MUSIC #77: LA BAMBA 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

La Bamba is a 1987 film written and directed by Luis Valdez and is based on the real life events that affected the live of rock star Ritchie Valens. The movie stars Lou Diamond Phillips (as Ritchie Valens), Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto and Elizabeth Peña.


Ritchie Valens

As with the movie, the soundtrack is also based on Ritchie Valen’s music and those of his R&R buddies of the 1950’s. Warner Brothers released the soundtrack in June 1987. Ironically, WB did not use Valen’s original recordings, but rather had the band Los Lobos record all of Valen’s songs. Even Bo Didley rerecorded his classic song “Who Do You Love?" for the movie.

If you like 1950’s R&R, then you would like La Bamba. My favorites from this ablum include the title song "La Bamba", "Come On Let's Go", "Ooh My Head", “Summertime Blues” and “Who Do You Love”.

 My verdict: 4 stars.

 La Bamba 1987: The Original Soundtrack

 Side One

1.  La Bamba – Los Lobos
2. Come On, Let's Go – Los Lobos
3. Ooh! My Head – Los Lobos
4. We Belong Together – Los Lobos
5. Framed – Los Lobos
6. Donna – Los Lobos

Side Two

1. Lonely Teardrops – Howard Huntsberry
2. Crying, Waiting, Hoping – Marshall Crenshaw
3. Summertime Blues – Brian Setzer
4. Who Do You Love – Bo Diddley
5. Charlena – Los Lobos
6. Goodnight My Love – Los Lobos

MUTTERINGS #50: THE RAISE

A Mexican maid wants a pay increase. She asked her male employer but his wife was very upset about this and decided to talk to her about the raise.

Wife: 'Now Maria, why do you want a pay increase?'

Maria: 'Well, Señora, there are three reasons why I wan increase. The first is that I iron better than you.'

Wife: 'Who said you iron better than me?'

Maria: 'Jor husband say so.'

Wife: 'Oh.'

Maria: 'The second reason is that I am a better cook than you.'

Wife: 'Nonsense, who said you were a better cook than me?'

Maria: 'Jor husband did.'

Wife: 'Oh…'

Maria: 'The third reason is that I am better at sex than you in bed.'

Wife: (really furious now) 'Did my husband say that as well?'

Maria: 'No Señora...the gardener did.'

Wife: 'So how much do you want?'

MUSIC #76: SILSILA 1981 (HINDI OST)

A Yash Chopra classic starring superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjeev Kumar, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan nee Bhaduri and Shashi Kapoor in a guest appearance. Silsila (Chains) tells the story of lovers’ lost and found, family obligations before self, and the taboo subject of adultery. Rumours have it that the very subject that was addressed in the movie was being played out in real life between actors Amitabh Bachchan and his on screen lover/adulteress Rekha.

The music is by Shiv-Hari (Shiv Kumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia) with lyrics by Javed Akhtar, Rajinder Krishnan, Hassan Kamal and Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan (the father of actor Amitabh Bachchan).

Both movie and songs were the rage of the early 1980s and are still well remembered among the masses to date especially “Rang Barse”. The soundtrack also sees Amitabh Bachchan singing most of his own songs in the movie. My favourites include “Dekha Ek Khwab” (there is only one part of this song on the album – why it is listed as Part 1 eludes me), “Neela Aasman So Gaya” and “Rang Barse”. I am disappointed that the song “Neeche Paan Ki Dukkan” sung by Amitabh and Shashi Kapoor was not included in the album....I thought that was an awesome rendition by both the stars! If anyone has this, please do share it with me!

My verdict: 5 stars

NB: The Shiv-Hari collaboration has also been responsible for other great music albums of the 1980s and 1990s such as Chandni, Darr, Lamhe, Faasle, Vijay and Sahibaan.

Silsila 1981 : The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum – Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

2. Dekha Ek Khwab Part 1 – Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Chorus

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

3. Neela Aasman So Gaya – Amitabh Bachchan

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

4. Tum Jo Todo Piya – Lata Mangeshkar

Meera Bhajan

Side Two

5. Sar Se Sarke – Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar and Chorus

Lyrics: Hassan Kamal

6. Rang Barse – Amitabh Bachchan and Chorus

Lyrics: Dr Harivansh Rai Bachchan

7. Neela Aasman So Gaya – Lata Mangeshkar

Lyrics: Javed Akhtar

8. Ladki Hai Ya Shola – Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar

Lyrics: Rajinder Krishnan

MUTTERINGS #49: ROSES

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"MY ROSES"

Juliet:

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

Romeo:

[Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

Juliet:

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself.

Romeo

I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo.

From: Romeo and Juliet

By William Shakespeare

MUSIC #75: ANDRE KOSTELANETZ - FIRE AND JEALOUSY 1961 (INSTRUMENTAL)

André Kostelanetz is one of my favourite orchestral composer and conductor.

André Kostelanetz

Born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Kostelanetz escaped in 1922 after the Russian Revolution. He arrived in the United States that year, and in the 1920s, conducted concerts for radio. In the 1930s, he began his own weekly show on CBS, André Kostelanetz Presents.

Kostelanetz was known for arranging and recording light classical music pieces for mass audiences, as well as orchestral versions of songs and Broadway show tunes. He made numerous recordings over the course of his career, which had sales of over 50 million and became staples of beautiful music radio stations. For many years, Kostelanetz also conducted the New York Philharmonic in pops concerts and recordings, in which they were billed as Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra.

André Kostelanetz may be best-known to modern audiences for a series of easy listening instrumental albums on Columbia Records from the 1940s until 1980. Kostelanetz actually started making this music before there was a genre called "easy listening". He continued until after some of his contemporaries, including Mantovani, had stopped recording. His music sold over 50 million copies!

Outside the United States, one of his best known works was an orchestral arrangement of the tune "With a Song in my Heart", which was the signature tune of a long-running BBC radio program, at first called Forces Favourites, then Family Favourites, and finally Two Way Family Favourites.

Kostelanetz's last concert was A Night in Old Vienna with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at that city's War Memorial Opera House on December 31, 1979.

He died in Haiti on January 13, 1980, aged 78.

If you like Spanish and flamenco style music, you will love “Fire and Jealousy”. I give this album 4.5 stars and my favourites include Jalousie, Malaguena, Ritual Dance of Fire and Bolero.

Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra - Fire and Jealousy (1961)

Side One

1. Jalousie (Jealousy)

2. Cielito Lindo

3. Malaguena

4. Cordoba (From Cantos De Espana)

5. Adios

6. Spanish Dance No 1 (From La Vida Breve)

Side Two

1. Ritual Dance Of Fire (From El Amor Brujo)

2. Caminito

3. Bolero

MUTTERINGS #48: COCKATOOS

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"YELLOW CRESTED COCKATOOS"

WHITE COCKATOOS

Now the autumn maize is growing,

Now the corn-cob fills,

Where the Little River flowing

Winds among the hills.

Over mountain peaks outlying

Clear against the blue

Comes a scout in silence flying,

One white cockatoo.

Back he goes to where the meeting

Waits among the trees.

Says, "The corn is fit for eating;

Hurry, if you please."

Skirmishers, their line extendiing,

Shout the joyful news;

Down they drop like snow descending,

Clouds of cockatoos.

At their husking competition

Hear them screech and yell.

On a gum tree's high position

Sits a sentinel.

Soon the boss goes boundary riding;

But the wise old bird,

Mute among the branches hiding,

Never says a word.

Then you hear the strident squalling:

"Here's the boss's son,

Through the garden bushes crawling,

Crawling with a gun.

May the shiny cactus bristles

Fill his soul with woe;

May his knees get full of thistles.

Brothers, let us go."

Old Black Harry sees them going,

Sketches Nature's plan:

"That one cocky too much knowing,

All same Chinaman.

One eye shut and one eye winkin' --

Never shut the two;

Chinaman go dead, me thinkin',

Jump up cockatoo."

Andrew Barton ('Banjo') Paterson
Australian Poet 1864 - 1941

MUSIC #74: EK CHADAR MAILI SI 1986 (HINDI OST)

Ek Chadar Maili Si (The Blanket Is Sullied) is a dramatic movie directed by Sukhwant Dhadda and adapted from the novella of the same title written by Rajinder Singh Bedi.

It depicts the tale of Rano (Hema Malini), who after the death of her husband Triloka (played by Kulbhushan Kharbanda) is forced to ‘marry’ her brother-in-law Mangal (Rishi Kapoor) who is 10 years younger than her and whom she treats as a son. The ceremony of “chadar dhalna” takes place, where a blanket is erected between the widow Bano and her brother-in-law Mangal and then removed to signify that Mangal is now her husband (although Mangal is in love with Raaji, played by Poonam Dhillon) and will take on the responsibilities of his deceased brother Triloka.

 It is therefore no surprise that following the theme of the movie, the music of Ek Chadar Maili Si is intense and dramatic. It is composed by Anu Malik with lyrics by Makhan Singh, Sudarshan Fakir, Farooq Qaiser and Sardar Panchi.

My verdict: 4 stars

PS: For an in depth review of this movie, check out this posting at PICTURESQUE.

 Ek Chadar Maili Si 1986: The Original Soundtrack

 Side One

1. Mata Rani De Darbar – Dilraj Kaur and Chorus
2. Is Duniya Mein Aurat Kya Hai – Asha Bhosle
3. Mar Gayee Mar Gayee 1 – Asha Bhosle and Gurcharan Kaur Bagan

Side Two

1. Maa O Maa Sherewaliye – Mohd Aziz and Chorus
2. Log To Mandir Masjid Jayen – Asha Bhosle and Shabbir Kumar
3. Mar Gayee Mar Gayee 2 – Asha Bhosle and Gurcharan Kaur Bagan

 

MUTTERINGS #47: ROSELLA

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"ROSELLA IN PLUM BLOSSOM"

ROSELLA

Rosella bursts out of the tree like a flower.

I want to live in that time spiral.

You don’t even know you’re alive:

the sap flowing through your veins’

deathless insight.

These jasmines overhead,

flying by my wooden home.

~ Paul Magee

MUTTERINGS #46: TREES

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"TREES OF REMEMBRANCE - AUST. WAR MEMORIAL"

TREE

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

~ Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918)

MUSIC #73: GOOD MORNING VIETNAM 1987 (ENGLISH OST)

The movie Good Morning Vietnam was directed by Barry Levinson and depicts the real life antics of Armed Forces Radio disc jockey Adrian Cronauer, played by comedian Robin Williams. The script was written by Mitch Markowitz, however, most of the humour in the film was improvised by Robin Williams during filming. Although nominated for both the Oscar and Golden Globe for his role (justifiably so), Robin only took home the Golden Globe award for his efforts.

If you are into the late 1960’s and early 1970s pop era, this is the soundtrack for you. Although around 30 songs were used in the film (see chart listing below), only 12 songs were released as a soundtrack. I would have thought that seeing the success of the first soundtrack and that of Dirty Dancing in the same year, Festival Records would have released a second soundtrack to Good Morning Vietnam. I know I would...but hey, what would I know.

The soundtrack went platinum in the US and made it to #10 on the The Billboard 200 Albums Chart and #1 on the Australian Kent Music Report Albums Chart. The Louis Armstrong song, “What a Wonderful World” was released as a single and became a top 40 hit twenty years after its original release.

Source: Wikipedia

My verdict: 5 stars

Good Morning Vietnam 1987 – The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Nowhere to Run – Robin Williams/Martha Reeves and The Vandellas

2. I Get Around – The Beach Boys

3. Game of Love – Wayne Fontana and The Mindbenders

4. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Sugar and Spice – Robin Williams/The Searchers

5. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Liar, Liar – Robin Williams/The Castaways

6. The Warmth of the Sun – The Beach Boys

Side Two

1. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/I Got You (I Feel Good) – Robin Williams/James Brown

2. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Baby, Please Don't Go – Robin Williams/Them

3. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/Danger! Heartbreak Dead Ahead – Robin Williams/The Marvelletes

4. Five O'Clock World – The Vogue

5. California Sun – The Rivieras

6. Adrian Cronauer (Dialogue)/What a Wonderful World – Robin Williams/Louis Armstrong

MUSIC #72: TERE GHAR KE SAMNE 1963 (HINDI OST)

Tere Ghar Ke Samne (In Front Of Your House) was a hit movie and hit soundtrack of 1963. It was directed and written by Vijay Anand and starred his brother, producer and 1960’s heart throb Dev Anand, the beautiful Nutan, Rajindernath and veteran Om Prakash.

 The soundtrack is by legendary composer Sachin Dev Burman with lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri. The hit songs from this movie include Ek Ghar Banaunga, Tu Kahan Ye Bata and Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukara...which are my favourites and I would add Dil Ki Manzil to the equation too.

My verdict: 4.5 stars

Tere Ghar Ke Samne 1963: The Original Soundtrack

Side One

1. Ek Ghar Banaunga – Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi
2. Yeh Tanhai Haere Hae –Lata Mangeshkar
3. Dil Ki Manzil – Asha Bhosle and Chorus
4. Tu Kahan Ye Bata – Mohd Rafi

Side Two

1. Soon Le Tu Dil Ki Sada – Mohd Rafi
2. Dekho Rooth Na Karo– Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi
3. Dil Ka Bhanwar Kare Pukara – Mohd Rafi

 

MUTTERINGS #45: IN THE NAME OF LOVE...

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
GALAHS - "LOVE ON LINE"
Thanks LW for the caption!

Check out this news article from NineMsn.

A public servant in Canberra is facing disciplinary action after he emailed the entire immigration department to track down a girl he met at a party. Apparently this girl left such an impression on Steve Tucker. Poor Steve is now facing disciplinary action for the e-mail

Call me a romantic...well I am...but I think Steve should be applauded instead of disciplined...the fact that the poor man still went ahead and sent an e-mail, knowing very well that he would be in trouble for breaching work Internet protocols.... and not forgetting that he would be rubbished for the rest of his life, from his mates for his gesture! Sigh, things you only read in M&B and see in Bollywood movies.

Then comes the bureaucrat to meddle in the matters of the heart. Cut the boy some slack, I say.

What do you think?

MUTTERINGS #44: TUMULTUOUS...

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"TUMULTOUS"

"Nothing is more beautiful than the love,

 That has weathered the storms of life.

The love of the young for the young,

That is the beginning of life.

But the love of the old for the old,

That is the beginning of things longer."

~ Jerome K Jerome ~

MUTTERINGS #43: APOCALYPSE NOW?

By Veen
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ11
"BLACK HAWKS OVER WODEN VALLEY"

APOCALYPSE NOW?

Remembrance Day 11.11.2010