as time went by. At the time of release, however, this got played here and there including radio.

app_engine

20th September 2011, 12:33 AM

#150 மேகம் கொட்டட்டும் ஆட்டம் உண்டு
மின்னல் வெட்டட்டும் பாட்டும் உண்டு
(எனக்குள் ஒருவன், 1984 ) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0806'&lang=en)

Fast forward by a couple of years to 1986. Campus interview job. Bachelor life. After the formalities with first salary to ammA & such things completed, after a few months, buying the first music player with one's own money! And a Sony EF60 cassette to the recording center at Palakkad! I wanted to make sure that my first "recording center" cassette to have my most favourtie songs (as of date). Had a huge list in prep, knowing that all my fav disks may not be in that Palakkad recording center.

After going through the lists available, scrutinizing / sorting / adding / deleting etc, the final list was done (that mostly had "more recent" ones because I was still young and not like the old fogie today who is mostly limited to 70s/80s stuff). MTK was hot and the cassette started with kuzhaloodhum. The second song? The one on top of this post :-)

Oh, how much I loved this song! How many times I would have rew-ed and listened to this on headphone! (Well, with that particular walkman that didn't have a rewind button, it was flip / FF). It was such a pleasure to listen to this song on headphone @ high vol, closing one's eyes and thoroughly getting immersed in the isai veLLam! IR at his best, building that terrific start after the brief thunders. What a way to end the prelude, terrific drum work and once SPB starts, the bass score is simply awesome! The solo violin on the interlude...one can keep talking about this song non-stop!

The best way to enjoy this song, however, is to dance with it after playing it on a huge loud system! Try it!

(BTW, check out the youtube # of views for this song v/s others from the same movie. Huge, huge difference!)

app_engine

20th September 2011, 12:41 AM

I'll have to place a smallie for today after this huge 'mEgham kottattum' (BTW, Plum, that is copyright my 5 year old - horsie / birdie / doggie etc. I get reminded of my chithee's MA litt text books - Chaucer / Spencer kind of poets where the spelling used to be similar. Fairy Queen used to read Fairie Queene :lol:)...

app_engine

20th September 2011, 12:45 AM

BTW, on mEgham kottattum, I'm not with IR. SPB version was the only one I recorded and enjoyed.

KH version was tolerated when involuntarily showered upon, thanks to the terrific orchestration. I'm not a fan of his voice for this particular song.

app_engine

20th September 2011, 12:59 AM

#151 ஆலங்கட்டி மாமழையாம்
(எழுதாத சட்டங்கள், 1984 , ஷைலஜாவுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0905'&lang=en)

I very clearly remember this song - a sweet melody with typical IR 80's styling. SPB enjoying himself with stretched syllables and his sis in company with her inimitable style. This was often heard on radio / buses and other standard avenues (like recording centers). However, I never had any idea about the movie this was from. Based on thiraippAdal and other google results, this ezhudhAdha sattangaL is a 1984 Sivaji-Prabhu movie.

Even some of the songs indicate the Islamic connection and per Saradha madam's post (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?8593-Nadigar-Thilagam-Sivaji-Ganesan-Part-7&p=733427&viewfull=1#post733427) in the NT thread, Sivaji indeed did the character that gets only his wife's pic and Quran out of his burning home.

One of those albums that didn't get due recognition at the time of arrival due to the huge, HQ quantity that IR was delivering. Considering such huge output, it's quite a wonder that some of those numbers are remembered to this day! Seriously!

genesis

20th September 2011, 02:34 AM

Nerd,

You're right :-)

I listened to that here (http://radiospathy.blogspot.com/2009/09/50.html). IR specifically mentions 'kavithAyalam' padam, which is enakkuL oruvan and not apoorva sahOdhararkaL.

So, groucho, IR had certified that KH version is better than SPB version-nga :-)

GA talking about placing a tape recorder is obviously made-up story. They used to insert these type of "promotional" dialgues in cassettes those days (I think it was more popular in MFM than TFM). Based on "promotional" ground I will not take Raja's comment about KH's singing seriously. On the contrary, IR referring this song, while there are many better KH songs seems to me as வஞ்சப்புகழ்ச்சி (மறைமுக கிண்டல் - showing his irritation about KH insisting to sing at least one song)

genesis

20th September 2011, 02:48 AM

Oh, how much I loved this song! How many times I would have rew-ed and listened to this on headphone!

Unfortunately we (me and my brother) did not have access to a headphone (I am not sure in those days I even knew something called "headphone" existed). But many times we used 2 pieces of garden hose (flexible plastic tube) to enjoy the "jugal bandhi" at the end of the song. You probably guessed why I mention about my brother here - when he holds the one end of the tubes near the speaker, I hold the other end to my ear!! (Lucky we had a portable stereo, our recording center was sensible enough to record these songs in good stereo quality).

genesis

20th September 2011, 02:56 AM

#149 எங்கே எந்தன் காதலி
(எனக்குள் ஒருவன், 1984 ) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR0805'&lang=en)

This song can possibly compete to be in the top-10 by way of length among IR songs. (> 7 min).

Wiki says EO is a remake of Karz (Hindi), even though the plot seems to be quite different. If so, this song is supposed to the tamil equivalent of "Om Shanthi Om" (That song is more than 9 minutes long). It remains a very popular song even today.

groucho070

20th September 2011, 06:58 AM

genesis, plot different? I don't think so. It's the same, except maybe the Nepalese part. Damn, my memory betraying me. Plum, help please.

app, I too don't agree with IR. But then, he was right in choosing the right dude for the film.

Megam Kottatum SPB > KH
Raja Kayya Vaccha KH > SPB.

Plum

20th September 2011, 07:15 AM

Well, if you pare it down to bare bones, plot's the same
Pop singer becomes cognizant of his previous birth, takes revenge for the wronged previous version of himself.

As much a remake as apoorva sago is of moondru mugam?

venkkiram

20th September 2011, 08:27 AM

இப்போதுதான் முதன்முறையாக கமல் குரலில் "மேகம் கொட்டட்டும்.." கேட்கிறேன். இதுவரை கேட்டுப் பழகிப் போன பாலுவின் குரலையே மனம் விரும்புகிறது. துள்ளல், கம்பீரம் இரண்டும் பாலுவை எங்கேயோ கொண்டு போய் தூக்கி நிறுத்துகிறது. இரண்டாவது சரணம் Class.

app_engine

20th September 2011, 04:46 PM

mEgham kottattum youtube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUYS5hUy9Ug

87K+ views compared to 2K+views of the kissu song :shock:

(BTW, SPB version is on screen)

20th September 2011, 05:19 PM

App, I can completely relate to the walkman experience. My first 'demand' to my folks at home was a Sony walkman; made sure I got it the very same day I finished my pre-university exams! Listening to music 'on the move' and listening to my fav tapes with 'utmost concentration'... oh, what a euphoric feeling!

The dialogs in ‘enge en kAthali’… :rotfl2:. Room pOttu yOshchAgala, kOter pOttu yOschAgalAnnu theriyala! Why they make SPB say these Engliss lines, devudukE thelusu!

PARAMASHIVAN

20th September 2011, 06:51 PM

Ah I missed this thread so much :| sorry for the digression folks, but this is the place to ask this question ( I feel) as there are lots of "Old boys" alias uncles :yessir:

I saw a song with RK + Sridevi and it was sung by PJ and VJ, it goes like "Swing swing oru oonjal", It was a BW film, name of the Film pls

:ty:

app_engine

20th September 2011, 07:13 PM

I saw a song with RK + Sridevi and it was sung by PJ and VJ, it goes like "Swing swing oru oonjal", It was a BW film, name of the Film pls

:ty:

vaNakkaththukkuriya kAdhaliyE (http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/395.html)

app_engine

20th September 2011, 07:26 PM

BTW, Param, I got that info by "googling", i.e. the youngster way (and not the "uncle" method of scratching backhead) :lol:

app_engine

20th September 2011, 10:43 PM

#152 தாழம்பூவே வாசம் வீசு
(கை கொடுக்கும் கை, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1425'&lang=en)

KKK was a Rajinkanth movie that was supposed to benefit / rev up the fortunes of ace director Mahendran. Another case of a flop movie that fits the logic posted earlier on kAdhal Oviyam (refer rAja pArvai too). The vizhi illAmai of the lead character -not the hero but his wife in this case, role done by Revathy- didn't help Mahendran's cause. Actually, per admission by the director in dhinathanthi varalARRu suvadukaL, this movie virtually ended his career. (After all, if Mahendran couldn't hit it even with Rajini, what else is there to expect from him was the money bags' logic).

Mahendran was actually blaming on some disagreement with the producer about the climax or something like that - regardless of the exact reason, this movie relieved him of the pain of putting up with money bags anymore :wink: He probably did a couple more works that struggled to get released and is happily in retirement now, basking in the glory that Rajinikanth publicly declared - that too in a Q & A session with his guru ace director KB - that Mahendran is his fav director!

Superb song, right from the prelude one gets thrown into the 70's evening feel. rAsA picked up some of his favourite, melodious sounds for Mahendran and the song gives an annakkiLi / adi peNNE kind of soothing feel in the interludes and saraNam. SPB starts the song in a very sweet manner and later SJ joins to pour honey on the sarkkaraippandhal. A big favourite for me those days and almost anyone who had a cassette player recorded this song and treated themselves with the thiththippu. A song in rAsA's strongest area - thAlAttu - and a big hit - regular on radio / bus / teakkadai media and evergreen until this day!

jaiganes

20th September 2011, 11:19 PM

What a madhyamavathi song is this?
beautiful - the imagery it evokes is that of a weaver weaving a special saree for his grandchild. Thats the care that went in to this song.
BTW the story was not per se from Mahendran - the credit must go to the kannada ace director Puttanna Kanagal who had directed a "multi story" movie called "Katha Sangama".
KKK is an expansion of one of the stories in that original movie in which Rajini had played the role of villain.
Now the tables are reversed and Rajini played the hero. Incidentally this was the first movie for chinni jayanth.
Coming back to the song - it is a given that even raaja's simplest of melodies have complexities that people with "vishaya gnaanam" often slagichufy.
Now in this song, the intricate worksmanship is interwoven with the beautiful tune which is laden with pauses - which the monster lead singers take
complete advantage of . even in the interludes, there are pauses and echo effects that enhance the melody and create a very soothing and touching
ambience. Not your typical hero and heroini walking in the park kinda love song - so once u see this with the nice soft visuals that Mahendran has created,
the whole thought process behind those pauses (not too long to be dramatic) becomes very clear to a viewer. The initial humming portion is one of my favourity
humming melodies - signatures of Raaja. The whole restrained and honorable affection of the hero and heroine is established in that very humming itself.
another segment of the song that remains etched in my memory is when the flute and its accompaniments run around it a riot and kind of get stuck (like a
paper boat rushing with the flow but unable to move ahead because of an obstacle in its path) Tries to go forward, try 1, try 2 try 3... and then magic happens,
floods of notes pours from the violins that drown out the entire sound scape in a grand, but yet soft scale - not one sharp note, not one screeching glaring sound..
all cooked to not just our ears, but for our hearts and soul too... This is one soul train of a song..
there are many posh velvet like substances that give that comforting feel to human skin, but sometimes, an old worn out cloth that grand mother used to put as
cushion to many a cradles in the family can create a feeling that no advanced foam mattress or blankets can give you. When one hears songs like these, that is what
dawns on you - the guys simply doesnt create music using instruments, he creates music from a soul train that has been running from ages, passing from grand mothers to mothers
to grand children - there is no question of rating this guy's music - coz this is not music that we are experiencing - it is this soul train of our warmth -or to put in thamizh parlances..
our "eeram". No wonder his music creates invariably the "inexplicable" feeling in so many of us..

kiru

21st September 2011, 11:53 AM

app..thx for the thazhampoovE song..what a low key singing by spb. Soft and gentle and melting your heart types.. Should remind any guy of the first love kind of situation in his adolescence/teens.. Are youngsters these days this soft ? :-) (I must be really getting old).

app_engine

21st September 2011, 04:53 PM

AhA, what a flow of imagery! Thank you jaiganes for the sweet write-up!

kiru, I'm glad that this number rekindled your "first-love" feelings :-)

BTW, really sweet video - this :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qgoMXCKcYg

PARAMASHIVAN

21st September 2011, 05:35 PM

vaNakkaththukkuriya kAdhaliyE (http://www.dhool.com/sotd2/395.html)
தெய்வமே நீங்கள் ஒரு google king :notworthy: :notworthy:

PARAMASHIVAN

21st September 2011, 05:37 PM

Shank

21st September 2011, 08:50 PM

If I recall, KKK has an alternate climax as well...

Coming to Thazam Poove, what I love about it, besides everything that has been said, is the count....compare the first two lines (thazam poove etc) and the where "veedethum illai" begins....same rhythm though. Truly amazing!

app_engine

21st September 2011, 11:58 PM

Nice observation, Shank, on the rhythm -yes, it's awesome!

The female duet kaNNukkuLLE yArO (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1423'&lang=en) is an excellent number as well. (BTW, there had been a movie in the new millennium with the title 'kaNNukkuLLE' , music by IR , which fellow hubber Shankar calls as 'maNNukkuLLE' :lol2:)

app_engine

22nd September 2011, 12:50 AM

#153 நிலவொன்று கண்டேன் என் ஜன்னலில்
(கைராசிக்காரன், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1429'&lang=en)

If one wants to listen to Janaki at her sweetest, this song can easily be recommended. In the same way, if someone has to be showcased with the enchanting way rAsA uses strings, here is a demo number! And, if someone wants to listen to SPB's romance urgently, no need to look any further.

enna oru inimai, kuzhaichchal, konjal in a dignified way!

One of our fellow hubbers mentioned in a PM that the poster for this movie was seen in Trichy around the same time as rAgangaL mARuvathillai and opined it could be from 1983. However, going by the web-gurus (rAkkammA-thiraippAdal-tfmpage), I'm placing this Prabhu-Radha movie songs under 1984.

I really don't remember the exact time of the arrival of this album :-( What I clearly remember is the huge popularity of this song even after a few years when I was in Palakkad, frequently visiting Coimbatore (towns only 30 miles apart). The private city buses in Coimbatore - many of them had superb sound systems in the late 80's - frequently played this number. Extremely, thoroughly enjoyable song which hasn't aged even now! So, it's not a true justice to categorize such a beauty as "80's song" / "old song" etc!

Another obvious reason for the difficulty in placing a timeline is IR's prolificity in 1981-85! kaNakku vazhakkillAma hits. Parade of recorded cassettes. Flood of movies all around the year - all kinds - star directors / startups / star actors / new faces / low-med-high budgets. Unless one had the habit of writing diaries i.e. recording every event -even trivial ones- in life, it's very difficult to remember release dates. (The ambi chEchi fan had this diary habit and could tell how many times he did "certain things" in life :wink:).

Or, one should have some special personal event that smells out when listening to this song and connect to the arrival time. To me, the only thing that smells out is Coimbatore city bus travels and may be other bus travels from Cbe to Pollachi which again skips a few years. So, start-time for this song is unknown :-)

V_S

22nd September 2011, 08:53 AM

App,
I am still in Kai Kodukkum Kai. Beautiful post! Again one of the films which I cannot forget, even it was a flop. I watched this film twice with our same neighbors (which I expressed in thanga magan post). We could not believe we were in tears. I like Rajini's acting this way more and these are one of the very few films where the director has used this marvelous actor and conveyed his true substance. And what a soothing song!
neerum ponaal megham yethu, neeyum ponaal naanum yethu
ennuyire yeh...yeh...ennuyire neeyirukka unniyirum pogumaa
Aha! what beautiful lines and how it was tuned, truly melting!

Wonderful post Jai! I really loved this portion. Very true!
"an old worn out cloth that grand mother used to put as cushion to many a cradles in the family can create a feeling that no advanced foam mattress or blankets can give you. When one hears songs like these, that is what dawns on you - the guys simply doesnt create music using instruments, he creates music from a soul train that has been running from ages, passing from grand mothers to mothersto grand children - there is no question of rating this guy's music - coz this is not music that we are experiencing - it is this soul train of our warmth -or to put in thamizh parlances..our "eeram". No wonder his music creates invariably the "inexplicable" feeling in so many of us.."

groucho070

22nd September 2011, 09:11 AM

Ku Klux Klan, I really liked the movie even back then when I was in the other camp. A more subtle Rajini, though his performance is nowhere as good as the two other ventures with Mahendran. This song was overplayed back then, as did the female duets. These days I find myself looping MV's Atha pettale Ambalaya ennathAn in my head (the percussion could have been ear-shattering during recording, damn they were prominent). In fact, I like it even more than PothuvAga or any other muzhakkam songs. App, great job as usual. Jai, enggeyO poyitEngga....

skr

22nd September 2011, 06:53 PM

Nilavondru - What a beautiful song ..
That prelude already gives you a feeling of what to expect from the song ..a melody soaked in honey..
App as usual you r awesome ..

Avadi to America

22nd September 2011, 07:30 PM

Murali Srinivas

22nd September 2011, 11:36 PM

Dear App.

This should answer your doubt regarding Kairasikaaran release date.

http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?6859-Prabhu-Ganesan-Charismatic-Affable-and-Underrated./page22&

Regards

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 01:40 AM

Thank you Murali sir!

It was nonsensical on my part to search around for info on a Prabhu movie when we have the kalaikkaLanjiyam in you :-) Great statistics on that thread, as usual!

BTW, Plum, had some nice :lol: moments in the Prabhu thread on your comments about sindhu-bhairavi :-)

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 02:06 AM

#154 கை வீசும் தாமரை
(கைராசிக்காரன், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1428'&lang=en)

Another sweet SPB-SJ duet from the same Prabhu-Radha movie. With the rhythm pattern somewhat similar to thAmtha dheemtha / dEvan kOvil deepam onRu. Made with kilO kaNakkil sugar & honey. There's a Thamizh poem that goes like 'எத்தனை கோடி இன்பம் வைத்தாய்' and this duet reminds one of that line.

How many SPB-SJ-IR songs that are straight from "crusher"! (In my dad's village, "crusher" guys install their equipment once a year in the midst of sugarcane fields, typically during the weeks around the pongal season, run the "crusher" of sugarcanes that finally results in the production of jaggery right there in the field, under a thatched shed. Oh, just the memory of that setup and the jaggery makes the mouth water! Another by-product, 'thEmbAgu', a colloidal sugarcane syrup, was the delicacy that got used as a ready-made companion for idli-dOsai when we kids were in no mood to eat with chutney-sAmbAr)...

As I've mentioned long time ago on the tfmpage, at rAsA's prime period, TN was like a village with such sweet 'Alai' in full swing. Post-IR, we have only 'iluppaippoos'!

As far as "smell" of this song goes, didn't even realize those days the movie of the song. Thoroughly enjoyed it almost 100% via involuntary showers from radio and other sources thru out the years. Don't even remember playing this number from a recorded cassette -neither mine nor one that belonged to any of my associates. Perhaps today is the first time when I "played" this song myself, from thiraippAdal :-)

V_S

23rd September 2011, 05:39 AM

App,
Loved reading your write-ups on kairaasikkaran songs. "Made with kilO kaNakkil sugar & honey". :thumbsup: Absolutely! viola! whopping 59 films in '84. I also started to see a pattern from '84 onwards, especially on the orchestration compared to previous years. Lovely melodies, kaiveesum thaamarai, devan koyil deepam ondru, kanavodu yEngum all follow a unique trend with tabla based rhythm. I think this style continued till 87-88. But how many melodies he churned out all these years keeping the trend in check and still continues till sneha veedu. What a memorable journey it has been! Unbelievable!

PARAMASHIVAN

23rd September 2011, 04:48 PM

Perhaps some "Old school boys Association" can help me with these songs :)

Can some one please tell me the name of the movies these songs featured in , thanks :)

1) Margazhi paniyil
2) Nee oru raaga maligai (here SPB sounds so much like BMK)
3) thendraluku endrum vayathu 16
4) O maina O maina

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 05:00 PM

nilavonRu kaNdEn youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQiEhx9dGjM)

Shot in the snow-clad hills, this one is quite nice :-)

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 05:02 PM

nanRi, V_S!

Yes, rAsA's songs underwent significant change in the "listening experience" during the mid-80's...possibly an upgrade of recording equipment helped as well.

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 05:08 PM

kai veesum thAmarai youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKw1aSIW744)

Good quality video but the title given shows the "quality" of the uploader :oops:

PARAMASHIVAN

23rd September 2011, 05:19 PM

App anna

Thanks for uploading some songs, I have never heard before ! :ty:

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 07:00 PM

App anna

Thanks for uploading some songs, I have never heard before ! :ty:

You're welcome, but hey, I'm only providing the links here...never uploaded any music / video to the web :wink:
minjippOnA one or two pics to facebook paNNi irukkEn :-)

app_engine

23rd September 2011, 10:45 PM

There're two more SPB songs in kairAsikkAran - thEn sumandha mullai & sighttu adichchukkO. Both don't ring a bell in my mind when listening today. So, can't post about them. I'm surprised that there're IR-SPB songs of 1984 that didn't even leave a trace of them in my memory!

skr

24th September 2011, 01:43 AM

App , Unga facebook link kudunga ..
Will like to add you as a friend :)

app_engine

24th September 2011, 02:12 AM

#155 ரோஜா ஒன்று முத்தம் கேட்கும் நேரம்
(கொம்பேறி மூக்கன், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1717'&lang=en)

"Great melodies with SPB-SJ combo" seems to be a major feature of this year!

After listening to 'thAzhampoovE vAsam veesu' after a considerable gap (during the build of the post on that song), I can't get out of it haunting me often in the bed for a few days now! Such a powerful melody! Add 'nilavonRu kaNden', 'mutham pOthAdhO' and now this 'rOja onRu'...and there are a few more from this year waiting to be posted!

Possibly this was a major year for tablA - or "takeover by tablA" :-)

Though it was always part of IR's arsenal, with the spurt in the number of movies and a very busy schedule, rAsA had to resort to some standardization in orch I think. That is, for maximising productivity - strictly IMO. Or, he possibly found it easier to give relatively "shorter instructions" to assistants and jump on to the next work. (One imaginary conversation, IR to his rhythm section head : "Puru, antha 4/4 la namma standard tablA rhythm vachchu arrange paNNeerunga - indhappAttukku adhu sariyA irukkum / pOdhum. aduththa director 3 maNi nEramA vAsallA irukkAr - sinnappaiyyan, enna sonnAlum kEkkAma kAl kadukka ninnukkittE irukkAr - pAvamA irukku" :lol:)

And this one, what a sweetie! First time when I heard the song from our Thanjai friend's cassette, couldn't believe this was for a Thiyagarajan movie.

What? 'rOjA onRu' for a movie called 'kombEri mookkan'? :shock:

Well, complexities of nature - like a soft rOjAppoo located amidst sharp and strong thorns, 'rOja onRu' in a kombEri mookkan movie starring Mr Mambattiyan. Ofcourse, 'chinnappoNNu sEla' was a soft sweetie too for the same pair but it had a very different nAdan arrangement, rustic rAsA voice so one didn't have any uRuththal. But this one? hellO!

In any case, despite enjoying Mambattiyan in theater, I didn't care to watch Mookkan (which didn't repeat the success of the former IIRC). And it wasn't much before Mr Mambattiyan faded out, as expected.

venkkiram

24th September 2011, 07:30 AM

ரோஜா ஒன்று முத்தம் கேட்கும் நேரம்!

ராஜா + பாலு + ஜானகி + சரிதா + எழில்மிகு காட்சி அமைப்புக்கள் - இப்பாடலை காலச் சக்கரத்தில் என்றைக்குமே அழிந்தொழியாத வண்ணம் நிலை நிறுத்துகிறது.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNK-pgEJfEk

( இரண்டாவது இடையிசையில் ஆரம்பிக்கும் வயலின் இசை பொட்டு வைத்த ஒரு வட்ட நிலா பாடலின் இரண்டாவது இடையிசையின் ஆரம்பத்தை ஞாபகப் படுத்தி செல்கிறது )

V_S

24th September 2011, 10:20 AM

Well written App! If you were already haunted by one, it is difficult to come out of it, even if you want to like 'vidaadhu karuppu' :wink: We can write non-stop essay for this song.

venkkiram, that was a superb catch on the connection of second interlude with pottu vaitha interlude. Another beauty in second interlude is the bass guitar. Sounds very heavy and feels like it is not liking the accompanying instruments, so staging a 'no' every time :smile: Another interesting piece in the second interlude is you will never know when the interlude will give the lead to charanam, because when you hear the violins at the end of interlude, it continues on and on and suddenly Janaki takes over, what a beauty!

Maestro composes this tune in such a way there is ample scope for konjals and kenjals. SPB and SJ seizing every opportunity. ThEnil Ooriya Pala!

There are some films where we cannot separate the theatre we watched those films. We would not get that experience even if we watch that film in any other theatre, leave alone all the DVD crap. This is one such film, where I watched it in that mighty Devi complex (Devi theatre) in Mount Road. I remember watching this film as I didn't get ticket for another movie (which I forgot now). So we went in for Komberi Mookan with my Dad. This is the second time into Devi theatre. First time being 'Nooraavathu Naal' during summer 10th grade holidays. I was already amazed by its size and its effects during 'Nooraavathu Naal'. When I got second opportunity, I didn't want to miss it. From that time onwards many classic films we watched there, Mackenna's Gold, Guns of Navarone, Ten Commandments et al. I can never get that experience even in theaters here. That time it was way better than Satyam and all good theaters around. Even a dud film will sound good in that theatre with the sound effects and that big big screen. So, in that way Komberi mookan didn't disappoint me.

app_engine

25th September 2011, 07:37 AM

nanRi, V_S!

1984 had this Manivannan movie kuvA kuvA vAththukaL (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00317&lang=en) from which my mind only recalls the 'thEnil vadiththa silaiyE' song (sounds like Gangai Amaran singing, or it could be Krishnachandar).

There's a SPB duet pollAtha (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1786'&lang=en) with VJ but never heard it before, so cannot feature in this thread...

app_engine

25th September 2011, 07:59 AM

#156 நீலக்குயிலே உன்னோடு நான் பண்பாடுவேன்
(மகுடி, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR1852'&lang=en)

In my mind, there's some relation between this song and the PS-UR sweetie 'amuthE thamizhE azhagiya mozhiyE enadhuyirE' of kOvil puRA. (Those with rAgA knowledge please confirm if both these songs are of same rAgA or family of rAgAs). Equally sweet song in a slightly faster tempo and fantastic percussion arrangement.

This song was a radio hit and I don't think the movie made any impact at all when arrived. I heard the movie name on radio but didn't even have much knowledge about it. Googling gets the info that this was a Mohan / Nalini movie. A real rare gem of a song - possibly sERRil muLaiththa senthAmarai / kuppaiyil vairam kind, going by the un-known-ness of the movie.

The swaraprayOgams in the prelude are very much similar to the 'gama-gama-gama-gari-sari-sA' of amuthE thamizhE that triggered the connection in my mind. There are other construction similarites as well, such as "semi-classical" nature, flute / veeNA combo (difference being violin replacing nAdhaswaram sounds...nayanam was specially played by MPM Sethuraman / Ponnusamy brothers in all the kOvil puRA songs).

Both SPB & SJ relish the song, enjoying while singing as they didn't get that many opportunities to sing ICM semi-classicals in TFM together under IR's baton, though they had tons of light / WCM style songs. (My mind throws nAnoru ponnOvium instantly where these two were present but it also had PS).

A truly memorable number!

app_engine

26th September 2011, 06:27 AM

There's a SPB duet for 'manaivi sollE mandhiram' (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00340&lang=en) that starts as 'mAmA thaLLippadu' and it failed to make any impact with the listeners. Interestingly, two other songs from the same movie - 'mAnE mAnguyilE' featuring MV & 'AtthAdee athisayam, pArthAlE paravasam' featuring KJY have both been moderate hits having decent AIR time.

(Rama.Narayanan movie I think...which did "not-kai-kadichchufy-kind-of-biz" per reports then)

rajkumarc

26th September 2011, 07:38 AM

Amazing writeups App for the 1983 songs. I haven't caught up yet with 1984 as am still re-reading the 1983 songs, a lot of biggies there. Some excellent viewpoints on Salangai Oli made me revisit the movie today. A thoroughly satisfying movie in terms of emotional and musical content. Pala idangalil kan kalanga vaithathu. Kamal nadippu, IR's score for Kamal & Jayapradha scenes :notworthy:

app_engine

26th September 2011, 09:41 PM

nanRi, rajkumarc!

True, salangai oli can be revisited any number of times and never fails to impress!

Two songs are due today (one for Sunday & another for today)...both will be from a Rajini movie...

app_engine

27th September 2011, 12:43 AM

#157 கல்யாணம் வைபோகம் என்றென்றும் வாழ்க
(நான் மகான் அல்ல, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2187'&lang=en)

This piano beauty is a SJ solo song for the most part with SPB just singing the last repeat of pallavi towards the end, along with chorus (after the female voice breaks down crying). Still, this is another SPB hit on record. It had a lot of time on radio / buses and other regular media. IIRC, there was a post in the hub about this song being very similar to some Hindi old number. Though I don't know such connections, when it arrived, I clearly remember branding it like "one of those piano-oldie-like songs".

This movie initially had the controversial 'nAn Gandhi alla' title which was objected by many groups and subsequently changed to 'nAn mahAn alla' - either by censor insistence or to avoid trouble with them. (Good that they did such as the posters were quite glamorous by the standards of 80's with Radha quite exposed and it wouldn't have been appropriate to associate Gandhiji's name stuck on such posters). I don't remember watching that movie (not even the songs on youtube) but guess it was a violent one, going by the title. Interestingly, a recent movie had the same title too.

IIRC, 'ommEla oru kaNNu, thillA langudiyO' was a much bigger hit in the hostel and on the streets. That way, MV scored over SPB in this movie with respect to commercial success.

app_engine

27th September 2011, 01:30 AM

#158 மாலை சூடும் வேளை
(நான் மகான் அல்ல, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2188'&lang=en)

A strings beauty with the sweet SPB-SJ pair. Very pleasant melody packaged with terrific orchestration where IR possibly worked a little extra :-) What a lovely shenoy jump-in for the second interlude! The whole "evening lovers feel" instantly gets transported to a northie marriage feel in matter of few notes, magical! Only a very complex musical mind like that of IR's can ever come up with such a seamless yet dramatic transformation! One can't help but draw some parallels to the fantastic 'hEy pAdal onRu' that has a similar interlude!

Both singers sound relishing the musical rain that goes along with their voices! romba anubhavichchuppAdi irukkAnga. The way they end the saraNam and come back to the pallavi shows how thoroughly they enjoy doing this number!

For some reason, I used to confuse this song with another in the 'nAn sigappu manithan' song because one my friends had both these together in a cassette and kept playing them frequently. A lot of sweet SPB-SJ-IR songs from that time period that one loses count!

V_S

27th September 2011, 08:11 AM

Beautiful songs and excellent write-ups App on two of my most favorite songs. :clap: The shenoy in Maalai Soodum VeLai takes the song to another level as you aptly described as 'seamless yet dramatic transformation'. A very bright and brisk duet in some amazing locations.

I believe this year (1984) is totally belongs to Rajini. Right from Anbulla Rajinikanth, Kai kodukkum kai, Naan Mahan Alla and the list goes on. Every film is super duper hit and every film has memorable songs. And all Rajini films this year, I have watched in theaters, atleast once, thanks to my neighbors who are hardcore fans. I cannot forget one dialogue from this film which we used to mimic those days. Oru viral Krishnarao will say 'Mudhalaali, Ivan thaai paal'lai vaLarala, pulipaal'lai vaLarnthirukkaan'. For that Nambiar will replay ' Ivana Konjam konjama MeNNu Muzhunganum' in his style and casually chew the thangabaspam. Top class!

Apart from IR films, I loved Pokkiri Raja and that evergreen 'Vidiya Vidiya Sollitharuven'. Just humming that one gives goosebumps.

Kalyanam Vaibogham is a very emotional song for me as I have expressed earlier. One of SJ's best, if not the best. The bass portions in 'Maalai Soodum VeLai' will sound like another voice singing. So much life in bass notes. Melting flute and classical violin is the highlight , with enjoyable singing by both SPB and SJ. I even remember Rajini will walk stylishly with his hands in pocket. Adorable! Super star rocks!!

app_engine

27th September 2011, 10:03 AM

nanRi, V_S!

mAlai soodum vELai youtube (very good video quality) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iha1nlWhwjY

baroque

27th September 2011, 08:57 PM

Thanks for the wonderful treats, app_eng.

Naan Mahan Alla's Janu-Ilayaraja's piano delight is my favorite.

1984... joyous carefree school years.. malai soodum velai is perennial favorite

vinatha

app_engine

27th September 2011, 10:24 PM

நல்வரவு, baroque :-)

Continuing with 1984 SPB, I need to make a minor adjustment in the alpha order now.

To push one of my most fav albums to the end of the year and feature the 'paLLi ezhuchchi song' of my cousin (i.e. at the time of arrival for many months) as the last song of the year.

So NPP gets pushed to the "end of the year" and the "thavil thadAladi unmaththam" number gets a small advancement :-)

app_engine

27th September 2011, 10:41 PM

#159 போடு தந்தானத்தம்
(நல்ல நாள், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2248'&lang=en)

SJ sings in the first saraNam as "மேலே பாரு பாதாளம், கீழே பாரு ஆகாயம்" :lol2: and that's the way I used to feel when listening to this song at the time of arrival. What an "unmaththam" feel! The thavil adi-thadi, excellent flute, sweet guitar sounds and SPB-SJ in full form! IMG, there are some situations that make IR feel in an extreme kushi mood that results in him calling the 'Asaiya kAththula thoothu vittu' kind of adi-thadi.

Ofcourse, he did it the first time in Johny. Then this. Then in some stage concerts where 'Asaya kAththula' got featured (was it in Italy?). And then in an Ajantha song that was supposed to be made in multiple languages simultaneously. So, my calculated guess is somebody made him in an extreme kushi mood in such cases and he responded with the thavil (or thavilish) adi-dhadi. There could have been other songs and occasions as well (mAsi mAsam ALana poNNu?) but these are the ones quickly recalled.

As we have been tracking in this thread, this year seemed to be a big SPB-SJ combo year and this is another addition. What an addition - showcasing some of their exclusive tricks in providing a variety of feel to the listeners. What makes me really dumbfounded is the effortless way they seem to have delivered such singing. (Seeing them on videos possibly contribute to this awe as both don't show any kind of alattal at all while delivering terrific variations in the final output :shock: All the processing appear to happen just like that in that "passage of air from lungs to throat to outside world" with rest of the body hardly getting stretched!)

Should listen to this song in powerful woofers to get the total impact! Had that experience with some recording centers / tea shops those days and one cannot explain that thrill in words!

28th September 2011, 03:30 PM

All the processing appear to happen just like that in that "passage of air from lungs to throat to outside world" with rest of the body hardly getting stretched!)
Exactly, App, well put. Awesome singing by the magical duo! I don't exactly remember listening to this song before (though vetta veli from the same film is one of my favo SJ solos); been looping this song since morning today. Gawd, what top-notch quality prelude and interludes... the caressing saxophone, the springy flute, the jubilant rhythms (especially when the acoustic drums join in, wow!), a violin solo here, a guitar lead there … AdavanE, too much ra! :bow:

app_engine

28th September 2011, 10:19 PM

KV,
I'm glad you liked this number. One of my top favourties when it arrived!

IIRC, nalla nAL was another "Devar films" production (I see R Thiyagarajan as the director for this movie) with Vijayakanth as hero.

Sureshji posted (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?8572-Raja-s-Gems-the-latest-one-you-heard...Part-3&p=568582&viewfull=1#post568582) about this song sometime back...

Had bought a CD some time back with had this film called "Nalla Naal' along with 'Nane Raja Naane Mandhiri' and 'Karimedu Karuvayan'. I had never heard about 'Nalla Naal' earlier and wasn't sure how the songs would be. As usual, they turn out to be top class. Any of our regulars can provide some details about this movie? app_eng, usha?

http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.ph...R00403&lang=en (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00403&lang=en)

Listening to 'podu thandanathom'. Wonderfully sung by SPB and Janaki. The first interlude is an excellent example of smooth jazz. All the songs in this movie are nice and are vintage Raja.

app_engine

28th September 2011, 10:48 PM

There are a couple of SPB numbers in the SP Muthuraman directed 'nalla thambi' (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00404&lang=en) in which Karthik starred. (Was it an AVM movie by any chance? And how many nalla thambees have been made in TF? I remember another one that had N S Krishnan doing a fantastic song against madhu arakkan - 'kudichchuppazhakaNum' - script was by aNNA aka CNA)

Well, this Karthik as nalla thambi must have been a terrible flop as these songs don't seem to be in my memory at all :shock:

app_engine

28th September 2011, 10:50 PM

In any case, we'll have a Karthik song for today :-) Though he was playing the 'abbAs' role and not the lead role in that movie :wink:

app_engine

28th September 2011, 11:46 PM

#160 முத்தாடுதே முத்தாடுதே (நல்லவனுக்கு நல்லவன், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2260'&lang=en)

Though a big hit for Rajini and rAsA, not that much memorable for our thread nAyak as KJY did all three songs for Rajini (the tremendous trio - chittukku, unnaiththAnE, vachchukkavA) while the sole number given to SPB was for the villainish Karthik. And a relatively weak song as well from a melody / singer POV but terrific on orchestration, esp drum work! IMO, there's some kind of disinterest in SPB and this song didn't get his 100%, despite being a hit. SJ did a "day-in-the-office" kind of job, perhaps singing exactly as rAsA spec'ed.

I clearly remember the "ship-like-setting" extravaganza by AVM for this song. Karthik romancing "ThuLasi" (that young boy of Sankarabharanam who later did Kamal's raped sis role in SKV) wasn't a big thrilling thing anyways, especially when one had Rajini in that movie. Well, the song was "hip" by the standards of those days and very listenable & enjoyable even now - the prelude and interludes are terrific.

In the college days, when SPB was the top favourite among most wingmates (i.e. more than KJY), this album wasn't as appreciated as, say, SKV. However, the songs were big favourites for me and to this day I listen to chittukku & unnaiththAnE very frequently. muththAduthE and vachchukkavA occasionally. 'namma modhalALi'? Not in years :-)

The movie was a big hit and possibly the point at which my neighbor in the hostel, who used to be a big KBR fan, starting to lean towards the Rajini side. He used to describe with so much thrill the "flash-back-dress-change-of-aged-Rajini-with-leather-jacket-kind-like-old-rowdy" :lol:

balaji

29th September 2011, 07:11 AM

App

Thanks for the Podu Thanthanaththam song. One of the beautiful songs by the duo (every one in the last several days were excellent)

This one is special, reminds me of the "Khullam Khullam,," song from RDB's Khel Khel Mein. Our IR song is better in my opinion.

"muthadudhe" is a great song, I loved it when the song came out, better than the other songs. Ofcourse the KJY's songs became a bigger hit, though

bala

skr

29th September 2011, 04:29 PM

Wow , hearing Podu Thanthanam for the 1st time , jeez what a song , what singing by the celebrated duo ..Brilliance personified ..

PARAMASHIVAN

29th September 2011, 06:02 PM

Dig //

There was a Karthik film, which had suhasini as the heroine :frightened: , Karthik had similar looks of Alaigal Oivathillai, the MD was IR and it had few songs by SPB, name of the movie pls ?

//

Thanks

Plum

29th September 2011, 06:07 PM

Aagaya Gangai...I think

genesis

29th September 2011, 08:06 PM

app_engine

29th September 2011, 10:27 PM

nanRi genesis, for the links!

I'll listen to the audio link once I reach home. Looks like both songs have some "rasika ranjani" in them :-)

app_engine

29th September 2011, 10:30 PM

nanRi balaji!

Going by the songs posted so far for 1984, it was undoubtedly a predominantly duet year for SPB with relatively less solo hits. And >90% of those duets were with SJ :-)

app_engine

30th September 2011, 01:12 AM

#161 அடியே மனம் நில்லுன்னா நிக்காதடி
(நீங்கள் கேட்டவை, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2321'&lang=en)

What prompted Balu Mahendra to make this movie, I don't know. However, I very clearly remember reading about his trying to "please the mass" and giving the sarcastic title for the movie. (Though it politely tells that "I give you what you want", he perhaps meant "you get what you asked for" or worse, "what you deserve" :lol2:). Regardless of his intentions for the movie / title, the professional called rAsA had his priorities very clear. He gave a superb, fantastic, terrific, phenomenal soundtrack to the TFM audience!

Well, unfotunately, he also gave BM what he wanted -kanavu kANum vAzhkkai yAvum :wink: So, though both the mass public and BM were the winners, rAsA was the sole loser in the end :-( Despite getting thrilled over his colossal original output of 1000's of numbers over the years, it hurts all his admirers when someone points to that ditto of a Kalyanji-Anandji composed Hindi number. The very mention of that song gives a "soththakkadalai menRa" feel to me. Well, that song had KJY as singer and not relevant to this thread. Still, such small pulambal keeps coming up each time I talk about neengaL kEttavai.

Well, that movie was in a blatant commercial "song/dance/fight/piRappu ragasiyam" format - nothing like any other BM movie - with a ton of stars (Poornima Jayaram in ammA role, Banuchandar, Archana, Thiyagarajan, Silukku). As attempted, it had huge commercial success as well. It had 2 KJY solos (kanavu kANum & piLLai nilA), 1 SJ solo (piLLai nilA) and 3 duets by our celebrated pair. The classiest dappAnguththu ever in TFM (i.e. purely from a musical viewpoint and not based on what happens on screen) is getting featured in this post and the other two will follow for the next couple of days.

What a terrific start - one of the best ever in IFM!

I think I should refrain from writing about this song and spend all the superlatives to get myself exhausted. I should rather let the song leave its impact on readers / listeners as they get another dose of it :-)

app_engine

30th September 2011, 01:46 AM

Realized after a post in MV thread (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?9373-New-thread-for-Malaysia-Vasudevan-the-versatile-Thamizh-singer&p=745949&viewfull=1#post745949)that the MV song in nallavanukku nallavan was a duet with SPB...don't want to leave that out for this thread and will feature that after the neengaL kEttavai numbers are done.

Also, asked V_S in the IR-duets thread (http://www.mayyam.com/talk/showthread.php?9369-Raaja-s-magical-duets&p=745945&viewfull=1#post745945) for his detailed post on the classic 'O vasantha rAjA' :-)

rajkumarc

30th September 2011, 05:44 AM

Maalai Soodum is my favorite. Nice writeup App. Surprising to know that Ommele Oru Kannu was popular than Maalai Soodum and Kalyanam Vaibogham.

Podu Thanthaanatham & Adiye Manam are terrific especially for SPB & SJ singing. What a pair of singers... irreplaceable in TFM. The energy in Adiye Manam, I can't remember many songs that match or come close to it.

app_engine

30th September 2011, 06:15 AM

nanRi rajkumarc!

youtube of muththAduthE :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgNr4Jzf_ks

app_engine

30th September 2011, 06:20 AM

adiyE manam youtube (there's a slightly better video quality youtube but that misses the starting drum-beats. So, rejected) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k0rAZcUz4g&feature=related

app_engine

30th September 2011, 07:53 AM

Another very good quality video :
(kalyANam vaibOgam of NMA)...definitely not seen this movie...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA_izaC_4zg

app_engine

30th September 2011, 07:55 AM

The above youtube has three songs (all recently posted about...kalyANam / thAzham poovE / unnaiththAnE of KJY)...

baroque

30th September 2011, 08:02 AM

energy flying high with IR's melam and acoustic drums.:bluejump:

Only ஜானு can match பாலா's naughtiness!:thumbsup:

இது ராஜா பாட்டு!

Great gift for Navaratri from you, App_eng!
Thanks.

SHUBH NAVRATRI TO YOU ALL!

நீங்கள் கேட்டவை....dazzling இளையராஜா .... one more outstanding composition coming up from you.....mmmm... we are all ready!

Vinatha.

Plum

30th September 2011, 08:40 AM

App, I think NK was a flop

app_engine

30th September 2011, 06:57 PM

App, I think NK was a flop

At the minimum, I've seen 50 days' posters on the released theater itself in Trichy :-) Means, commercial success. I'm not sure about Chennai, but the central / south TN, it had a good run and that guy Banuchandar had a few more movies...

app_engine

30th September 2011, 09:52 PM

#162 நானே ராஜா
(நீங்கள் கேட்டவை, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்)
(http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2323'&lang=en)

This is primarily a SPB-show kind of song (I think for a light-music troupe / stage singer) and rAsA lets loose some nice drum work and other jazzy stuff. The brief indulgences by SJ in the saraNams are breezy and excellent complement to the stylish delivery of Balu. I don't remember the on-screen stuff at this moment, but going by the 'adiyE manam' visuals, there's strong possibility that Thiyagarajan is shown on-screen with YGM on the "fiber-drums" in a stage-light-music-performance setting.

The sounds that came out of those "fiber-drums" are my all-time favourites.

I'm sure the opening adi-dhadi of 'adiyE manam', end of saraNam of 'iLamai idhO idhO' and such excellent stuff came from the same kind of drums that are shown on-screen in rAjapArvai for the legendary instrumental piece...one of my friends used to quote abaswaram Ramji frequently on this - that only abaswaram's troupe and Ilayaraja had those drums then, in the whole state. YGM is seen with them on photos on the web (pictures possibly taken during the rAjA pArvai time period). In this movie again, he is seen to be playing drums...I know there're a few NT-thread hubbers who are close to him and perhaps we can ask them if YGM actually plays them too. It's unfortunate that this learned guy (B.Tech-MBA?) was made to play absolutely silly roles like that one in SKV. With his acclaimed stage skills, he could have made it better if he took up more of serious - even villainish - roles on screen rather than the sidekick comedy stuff for which he is primarily known for.

Despite knowing that this is not a regular BM stuff, all of us undertook trip to Trichy from hostel to watch the movie - partly a mark of respect to the director of moonRam piRai and partly to show appreciation for rAsA songs . While everyone got irritated with the movie overall, by now I'm tuned to the 'even closing eyes one can enjoy rAsA mode' and was satisfied with the experience :-)

Plum

30th September 2011, 10:37 PM

YGM plays Mridangam for sure. Drums? Not so sure.Enga shaktiprbahuvukku oNNu vitta aNNanA iruppInga pOla? YGM serious roleA?But unga thinkingla oru nyaayam irukku - apdiyaavadhu makkaLai sirikka vekka mAttArAnnu kaNakku pOdaRInga. Good thinging :thumbsup:

app_engine

1st October 2011, 02:26 AM

YGM plays Mridangam for sure. Drums? Not so sure.

Plum,

This one is kind of a rare link :
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/history-and-culture/article2103930.ece

The Samuel Grubb quoted here may be the singer of 'aNNE aNNE sippAyaNNE'.

And please note this portion :

In those days, beat bands — usually a quartet consisting of three guitarists and a drummer — were in vogue (Y.Gee Mahendra, who played the drums, and I combined to form a beat band named Phantoms). To break away from this trend and give its line-up greater variety, The Medics hoped to take in a saxophonist named Pacheco. For this to happen, Pacheco had to succeed in his attempt to get into MMC. When I told the dean how valuable this saxophonist could be to The Medics, he responded positively. ‘All other things being equal, Pacheco will get a nod if he performed moderately well in the interview,' he said. Our hopes were dashed when Pacheco developed cold feet and did not turn up for the interview.

With three guitarists, possibly YGM was playing drums and not mridh :-)

app_engine

1st October 2011, 02:29 AM

Dig

Here're some more interesting parts from that MMV / MMC linkku :

When a candidate was being assessed for admission to a medical college, his accomplishments in areas such as sports and music were also given weightage. A letter from music director M.S. Viswanathan stating that I was a good musician helped me get into MMC.

During a performance by The Medics, a youngster came on to the stage with a request. He was carrying a violin and a paper with music notes. He handed us the paper and requested that we play it. Since none of us could read music fluently, we asked him to play it on his violin while we followed him. As he played, we were wonder-struck. We took our hands off our instruments and were lost in the grandeur of his music. That youngster was L. Subramaniam — a fellow student at MMC. He later became the kingpin of the MMC orchestra which won many contests around the country.

end-dig

V_S

1st October 2011, 09:11 AM

App,
Loved all your posts. As KV expressed, excellently written on 'Adi POdu Thanthanam'.:clap: Hearing now non-stop.
SPB-SJ dream combination will never occur again and it is clearly a setback for playback singing.
A wonderful year of oustanding music complemented by this dominant pair.

Regarding Nallavanukku Nallavan, my first favorites were Muthaaduthe and Chittukku while other songs caught me little later.

NeengaL KEttavai is one special soundtrack with every composition is an epic, except the one which lets us down and embarrassed as always, as you mentioned.

Thanks for all your encouragement on writing on 'O Vasantha Raja'. I am not sure if I will meet your expectations, but will write soon about it.
To be honest, I haven't started on it, quite hectic these days. App, please do not wait for me, write your thoughts on this terrific song, waiting to read.

I can never ever imagine your dedication and non-tiring effort to get this thread moving at a super fast and at the same time providing us with highest quality posts blended with your thorough experience. What amazed me more, is even if by chance missed day or two posting songs, you keep track of that closely and catch up in very next days. Till today not a single day was missed without posting. :notworthy:

Sureshs65

1st October 2011, 10:06 AM

Plum,

YGM does play the congos / bongos for sure. I have seen it do live in some program on TV. I did not know he played mridangam.

jaiganes

1st October 2011, 09:09 PM

Plum,

YGM does play the congos / bongos for sure. I have seen it do live in some program on TV. I did not know he played mridangam.
in a KJY interview in DD he played mrudhangam in the end as requested by KJY (YG was the interviewer).

Plum

1st October 2011, 09:26 PM

Oh child of 80s Jai, me also same interview watching and giving this news here today.Doordarshan pArththu vaLarndha balageenamAna koottam :lol:

app_engine

2nd October 2011, 05:41 AM

ok, V_S_ji - no pressure - post about O vasantha rAjA at your vasathi :-)

Let me continue with the "routine" :-)

app_engine

2nd October 2011, 06:19 AM

#163 ஒ வசந்த ராஜா தேன் சுமந்த ரோஜா
(நீங்கள் கேட்டவை, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2324'&lang=en)

Sweet & innovative duet by rAsA with his top-seeded-pair, the third one from the same movie! By this time, we were quite accustomed to his brand of fusion (starting from the days of nizhalgaL or even before, reaching a spectacular high with panivizhum malarvanam etc). So, it was no longer awe-inspiring or making one stunned. It was kind of "expected" or "given" that rAsA does some ICM+western -organic / seamless / homogenous - fusion number every month (or every week) :lol2:

By that count, O vasantha rAjA, while seen with awe from today's standpoint as a musical marvel (100K views on youtube for the hopeless video of Archana / Banuchandar...means most views are for appreciation of rAsA music only), was "just another hit" for rAsA, from a 1984 POV. Yes, it had a lot of radio time / bus time / teakkadai time etc but so were 100 other rAsA numbers from the same year and this definitely didn't stand out. What a prolificity (ask ANY composer living in the world to match IR's 80-85 record, impossible)!

We'll wait patiently for the musical dissection of the number by V_S in the coming days and meanwhile enjoy the splendid singing by SJ-SPB and the awesome orchestration by our brilliant composer!

app_engine

2nd October 2011, 06:23 AM

This is the youtube I mentioned in the last post (of having 100K+ views, despite a very amateurish picturization by BM standards) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjHmd3PmyFs

app_engine

2nd October 2011, 06:25 AM

Plum,

One commenter at youtube (need not be authentic, chummA oru idhukku :-) ) :

best songs by ilayaraja director balu mahenadra film no that good but ran on raja sheer music only . devi bala 100 days run .

Plum

2nd October 2011, 08:49 AM

Devi bala 100 days run_ngaradhe code word for flop app :)Oru medium sized living room dhaan devi bala. Sila flop padangal 100 days poster ottaradhukunne anga mattum noon show ottuvaanga.

app_engine

3rd October 2011, 07:47 AM

Plum :-)

For the next song...I see a film called nEram nalla nEram (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00423&lang=en)with an SPB number listed but never heard before (and it doesn't sound like SPB)...

So, skip such numbers and keep scrolling down the 1984 list...to reach one of the best thrillers ever made in TF, IMO :-)

app_engine

3rd October 2011, 08:06 AM

#164 விழியிலே மணி விழியில் மௌன மொழி
(நூறாவது நாள், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2415'&lang=en)

What a sweet prelude and grand second interlude that decorate a song borrowed from an acclaimed Kannada classic -also by the same SPB-SJ-IR combo, jotheyalli (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJDEHrY94tM)! The first interlude has a humming similar to the TVG stuff that we were treated earlier in andhi mazhai & idhu oru nilAkkAlam. However, I don't know who does in this number...Like on many other occasions, the humble Manivannan happily accepted this borrowed tune from Kannada to "fill" the brief joyous moments in an otherwise tense film.

And what a tense film that proved to be :shock: One of the most unforgettable movies for me from college days! I think this was screened in the newly opened Rambha / Oorvashi complex in Trichy near Cauvery river. (I may be wrong here - it's possible I saw this in Maris complex...either way, in the Chatram bus stand area). The BGM of this movie was so chilling - the exotic rAsA concoction with traditional Indian + western drums and some eerie sounds whenever the heroine gets into the ESP mode. And the scene where Nalini is brave enough to take the kOdAri to hit the drywall :shock:

A not to be missed movie that became a roaring success - starring an unusual Mohan / Nalini / Vijayakanth combination in which Satyaraj hit a bulls-eye with his mottai & round sun goggles! There were two other numbers (ulagam muzhudhum pazhaya rAththiri by KJY/VJ & uruguthE by VJ) that had some air time but vizhiyilE was the biggest hit and it's popular to this day. The song's recent avatAr - jAnE dO nA in cheeni kum with Shreya G's voice is very sweet as well, a piano beauty!

Ever-green melody, ever-young singers, ever-iLaya-king's music :-)

app_engine

4th October 2011, 12:15 AM

#165 ரோஜா ஒன்று உள்ளங்கையில் பூத்தது
(ஒ மானே மானே, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2431'&lang=en)

IIRC, this movie was a remake of the Hindi movie Julie where Lakshmi acted. The original had that fantastic "Julie, I love you" song (Rajesh Roshan music per wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_(1975_film)), I used to enjoy the song very much during my school days...it was a 1975 movie where Sridevi acted as a child artist it seems). The Thamizh remake after a decade - starring Mohan-Oorvashi - was a big flop despite nice music (this SPB-SJ guitar sweetie should have been the Thamizh equivalent of Julie I love you) and hype (Kamal singing a song as pinnaNippAdakar for Mohan, pon mAnaith thEduthE).

I had the misfortune of watching this movie in some "seconds" theater located between tolgate and Thiruverumbur on Trichy-Tanjore road. Simply atrocious :-( The Hindi original, directed by southie K S Sethumathavan was a hit it seems but nothing worked in its TF avatar.

Nevertheless, this duet was a big hit on radio and the usual 80's media. The chords are such a sweet delight and there's a small hint in the starting that the director wanted this song as the equivalent for the Hindi classic. SPB sings in a very youthful voice (sounds like 70's). For SJ, this was an extremely strong year and this is one more addition to our already-long-list-of-hits-in-84 with SPB. Like I often say, the interludes are not to be written about but simply experienced and enjoyed!

app_engine

4th October 2011, 12:27 AM

ok, it's unfair not to inform the original's original :-)

The indhi Julie was a remake of a Malayalm original, chattakkAri (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chattakari), meaning 'Anglo Indian', who is the main character of the tale.

I don't know if there was a special song in the Malayalam original, though. Lead actress (Lakshmi) & the director (KSS) are same for both MY & HI...

V_S

4th October 2011, 12:28 AM

I watched both Nooraavathu Naal and Neengal KEttavai in Devi theatre. I remember getting last tickets for NK, but I vaguely remember we watched the film around 50th day. But when i went to watch some other film few weeks later, NK was shifted to Devi Bala/Kala and ran there for 100 days. So Plum was correct, it didn't run substantially well, but it was made to run.

Could not forget the experience of watching NN in Devi theatre. Heavy crowd and all silent during those Nalini-Satyaraj encounters. Mohan in bloody coldest role. Never seen anything like that. Yes the songs were little relief for the tense film. Wonderfully written App about NN experience!

rajkumarc

4th October 2011, 01:19 AM

Same here in terms of the experience watching Nooravadhu Naal first time in theater. In Coimbatore, it was screened in Manis which was brand new and I think Nooravathu Naal was the first movie they screened. I was less than 10 yrs old then and it was a thoroughly scary experience enhanced by the music. My heart was in my mouth literally during the kodari scene :smile: Unforgettable background score by IR in this movie - title track, Sathyaraj-Nalini scenes, Nalini alone in the haunted house.

Vizhyile is my favorite song in NN and it remains so even after discovering Jotheyalli much later. The lyrics is pretty decent. My other favorite from this movie is Uruguthe Idhyame wonderfully rendered by VJ with some mindblowing orchestration depicting the spookiness (yes, I'm big fan of IR's songs in this genre :smile:)

Plum

4th October 2011, 11:30 AM

App, chattakari literally means what you can guess from your tamil knowledge. One who wears a shirt. It is not hard to guess the origins of the term from times when anglo indians were probably the only Indians to wear "shirts" as opposed to sarees etc. The term clearly cannot act as a social marker these days given the widespread use of shirts across strata by women.Reg chattakri songs, I remember vaguely but I think "alliyambal" is a much revered classic from this movie. Probably by G Devarajan. Sagar or someone can confirm.

Sureshs65

4th October 2011, 12:47 PM

Plum,

'Chattakaari' had music by Devarajan, if I remember right. 'Julie' had nice songs. Composed by Rajesh Roshan, who had given some lovely songs in his early days. Ofcourse Raja's take is outstanding. 'roja ondru' has class written all over it and I love the whole 'Maane Maane' album.

raagas

4th October 2011, 02:52 PM

Oh Maane Maane had lovely songs. Roja Onddru has SPB in fine form as far as expression goes. Lovely tune. Just those lovely bass lines - Aaaahaa!

And I love that song as well "Ponmaane theduthe" by Kamal.

And another favourite is that exquisite "Abhiraamiye" - sung by P.Susheela & Janaki. Lovely composition! Has a vintage melody feel to it!

4th October 2011, 03:49 PM

Roja ondru is right up there, on the top draw, in the Mohan hits/IR guitar based songs category. The pallavi concoction of SPB's vocals+guitars+bass+drums is gooseflesh stuff :bow:

app_engine

4th October 2011, 04:38 PM

Plum :-)

My translation was as per the colloquial Malayalam:-) Ofcourse, you're right in the literal sense.

Likewise, 'sAyabu' (Shahib) in kochchai Malayalam means 'veLLaikkAran / foreigner' :-)

app_engine

4th October 2011, 04:40 PM

May be problem with my machine - I keep getting "Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '<' in /home/forumh3/public_html/talk/includes/class_core.php(4489) : eval()'d code on line 138
" and cannot see the last page in the regular view...using the old tfmpage.com/forum...

skr

4th October 2011, 08:31 PM

Roja Ondru - Ore the Loves :)
What youthful singing by SPB , SJ at her vivacious best ..
Lots of louly Guitar touches throughout and its a violin treat in the 2nd interlude , check out the fast flowing chromatic appearing at 02:32 ..

Plum

4th October 2011, 09:29 PM

App, yeah that is correct. I was just adding details on the possible origin of the term as a reference to anglo indian women. Note that anglo indian men aren't called chattakaarans. Obviously, women wearing shirts was the big deal then hence the term.Anyway, I have had occasion to refer Roja ondru in the last heard Raja song thread. Bala Karthik first rejected it and then came back suitably chastised after a few days

app_engine

4th October 2011, 10:31 PM

Obviously, women wearing shirts was the big deal then hence the term.

Looks like the term "sElaikkAri" is needed at present (or in the very near future) to describe such rare specimens :-)

V_S

4th October 2011, 10:33 PM

:lol: that was a good one App!

Avadi to America

4th October 2011, 10:38 PM

Looks like the term "sElaikkAri" is needed at present (or in the very near future) to describe such rare specimens :-)

but we could use the term "thavanikari" now.

genesis

4th October 2011, 11:25 PM

I too remember my Nooravathu Naal experience real well... Me and my buddy next door went to see this movie at new Sapna complex in Salem for a noon show. I think that was probably one of my first outing w/o adults (just entering teens). Having never experienced Hollywood horror movies before that Nooravathu Naal was real scary experience... good grief it was still sunny when came out at the end of the movie. I also remember a lady seated nearby asked us "என்ன தம்பி பயமாயிருக்கா?" during the movie.

Me and the same buddy had a similar "scary" experience watching "Alien" in the same theater few months later.

Sathyaraj's career took-off with this movie. 2 years later he had become hero of "Kadalora Kavithaigal". IIRC, Sathyaraj does not have any dialogue in this movie.

As I can see now, Nooravathu Naal does not need any songs. So Manivannan would have been happy to take remake of Kannada song. After reading App's post yesterday (I did not listen, just read), this song was playing in my head all day - I could recall every bit including SJ's giggle.... such is the power of this song (well it was in our first TDK cassette)

app_engine

4th October 2011, 11:30 PM

#166 ஓ தேவன் கோவில் வீணை
( ஓ மானே மானே, 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2429'&lang=en)

Yet another guitar sweetie from the same movie. Interstingly, after listening to this in the hostel, I don't remember listening to this on radio at all but ONLY on buses. This song should have been a big favourite with those recording centers and they possibly recommended to all the buswAlAs who came to record cassettes. I have heard it not only during student days but more so during my initial Palakkadan days when visiting Coimbatore. The CBE buswalas seemed to have a strong taste for this song, as in the case of 'nilavonRu kaNdEn'.

With a sweet melody, SPB singing like a boy & SJ in her top form, this song is another delight from the combo during this year - we'll count the number in the end of the year, must be a long-time-record for a duet pair, unless there had been more numbers within a year during the peak days of TMS-PS ! They were the only duet pair in TFM who were as prolific at any point of time in the history!

Well, there are still more numbers to come in this year and looks like we won't be doing that exercise any time soon :-)

app_engine

4th October 2011, 11:37 PM

I also remember a lady seated nearby asked us "என்ன தம்பி பயமாயிருக்கா?" during the movie.

:rotfl:

She must have been scared as well, it helps to speak out / scream out to reduce the fear levels :-)

PARAMASHIVAN

5th October 2011, 02:46 AM

Nooravathu Naal, Pei padama :shaking: :shaking: :shaking:

App anna

I have never seen the film, what is the Film about :shaking:

groucho070

5th October 2011, 06:58 AM

Nooravathu Naal, Pei padama :shaking: :shaking: :shaking:Suspense thriller. Note that Genesis said the film was watched without Hollywood experience. By now, since we are exposed to so many films, it won't be as scary. But back then yes, Sathyaraj's most notable role.

app_engine

5th October 2011, 08:46 AM

Nooravathu Naal, Pei padama :shaking: :shaking: :shaking:
App anna
I have never seen the film, what is the Film about :shaking:

ESP (extra sensory perception). So, pEippadam'num sollalAm because there's no scientific explanation for ESP and there's possible connection to occult / spiritism.

That plus murder mystery / suspense thriller. Sathyaraj was quite menacing and so was rAsA's BGM!

Bala (Karthik)

5th October 2011, 04:28 PM

I have had occasion to refer Roja ondru in the last heard Raja song thread. Bala Karthik first rejected it and then came back suitably chastised after a few days
:lol: Appo thavaritten, inime thavara maatten

Sureshs65

5th October 2011, 05:36 PM

That's another wonderful song app. The whole 'Maane Maane' album is class.

PARAMASHIVAN

5th October 2011, 05:45 PM

Thanks Rakesh anna,

To be honest, I have seen many Hollywood "horror" flicks, and none of them gave me the creeps, but some how I get scared watching tamil horror movies ( Relating to spirits, ghosts alike) , recently I saw Kanchana and I am still recovering and to be honest with my "limited" knowledge I think the best horror movie in TFM was Prashanth's shock ( though a remake of RGV's Booth).

App anna

Thanks for info, I will try and watch the movie this week end along with my mate "Jack Daniels" . :lol2: :yessir:

PARAMASHIVAN

5th October 2011, 06:01 PM

// was Mike Mohan given an Anti Hero Role in 100vathu naal ??? //

irir123

5th October 2011, 07:45 PM

Nooravadhu naal (besides Mouna Ragam, Rettai val kuruvi and maybe one or two other) is/was one of the few films, Mike Mohan had some chance of showing expressions on his face (other than, the 'swallowed a whole pumpkin at once' kind of look) - in all other films, he was never allowed to/didnt have a chance to 'act' - it was IR all the way!

V_S

5th October 2011, 08:58 PM

First of all many thanks to raajarasigan, Querida and App for encouraging me to write about this wonderful composition. :D Here it is, but very long as usual. Read at your leisure. Not sure, if I met all your expectations. These are just my flow of thoughts about this wonder!

If there is a temple which remains in everyone's heart who is born in Tamil Nadu, that would be Thanjai Periya Koyil. Not just in terms of worship, but mainly in terms of workmanship and art. Once we are there, we can certainly feel the Great 'Raja Raja Chozhan' and his great kingdom's presence there in every step we make, every sculpture we touch and admire and every frame we look upon. Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan created the huge hunger in me to visit this gorgeous and gigantic structure (even though I once visited during my childhood, I didn't remember). I desperately wanted to visit again. I made it only after my college years.

Similarly, Neengal KEttavai urged me to visit another glorious, yet forgotten structure Gangai Konda Chozha Puram almost identical to Thanjai Periya Koyil built by The Great Rajendra Chozhan. But I got this rare opportunity to visit this temple and monumental structure only in 2003, luckily on the way to attend one of my friend's marriage. I immediately fell in love with it. Even though it is not well maintained like the former, it speaks tons and tons of spectacular and grandeur craftsman ship. I could not forget this temple whenever I recollect Neengal KEttavai and vice versa. I felt very hard to leave this temple as it is the lone survivor in that village. Many thanks to Balu Mahendra who wonderfully picturized 'Oh Vasantha Raja' in this very memorable place and introduced me to its beauty.

Starting with one of my most favorite TV shows of all time, 'Vikram Aur Betaal' starring handsome Arun Govil as King Vikramaditya (he was our favorite TV heroes those days :smile:). Betaal would tell 25 stories to the King and ask a question (puzzle) to him at the end of every story. If the king does not answer correctly, his head would be torn into thousand pieces. If he was correct, the Betaal would go back to his tree and hang there and it starts all over again for the next story.

We will take this composition in a similar fashion when Maestro asks us a question at the end of every significant portion of the song and we need to answer it correctly. :smile:

The sound which baffles us in the first 15 seconds is some thing very peculiar and never known even today and could not be created by any sound engineer. I always tend to think of Raavanan's (?) story who tears apart his nerve strings and tie it to veena and play. The sound is such that!. Such powerful imagination by Maestro. Guess what instruments have been employed to create such a mind blowing ambience. Just the bass guitar, veena and synthesizer providing some odd rhythm. Isn't it amazing?

Next 18 seconds, rhythm changes to some big march type drums, just like the pounding heart beats. Hear how Maestro improvises by providing a counter rhythm which is a small yet fast tribal beat pattern ably supporting the big drums, culminating with flute. But there is also a keyboard instrument which sound like a wind instrument (like magudi? to depict a snake crawling around) which gives a picture of uncertainty and restlessness. But he always has a question.
Why all this grand and rich orchestration is needed, that too for a love duet?
(1) That's where Maestro stands eons ahead from others. I am just thinking how Balu Mahendra would have conveyed this situation to Maestro. Just a love duet in a temple/stream backdrop. But just that is enough for Maestro to get inspired, but seeing the visuals, I could not believe he might have just done that. Let's hear the song closely with visuals, so that we can understand the two legends at work.

The 15 seconds you can visualize that the heroine is in her own world thinking about her lover having some wild imagination on the erotic side. So the sounds in first 15 seconds indicate the tensile strength :wink: of her nerves and the fire she wants to put off. The hero is at a different place doing some exercise where he suddenly turns back to see if any one is following him. The moment his lover thinks of him, he feels that and his heart pounces like the big marching drums. This is where he loses the control (in fear) and gives up to her so that she can sneak into him. This is represented by the odd snake instrument crawling into this body, without his knowledge. The snake here represents the poison (of love and desire) which flows into him. Sheer, sheer audacious innovation!

Now Janaki starts off beautifully bringing in perfect mood of desire, exactly as the heroine imagines. This is where all the three brain child of the song, director, music director and the lyricist excel each other. Unusual lyrics for a heroine. She describes her lover as a 'honey soaked rose'. Adding to it, she mentions her lover's body is always her happiness (lover is the only happiness is different, lyricist does not mention that; point to note) and also describes that her lover was born only to quench her thirst. Ultimate eroticism, that too by a female.

2. All the three lines should have been ideally sung by a hero for his lover, but here it is other way round. Very very unusual. Why? (answered little later)

Classical pundits refer this song in a rare pentatonic raaga 'Srotaswini'. Choosing this unique raaga for his love duet is again unusual. Without him, I believe many would not have known about this raaga at all.

3. At the right moment when the pallavi starts he switches the percussion rhythm to mridangam. Again why?

(3) While in the prelude he has to bring out the mood and situation straightaway, in pallavi he has to support director's visuals/backdrop (when he briefed about the location). Since the backdrop is temple, mridangam which is synonymous to divinity is used appropriately for the location. Hear the bass guitar during pallavi, phenomenal stuff! One another prediction turned down beautifully. In the second line of pallavi, after 'Un Degam' , 'En Desam' , 'EnnaaLum' and 'Sandhosham' there is ample scope to introduce fillers between each word, which will glitter as ornament in the song, but to my surprise Maestro turned down my offer :smile: and wonderfully fills only with the percussion mridangam. The reason being the location itself. Maestro secretly says to me, 'All that glitters is not Gold!' Unpredictability is unpredictable!!

ஓ வசந்த ராஜா தேன் சுமந்த ரோஜா
உன் தேகம் என் தேசம் எந்நாளும் சந்தோஷம்
என் தாகங்கள் தீர்ந்திட நீ பிறந்தாயே

He brings the essence of the raga in the first interlude with divine veena, mridangam and flute. The finish of the interlude with each mridangam beat, punctuated and answered by classical violins is just stunning! Balu Mahendra quickly switches back and forth with capturing Archana's dancing posture and Banuchandar's close-ups for this wonderful chord progression using mridangam and violins. Again, all with the backbone of bass guitar. This gives the strength to all his compositions!

This is where I get lost into the song totally. SPB's soft and sweet vocals with perfect diction and what beautiful lines to describe the beauty of lover. 'Un Pinju paadhangal mann thottathaal indru sevvaanam pOlaachu'. Aha! BM aptly brings the setting red sky. Hear SPB laughing the second time when he sings 'ViN sorgame poi poi, en sorgam nee peNNe'. How he ends the last line 'Soodiya poocharam vaanvil thaano', especially the last word 'thaano'. Beautiful modulation there! And how effortless!! Crystal clear rendition!! :notworthy:

Usually melodies pick up their sweetness gradually and during charanam it will be felt maximum, but this is one song where can hear the sweetness right from the first note in pallavi. How to describe the sweetness and beauty of charanam tune. No rush, steady rhythm, only when needed punctuate the words to enhance its sweetness. For example, hear when SPB sings 'PaadhangaL' , it is 'Paa aadhangaL'. Again 'Poi Poi' little dip between these two poi's but there is no such dip in 'en sorgam nee peNNe'. All these little variations brings the much needed sweetness and life in the song. The last word 'thaano' ending with 'O' correctly connects to the first letter of 'O Vasantha Raja'.

Also the words here does not have any sexual desire except he just describes the beauty of his lover.

மென் பஞ்சு மேகங்கள் உன் பிஞ்சு பாதங்கள்
மண் தொட்டதால் இன்று செவ்வானம் போலாச்சு
விண் சொர்க்கமே பொய் பொய் என் சொர்க்கம் நீ பெண்ணே(2)
சூடிய பூச்சரம் வானவில் தானோ

Maestro continues with mridangam during pallavi after charanam with beautiful stream at the back. Mridangam sound here aptly describes the discontinuous flow of water as it has to battle through the rocks.

Answer to second question.
(2) During the repeat pallavi after first charanam, the heroine was successful in captivating her love and automatically he sings the same lines which was expected to be sung by a male as I described earlier (during first pallavi). So here Maestro answers my question as to why these lines were given for a female. As and when the song progresses, he turns up every stone and solves every puzzle.

Maestro suddenly switches from the classic charanam and classical interlude to brisk western style in second interlude. Another point to note is, only during the ludes, Maestro gives scope for lovers to dance (as directed by BM?) The rest melody is such that, it has to be felt, rather than dance and forget. The balance is beautifully maintained by Maestro. The bass tracks in second interlude is just amazing! Piano and violins on top of the bass track gives a sophisticated feel. Changes the track in between for a short dance. Again just wonderful!

4. When I was about to think that he will again take mridangam in charanam, as the back drop is temple again, he completely teases me and continues with western rhythms in second charanam. Why? (answered little later). He gives me no chance to predict. The puzzle is getting bigger and bigger!

You can clearly hear the bass tracks now unlike the first charanam where mridangam itself was dominating as expected.

The lady in love craving for desire again. Class, Class singing by SJ. :notworthy: Some extra-ordinary lyrics.

ஆராதனை நேரம் ஆலாபனை ராகம்
அலைபாயுதே தாகம் அனலாகுதே மோகம்
என் மேகமே வா வா இதழ் நீரைத் தூவு (2) (wow! beautiful!)
மன்மத கோவிலில் பாலபிஷேகம் (wicked line that is!)

Pulamaipithan :notworthy:

During the repeat of pallavi, Maestro switches the percussion back to mridangam. Hear how SJ sings 'O Vasantha Raja' especially the 'Raja', lovely. Same way, SPB finishes in style elongating 'ThEn' sweetly. We miss your singing so much. A Big void in playback singing :( I just listen to the last pallavi many times to quench my thirst in this ever famine melody area of today! Finally they both hum 'O' together which solves the last puzzle of love.

(4) No answer, this time, my head is torn into thousand pieces :wink:. Not sure if the above 3 answers were also correct.

Locations; Gangaikonda Chozha Puram temple, the streams, some outstanding lyrics all enhance the mood of the song to another level.

A classic composition which starts off in a tribal way (prelude), marches towards folk (pallavi), and gets hold of Indian classical on its way (1st interlude and charanams) and grabs contemporary western format (2nd interlude and charanam rhythm arrangements) before getting back to our root which is folk again. Just in one composition we see a beautiful progression of genres blended cleverly and organically to give a melody of highest order. As I always say, there is no such one song in any Maestro's composition.

The mridangam usage is of supreme class where he changes its rhythm pattern during pallavi and charanam keeping the same 4/4 time signature. Mridangam sounds folk during pallavi as he increases the beats during the break between the words, and keeps it steady during the words. Mridangam sounds completely classical during first charanam. Not just that, at every note Maestro keeps a mystery and raises our expectation. As and when needed, he solves those puzzles in his own unique way. The time the mystery is solved is also unexpected. Just like a ocean, we cannot estimate it, all we get is to deep dive and get some valuable pearls and rejoice for a life time.

A Mystery Composition to be crack opened by Maestro alone! A song of a lifetime!

Is it not apt to describe our Dearest Maestro as 'ஓ வசந்த ராஜா தேன் சுமந்த ரோஜா'?

PS: Please pour in your thoughts and questions about this mystery composition.

Murali Srinivas

5th October 2011, 11:29 PM

Great Write up V_S.

But one small nitpick. Oh Vasantha Raja was by Pulamai Pithan and not Vairamuthu. Kanavu kaanum vaazhkai and Pillai Nila were the songs written by Vairamuthu.

Regards

app_engine

5th October 2011, 11:42 PM

AhA, what a lovely description for the sweet song!

kalakkeetteenga!

mikka nanRi, V_S-ji!

kiru

5th October 2011, 11:44 PM

hmm..maybe I should see the video of this song (have not seen the movie). I have taken quite a lot of pictures of GKC. More than 15yrs ago. Fascinated by the sculptures as well as by my new Canon SLR camera :-) ..
This song was sung by a good looking guy and girl when I was in school a few times. They used to sing it so well.. We guys thought something must be going on between them.. or maybe we were all just jealous of this guy :-)
(Murail, are you sure it is pulamipiththan ?.. it has all the marks of VM on it )

rajkumarc

6th October 2011, 02:27 AM

Splendid writeup V_S :clap: :clap: :clap: You described almost every second of the song with your exquisite writing and the whole song played in my mind by just reading your post. As you said, a song for the lifetime. IR, SPB, SJ - :notworthy:

V_S

6th October 2011, 04:03 AM

Murali sir,
Thanks a lot for your comments. It means a lot to me.

App,
Thank you very much sir. Very Glad you like it. Dhanyanaanen!

kiru/Murali Sir,
Me too thought it's Vairamuthu, from the style. May be I am wrong. Please confirm. I will update it.

rajkumarc,
Thank you very much for your kind words and compliments.

6th October 2011, 11:18 AM

The 15 seconds you can visualize that the heroine is in her own world thinking about her lover having some wild imagination on the erotic side. So the sounds in first 15 seconds indicate the tensile: wink: strength of her nerves and the fire she wants to put off. The hero is at a different place doing some exercise where he suddenly turns back to see if any one is following him. The moment his lover thinks of him, he feels that and his heart pounces like the big marching drums. This is where he loses the control (in fear) and gives up to her so that she can sneak into him. This is represented by the odd snake instrument crawling into this body, without his knowledge. The snake here represents the poison (of love and desire) which flows into him.

Wow! Enna oru uvamai :clap:
VSji, you've outdone yourself this time! Super duper stuff!

V_S

6th October 2011, 07:35 PM

Thank you KV a lot. Delighted to read your appreciation :smile:

app_engine

6th October 2011, 08:00 PM

I'm behind by a day...will try to catch up. (In any case, it doesn't matter for the thread as it has a very special feast from V_S. So, the regular idli-sAmbAr can wait for a couple of days :-) )

Murali Srinivas

6th October 2011, 11:11 PM

V-S,

Thanks for your kind words. You deserve the praise. I remember your posts in 1950-60s song thread in Memories of Yesteryears section and 1000 songs thread [don't remember you writing in NT thread] and this was great thinking and writing especially the girl taking the lead in erotic expression was very skilfully presented.

Now coming to the question of the lyricist, this was one of the two songs of IR that I had wished it was Vairamuthu because of the selection of words and writing pattern [which I think had confused many] but it turned out to be Pulamai Pithan, the other one being செவ்வந்தி பூக்களில் செய்த வீடு from மெல்லப் பேசுங்கள் where again it was PP. Another song that again came close to be identified in this genre is ராத்திரியில் பூத்திருக்கும் தாமரைதான் from தங்க மகன் which was featured in this thread [and there again if I remember correctly app was having doubts regarding the lyricist].

Keep going!

app, sorry for the dig.

Regards

V_S

7th October 2011, 12:03 AM

Murali Sir,
Many thanks for your praises. All credit to Maestro. எல்லாம் அவரின் அகத்தூண்டுதல் தான் காரணம்.
Thanks again for confirming about the lyricist of this song and couple of other songs as well. I have updated now.

app_engine

7th October 2011, 12:51 AM

Thank you Murali sir for the detail on the lyricist!

BTW, why sorry and all :-) You've actually enriched the thread and not digressed :-)

Looks like VM had some kind of impact on his predecessors.

skr

7th October 2011, 07:46 AM

Absolutely fantabulous write up V_S ..
Simply no words :bow:
You have infused so much of passion in your writing which truly replicates the passion with which the composition has been made ..
Such wonderful writings should be preserved and pls try to store all these in a blog ..
:ty:

jaiganes

7th October 2011, 08:22 AM

V_S - sooperabu!! sooperabu..

Bala (Karthik)

7th October 2011, 09:04 AM

VS
Superlative!

groucho070

7th October 2011, 09:16 AM

All should check out the other thread. V_S in fullestest form. Full bodied vintage Dom Perignon. V_S :clap:, though I've been missing out lots of posts there.

Divine22

7th October 2011, 09:25 AM

Wow, What a majestic, magical song, !! Highly intoxicating! And equally majestic Gangai Konda Chozha Puram temples. SPB-SJ undisputed amazing combo!! Thank You Raaja sir, what else to say to u ... :bow:

Great write up V_S sir !!! Excellente !

V_S

7th October 2011, 07:53 PM

skr,
Thanks a lot. I have no words how to express my sincere thanks. And thanks for your kind concern about presevering my posts. Not given much thought about it, but I think I should save these, as they would serve as good memories, when looked back.

jaiganes,
Thank you a lot for your kind words and wishes. I am overwhelmed by your ever energetic comments and those super imagery posts.

Bala (Karthik),
Thank you sir a lot for your wonderful comments. It's a great honor to me. I enjoy every post of yours including some of your old treasure posts.

grouch,
Thank you sir a lot for your appreciation. Please take your time to read my other posts.
Being an excellent writer yourself, recommending my posts to read, is a great honor. I have no words express my feelings.

Divine22,
Thank you a lot for kind appreciation. Very happy and Elated!

Really I don't have any words to express my feelings, except I get happy tears. It's a great and big family to share our thoughts and proud be among you. Thank you every one for all your appreciation.:notworthy::notworthy::notworthy: All credit to Maestro!

V_S

9th October 2011, 09:31 PM

App,
I can't thank you enough for posting this song in other threads too. :notworthy: My sincere thanks and appreciation.

venkkiram

10th October 2011, 07:45 AM

வி.எஸ் : "ஓ வசந்த ராஜா.." பாடலுக்கு சரியானதொரு சமர்ப்பணம் உங்கள் பதிவு. நன்றி.

V_S

10th October 2011, 08:21 PM

மிக்க நன்றி venkkiram! Truly overwhelmed by all your wonderful comments!

app_engine

11th October 2011, 02:30 AM

yw, V_S ji :-)

Since I'm behind by almost a week (not posted a song from Oct 5th onwards), I'll need to double up for a few days and catch up.

Hopefully, it will be a fun ride...

app_engine

11th October 2011, 02:57 AM

#152 to #166 - continuous run of SPB-SJ duets (15 songs in a row, five hat-tricks :clap:)...let's see what's the next number going to be.

app_engine

11th October 2011, 02:59 AM

Both SPB-MV duets from pozhudhu vidinjAchchu (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/year.php?schYear=1984&lang=en) sound so unfamiliar to me...so rejected.

Actually, the only song that seems to be familiar is the SPS number (mAmA, manmathakkunju :lol:)

app_engine

11th October 2011, 03:21 AM

#167 ஒரு நாயகன் உதயமாகிறான்
(தாவணிக்கனவுகள், 1984 , ஷைலஜாவுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3469'&lang=en)

Possibly the only movie I've seen in Malleswaram, Bangalore. It was supposedly an "industrial tour" to Bangalore by the ECE students (in the bread shaped college bus that had all kinds of trouble on the way). For whatever reason, the lecturer also included Mysore (we didn't visit any industry there but the palace, Ravivarma art gallery & Brindavan). In Bangalore? Cubban park / Lal Bagh / MG Road / Brigade Road / Commercial Street (all were simply wonderful in 1984). In between all these, we also visited ITI, BEL & ISRO - to make sure that it was really an industrial tour :lol:

I'll have to cover a few interesting things of the tour in the couple of dAvaNi songs that instantly remind me of them. Well, the first one will be for this MGR - sorry KBR - song. (Where Radha was used as kaRivEppilai...the movie also used Bharathi Raja & NT as pachcha miLakAi / vaRa miLaKai - but the final result was a not-so-tasty curry by KBR. Per history, his peak remained as murungakkAi and the slide started with his 3rd movie jOdiying Radhika).

ok, coming back to tour - the first factory we visited was ITI and at that time they were building rotary telephones and electromechanikkal exchanges (full of darr-burr-relays). I was horribly bored during the whole visit as nothing in that factory was exciting :-( The only good thing was their serving lunch to all the students in the huge canteen where 1000's were dining. It was fascinating to note that food costed practically nothing to the workers ( a nominal 10 paise cost I think, those public-sector-only-license-rAj days) but the overall taste was so-so only. Well, that's what I thought when eating the sAmbAr rice and poriyal / aviyal stuff.

As usual, for the finish of lunch, it was curd rice (which tasted like it tastes always). ooRukAi is a must for me for thayir and AhA! Even now, as I remember that ITI lemon pickle, my mouth waters! One of the best ever lemon pickles that I've ever tasted in life was during the visit to ITI in that canteen! :slurp:

Amidst all those roaming around (with standard feed of masAlA dOsA from restaurants on most occasions), we sneaked out to a theater to watch this paridhAbamAna movie :-(

al_gates

11th October 2011, 05:15 AM

This is the most marvellous thread I have ever read. Thank you gentlemen for keeping this lurker spellbound.

App Engine, i am relishing very much every one of your travelogues. Last month I was wondering if truly 25 yrs had passed since Mounam Ragam came. I am looking forward to your rendering of the late 80s with unrestrained impatience.

There wass an interview with Sathyaraj some years back where he spoke about his role in Nooravathu Naal. He mentioned the various inputs he gave during the making of the movie. That shaved head added to his menace as a villain. It was all in all a thoroughly superb performance.

Nooravathu Naal reminds us of Auto Shankar. But that is another story for another day :)

app_engine

11th October 2011, 09:20 AM

Welcome to hub, al_gates!

Thank you for reading this thread and your nice comment!

rajkumarc

11th October 2011, 10:57 AM

Plum

11th October 2011, 02:27 PM

App, what is a bread shaped bus? I can't imagine that one - my powers of imagination are limited. Padam varaindhu baagam kuRikka mudiyumA?

11th October 2011, 04:47 PM

App, nice to hear about your memories from ITI. My grandma had worked at ITI and I've heard from her about the canteen, the items there and the throw-away prices. I've already been feeling very spongy today and your post just adds to the effect (:at self: dai kaipulla, kondrOll)
My college idustrial visit tour was quite similar. We'd gone to Mumbai and Goa! :mrgreen: The only thing industrial about the tour was a visit to a fishery!
Coming to the song, well, its predominantly a template 80s disco song, but the basslines and the folkish passage in the interlude adds the IR touch.

V_S

11th October 2011, 07:57 PM

App,
Super post and nice reminiscence of your industrial tour. :clap: Loved all your ITI experience. Always it is a joy to eat in a big group that too with staffs. I remember eating like that when I was doing my final (third) semester post-graduate project at ABB, Baroda. That was a wonderful experience, and surprisingly amazing food too. Definitely brings back college mess memories. :D

Coming to the film, I always love NT's excellent acting throughout (every inch of it) adding to that KBR, Radhika acting skills watched by BR.

app_engine

11th October 2011, 09:21 PM

App, what is a bread shaped bus? I can't imagine that one - my powers of imagination are limited. Padam varaindhu baagam kuRikka mudiyumA?

It was an old bus (dodge or fargo, don't remember - definitely not my fav Leyland) and there were slight curved endings on top - towards both the front and back . If you're viewing the bus from the side (i.e. looking at the passenger windows in the same way as Vimal views girls in kaLavANi :wink:), it looked like modern bread :lol2:

In other words, the isometric view of the bus looks like this :
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/bread_1.jpg

app_engine

11th October 2011, 09:26 PM

App - Did you write about Kaadhal Dhegangal (http://thiraipaadal.com/album.php?ALBID=ALBIRR00043&lang=en) from Anbulla Malare rendered by SPB & PS? Apologies if posted already. I was listening to this sweet & haunting number today and wondering how it was not talked about in this thread. Maybe not a popular song at that time?

You're right about the sweetness of this song - however, I don't remember hearing this song at all those days. More of a hidden treasure :-)

app_engine

11th October 2011, 09:27 PM

KV & V_S,

nanRi - nice to know of your industrial visits as well.

I'll have to add a couple more today, from that trip, in the next number...

app_engine

11th October 2011, 10:14 PM

#168 செங்கமலம் சிரிக்குது சங்கமத்தை நினைக்குது
(தாவணிக்கனவுகள், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3470'&lang=en)

What a goose-pimple raising prelude! And we're returning back to SPB-SJ sweet combo again - how many sweeties in one single year with IR! Amazing 1984! rAsA lets loose his string section, creating sensational stuff for this fast running song. After prelude, my most fav portion is the post-chorus part of the second interlude, delicious! thuLLal Balu in his full steam, singing with his usual precision. Real stunner of a song that hasn't lost its shine even after years with the terrific pair saving their laughter for the end of the song.

dAvani songs remind me of the tour again...possibly I'll write about it in all four posts. The visit to Jalahalli BEL was not a whole day affair and ended at noon. This was much better than ITI at that time - as we got to see some real electronic stuff getting made and some fantastic test equipments. Still, there was a lot of secrecy (defence thingy) / non-access etc, that kind of turned off the spirit. Personally, I was also trying all avenues to meet one Mr Rangarajan who was working there (also known as Sujatha whom I was madly fond of at that time - thanks to pirivOm santhippOm and many other works. Disappointed to know that he was out of station).

Anyways, the visit to ISRO on the same day was a lot more exciting! The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and explained a lot of things in a pleasant manner - even showing us the satellite testing site! It was fascinating to watch the whole setup which supposedly simulated space-like conditions for testing a Rohini.

I don't remember clearly whether it was the same day or another when me and a classmate walked on brigade road, for the first time, thoroughly mesmerized at the sophistication! Though three years into engg., we were still country boys and were doing the 'pattikkAttAn mittAikkadaiya pAththa mAthiri' stuff. (Those girls walking on the pavement would've thought 'why these guys have such wide eyes' :lol:, we both definitely talked about the 'peNkaL-oor' article that appeared in the kungumam magazine only a little while ago).

Decided to try something other than masAlA dOsai for dinner and entered a Punjabi restaurant - another first time thingy (that place didn't last long, I couldn't find it even in 1986). The funniest part was when the server brought two bowls with hot water and some cut lemon slices around the time we were finishing up.

Never seen such a thing before and totally confused that we didn't order any "lemon juice", we wondered what was that about. There was also lajjai at not knowing such city things and confusion as to "should we drink it or not".

Finally, vetkaththai vittu vittu, we asked the server what it was (after all he was not my uncle). He said 'pingerwAll', thoroughly confusing us further! Finally, he gave us a demo :lol:

Shank

11th October 2011, 10:27 PM

Even since i was a kid, what I loved most about this song was the stanzas. I love the way the violins abruptly get cut towards the end of the stanza, creating a superb effect.

app_engine

12th October 2011, 12:06 AM

#169 வானம் நிறம் மாறும்
(தாவணிக்கனவுகள், 1984 , ஜானகியுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3471'&lang=en)

SPB-SJ duet in the 'andhi mazhai' format, this time for KBR. mridhangam / flute / strings and thooval of guitar here and there. Though it didn't become as popular as 'andhi mazhai' or today remembered by many to be in that family, it did have its glory when arrived. My neighbor in the hostel, who was a KBR fan, kept humming -rather shouting in his "sweet" voice- this song quite often. (He was also in the "tour" and IIRC the prime mover in making us go to dAvaNi in B'lore). Some of us classmates later had a chance to visit his home and stayed there for a couple of days and were wondering, like, "how come he alone is so weird when his dad / mum / sis all seemed so normal" :lol: Well, he ultimately ended up working for ITI (i.e. for a few years), even finding his wife in the same workplace, before getting converted into a full-blown-Rajini-fan :-)

Per my memory, the whole stay during the trip was in a dormitary at Malleswaram with no access to any worthwhile music. Well, most didn't care as the excitement of peNkaLoor was good enough but I felt huge amount of dissatisfaction. (Not just the lack of music, the other part too wasn't that exciting - as none cared to make "eye contact" which made the city very "uncool" in my dictionary :wink:).

Well, both were to change during the visit to Mysore.

On the way to Mysore, the bus got picked on by RTO (no proper papers :shock:, no license for driver :shock:) and we wasted an hour on the road. Finally, the lecturer did the usual thingy of "making the official rich" and the trip went on.

It was an educating experience that dussehra is such a big thing in Mysore, with the whole city in a festival mood and the visit to art gallery and palace left us in complete astonishment! Then in the evening, we were in KRS and started the walk on the dam to go to the garden. Then followed a couple of feverish hours!

Though a 'nalla paiyan' till coming to college, around this time I was simply too fond of the 'eye-eye' thingy and Bangalore was so dull as I mentioned. Nobody seemed to care.

Ofcourse, it was dry in the college and we had to bike to Kailasapuram aka BHEL township for any eye-eye. There was an allegation those days that a Malayali head of BHEL brought a lot of Malayalees into the boiler plant. The neighboring RECTians - a male-only-college till my batch - were only too happy with that breezy fact. Well, even when girls started getting admission into the college, starting with our junior batch, the standard joke below was 99% applicable :

Question : Whom will you embrace if you enter a room and spot the following people:
a) mukamoodi vEdhALar b) irumbukkai mAyAvi c) azhagAna engg girl and d) azhagillAtha engg girl

Answer : a), b), c) are fictional / mirage and only d) is real.

Well, among the extremely big crowd of people at Brindavan - almost like many lines of ants walking on top of the K R Sagar dam, there was this khubsoorat ladki with big eyes who was kind enough and made my day.

Me (thinking) : அட, அட, என்ன அழகான கண்கள் ...எவ்வளவு நேரம் பார்த்தாலும் ஆசை தீராதே...

She (possibly thinking) : ஐயோ பாவம், பொண்ணுங்களையே பாத்ததில்லை போல இருக்கு...காசா பணமா, கொஞ்சம் வீசி விடுவோம் பார்வையை...

My classmate (not thinking, shouting) : டேய், அந்தப்பொண்ணோட அப்பனோ அண்ணனோ ஒன்னய அடிச்சு ஒதைக்காம இன்னைக்கு நாம திரும்பப்போறதில்லை!

Well, the long walk that seemed too short took us to the new novelty - "dancing fountain" - which our lecturer informed as a Philips sponsored microprocessor controlled system. We were absolutely, absolutely thrilled at the fantastic music, phenomenal light effects and the water flow control! Totally mesmerized for the whole time! While the music -western instrumental - was terrific, my mind was also comparing with some of the rAsA interludes.

With a very mild drizzle, it was an ultimate joyous experience, an evening one would never forget in life!

app_engine

12th October 2011, 12:45 AM

#170 மாமோய், மாமோய் கள்ளுக்கடை மறந்திடுங்கோ
(தாவணிக்கனவுகள், 1984) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3468'&lang=en)

During all school days, though there was total prohibition in TN, by some means or other liquor seemed to be available. I clearly remember a co-worker of my father having such a big problem with alcohol and frequently hitting his wife / children, breaking things at home, all inside the school campus. I used to wonder where he got the liquor from :roll: Well, he managed somehow, not paying a dime to family but harassing them - while his poor wife struggled somehow to raise the six children. (andha akkAvappAkkavE pAvamA irukkum...her husband was a teacher in the school but she had to take up menial jobs such as washing vessels in the school hostel to feed her kids).

So, there were songs at all times to encourage people "not to drink". Apart from the NSK number in nalla thambi which my dad had in vinyl and got played frequently at home, the IOKS poppisaippAdal 'kaLLukkadai pakkam pOgAthE, kAlaippidiththu kenjukiREn' was a big favourite with me :-) (Ceylon Manohar?)

By the time I was in college, however, MGR opened out 'IMFL' in the state (with a justification of "required to continue the saththuNavu"), and wine shops started to flourish. In that context, it was kind of ironical for KBR to make a MGR-pugazh-pAdum movie but include this mAmOi song :confused: Well, he probably wanted to state his personal opinion on liquor, which is definitely appreciable!

A simple / catchy tune with typical instruments where IR didn't stretch too much. Not a huge hit song but had its own street time thanks to the popularity of KBR. SPB, as usual, excels with his versatility! Possibly the only KBR movie where all four songs were sung by SPB!

app_engine

12th October 2011, 12:56 AM

#171 நம்ம முதலாளி, நல்ல முதலாளி
(நல்லவனுக்கு நல்லவன், 1984 , மலேசியா வாசுதேவனுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR2261'&lang=en)

As mentioned sometime back, this song did have SPB but I missed out :oops: Possibly because this wasn't a big favourite with me when arrived and neither do I hear it that much anymore. SPB only sings a couple of lines in each saraNam (for Rajini, so a correction there again, SPB did sing for him in the movie and it was not a 100% KJY show). It was a needed song however, with Karthik doing a role similar to what Gemini did in pAsamalar.

Typical dappAnguththu, with IR's standard array of instruments and the not-so-rich-chorus. However, the not-so-regular combo of MV-SPB makes this an interesting song. Also the fact that this was a patti-thotti hit earns its place in this compilation :-)

V_S

12th October 2011, 01:26 AM

App,
Hilarious posts on Sengamalam sirikkuthu and Vaanam Niram Maarum. Lovely! I too concur and experience what all you have said. Especially that fingerbowl thingy, I too had the same experience :lol: "peNkaloor", "full-blown rajini fan", "making the official rich" :lol: Thorougly enjoying your posts!

App in full blast :clap: :notworthy: Well done Sir, well done!

app_engine

12th October 2011, 01:41 AM

#172 என் வாழ்விலே வரும் அன்பே வா
(தம்பிக்கு எந்த ஊரு, 1984 ) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3510'&lang=en)

A song often talked about in the hub, for the wrong reasons. (Why does this sound like 'poongARRu puthithAnadhu', did Raja recycle / copy his own song, why the second interlude is very similar to moonRam piRai song etc). Well, by now, the reason had been told many times.

Still, repeat once more as mun jAmeen : BM made moonRam piRai as Sadma in Hindi with the same Kamal / Sridevi / Ilayaraja. While he retained the melody of the sweet kaNNE kalaimAnE (orchestration too downgraded only marginally), the phenomenal poongARRu got murdered as 'yEh zindagi' in Hindi. Much inferior melody (IMO) and heavily downgraded orchestration (IMSO) made sure that IR lost a golden opportunity to showcase his terrific "sounds" north of Vindhyas. People there had to wait till 1992 for another wizard who was smart and didn't mess up.

That watered down 'yEh zindagi' made its appearance in Thamizh later on as 'en vAzhvilE varum anbE vA' with SPB doing the singing (with the orchestration track as "bought-out" item). It's interesting in one way that a Kamal song got reused by Rajini. The rAsA / SPB / Rajini factor, as well as the super hit status of the movie, made sure that this not-so-impressive number became a big hit in TN. And so, getting its place in this thread compilation as well.

I remember watching this comedy movie in one of those theaters in the "one-way-road" that runs parallel to west boulevard road in Trichy (Raja / Palace / Jupiter - one of them).

app_engine

12th October 2011, 01:49 AM

nanRi, V_S ji:-)

Another song - and I'll be up to date in the "one-number-a-day" count :-)

And that one is going to be a real special song from TEO!

app_engine

12th October 2011, 03:07 AM

#173 காதலின் தீபம் ஒன்று ஏற்றினாளே என் நெஞ்சில்
(தம்பிக்கு எந்த ஊரு, 1984 ) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3511'&lang=en)

Perhaps the most melodious SPB-IR song for Rajinikanth. அப்படியே அனுபவிச்சு அனுபவிச்சுப் பாடி இருப்பார் பாலு. There seems to be a female version (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3513'&lang=en) also but I never paid much attention to this, even tho' SJ has sung it :shock:. Such is the endearing quality of the SPB version - unparallelled! We often hear the cliche 'eththanai muRai kEttAlum alukkAtha pAdal'. Well, this song is a perfect fit for that phrase!

No question about its hit status - despite being a soft melody and dreamy orchestration, this song got played all over TN - in every possible media. It was always a pleasure to listen to this number in buses - whether it was while in Trichy or later on in Cbe or in any other trip inside TN, it used to place one instantly in a dream world :-) Even at times when I travelled standing - that too for many hours, such songs will make sure that I was absolutely refreshed at the end of the journey, lively and kicking!

If not to a dreamy place, at the minimum, it takes you to the Ooty botonical garden (or a similar lovely place that you've been and permanently etched in memory) accompanied by a caressing breeze and a sweet, lovely fragrance! Reminding one of as many pleasant memories in life as anyone can count - it's a pure bliss song!

Must have been done by rAsA and SPB in a time moment when they were extremely delighted and were totally having peace of mind with absolutely no disquieting thoughts, in complete mirth...Well, I can go on and on but still can't justify how this marvel came into existence!

One has to mention about the girl who got the unjust muththirai of 'rAsi illAtha nadikai'. Such a talented actress with fantastic eyes, didn't click well in a couple of KH movies (and even in some RK movies) but did hit it big with thillu mullu and TEO. Interestingly, she was among the few actresses who got fame across multiple fields for a longer time period (though not of Sridevi / Jayapradha proportions). Rajaparvai / thillumullu were 1981 movies and she was quite active thru out the 80's with a sterling role in that 1989 classic, vadakkan veeragAtha. (Also, who can forget the brief but interesting role in Rajini's first Hindi movie - andhA kAnoon - IIRC, AB asks her for a kiss in that song 'rOtE rOtE hasnA seekhO')...

jaiganes

12th October 2011, 03:14 AM

al_gates

12th October 2011, 03:37 AM

Friends,
If you click here you get a yearwise listing of movies. If you click on the movie name you will also get the movie release date.
http://cinesouth.com/cgi-bin/year.cgi?year=1984

Reg Kadhalin Deepam Ondru, I always think of this post by Gopal : Click here and read the part that starts as 'From: gOpAl (@ 2cust40.tnt1.sarasota.fl.gt.uu.net) on: Tue May 5 18:22:25 EDT 1998'
http://tfmpage.com/forum/25340.16766.07.52.47.html

:)

rajkumarc

12th October 2011, 06:01 AM

Breathtaking posts App :notworthy: Loved your writeup about the eye-to-eye thingy (aka "looku vidaradhu") which lost its charm after coming to the US as it's kind of common to look and greet strangers here :smile: KRS dam and Brindavan are lovely places, brings back lots of good memories for me.

V_S

12th October 2011, 06:31 AM

Aye Zindagi Gale Lagale - Everlasting composition, as Jai said. The prelude violins, second interlude violins, flute and santoor just gently caress our heart. Most of all the tune and singing. Silky smooth tune. Suresh Wadkar's voice perfectly suits this composition, compared to our dear SPB. His voice is more softer than SPB which is apt.

Please watch these links. See how the judges and audience are enjoying the composition.

The best comment by the second judge (from 3:13). This song has speed, handwork, emotion, sangathis, everything. The way the judge finishes his comment is just stunning!
Unless you lose yourself, you cannot become this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2gq56Tz3HE (Marati Sare gama pa)

Hear the judges comments in second video, especially the third judge, explaining where the soul of the song is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2-ItJ2uKTY
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x643h4_raja-hasan-aye-zindagi-gale-lagaa-l_music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCVhwDEW4yY (Shankar and Shaan singing the song :sad:).
There are many more links which says why this classic song is popular and timeless at the same time.

Some great tributes to this outstanding composition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5UIDxP5U2o&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogU36f2u0fc&feature=related

This song has been chosen for singing after 25 years. Still they remember this song. Please remember Maestro has only composed handful of Hindi (original) songs and they remember everyone of them, that's the beauty!
Whoever knows Maestro Ilaiyaraaja in North, they know this song.

raagas

12th October 2011, 01:25 PM

I vehmently condemn the slandering against "yeh zindagi" - that one is an everlasting gem...

Same here! Yeh Zindagi is a classic and if people in North India know Ilaiyaraaja, it is through this song. Popularity stats aside, even as a composition, it is a very rich composition. I'm 100% sure that if the same Poongaatru had been dubbed/rehashed into Hindi - it wouldnt have clicked that well. And Yeh Zindagi is one of those songs which doesnt carry the southie-ness that most North Indians find in Ilaiyaraaja's music. I know it is difficult to choose the best out of poongaatru and yeh zindagi but on any day, i wouldnt ignore yeh zindagi.. it carried the 'breeziness' in the mood - which is absent in Poongaatru, although Poongaatru has its own beauty.

Bala (Karthik)

12th October 2011, 02:49 PM

I know it is difficult to choose the best out of poongaatru and yeh zindagi but on any day, i wouldnt ignore yeh zindagi.. it carried the 'breeziness' in the mood - which is absent in Poongaatru, although Poongaatru has its own beauty.
You must be kidding, surely :shock:
Yeh Zindagi, while being a very good song by itself, is not even in the same planet as "Poongaatru". Any comparison is blasphemy. The orchestration of the latter is at a totally different level

Bala (Karthik)

12th October 2011, 03:00 PM

Recently, a Singapore band did a hard rock cover of this song. That accentuated what one already knew but somehow didn't appreciate/realize - this is a song bursting with the spirit of rock (guitar and effects throughout the song, the staccato pallavi phrases pausing for the guitars, could have lent itself as easily to some thundering drum work but that's not what this song wants) and yet this works out as a simple heart-touching melody. And the interludes, every moment is packed with turns and surprises. Genius.

12th October 2011, 03:22 PM

Some songs have a certain quality to them that make it one-of-a-kind. In a way, such songs also assume a landmark status, like someone decided to make dogears in the history of music.

Poongatru is one such songs, IMO. I can't think of any other song before this that sounded anything close to this style, for such is the innovation in the usage of the bass, violins and rhythms in this one. It was then, like a new dimension.
More than a decade later came another one. Thee thee thithikkum thee (thiruda thiruda). Again, completely new design, new dimension.

Yeh Zindagi, to me, while it doesn't quite fit the landmark category, is still an awesome composition. Moodrampirai is among Raaja's best works, ever. Sadma, already weighed down with this legacy, is severly underrated (only in the hub, mostly). Yeh hava, Yeh zindagi et al chanceless guitar and bass marvels. Surely a standout of sorts in the Hindi film music scene then.

raagas

12th October 2011, 04:48 PM

You must be kidding, surely :shock:
Yeh Zindagi, while being a very good song by itself, is not even in the same planet as "Poongaatru". Any comparison is blasphemy. The orchestration of the latter is at a totally different level

I am comparing the mood difference in both the songs. Aye Zindagi was engaging, "more" through its tune. Poongatru is more about the overall execution that is baffling. It is the orchestration and the "ahead of its time"-ness that amazes. No wonder that people in fusion bands still try to do cover versions, by jamming on this number. Aye Zindagi is that "apt for morning/evening walk" kind of song. Poongatru makes us play guitar in the air...and even would let us fancy about playing the song on guitar one day. Aye Zindagi makes us feel the freshness and warmth of the composition. I hope I am articulating well enough to explain the mood-difference between both and why both are unique in their own way. Whats in One.. is not in the other. (a common interlude not withstanding, now thats genius)

12th October 2011, 05:01 PM

App, very enjoyable posts... esp the KRS one (I think I'm hearing this song - vAnam adhu vAnam - for the first time, what a beautiful song. Essperts, what ragam is this song set to? Shades of PanthuvarAli can be seen, but it looks like there's another rAgam weaved in somewhere, the usual mastery sleight of hand)
By the by, Bangalore boringaa? No eye-to-eye aa? Cosmopolitan, forward-thinging, ippidi ellAm nenachuttrukkOm, neenga ennanA ippidi solliteenga saar! Podhuva figars ellAm kooda nallAvE nOttam viduvAngalE? Unga baEd tiyum pOla!

And guess what, I remember watching Nallavanukku nallavan on TV, as a little kid and the song that stayed with me for many years after that was Namma modhalAli! Back then, I had no idea about music/composer/singer et al, but the catchiness of the song would keep me humming it. Hell, I like the song even now!

jaiganes

12th October 2011, 06:38 PM

You must be kidding, surely :shock:
Yeh Zindagi, while being a very good song by itself, is not even in the same planet as "Poongaatru". Any comparison is blasphemy. The orchestration of the latter is at a totally different level
There is some convenience Raaja had in "Yeh Zindagi" that he did not have in poongaatru - it is the language.
Urdu in its abstract form offers a lot more scope to have "breezy" free wheeling phases in a song that thamizh with its strict meter doesnt allow.
This is one reason, why a rock song in thamizh is near to impossible (you can bring in some rock elements - but the language will not bend itself for music - period). That is the difference between yeh zindagi and poongaatru. Raaja uses the relative freedom and does some freewheeling which he was not allowed to do in Thamizh version - finally it ends up sitting well on both the songs - the only odd one is "En vaazhvile" - that song ends up like Mohinder amarnath asked for a second run by dileep vengsarkar only to end up stranded - Run Out... no fault of his.. :-(

app_engine

12th October 2011, 10:16 PM

nanRi rajkumarc & KV :-) I'm glad if the posts rekindled some of your own childhood / youthhood memories :-)

jaiganes,

poRuththaruLka :oops:

poongARRu made such a strong impression in me in that age that it was so irritating to see it getting replaced with something else, however good it could have been. (It was almost like a personal rejection). South or north, I strongly feel there was no need to replace it. (My northie collegemates were in astonishment when poongARRu appeared in 1982).

Which is why the bias ...kani iruppak kAy kavarndha BM'kku oru kuttu. 24 carat irundhum kalyANi covering thAn vENum apdeennu adam pidichcha kuzhappavAthi yArunnu theriyalai.

Possibly I would have liked the 'irumbAka ninaiththEnE / karumbAka iniththAyE' song had it appeared as just another number in a TF, with no sadmA tag:-)

app_engine

12th October 2011, 10:18 PM

Cosmopolitan, forward-thinging, ippidi ellAm nenachuttrukkOm

That was probably the problem...me not fit :-)

skr

12th October 2011, 10:20 PM

App , Neenga ivalo 1000 Wala speed la post pannina , namma eppa padikarudhu :)

baroque

12th October 2011, 10:42 PM

(I think I'm hearing this song - vAnam adhu vAnam - for the first time, what a beautiful song. Essperts, what ragam is this song set to?

KV,

you mean,

vanam idam maarum.....

I know you calling for raga medhaigal.....Varuvaanga :-D

I think,
the tune improvisations, humming, aalap- vaanam idam maarum...... is the same as vedham anuvil oru naadham.....Kamal, Ilayaraja masterpiece. Ragam- Hamsanandhi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XV7bqKAG24s

vaanam idam maarum...., raga deepam etrum nalla.... all similar tunes.

Aahaa... What a musician & singer combo!

App_eng,

thanks a lot for all the wonderful picks.

Good old 80s Ilayaraja!

தமிழ் திரைப்பாடல்கள் அப்படின்னா....80s இளையராஜா நமக்கு HEAVEN!

Vinatha

skr

12th October 2011, 10:54 PM

Thoroughly enjoyed listening to Vanam Athu Vanam from Dhavani Kanavugal and reading your posts parallelly ..
App , awesome as always ..
btw Bangalore is dull even now :D

app_engine

12th October 2011, 11:06 PM

#174 இனி வரும் காலம் மாறலாம் நம் காதல் மாறுமா?
(வாழ்க்கை, 1984 , வாணி ஜெயராமுடன்) (http://www.thiraipaadal.com/tpplayer.asp?sngs='SNGIRR3936'&lang=en)

Very sweet number - difficult to do bathroom singing because of the alukkal kulukkals - by SPB-VJ pair for a Sivaji movie that featured "narai mudi ambi chEchi" as his jOdi. (That is, as per posters. I didn't have a chance to see this movie, supposedly remake of a Hindi hit...did the Hindi one have Sanjeev Kumar? The Thamizh movie was also a big success I think).

There was another vAzhkkai in 1949 *ing why-jayanthi , with the song 'eNNi eNNippArkka manam inbam koNdAduthE' (http://www.tfmpage.com/forum/8833.16.43.58.html)and this was another case of reuse of title for a Sivaji movie, like uththama puththiran. So, Dhanush doing a comedy as "uththama puththiran (i.e.#3) " is justified :wink: Ofcourse, Plum may not agree :-)

Those who watched the movie please confirm whether this song was picturized on NT. However, it won't be a surprise as SPB was singing for NT right from the beginning of his career. Perhaps the longest singing career which also covers star actors of multiple generations. MGR-Sivaji to Kamal-Rajini to the boys of 90's and the boys of new millennium! innum adhE iLamai, vaseegaram, thudippu! Going by his TV shows, he is still the best in the business - even though current TFMDs seem to have less use of him. Well, it's TFM's loss and not SPB's.

The orchestration for the song was one of IR's signature stuff. Though that style was used often, especially in the 80's, it was never boring. Surprised to see that this movie didn't have a single SJ number - at the peak of her career, when IR seemed to have recordings for her almost every day:-)

baroque

12th October 2011, 11:10 PM

I used to listen to my favorite sublime mood compositions in my walkman while taking my son for a stroll at Sampige road and neighbourhood , vegetable market, chat corners, inhaling the fragrances of poo malaigal, kumkum vaassanaigal ...(....during mid 90s) Heaven on Earth. Some day , We are returning back, settling at Malleswaram, B'lore or Alwarpet, Chennai கஸ்தூரி ரங்கன் சாலை....ஒரு நாள் நான் திரும்பி வந்துடுவேன் :-D

App_eng,

what are you doing to me! I am very very homesick now.:(

Vinatha

app_engine

12th October 2011, 11:26 PM

App , Neenga ivalo 1000 Wala speed la post pannina , namma eppa padikarudhu :)

oru nALaikku oru song'nnu kaNakku. I was behind by almost a week and caught up yesterday.

nanRi, for your comments on vAnam niRam mARum's post :-)

baroque

12th October 2011, 11:37 PM

I take Raja, Bala with Vani..Hamsadhwani delight.

I need no visual :)

thanks.

vinatha.

V_S

12th October 2011, 11:47 PM

even though current TFMDs seem to have less use of him. Well, it's TFM's loss and not SPB's.
Very well said App. But I would even like to include our Maestro also.

app_engine

12th October 2011, 11:54 PM

yw, baroque :-)

V_Sji, avaru ippavum "current" thAnE :-)

V_S

13th October 2011, 12:00 AM

V_Sji, avaru ippavum "current" thAnE :-)
:lol: Of course Yes. But here I have another take. I don't want to club him with them. :wink:

Murali Srinivas

13th October 2011, 12:05 AM

App,

Very nice write ups. Especially enjoyed Mysore KRS Brindavan. Rekindled some memories and it goes without saying all those were sweet memories. And coming to the year you are covering, you did a sudden jump and that too in reverse order. From Sep '84 Dhavani Kanavugal to April '84 Vaazhkai and Thambikku Endha Ooru. The last two were fabulous.

Vaazhkai was remade from Avatar that had Rajesh Khanna in the lead. There was a big tussle between Balajee and Chitra Lakshmanan for buying the Tamil rights of this movie and of course both had NT in mind. For once Balajee lost out and he had to contend with getting the Malayalam rights. He made the Malayalam film with Madhu in the lead with the movie titled Jeevitham. Balajee in fact made the film in quick time and released it on his customary date of Jan 26th of 1984, pre-empting the release of Tamil version which hit the screens on April 14th. He in fact managed to screen the movie in Chennai, Coimbatore etc with the English tag line of Life but it couldn't make inroads.

Since Chitra Lakshmanan the PRO of the irandam Travancore sisters produced the movie, Ambika fulfilled her desire of becoming the heroine of NT. Yes, this song was picturised on NT. Well though CVR couldn't recreate the magic of the old, in the humming before the final charanam, the one bit where NT with a big coolers would swerve to his right and do a majestic fast walk with the perfect lip sync made the day for us. The Opening show on April 14th at Madurai Madhu theatre reverberated during this song. This was a 100 day movie in Tamil also.

While talking about Thambikku Endha Ooru and Kaadhalin Deepam Ondru song, the two things that would always come to my mind are the Rajini's slow and composed walk with the hands tucked in his pant pockets and the shirt that he wore. If you cared to check it was a combination of two cloths stitched like a T-shirt. During those days this type of shirts getting stitched like a Tee were used to be called Half -Open shirts. Here what Rajini wore had the two sleeves, collar and the back side of the shirt in blue and the front portion covering the torso would be in white.We had a tailor friend to whom we would demand all sorts of "designer shirts" and he used to do it without any issues. Two of my friends, hard core Rajini Fans bought two separate shirt material in Navy blue colour and white and got it stitched like what Rajini had done in the movie. They had worn this on numerous occasions and it used to create a buzz around them!

Your post had taken me to that release day of April 20th of 1984 when I watched it in Natana theatre in Madurai. Nostalgic!
Thanks for that.

Regards

Good you choose to write about Madhavi and Oru Vadakkan Veera Gadha. And that brings to my mind Chandana Lekha sugandham, a beautiful Bombay Ravi melody.