Tuesday 25 December 2007

Shankar Jaikishan: Gumnaam (1965)

Gumnaam

Here then, a rather famous one. Featuring of course 'Jan Pahechan Ho', as danced to by Enid over the title credits in 'Ghost World'. It's a wonderful track, one of Shankar Jaikishan's greatest rock'n'roll moments... of which there were quite a few. Nothing wrong with the rest of 'Gumnaam' [trailer] [review] either, although listening to it now for the first time in ages I'm realizing how derivative some of the songs are. 'Gumnaam Hai Koi' has a melody lifted straight from Henry Mancini's 'Charade' theme from two years prior, while 'Jane Chaman Shola Badan' is more than a little reminiscent of the evergreen 'Autumn Leaves'... no worries though as they're both excellent. (I'm particularly fond of the former, with its exotic sounding horror effects - and for those unaware, 'Gumnaam' is in fact a Hindi remake of Agatha Christie's 'And Then There Were None'.)

Other highlights include the chirpy 'Gham Chhodke Manao Rang' (Helen in a bathing suite doesn't hurt one bit), and 'Pike Ham Tum Jo Chale', a delightful drunken duet sung by two of the Mangeshkar sisters. In all, a damn fine score!

Happy holidays folks.

Track listing:
1. Lata Mangeshkar: Gumnaam Hai Koi
2. Mohd. Rafi & Sharada: Jane Chaman Shola Badan
3. Asha Bhosle & Usha Mangeshkar: Pike Ham Tum Jo Chale
4. Mohd. Rafi & Mehmood: Khayalon Men
5. Sharada: Aayega Kaun Yahan
6. Mohd. Rafi: Ek Ladki Hai Jisne
7. Lata Mangeshkar: Gham Chhodke Manao Rang
7. Mohd. Rafi: Jan Pahechan Ho

(PS: For anyone who fancies some non-Bollywood sounds over the holidays, there's free music wot my record label's just released here. Ho ho ho!)

12 comments:

  1. Here we locate GODHEAD in a sexy, Christmas shaped oil drum !!

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  2. Ho ho ho yourself! Thanks for the great xmas present.

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  3. thanks PC ,a fantabulous album that has been on my wish list for some time :)

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  4. What a well timed christmas present, I will enjoy this greatly; tnx!

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  5. I always thought the soundtrack was by Mohammed Rafi?
    Thanks though this is most excellent!!!

    by the way do you have the sound track to this movie?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHbG0hOHIZo&eurl=http://ezhevika.blogspot.com/2007/05/bollywood-hippie-freakout.html

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  6. Nope. I've seen the clip before though... I don't think it's a Hindi (ie. Bollywood) film though, maybe Pakistani?

    Anyone?

    PC x

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  7. The answer was posted by someone who left a comment on the YouTube page. They make clear that it was a Kollywood, which is to say Tamil flick - not Hindi.

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  8. Thanks a lot for this gem!
    Happy new year.

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  9. Thank you so much! I've been on a quest to find this! I am also ecstatic about all the beautiful album covers. Yippeee!!!

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  10. Thanks a lot, looking forward to hearing this.

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