Ameen Sayani .

[Mo]

dailypioneer.com
Voice of entertainment still resonates

Chandan Mitra

In India, entertainment has become a mega-industry only in the last
decade or so. That explains why Lata Mangeshkar had to wait so long to
get her Bharat Ratna. Mohammad Rafi died before Hindi film music was
recognised by political authorities as a key element that binds this
uniquely diverse nation together.

Consequently, Rafi was never considered for the award he so richly
deserved. Today, it is fashionable to flaunt knowledge of popular music
and culture, but in the immediate post-colonial decades, the newly-
emergent chattering classes thumbed their nose at connoisseurs of Hindi
cinema. The Mumbai film industry thrived in social isolation, it's
creative music derided as la-re-lappa stuff, unworthy of being heard in
polite company.

Some pioneers dared to differ. They made popular culture their passion;
sometimes even profession. Ameen Sayani was one such doyen. For four
decades, he was virtually the sole voice of popular music. Every week,
without fail, he compered Binaca Geetmala, India's first countdown
show, on Radio Ceylon. His inimitable style and resonant microphone-
enhanced timbre drove millions to their radio sets each Wednesday at 8
pm. Long before Ramayana on TV became a national obsession, driving
traffic off the roads on Sunday mornings, Binaca Geetmala would
reverberate through middle India. It was as if India was one just for
that one hour every week. Since All India Radio's puritanical,
Aurangzebite authorities would not hear of a commercially sponsored
musical countdown show, the programme that unified India was
transmitted from across the Palk Straits. Although Vividh Bharati was
launched in the late 1950s, the broadcast quality was appalling (which,
incidentally, it still remains even in Delhi and other cities where it
is not available on FM channels). Binaca Geetmala did for Radio Ceylon
(later Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation) what KBC has done for Star
Plus: It was the channel's popularity driver. Since advertising was
prohibited on airwaves in India, corporates flocked to Colombo, making
the island nation's radio station a major revenue earner for that
country.

Following my initiation into the culturally resplendent world of Hindi
film music in the late 1960s, I promptly got addicted to Binaca
Geetmala. It was not only because that was the only countdown show of
its time; it was also because of its incomparable compere with his
delightful mix of humour and authority. By 1968, I was so obsessed with
the programme that I would note down all the 16 numbers played in each
episode in order of popularity. The main reason for undertaking this
laborious exercise was the symbiotic rivalry I had with my classmate,
Shivaji Sen, over music directors. I was an ardent fan of Laxmikant-
Pyarelal whereas he was sold on RD Burman. Privately, I was as much a
devotee of RD as he was, but publicly we would argue till kingdom come
on the creative superiority of our respective icons. Immediately after
Binaca got over, we would converse on the phone about the number of L-P
or RD numbers that made it to the charts and their positions on the
paaydaan (ladder), in an ongoing game of one-upmanship.

Even after I migrated to Delhi in 1972 for my graduate studies, the
passion did not die. Each Wednesday, I would rush back to my hostel
room by 7-45 pm, after a hurried dinner, for tuning into Radio Ceylon
was not an easy proposition. It was received best on SW 25 m band,
sandwiched between powerful broadcasters like BBC and Radio Peking
(Beijing). Very often, the transmission was irritatingly poor and my
transistor's needle would move a millimetre away towards an alien
station, causing enormous problems of resetting. Once, I recall Ameen
Sayani announcing an impending solar storm and apologising in advance
for the disturbances that would cause to shortwave transmissions. His
warning proved correct and for two weeks one could barely tune onto any
shortwave frequency.

In the 1970s, probably in response to Vividh Bharati's growing
popularity (with commercial broadcasting having started in 1968),
Binaca Geetmala revamped itself by opening up its song-selection
process to recognised Listeners' Clubs (Shrota Sanghs). These had been
in existence for years in maniacally musical towns like Rajnandgaon,
Yevatmal, Marwar Mundva and, of course, Jhumri Tilaiya. However, they
played no formal role and acted essentially as letter writers'
collectives. Once the Geetmala authorities decided to involve them in
the selection process, Shrota Sanghs mushroomed and, maybe, a degree of
corruption entered. Some readers might recall a sequence from the
Amitabh-Jaya starrer Abhimaan in which Asrani assures success for
Jaya's disc saying he would get Shrota Sanghs to bombard Binaca
Geetmala with letters urging inclusion of her songs.

In 1973, I decided to set up the St Stephen's College Binaca Shrota
Sangh, along with a couple of friends. Actually, they were not exactly
addicts, but often strolled in for some entertainment and room-made
coffee. But they all helped prepare the annual list of the top 16 of
the year so that we could enter the contest for the most accurate
Shrota Sangh. In the first year, our list got us nowhere. So, in 1974,
I spent more than a week statistically computing the prospects of all
songs aired on Geetmala, working out various permutations and
combinations and adding a dash of subjective preference. To my
boundless joy St Stephen's College Binaca Shrota Sangh shared 1974's
honours as runner-up with another club from Yevatmal. A few weeks
later, a huge parcel arrived in my name from Ciba-Geigy. It contained a
dozen tubes of Cibaca toothpaste (by then the Binaca brand name had,
sadly, changed), toothbrushes, varieties of cold and vanishing cream
and other toiletries. In those days, money was still frowned upon by
the professional middle class. When cash-rich Sri Ram College of
Commerce, for instance, introduced a cash prize of Rs 1,000 for the
best speaker in its annual debating contest, frowns of disapproval
appeared all over debating circles in the Capital. St Stephen's refused
to increase the prize money from Rs 300, confident that lucre was no
substitute for prestige. So, we were overwhelmed with merely a box of
toiletries and our name being broadcast on India's most popular
programme. We received some 50 congratulatory letters from other Shrota
Sanghs, besides avid individual listeners. That more than compensated
for our relentless weekly effort.

So, when I met Ameen Sayani for the first time last weekend in Pune at
a banquet on the occasion of Fest O Comm organised by the Symbiosis
Institute of Mass Communication, I instinctively bent down to touch his
feet. Someone who has brought so much joy to so many lives deserves all
respect and admiration. He told me Binaca Geetmala was shortly to be
revived on FM. The magic might not work a second time. But I salute
Ameen Sayani's commitment to the programme that mothered the boom of
India's entertainment industry.

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

[koolf...@my-deja.com]

wow that was really something...the wondefull school days,the radio
full stop....not a care in the simple, good, romantic, nostalgic
wonder years.

[harmony]

What is that bianca thing about? Was she actress?

Mo <mo2...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:954amq$4qv$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[Mirza Ghalib]

And every Sunday from 9 to 10 (or was it 8 to 9)
during the parade of the 10 most popular
hits there used to be guesses in the first 15
minutes about the topper. Threee-quarters hour down,
the professionals has a pretty good idea, and when
the last song began, many left in dismay.

And of course, you had the choice of Binaca 'Top' or
Binaca Green. The latter with Chlorofil, long dead as a
marketing gimmick.

[Shyamal Pain]

harmony wrote:

> What is that bianca thing about? Was she actress?

Binaca was the brand of toothpaste made by Ciba-Guigy who
sponsored the program.

[AKumar]

You revived some old memos.
In 60s we did not have a radio and I would
ride on bicycle to go to my fiends
house 2 miles away to listen to this.
Then in hostel it was not a problem.

There is an LP released of the 25 years
of Binaca Geetmala.

"Mo" <mo2...@yahoo.com> wrote in message news:954amq$4qv$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[nusrat rizvi]

On Mon, 29 Jan 2001 21:57:47 GMT, "AKumar" <u...@att.net> wrote:

>You revived some old memos.
>In 60s we did not have a radio and I would
>ride on bicycle to go to my fiends
>house 2 miles away to listen to this.
>Then in hostel it was not a problem.
>
>There is an LP released of the 25 years
>of Binaca Geetmala.
>

Really, where do you find it?

I ditto your sentiments about Bianca Geet mala. seems
my generation grew up on it. Though I lived in Karachi
the Music was a great unifying force between all
religions and classes.

[saty...@my-deja.com]

In article <954amq$4qv$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

Mo <mo2...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> dailypioneer.com
> Voice of entertainment still resonates
>
> Chandan Mitra
>
> In India, entertainment has become a mega-industry only in the last
> decade or so. That explains why Lata Mangeshkar had to wait so long to
> get her Bharat Ratna. Mohammad Rafi died before Hindi film music was
> recognised by political authorities as a key element that binds this
> uniquely diverse nation together.

Good article that brings back nostalgic feelings from yester years!

[DIWAN AHMED]

Ameen Sayani was someone whom you hear once and he would leave a profound
impression on you. As a kid, radio in my house could barely catch his
station and its signals would always get mixed up with other radio signals
making it harder to hear it clearly, but yet his voice lured many youth
like me. Not that what he said was any profound, but his voice had that
magnetic appeal that kept everybody glued to the radio sets even when one
could barely hear much. He invented a style of presentation that was unique
and his own. Great entertainer.

[David Starr]

"DIWAN AHMED" <ahmed...@home.com> wrote in message
news:3A756D6F...@home.com...

> Ameen Sayani was someone whom you hear once and he would leave a profound
> impression on you. As a kid, radio in my house could barely catch his
> station and its signals would always get mixed up with other radio signals
> making it harder to hear it clearly, but yet his voice lured many youth
> like me. Not that what he said was any profound, but his voice had that
> magnetic appeal that kept everybody glued to the radio sets even when one
> could barely hear much. He invented a style of presentation that was
unique
> and his own. Great entertainer.

Does not he have a son who has exactly the same voice and is an announcer
for some radio network? I think there are a lot of folks who imitate the old
Sayani. Not sure if the original Sayani is still alive. I heard he was very
popular in the sixties.

Dave

[iad...@my-deja.com]

Ameen Sayani is still very much alive and kicking in the Indian
advertising scene. Runs a recording studio in Mumbai. Found the details
on indiantelevision.com

Ameen Sayani Studio
Cecil Court, 2nd Flr., Mahakavi Bhushan Marg,
Next to Regal Cinema, Mumbai-39.
Tel: (91 22) 204 7683
Telefax: (91 22) 283 1615
E-mail: say...@vsnl.com

In article <955656$flfk2$3...@ID-50812.news.dfncis.de>,

[har...@my-deja.com]

But can anybody remember the other great programmes that were broadcast
thru SLBC or Radio Ceylon in those days, the likes of HMV ke Sitare, EK
Geet Do Awaaz, Geeton Bhari Kahani, Geet Shayari, Bhooli Bisre Geet,
Naye Geet, etc. No doubt the most listened to programme was Binanca
Geetmala and if I am not mistaken he had started something similar on
DD1 / 2 too? He is still compereing shows of various nature and
produces ads.

[Srinivas Ganti]

>In article <957733$lvr$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

>har...@my-deja.com wrote:
> But can anybody remember the other great programmes that were
broadcast
> thru SLBC or Radio Ceylon in those days, the likes of HMV ke Sitare,
>EK
> Geet Do Awaaz, Geeton Bhari Kahani, Geet Shayari, Bhooli Bisre Geet,
> Naye Geet, etc. No doubt the most listened to programme was Binanca
> Geetmala and if I am not mistaken he had started something similar on
> DD1 / 2 too?

DD2. Was on air in 94-95 on Sundays from 8:30 to 9:00 pm.
--
Srinivas

[Rahul Upadhyaya]

He also pioneered 15 minute programs on new movie releases - a radio
equivalent of theatrical trailers. He also had a program called - "S.
Kumars ka filmi muqadama" This was a mock trial of a film personality
by Attorney Sayani. Quite interesting.

He also had another show with Tabassum, sponsored by some Ameena
Agarbatti - jingle went like this "phooloN ki khushboo Ameena Agarbatti
se." They used to read jokes sent in by listners.

When film Anurag was released (71-72?), in the interval they showed a 5
minute documentary(?) of Rajesh-Dimple wedding. Narration was by Ameen
Sayani. He introduces many guest at the wedding. When his turn comes -
he goes "aur woh maiN hoo ..." and plays song by Kishore from Joru Ka
Gulam.

There is a video of Silver Jubilee of Filmfare awards. Narrator is
Ameen Sayani. Its a nice collector's item.

- Rahul

[Niraj Agarwalla]

Though I lived in the United States for most of my life, I
fondly remember listening to Binaca Geetmala tapes my father
had in his collection.

What a voice! What a show!

I'm a big fan of these countdown shows. I used to listen to several Top
40 countdown show every week in the 80's. Alas, no one seem to do it much
anymore, except for special occasions like New Years or the Fourth of
July.

--
Niraj Agarwalla -=-=- ni...@shore.net

[vijay...@my-deja.com]

In article <958cmb$mhb$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

In the movie, Bhoot BaNgla, there is a comedy competition scene between
Mehmood and Tanuja (with an audience laugh-o-meter and all). AFAIR, the
comperer in that scene is Ameen Sayani.

V.K.

[Ket...@att.net]

In article <957jf8$1tt$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>, Srinivas says...

Pardon me...but wasn't the original starter of the SLBC program--Hamid Sayani,
Ameen Sayani's elder brother? I see no mention of his name, or am I mistaken?

Ketan

[ravi_k...@nospam.com]

Ket...@att.net says...

>Pardon me...but wasn't the original starter of the SLBC program--Hamid Sayani,
>Ameen Sayani's elder brother? I see no mention of his name, or am I mistaken?

I don't think Hamid Sayani had anything to do with SLBC. AFAIK he was
the original compere for Bournvita quiz contest, a popular quiz program
in Vividh Bharati. After his death in late 1970s, Ameen Sayani took over
that.

RK-

[SKalra902]

On the contrary. Hamid Sayani was very much involved with Radio Ceylon since
the early 50's. He used to be the 'announcer' for the English broadcast
program of Radio Ceylon (and I am speaking from personal knowledge, having
heard those programs).

In fact, it was the Hamid Sayani connection which gave Ameen sayani the initial
break when Binaca started the Binaca Geet Mala program in 1952 - it used to be
a half hour program until 1954 when it acquired the widely popular and
countdown format.
Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[surjit...@yahoo.com]

Hi RMIMers:

An interview with Ameen Sayani (July 2000) can be found at

http://www.chemseals.com/ot/july/1.htm

He recalls his early life. Satish is absolutely right about Hamid.

Hamid acted in movies too. I remember him in Taxi Driver (Vol 3 vaalii)
.
bothering poor kalpanaa kaartik.

--
Surjit Singh, a diehard movie fan(atic), period.

http://www.netcolony.com/entertainment/surjit/

In article <20010202210606...@ng-fm1.aol.com>,

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

[SKalra902]

Sorry to be following up on my own post. In response to the question raised:

>>>Pardon me...but wasn't the original starter of the SLBC program--Hamid
>>Sayani,
>>>Ameen Sayani's elder brother? I see no mention of his name, or am I
>>mistaken

The earliest announcer (about 1951) of Radio Ceylon that I can remember was
Vijay Kishore Dubey, who later went on to film production (Aashiq, jointly with
Bunny Reuben, *ing Raj Kapoor, Nanda and Padmini), before joining HMV. Mr.
Dubey was followed by Gopal Sharma in the late mid-50's, Shiv Kumar Saroj in
the very early 60's, Manohar Mahajan in the mid-60's, Dalbir (or was it Daljit)
Singh Parmar in the late 60's, Vijayalaxmi Desaram in the very early 70's. In
the mid-70's, I stopped listening to SLBC (as it had come to be known then)
because of deteriorating reception (around N. Delhi) and poor programming.
Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[vulca...@mailandnews.com]

hi satish ji,
i used to hear the program for 10 years at least. it is a pleasure to
know more.

as you said it acquired countdown format it 1954, what was the format in
1952-54.

when were "shrota sangh" formed. before that how were they assessing
popularity.

i know that after silver jubilee, it increased the criteria for becoming
a sartaz geet from 16 play to 25 play. was there any other increase/
decrease previously also.

any other tidbit.

could anybody post info on some record holders of binaca/ cibaca

-rawat

[surjit...@yahoo.com]

In article <3A7C0BCB...@mailandnews.com>,

Here is another interview that answers some of your questions about
history.

http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20000922/mcover.htm

>

--
Surjit Singh, a diehard movie fan(atic), period.

http://www.netcolony.com/entertainment/surjit/

[ravi_k...@nospam.com]

skal...@aol.com says...

>On the contrary. Hamid Sayani was very much involved with Radio Ceylon since
>the early 50's. He used to be the 'announcer' for the English broadcast
>program of Radio Ceylon (and I am speaking from personal knowledge, having
>heard those programs).

thanks for the info.

I acutally meant Hamid Sayani was never connected to Binaca Geet Mala which
I wrongly referred as SLBC.

I remember this because in the 1000th program of BGM [ somewhere in 1974]
Ameen Sayani clearly mentioned that he has been with that program right
from day one.

RK-

[SKalra902]

>
>hi satish ji,
>i used to hear the program for 10 years at least. it is a pleasure to
>know more.

I listened to BGM from 1952 to mid-1975, with some programs missed. More of
them between 1952-54.

>
>as you said it acquired countdown format it 1954, what was the format in
>1952-54.

The early format was a half hour program of seven songs - mixed, old and new.
The listeners were asked to rank those 7 in their personal choice order. BGM
would compile a final popular ranking based on the responses, and whoever had
the same choice/order as the final compilation would be awarded a prize of Rs.
100, a big amount for those days. Sometime in mid-1954, it sformat was changed
to hwat is widely known - songs presented in the order of their popularity
during the week.
The selection of the songs was made based upon the sales of records (78 rpm) as
reported by HMV/other record company dealers, and upon the requests of the
listeners (probably to Radio Ceylon).

>
>when were "shrota sangh" formed.

I believe the 'shrota sangh' came into being in the early 60's. EVen after
their coming into being, the popularity was based more on the ongoing format of
the record sales and listeners' request.

before that how were they assessing
>popularity.
>
>i know that after silver jubilee, it increased the criteria for becoming
>a sartaz geet from 16 play to 25 play. was there any other increase/
>decrease previously also.

Prior to them instituting a song being retired from BGM after 16 plays, ther
used ot be no limit on the number of times a song being played.

(I am going to continue my write up in a separate post, since I am afraid I am
going to be timed out by AOL.)

>
>any other tidbit.
>
>could anybody post info on some record holders of binaca/ cibaca
>
>-rawat
>

Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[vulca...@mailandnews.com]

SKalra902 wrote:
>
> >
> (I am going to continue my write up in a separate post, since I am afraid I am
> going to be timed out by AOL.)
>

why not use offline mail reader and composers? netscape messagenger is
good for one. i have been using it for one year.

-rawat

[har...@my-deja.com]

> Here is another interview that answers some of your questions about
> history.
>
> http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20000922/mcover.htm

Who is S.K. in the article "As told to S.K." not our S Kalra?

[naniwadekar]

In article <95lkht$62k$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,

har...@my-deja.com wrote:
>
> > Here is another interview that answers some of your questions about
> > history.
> >
> > http://www.expressindia.com/screen/20000922/mcover.htm
>
> Who is S.K. in the article "As told to S.K." not our S Kalra?
>

I guess not. If it were our S Kalra, he would have added some
valuable information about Ameen Sayani which Shri Sayani had
himself forgotten. Since no such thing happened, it must be
their (Indian Express') S.K. Our SK contributes to publications
which have more knowledgeable editors than Indian Express.

--

- dhananjay naniwadekar

[PDV]

If I am not mistaken Ameen Sayani took over Binaca Geetmala from Sunil
Dutt who used the name Balbir on the radio.

Pankaj

[Arun Sampath]

I was hoping somebody would post the No.1 hit songs of Binaca Geetmala. We
had a cassette (it might still be there somewhere) back in India which had
the recording of the 2-part Silver Jubilee telecast of Binaca Geetmala
sometime in 1977. I vividly remember listening to it again and again as a
kid in the 80s. I don't recall all the songs but AFAIR it is as follows:

1952 tuu ga.ngaa kii mauj mai.n
1953 aavaaraa huu.N
1954 man Dole meraa tan Dole
1955 meraa juutaa hai jaapaanii
1956 jis dil me.n basaa thaa pyaaar teraa
1957 zarA sAmane to Ao chhaliye
1958 ai dil hai mushakil jiinaa yahaa.N
1959 terii pyaarii pyaarii surat ko
1960
1961 ehasaan teraa hogaa mujhapar
1962
1963 mere man kii ga.ngaa
1964 bahaaro.n phuul barasaao
1965
1966
1967
1968 dil-vil pyaar-vyaar
1969 kaise rahuu.N chup
1970 ai bhaaii, zaraa dekhake chalo
1971 dam maaro dam
1972
1973
1974 bi.ndiyaa chamakegii
1975
1976

I tried to check the ISB for the actual years of the songs above but
couldn't find it. I know that I am off by a year or two with a few songs
above. Corrections and additions welcome.

Anyway, as can be seen above, the ratings in the program are entirely based
on popularity. Not one of the above are really my favorites though not all
of them are bad per se.

A

[Arun Sampath]

Apologize for following up on my own post. But some corrections below after
checking the ISB.

> 1952 tuu ga.ngaa kii mauj mai.n
> 1953

I don't know which was No.1 in 1953. Awara was in 1951. (Gosh, I knew I was
wrong here but somehow I kept remembering this song was there on Binaca
Geetmala)

> 1954 man Dole meraa tan Dole
> 1955 meraa juutaa hai jaapaanii

> 1956 ai dil hai mushakil jiinaa yahaa.N

I have switched 1956 and 1958 here but not sure if the latter is right.

> 1957 zarA sAmane to Ao chhaliye

> 1958 jis dil me.n basaa thaa pyaaar teraa

> 1959 terii pyaarii pyaarii surat ko

(was Sasural in 1960? I kind of remember hearing this song back to back with
ehasaan tera hogaa mujapar)

> 1960
> 1961 ehasaan teraa hogaa mujhapar
> 1962
> 1963

> 1964 mere man kii ga.ngaa

> 1965
> 1966 bahaaro.n phuul barasaao

> 1967 dil-vil pyaar-vyaar

> 1968

> 1969 kaise rahuu.N chup
> 1970 ai bhaaii, zaraa dekhake chalo
> 1971 dam maaro dam
> 1972
> 1973
> 1974 bi.ndiyaa chamakegii
> 1975
> 1976

A

[nusrat rizvi]

On Wed, 7 Feb 2001 10:21:26 -0500, "Arun Sampath" <as...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Thank you Sampath Sahib, your article brings out deep seated
emotions. Are all these wonderful songs now available on Nepster, or
have you checked if they are.
I have mixed feelings about another classic song of that era by
Mohammed Rafi, titled, Ye Zindagi Ke Meelay, since this throws me into
a depressing mood.
I was told by someone whose opinions I hold in high esteem that Indian
Songs of 60's are considered the golden era of Indian Music. I realize
this is a subjective opinion, but will most agree?

[Chetan Vinchhi]

> I have mixed feelings about another classic song of that era by
> Mohammed Rafi, titled, Ye Zindagi Ke Meelay, since this throws me into
> a depressing mood.

I don't know why alone that should imply mixed feelings. A
lot of great songs are sad songs (not wishing to repeat the
cliche' here). It is a totally different matter if you happen to
think this "classic" song doesn't deserve to be a classic!

> I was told by someone whose opinions I hold in high esteem that Indian
> Songs of 60's are considered the golden era of Indian Music. I realize
> this is a subjective opinion, but will most agree?

I would disagree. If I was to pick a decade it would most
certainly be the 50s. Generally speaking, a period spanning
the 40s, 50s and 60s is loosely regarded to be the golden
era of Hindi film music. Some might object to the inclusion
of most of the 60s. Others might find fault with the 40s
being included. I suspect there would be near unanimity
of opinion as far as the inclusion of 50s is concerned.

C

[PDV]

Here is the list of N0 1 Binaca Geetmala songs

YEAR SONG FILM SINGER MUSIC
---- ------ ------ ------
----------
1953 Too ganga ki mauj Baiju Bawra Rafi Naushad

1954 Man dole mera tan dole Nagin Lata Hemant
Kumar
Jayen to jayen kahan Taxi Driver Talat S D
Burman

1955 Mera Joota Hai Japani Shree 420 Mukesh
Shankar-Jaikishen

1956 Eh dil hai mushkil jeena.. CID Rafi O.P.
Nayyar

1957 Zara samne to aao.. Janam Janam Ke Fere Lata, Rafi S.N.
Tripathi

1958 Hai apna dil to awara Solva Saal HemantKumar S.D.
Burman

1959 Haal kaisa hai janaabka Chalti k.n. Gaadi Kishore, Asha S.D.
Burman

1960 Zindagi bhar nahin.. Barsaat ki Raat Rafi
Roshan

1961 Teri pyari pyari surat ko Sasural Rafi
Shankar-Jaikishen

1962 Ehsan Tera Hoga Mujh Par Junglee Rafi
Shankar-Jaikishen

1963 Jo wada kiya wo nibhana Taj Mahal Rafi, Lata
Roshan

1964 Bol radha bol sangam Sangam Mukesh
Shankar-Jaikishen

1965 Jis dil men basa tha Saheli Mukesh
Kalyanji-Anandji

1966 Baharo Phool Barsao Suraj Rafi
Shankar-Jaikishen

1967 Sawan ka mahina Milan Lata, Mukesh
Laxmikant-Pyarelal

1968 Dil vil pyaar vaar Shagird Lata
Laxmikant-Pyarelal

1969 Kaise rahoon chup Inteqam Lata
Laxmikant-Pyarelal

1970 Bindiya chamkegi Do Raaste Lata
Laxmikant-Pyarelal

1971 Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Andaaz Kishore
Shankar-Jaikishen

1972 Dum Maro Dum Hare Rama hare Krishna Asha R. D.
Burman

1973 Yari Hai Iman Mera Zanjeer Manna Dey
Kalyanji-Anandji

1974 Mera jeevan kora kagaj Kora Kagaz Kishore
Kalyanji-Anandji

1975 Mehangai Maargayee Roti Kapada Makan Lata, Mukesh
Laxmikant-Pyarelal

1976 Kabhi Kabhi Mere dil .. Kabhi Kabhi Mukesh Khayyam

1977 Husn Hazir Hai Laila Majnu Lata Madan
Mohan

1978 Ankhiyon ke zarokon se...(Akhiyon ke Zarokon se) Hemlata
Ravindra Jain

1979 Sheesha ho ya dil ho...(Aasha) Lata ??

1980 Dafaliwale dafali baja...(Sargam) Lata, Rafi
Laxmi-Pyare

1981 Mere angane me...(Laawaris) Amitabh, Alka
Kalyanji-Anandji

1982 Angrezi me kahate hai...(Khuddar) Kishore,Lata Rajesh
Roshan

1983 Shayad meri shadi ka khayal...(Sautan) Kishore,Lata Usha
Khanna

1984 Main tera jaanu hu, tu meri...(Hero) Manhar,Lata
Laxmi-Pyare

1985 Sun sayaba sun...(Ram Teri Ganga Maili ho Gayi) Lata Ravindra
Jain

1986 Yashoda ka nandlala...(Sanjog) Lata
Laxmi-Pyare

1987 Chitti aaye hai...(Naam) Pankaj Udhas
Laxmi-Pyare

1988 Papa kahate hai...(Qyamat se Qyamat tak) Udit A
nand-Milind

1989 My name is lakhan...(Ram-Lakhan) Mohd. Aziz
Laxmi-Pyare

1990 Gori hai kalayian...(Aaj ka Arjun) Lata, Shabbir Bhappi
Lahiri

1991 Dekha hai paheli baar...(Saajan) SPB, Alka
Nadeem-Shravan

1992 Maine pyar tumhi se...(Phool aur Kaante)Sanu,Alka
Nadeem-Shravan

1993 Choli ke peeche kya hai...(Khalnayak) Ila arun, Alka
Laxmi-Pyare

This is from RMIM archieve at
http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/~subraman/cgi-bin/art.cgi?22

Pankaj

[SKalra902]

Arun Sampath wrote:

...snipped...

>
>1952 tuu ga.ngaa kii mauj mai.n
>1953 aavaaraa huu.N

Binaca Geet Mala did not start until 1954 in its widely known, popular format.
The following few corrections are from memory. I will double check my tape for
more corrections and then post them.

>1954 man Dole meraa tan Dole
>1955 meraa juutaa hai jaapaanii

These two are right.

>1956 jis dil me.n basaa thaa pyaaar teraa

(This song did not come until the early mid 60's.)

Ai dil hai mushqil jeena yahaan...

>1957 zarA sAmane to Ao chhaliye

>1958 ai dil hai mushakil jiinaa yahaa.N

Hai apna dil to aawaara, naa jaane kis pe aayega

>1959 terii pyaarii pyaarii surat ko

Haal kaisaa hi janaab kaa...

Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[nusrat rizvi]

On Thu, 08 Feb 2001 00:46:44 GMT, PDV <fan...@home.com> wrote:

>Here is the list of N0 1 Binaca Geetmala songs
>
>YEAR SONG FILM SINGER MUSIC
>---- ------ ------ ------
>----------
>1953 Too ganga ki mauj Baiju Bawra Rafi Naushad
>
>1954 Man dole mera tan dole Nagin Lata Hemant
>Kumar
> Jayen to jayen kahan Taxi Driver Talat S D
>Burman
>
>1955 Mera Joota Hai Japani Shree 420 Mukesh
>Shankar-Jaikishen
>
>1956 Eh dil hai mushkil jeena.. CID Rafi O.P.
>Nayyar

does anyone know if all these songs are available thru Nepster.
Any help will be enormously appreciated. I am not very computer
literate.

[naniwadekar]

In article <95rp5l$l...@nntpb.cb.lucent.com>,

"Arun Sampath" <as...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I was hoping somebody would post the No.1 hit songs of Binaca
> Geetmala.
>

> 1952 tuu ga.ngaa kii mauj mai.n
> 1953 aavaaraa huu.N
> 1954 man Dole meraa tan Dole

< the worthless list snipped >

> Anyway, as can be seen above, the ratings in the program are entirely
> based on popularity. Not one of the above are really my favorites
> though not all of them are bad per se.
>

The point is obvious. Let me put it in black and white anyway.
Popularity, even in 1950s, was reserved for ordinary songs.
Public affection rarely came to great songs. There have been
few exceptions like 'dheere se aa jaa rii akhiyan me.n'. But
it is a mystery why 'man dole, mera tan dole' becomes famous
and even a brilliant and brilliantly playful song like 'man
me kisi ki preet basaa le' remains obscure. It has all the
ingredients a song needs to become roaringly popular. The great
music fans deemed otherwise. Even in 1950s. It has always
been thus.

There is zero evidence for us to believe that 'the public' of
1950s was a factor in making that era golden. To the extent
that producers-directors-whoever chose gifted artistes, they
can claim some credit. But the people who really brought about
all that magic were lyricists, MDs and singers. Some oldies
try to imply charmingly that the real big difference between
1950s and 1970s/80s/90s lies in their discernment as against
the philistinism of today's youth. That Binaca list is the
answer to that untenable argument.

The MVP (most valuable party) are the MDs. Not Saigal. Not Lata.
She may be the greatest single figure. But even before she
came along, MDs were composing quite sublime music.

[nusrat rizvi]

On Thu, 08 Feb 2001 07:48:16 GMT, naniwadekar <nan...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>The point is obvious. Let me put it in black and white anyway.
>Popularity, even in 1950s, was reserved for ordinary songs.
>Public affection rarely came to great songs. There have been
>few exceptions like 'dheere se aa jaa rii akhiyan me.n'. But
>it is a mystery why 'man dole, mera tan dole' becomes famous
>and even a brilliant and brilliantly playful song like 'man
>me kisi ki preet basaa le' remains obscure. It has all the
>ingredients a song needs to become roaringly popular. The great
>music fans deemed otherwise. Even in 1950s. It has always
>been thus.
>
>There is zero evidence for us to believe that 'the public' of
>1950s was a factor in making that era golden. To the extent
>that producers-directors-whoever chose gifted artistes, they
>can claim some credit. But the people who really brought about
>all that magic were lyricists, MDs and singers. Some oldies
>try to imply charmingly that the real big difference between
>1950s and 1970s/80s/90s lies in their discernment as against
>the philistinism of today's youth. That Binaca list is the
>answer to that untenable argument.
>
>The MVP (most valuable party) are the MDs. Not Saigal. Not Lata.
>She may be the greatest single figure. But even before she
>came along, MDs were composing quite sublime music.

Why is one song a hit and not another is a subject far too complex
and beyond my comprehension for sure. But IMHO borrowing and
imposition of Western music with Indian has created an amalgam
which is insult to our old musical heritage even though it may be
popular with young audiences.

[vulca...@mailandnews.com]

PDV wrote:
>
> Here is the list of N0 1 Binaca Geetmala songs
>

nice contribution pankaj ji. thanks

> 1964 Bol radha bol sangam Sangam Mukesh
> Shankar-Jaikishen

what was the paaidaan of "mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki kasam". i
don't even know whether it was same year. somehow i am linking these.

> 1979 Sheesha ho ya dil ho...(Aasha) Lata ??

Laxmikant pyarelal?

-rawat

[Mo]

Nusrat get the DVD of 'Pehla pehla pyar' starring Tabu .
The music by Uttam Singh esp the two songs , when the princess escapes
from the palace ' the canary has flown' and the other one when she gets
together with Rishi are pure heaven . No electronic stuff , just pure
Indian instruments..

[QA MAJ.. The CyberQuaid]

In article <hv558t4lf8ojp0c9e...@4ax.com>,

This is why I stopped listening to new songs.
>
>

--
QA, MAJ.. The CyberQuaid
Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer
still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited
with creating a nation-state. Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three.

[SKalra902]

Fanrafi wrote:

>YEAR SONG FILM SINGER MUSIC
>---- ------ ------ ------
>----------
>1953 Too ganga ki mauj Baiju Bawra Rafi Naushad
>
>1954 Man dole mera tan dole Nagin Lata Hemant
>Kumar
> Jayen to jayen kahan Taxi Driver Talat S D
>Burman

Tuu Gangaa kii mauj main.. was one of the most popular songs of 1953, along
with those of Anarkali and Shikast. But it was not the top song of the year in
BGM, because BGM did not exist then in the format for which this list is being
referred to. Further, the Taxi Driver song in 1954 did win that year's
Filmfare award, but was not the top song in BGM, IIRC.

As an aside for tidbits (or is it titbits:), Zindagi bhar nahiin bhuulegi holds
the record for the most points - 427 - accumulated in BGM (that is, when scores
were counted and kept).

Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[Rahul Upadhyaya]

> does anyone know if all these songs are available thru Nepster.
> Any help will be enormously appreciated. I am not very computer
> literate.

go to
http://www.indianscreen.com/

Rahul
sab achchhe gaane aam aadamii kii pukaar nahii.n hote
jhunjhunaa bajaane waale sangiitakaar nahii.n hote
'newsgroup' par 'post' karane waale sab jaanakaar nahii.n hote
mujh jaise likhane waale giitakaar nahii.n hote

[AKumar]

Rahulji,

Wah Wah!! Aap To bade chhupe rustam shayar nikle.

Abhay

"Rahul Upadhyaya" <upad...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9602cl$868$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[Rahul Upadhyaya]

In article <ZzTg6.2375$%g3.8...@news02.optonline.net>,

"AKumar" <u...@att.net> wrote:
> Wah Wah!! Aap To bade chhupe rustam shayar nikle.

shukriyaa aap kii waah-waahii kaa
par daur hai yahaa.N taanaashaahii kaa
soch samajhakar bheje agalii 'post'
khataraa hai kuchh ko 'group' kii tabaahii kaa

not everyone is amused
some feel group has been abused
thanks for your compliments
next time you may not be excused

Rahul

[nusrat rizvi]

I have finally manage to download a few good songs from Nepster
only to learn
that the above bunch of idiots masquerading as musical group have
managed to butcher number of wonderful songs.
Why would any producer allow these morons to re-record their creation
with their junk on it is beyond me, or could it be that the Indian
music taste has changed so drastically that our audiences now like a
doze of Western pop music injected in their songs to appreciate it
more?

[Abhishek Ranjan]

Doesn't hold for all the music listeners. But yes Apache has a market
too. Looks like these remixes make very good dance numbers. So you
would find his songs being played in almost every discotheque.

---- Abhi.

[SKalra902]

Pankaj wrote:

>If I am not mistaken Ameen Sayani took over Binaca Geetmala from Sunil
>Dutt who used the name Balbir on the radio.
>
>Pankaj

Sorry, not true. Sunil Dutt used to host a half hour commercial program on
Radio Ceylon. Something called "Lipton ke Sitaarey". His name for this
program used to be Balraj Dutt, before being changed to Sunil Dutt, for the
films.

Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[SKalra902]

Continuing on a post seen a month ago.

Nani wrote:

>>
>The point is obvious. Let me put it in black and white anyway.
>Popularity, even in 1950s, was reserved for ordinary songs.
>Public affection rarely came to great songs. There have been
>few exceptions like 'dheere se aa jaa rii akhiyan me.n'. But
>it is a mystery why 'man dole, mera tan dole' becomes famous
>and even a brilliant and brilliantly playful song like 'man
>me kisi ki preet basaa le' remains obscure. It has all the
>ingredients a song needs to become roaringly popular. The great
>music fans deemed otherwise. Even in 1950s. It has always
>been thus.

One factor that we all tend to forget is the socio/economic contemporariness of
the times in which those songs were heard. Each passing year saw gradual
economic improvement for most people.
Even though in the first 20 years or so after independence, this economic
progress may have been very small, yet progress it was. And with that came
affordability of buying radios/gramophones/records/record players for
individual households and for some others the ability to repeat see a film for
its music, or hear the songs on juke boxes which invaded the market in the
early mid 50's. (I personally remember the year 1955, when I used to ride my
bicycle from my college hostel in the Univ. of Delhi campus all the way to the
Exhibition grounds near India Gate, only to stand in front of the Bush or
Murphy radio booths, to hear the Munimji or Sri 420 songs one after the other,
on their radiograms which had just been intorduced in India a year or two ago.
All this because, for a bike parking fee of 1 anna, and an admission ticket of
2 annas, I could stand in the alleys between the two booths and hear songs for
three or four hours at a stretch, rather than spend 4 annas a pop on juke box,
which also I did occasionally, if I had won enough in 'teen pattii'.)

At this time, a half century or so later, we can group the entire decade of the
50's together, but each succeeding year was different from the previous one.
It is not that 'man mein kisii kii priit basaa le.." was not liked/popular. It
is just that by the time 'man dole..' came about, there were 'n' times more
devices on which the songs could be heard. It is akin to the current times,
where almost every household has one or even more pieces of music listening
equipment, and of course, the sheer numbers of people too, thus leading to one
film setting up a new record in cassette sales, only to be shattered by some
other one not too long after (Hum Aapke hain Kaun/Dilwaale Dulhaniyaa Le
Jayenge/Dil To Pagal Hai/Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai).

I could go on and on about this correlation between music, its populairty and
the prevalent politico-socio-economic factors, with specific examples of
popular songs at various times, but I condisder it material for face to face
sessions rather than on the NG.

Please ignore any typos left in.

>
>There is zero evidence for us to believe that 'the public' of
>1950s was a factor in making that era golden. To the extent
>that producers-directors-whoever chose gifted artistes, they
>can claim some credit. But the people who really brought about
>all that magic were lyricists, MDs and singers. Some oldies
>try to imply charmingly that the real big difference between
>1950s and 1970s/80s/90s lies in their discernment as against
>the philistinism of today's youth. That Binaca list is the
>answer to that untenable argument.
>
>The MVP (most valuable party) are the MDs. Not Saigal. Not Lata.
>She may be the greatest single figure. But even before she
>came along, MDs were composing quite sublime music.
>
>--
>
>- dhananjay naniwadekar
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com
>http://www.deja.com/

Happy listenings.

Satish Kalra

[nusrat rizvi]

I would love to take some songs from my C drive and play them in my
car when driving around. The damn Napster would not allow me to do
that. Does anyone know how you go about doing it?
BTW, my Napster still works and gets me any song I ask for as long as
it is on some ones library.
To hell with Justice Patel, one Indian name we have all come to hate
and detest.
For those who don't know, this is the Fed. Judge who has sided with
the
Recording Industry and ordered Napster to shut down.

[Mo]

I believe you need software like Easy CD and a CD rewriter..

[Night23]

Yea its a piece of cake. There are 3 ways

1) If you want to record the songs on cds, you will need a CD Writer
(also known as a CD Burner). These look exactly like your current CDRom
except that they can write information to CDs rather than just read
information from CDs.

2) If you want to record it to cassette tape, then just plug in a
stereo's CD input line (most good stereos have this) into a port on your
soundcard at the back of your computer (where you would attach the
headphone). Switch your stereo to CD mode. Then use an mp3 player like
Winamp or just play it from the mp3 player built into napster.. you
should hear it on the stereo (turn up the volume nice and high). Then
just record it as you normally would a radio program on your stereo.
What you end up with is an mp3 song on an cassette.

3) Another option is to just get a portable mp3 player where you can
load mp3 songs directly onto the device and hear it like you do on a
walkman. These can typically hold upto 6 gigabytes of songs which is a
hell of a lot.

I prefer option #2 as the only expense involved is buying a cassette
tapes. Use good cassettes e.g. Memorex or TDK. and buy 90 minutes tapes
because space gets filled up pretty quick.

[Dick Jackson]

On Fri, 09 Mar 2001 18:50:55 GMT, Night23 <nig...@nightynight.com>
wrote:

As usual my timing has been terrible. I got all ready to download some
songs of Noel Coward that I don't have, and burn a CD album of my
favourites, when the verdict came in. Some stuff is still there, but
not the ones I want. I'm sure a lot of people stopped sharing out of
fear of legal action.

I have tried Audio Galaxy, but that doesn't seem to have much of what
I want. I'll have to look for the other Napster lookalikes to see what
they have. One of them (forget the name) is run from Spain, heh heh!

Yes, by all means let's curse the judge, and the Hollywood music
industry too while we're at it. Can't do us any harm, but
unfortunately won't do them any harm either.

Dick J.

[Nawaz]

nusrat rizvi <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:k1lhat4eo8js980uj...@4ax.com...

> I would love to take some songs from my C drive and play them in my
> car when driving around. The damn Napster would not allow me to do
> that. Does anyone know how you go about doing it?

Don't know about that one - at least, I'm not interested. However
I do know of another way - it's termed "purchasing"...basically, it
involves you trodding down to the music shop, selecting the required
cd and then paying the cashier the appropriate amount (of money).
Couldn't be simpler - beside, you didn't exactly break YOUR back
making that money did you...

[Kertar singh]

What do you expect."Guy's" name is Nusrat.Has a Luchakdar Kumeria."He" cant
break his back. Kertar singh

[nusrat rizvi]

On Sat, 10 Mar 2001 13:09:56 -0000, "Nawaz" <nawa...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

Do I need lessons on morality from Punjabis like you who stole the
poor Bengalis blind than killed off 3.5 million of them when they
resisted your plunder.
Speaking of fairness, whatever became of the Bengalis demand for
Islamic justice or is your Islam as phony as your Islamic Republic of
Pakistan/Punjab.

[Night23]

why not take the simpler islamic route of just robbing the store and
calling it jehad?

[Nawaz]

Night23 <nig...@nightynight.com> wrote in message
news:3AAA707A...@nightynight.com...

> why not take the simpler islamic route of just robbing the store and
> calling it jehad?

Contradiction in your suggestion - if you were to steal the cd,
then expect to get your hand chopped off.

[Nawaz]

nusrat rizvi <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message

news:h5gkat8ndt2udmoah...@4ax.com...

The bit about the (music) CD being intended for your car is lie
isn't it - more likely it's for the customers that visit your abode?

[nusrat rizvi]

On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 00:32:31 -0000, "Nawaz" <nawa...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

As owner and proprietor of family whorehouse you should know that
simple economy dictates that clients should be served in the shortest
amount of time. Hence the more clients your Mom or sisters serves the
more cash in your register, why bother with music nonsense.
But why am I telling you all this, you already know the relationship
between time and labour better than the best professors at Harvard.

[nusrat rizvi]

On Sat, 10 Mar 2001 14:52:37 -0500, _4209211_ wrote:

>They did what you are doing: transported "pat-sun" from
>chittagong-ester to their CD (Capital Development) areas without
>paying the bangalis.
>
>So tell us again, how the two acts are different?

My attempt of depriving the record company of any future sale is
the same as a State conniving to deprive a majority of its citizens of
life and food?

[nusrat rizvi]

On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 00:29:53 -0000, "Nawaz" <nawa...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>Night23 <nig...@nightynight.com> wrote in message
>news:3AAA707A...@nightynight.com...
>> why not take the simpler islamic route of just robbing the store and
>> calling it jehad?
>
>Contradiction in your suggestion - if you were to steal the cd,
>then expect to get your hand chopped off.

In the half Sikh version of Islam you practice, you are permitted to
forgive and absolve yourself of all sins.
In the Arabian version of Islam only the poor have their hands
chopped off, the rich go to Monaco or Las Vegas to lose millions
every night yet come home every few months to take more cash out.

[Nawaz]

nusrat rizvi <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message

news:0c8nat0l6k47rhm5h...@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 00:29:53 -0000, "Nawaz" <nawa...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Night23 <nig...@nightynight.com> wrote in message
> >news:3AAA707A...@nightynight.com...
> >> why not take the simpler islamic route of just robbing the store and
> >> calling it jehad?
> >
> >Contradiction in your suggestion - if you were to steal the cd,
> >then expect to get your hand chopped off.
>
> In the half Sikh version of Islam you practice,

Is that what your mother told you? Just to clarify, there
is no such thing.

> you are permitted to
> forgive and absolve yourself of all sins.

That's what you do whenever you feel guilty about the dirty
deeds that you have put your family through; Muslims aren't
allowed to do that.

[Nawaz]

nusrat rizvi <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message

news:cj7natcemmopvvav6...@4ax.com...

> On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 00:32:31 -0000, "Nawaz" <nawa...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >> >nusrat rizvi <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
> >> >news:k1lhat4eo8js980uj...@4ax.com...
> >> >> I would love to take some songs from my C drive and play them in my
> >> >> car when driving around. The damn Napster would not allow me to do
> >> >> that. Does anyone know how you go about doing it?
> >> >
> >> >Don't know about that one - at least, I'm not interested. However
> >> >I do know of another way - it's termed "purchasing"...basically, it
> >> >involves you trodding down to the music shop, selecting the required
> >> >cd and then paying the cashier the appropriate amount (of money).
> >> >Couldn't be simpler - beside, you didn't exactly break YOUR back
> >> >making that money did you...
> >>
> >> Do I need lessons on morality from Punjabis like you who stole the
> >> poor Bengalis blind than killed off 3.5 million of them when they
> >> resisted your plunder.
> >> Speaking of fairness, whatever became of the Bengalis demand for
> >> Islamic justice or is your Islam as phony as your Islamic Republic of
> >> Pakistan/Punjab.
> >
> >The bit about the (music) CD being intended for your car is lie
> >isn't it - more likely it's for the customers that visit your abode?
>
> As owner and proprietor of family whorehouse

I've stated many times before, that I DO NOT have a stake in YOUR
family business, so stop trying to associate me with your trade.

> you should know that
> simple economy dictates that clients should be served in the shortest
> amount of time.

Is that _your_ excuse?!

[AKumar]

Beware of making CDs from songs downloaded from Napster. They come from
different CDs and all CDs
don't have the same volume level. You will be
constantly playing with the volume control instead
of driving.

Abhay

"nusrat rizvi" <rizv...@pipeline.com> wrote in message
news:k1lhat4eo8js980uj...@4ax.com...