| Song: Aadi Vaa Kaate Album: Koodevide Type: Mollywood Singer: S. Janaki Music Director: Johnson Lyricist: O.N.V. Kurup Rating: 4.9 This week’s FFP is triggered by the passing away of the popular Malayalam movie music director, Johnson. I really like his cooler and lighter numbers (like this one) but his serious songs like Rajahamsame were also mind-blowing. Here’s the YouTube link to this song and a Johnson playlist created by someone who knows more about Johnson’s music than I do. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Dil Dhoondhta Album: Mausam Type: Bollywood Singer: Bhupinder Music Director: Madan Mohan Lyricist: Gulzar Rating: 5.0 And before I begin random play, I just have to play one Gulzar song (his birthday yesterday). A quintessential Gulzar song. The line “Jaadon Ki Narm Dhoop Aur Aangan Me Let Kar” fills me with warmth and comfort every time I listen to it. There is a pretty nice, more upbeat, duet version of the song (Bhupinder joined by Lata) but my pick is the mellow, solo version because it is in this version that the music and the lyrics really come together. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Karmukil Album: Nandanam Type: Mollywood Singer: Chitra Music Director: Raveendran Lyricist: Girish Puthenchery Rating: 5.0 This is a talent show staple because of its vocal range. Not everyone is Chitra though and the high-pitched climax of the song has, over the years, made for some cringeworthy TV moments. A good melody made great by the power of Chitra’s voice. A song that can move you to tears. |
| Song: Ab Kya Ghazal Sunaoon Album: Jagjit Singh presents Talat Aziz Type: Indie Artist: Talat Aziz Rating: 4.1 I think it was a performance of this song on Doordarshan that made Talat Aziz famous. The stars were aligned – the camera loved him AND he could hold a tune, the tune was hum-worthy and Bollywood was producing crappy music. Talat Aziz is not the best ghazal singer the country has seen but he was an important element in the ghazal revolution of the 80s. iTunes US iTunes UK Flipkart |
| Song: Raat Kali Ek Khwab Mein Aayi Album: Buddha Mil Gaya Type: Bollywood Singer: Kishore Kumar Music Director: R.D. Burman Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri Rating: 5.0 Ultra romantic song. Navin Nischol may have been Imraan Hashmi of that time – he was known more for the amazing songs in his movies than for his acting. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Bahon Ke Darmiyan Album: Khamoshi Type: Bollywood Singer: Hariharan, Alka Yagnik Music Director: Jatin – Lalit Lyricist: Majrooh Sultanpuri Rating: 5.0 Khamoshi may have been Jatin-Lalit’s last truly great album. Every song is really, really good except the two Remo songs that are just OK. In fact, it’s one of those Bollywood albums that I can listen to in entirety. Bahon Ke Darmiyan is a smooth-as-silk duet. Alka is good in the song but it is Hariharan who really shines. Some very beautiful interludes that include flute, sax, piano and sitar. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Milte Hi Ankhen Album: Babul Type: Bollywood Singer: Talat Mahmood, Shamshad Begum Music Director: Naushad Lyricist: Shakeel Badayuni Rating: 4.4 A light and melodious song but I find the male and female vocals terribly mismatched – Talat Mahmood with his soft, diffident, almost tremulous voice and Shamshad Begum with a voice that can only be described as a force of nature. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |
| Song: Thirakaatha Kootukulle Album: En Swaasa Kaatre Type: Koliwood Singer: Unnikrishnan, Chitra Music Director: A.R. Rahman Lyricist: Vairamuthu Rating: 4.7 A fresh-sounding, upbeat melody. A.R. Rahmans picks up elements of folk, Carnatic and Western Classical to come up with this gem. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Tum Mile Dil Khile Album: Criminal Type: Bollywood Singer: Kumar Sanu Music Director: M.M. Kreem Lyricist: Indeevar Rating: 3.8 A few elements are copied and the dialogues in the songs are really corny but a nice song anyway. I like Alka’s version better. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada |
| Song: Unwell Album: More Than You Think You Are Type: Rock Artist: Matchbox Twenty Rating: 4.5 You couldn’t escape this song if you were in the US in the summer of 2003 – it absolutely dominated radio. It’s another thing that you would not really want to escape from the song – it’s good. iTunes US iTunes UK iTunes Canada Flipkart |