Disco Nasha - Chal Disco Chal - Bollywood Indian Disco

I remember my first exposure to Indian Disco when I was about 4 years old, Nazia Hassan's sublime Boom Boom from the film, Star (1984), which to this day not only my favourite Nazia Hassan track, but possibly tops my all time favourite list.

Also my brother purchased a cassette copy of a non-stop disco compilation - Disco Duniya. 30 or so bollywood tracks that were not necessarily disco tracks, but remixed to a non stop beat interspersed with the Disco Duniya anthem. The original vinyl is hard to come by now but managed to grab a MP3 copy recently and after listening to it, great childhood memories came flooding back. To this end I decided to dig out some older rarer tracks not necessarily from films but also some purposefully made disco anthems and compile them into a new Disco Nasha volume: Chal Disco Chal. The tracks are not from the usual suspects of RD Burman, Asha et al, but from the sensational Sharon Prabhakar, the evergreen Mussarrat Nazir, mesmerising Salma Agha, sultry Usha Uthup and of course our sweetheart Nazia Hassan.

A special thanks goes out to all the music bloggers out there on the net who made some of these tracks available. Note, I'm no expert on music trivia, just a lover of great sounding music, so apologise if any information in incorrect and always welcome corrections to any comments. Peace!

Guys, join me in trip back to the 80's where Disco ruled in India (long after it peaked in the UK and US mind!). Enjoy!

Chal Disco Chal
Album: Chal Disco Chal (1980)
Singers: Sharon Prabhakar, Mussarrat Nassir, Pete Moss

What a track to start with, Lets Go To The Disco! There's something special with having both Sharon (India) and Mussarrat (Pakistan) singing together, and can just picture them both glammed up, getting ready for a night out. Half way through I'm positive theres a little sample / inspiration from Woman by Barrabas. The first of a few tracks taken from the album of the same name on this compilation. There's no eastern influence in the music, no sitar, no tablas creeping in, just a funky bass, electric keys and raring saxes, the result...a track you just cannot help but tap your feet to.

Disco Dilruba

Album: Partner (1982)

Singer: Sharon Prabhakar

You can always rely on Kalpana Iyer to electrify the screen picturising any disco track. It can be any mediocre track but she will make you believe you are watching and listening to one of the greats! What a gift to have. Fortunately, Disco Dilruba, cheesey as it is, is one of the greats. Starts off with thumping beat leading into funk bass tune. One word to describe this tune.....sexy. Disco is meant to be sexy and with Sharon and Kaplana, you will watch, you will listen and you will enjoy!

Disco Disco

Album:

Singer: Sharon Prabhakar

Three tracks in and the word disco appears in each title. Can't get better than this. Minimalist vocal track, the lights are flashing, Kalpana Iyer proving she is THE item girl of ALL TIME, the girls are dancing, Shakti Kapoor perving, robotic dance interlude, and as Sharon says what else do you need? Nothing else baby!

Aafat

Album: Aafat (1977)

Singer: Bhappi Lahiri and Annette

Can you imagine a world without Bhappi Lahiri, just spend a few minutes and think. There would be no Disco Dancer, no Sharon, no disco bling, no blatant rip offs mashed into bollytastic indian tunes, and there would be no Aafat. And what an Aafat that would be. But its okay because i'm here, you're there, and without love we cannot live, so come quickly, as without love, nothing else matters. That there is reason why Indian Disco music is not only about sublime beats but so important in its message, love and peace. In world and life of stress, disco music can help you put things into perspective. Seriously. The bass riff after each shout of the chorus, admit it, you gyrated your hips to the tune.

 Jhoom Jhoom Baba

Album: Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki (1984)

Singer: Salma Agha

Aaahhh Salma Agha, with those eyes and voice, you cannot help but be mesmerised. Although my favourite Salma Agha track rests with Sote Sote Adhi Raat, Jhoom Jhoom has got kind of a Footloose, preppy vibe to it and very enjoyable. Hey everyone get on the dance floor and just dance....dance. Thanks Mithun for providing the beats!

Aaj Mere Ghar Aaye
Album: 24 Carats
Singer: Usha Uthup

Usha Uthup has one of those voice you cannot help but fall in love with. Her sultry, husky voice was made for funk and disco. 24 Carats was an album which lifted the music from classic western hits of the 70s with Usha's vocals. The most famous Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, Billy Joel's My Life. Its all so familiar but different at the same time. Its like you're given a Twister ice cream, but it isn't ice cream, its celery and salad cream. And you love it all the same. My favourite from this album is the cover of Donna Summer's Hot Stuff, Aaj Mere Ghar Aaye. Listen to it here

Woh Mera Hi Hai

Album: Disco Mastana (1982)

Singer: Sharon Prabhakar

Taken from the album Disco Mastana, (which I'm still trying to source the original at a reasonable price!), this Boney M's Gotta Go Home inspired track works. It just works. In a similar vein to Usha's 24 Carats, Disco Mastana contains the tunes from big disco hits from the west, Boney M's Ma Baker, Donna Summer's I Feel Love, Love to Love you Baby, Hot Stuff reproduced by Pete Moss and with Sharon's superb vocals. Its charming, its kitsch, its Disco baby. 

 Daku Daku

Album: Chal Disco Chal (1980)

Singers: Sharon Prabhakar

Being a bad boy in the early 80's and with your bad girl, this is the music you were probably getting it on to. Man was I was born in the wrong age or what! Haunting yet utterly addictive.

Tere Kadmon Ko

Album: Disco Deewaane

Singer: Nazia and Zoheb Hassan

Biddu and Feroz Khan brought to the world our sweetheart, Nazia Hassan. Unfortunately she has been taken away from us, however her voice will echo in our hearts for eternity. Disco Deewaane was in my opinion the best album of Nazia's, every track is phenomenal, catchy and exquisite. Tere Kadmon Ko was chosen as recently NRG and Kami K produced a cover for the new generation. The cover wasn't too bad, the rap could've been done without, however made me revisit the original, both are here for your pleasure. 

Bole Ghadi Ye Sanson Ki

Album: Pasand Apni Apni (1983)

Singer: Sharon Prabhakar

Check the friggin bass in this tune....Ding Dong Ding Dong! If any time a woman complains about how impractical her sari is, show her this video. If you can disco dance in a sari you can do anything! Check it out at 2.34, my favourite though at 3.12 for pure class dancing from Mithun and Rati 

Come Closer

Album: Kasam Paide Karne Wala Ki (1984)

Singer: Salma Agha

Interestingly this track has been sampled by many international musicians (Guts, Planet) after its release, and when you've heard it, you'll understand why. Mesmerising guitar riff, wishing Salma would tell you to come closer. One of Bhappi's finest in my opinion. 





Which Celebrity?!

Slightly off topic, but found this cool site while working very hard at work......upload your photo and will tell you which celeb you look like the most....who's Jose Carrera??!!

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

Not satisfied I tried another photo, I wish I hadn't..........

MyHeritage: Celebrity Morph - Family tree software - Geneology

Dostana

In honour of the new release of Mard: Dostana ka Zindagi, here are my top five Dosti songs from Bollywood. The following tracks in my opinion are timeless, heartfelt and surmise what being a dost really means - enjoy.

5 - Dostana - Salamat Rahe Dostana Humara (Part I) (1980)

Sung by Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar, picturised by Amitabh and Shotgun. Two of the greatest singers on the earth singing a song like this was and still heavenly to listen to. Ironically at the time Amitabh and Shotguns real life friendship was on its last legs, even though they were great together on screen. The recent Dostana film is a pure and utter mockery of this classic so please watch this film over the gay one....please!

4 - Dharam Veer - Saat Ajoobe Is Duniya Mein (1977)

"There are seven wonders in the world, our friendship is the eighth, how hard one might try, they can never break this bond - the bond between Dharam Veer....ohhooo ohhhhohhooo"

WOW - what friendship! Now these are real men riding on their horses, grabbing some poor kid in the first 20 seconds, and each of our dosts (Dharmendra and Jeetendra) holding him by his hands over the river...nearly making him at least a foot taller! You know seeing guys like this nowadays, hugging, and desperately reaching out to hold each others hands, would make you scream out...ewww...PUFF...but no, when you see these guys, you feel like doing the same with your mates and that includes making a fried egg in the middle of the woods (1.30) and then after beating some croonies up, start holding each others hands and jumping in sequence (2.05). However dostana aside....im sure the ladies absolutely loved Dharmendra's leather gladiator outfit....next fancy dress party i'm off too...i've decided - Dharm Veer it is!

3 - Suhaag - Ay Yaar Sun (1979)

Right.....I think i'm going to get me a friend, a bike and funky scarf, then i'll be able to push a car away single handedly (1.57), and then i'm going to pull of some serious dance moves (3.58) in between beating up some goons! Old certainly is gold yaar! Suhaag like Dharm Veer was also directed by Manmohan Desai, easily one of the most entertaining directors of that era and really the guy who invented family masala films - Amar Akbar Anthony, Naseeb etc. He was also known always to have the Ma as the central foundation to his stories and even though this and the previous song were about dosti, the Ma is always present, and along with Mohd Rafi's voice, it never fails to make this mard's eyes water when referenced to.

2 - Khudgarz - Zindagi Ka Naam Dosti (1987)

Fast forward to 1987 to Rakesh Roshan's directorial debut film Khudgarz. Man this film was brilliant, and yet so sad in places, had me in tears. Loving the dancing at 1.47, I wonder what will happen if I duplicate that at the christmas do......

1 - Sholay - Yeh Dosti (1975)

No dostana song list can be without this track. Known by everyone, sung by everyone, loved by everyone.

This friendship....nothing can break it.....not even flipping a coin to choose who gets the girl!!!! Dostana...im afraid its here to stay!!!

Eid Mubarak

Eid Mubarak everyone! A fitting song is it not.......

I am Falling In Love With A Stranger - RD Burman (Deewaar)

A change of pace to this weeks tune - This song was played in the background during the shot taken in the bar starring Amitabh Bachchan and Parveen Babi in the movie Deewaar 1975. This is an extremely rare and unreleased gem of the composer R D Burman which was sung by Ursula Vaz. I've included it in my album Bombay Bliss 6. Very difficult to get more info on this track, but who cares when its so lovely....enjoy....

Tokyo Gore Police

Great title isn't it? The last time I saw a real gore fest of a movie was probably Saw. Haven't really been into gorey movies, so I didn't really have really to compare this flick to. On its own merit though....bloody good fun - pun intended. When it starts off with the below image, you can pretty much guage how the rest of the movie is going to play out!!

Set in the near future in...well...Tokyo...a battle is taking place between Tokyo Police Force and mutants known as Engineers. A scientist known as "Key Man" devises a way for when a human is wounded they mutate into this monstrous creature developing a weapon like body part to attack their prey.

The sheer variety of body weapons presented to you for the next two hours is like a visual assault on your eyes. Someone's imagination here went into overdrive! But more on that later.....

The main protagonist of the story is a female cop called Ruka (played by the beautiful Eihi Shiina from Audition fame). Ruka isn't exactly the happiest girl around, shes a pretty miserable, anti social, self harming kind of girl, and to be fair you can see her point after watching her dad's head explode (above) in front of her eyes.

We get this grim insight within the opening five minutes and shortky Ruka is called to deal with an Engineer who has a chainsaw as his an extension for his arm, bit like Ash in Evil Dead, but this time played by Tak Sakaguchi of Versus fame in a special appearance. Ruka, although impersonating a sad goth teenager is actually very good at dealing with Engineers, and she deals with Chainsaw man pretty swiftly in a cool chainsaw fight.

Yo...

VICTORIOUS!!

After being called to investigate a pretty gruesome murder (body parts in a box), Ruka starts to investigate and search for the guy responsible, who we learn to be the Key Man. With a twist of irony which I thought only existed in Bollywood, this investigation of Key Man is also linked to her fathers murder! As the story progresses we find out how Key Man came to be who he is and we come to know how he inserts a key into a human which turns them into Engineers - visually. The story does flow pretty well and does eventually conclude quite nicely, but at the end of the day this is all about the gore, and the imaginative mutations and killings are hilarious! There are some great set pieces showcasing some horrific engineers designs....I can't show some of them as this is a family site.....but if you recall back to From Dusk Till Dawn, remember a guy in the bar had a gun in his crotch....yeah well think about that but multiply by like a hundred!!

Key Man

What I loved about the style of TGP is the satirical edge it had. Director Yoshihiro Nishimura gives Robocop's Paul Verhoeven a run for his money in some great in film commercials in the same vain as, Nukem, 6000SUX, The Heart Centre et al. Be it from the Anti Harikari advert to commercials on the privatisation of the police force - morbid humour at its best and very relevant to current Japanese culture and satire. The latter coincidentally has some relevance to the greater plot, but great commercials none the less.

Speaking of Japanese culture, there was a great scene in response to one of Japan's public transport problems - Chikan or Train Groping. There are around 4000 men arrested each year for groping in public transport. A campaign was introduced to help reduce the fetish by promoting women to grab the man's hand and shove it in the air and shout Chikan to embarass and shame the groper, but most women did not do this as to not create a scene. Well they are Asian! Gropers know this and subsequently exploit it. However our beloved Ruka isn't going to take any of this bullshit, are you Ruka?!

Yeah I think I'll keep my hands to myself!

Eihi Shiina performs well in the role of Ruka and does pull off the tough cop persona very well. I will always remember her though as the pycho wife from Audition even though, I mean that film puts the fear of marriage into any men! The supporting characters do their job well, I love the despatch girl with her inputs into the story to help the viewer along. Ultimately TGP doesn't take itself seriously and that's the main reason why it is so enjoyable. Yes there are some effects where you can blatantly tell its a rubber face or rubber arm, but that's lovable nature of gore fest movies. The amount of fake red blood used is nothing short of phenomenal, very reminiscent of the old Samurai and Baby Cart films, slow motion arms cut off and a elevating spraying of blood that lasts for a good ten minutes.  The climax was great if a little predictable and fight scene between an engineered Ruka (very cool) and her step dad's pet dog (!) was actually very exciting and impressive. The end scene does leave it open for a sequel and if there is one and Eihi is in it I am there! Right next stop Machine Girl and Vampire Girl vs Frakenstein Girl (yes I know!!!!).

Amar feat Rebel - Chup Chup Ke

Hey guys, thought i'd start a post every week sharing my tune of the week. Will be a mix of new and old tunes, western/eastern anything really. hope you like!

First heard Amar on Timbalands track Bombay, which was very good, even though Timbaland's lyric was hilarious - yes come ride the titanic - wtf?! Anyways here she teams up with Rebel, fantastic collabo me thinks. Check it out.... peace!