The companies’ collector

-
A spin-doctor like no other, he makes all other collectors look like snotty school kids. Vinod Sonthalia has been collecting records since 1964. His collection consists of more than 24,000 vinyl records from Do Dil to Dil To Pagal Hai. Vinod is such a prolific record collector that he contributes to, rather than collects from, music companies. Though popular among record collectors, this is the first time his collection has been laid bare before the public.
“From 1986-1993 HMV was looking for rare recordings. I took some of the ‘source recordings’ to HMV and recorded them at their studio. In 1996 the company did press a few copies of Dil To Pagal Hai but that was not sufficient. Though the company had plans to release Silsila but it discarded the thought later on,” says Vinod.
Some of the pieces in the collection are extremely rare and possibly the only surviving copies such as Bhoot Bungla (Angel 3AEX 5054), Ram Rajya (Angel EMI 3A EX-5133), Kahin Din Kahin Raat (Angel EMI 3A EX 5192), Dillagi (Angel EMI 3AEX 5091), and Akalmand (Angel EMI 3AEX 5093). But the jewels are the 10-inch LP of Pandit Omkarnath Thakur (Columbia 33EC 3751), Imdad Khan’s Sohni (Gramaphone Concert Record, GC-17364, 1932, one-sided record) and a 78 rpm by one Ratan singing Pahadi and Piloo (Zonophone Record, X-3-102475, 1898).
-- Mathures Paul

Comments

Anonymous said…
I have acopy of Kahin Din kahin Raat, that I bought on Indiavarta.com in 2007 for $1.

I am looking for The original recording of Dil Aur Mohabbat. The songs HMV re-published used the movie print which is not as good.
5:36 am
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The drums of change

-
Image
Anthony LoGerfo has achieved at a young age what most drummers dream of during their lifetime. After working with Gwen Stefani, he is busy recording for Eliana Burki’s next album. Mathures Paul met him backstage Drummers can make concerts a roaring success or be responsible for poor reviews. At a very young age Anthony LoGerfo has set high standards, those demanded by rock stars; he has every element that goes into the making of another Ginger Baker, Brian Blade, Matt Brann or Matt Helders. Anyway, he’s almost there, courtesy Gwen Stefani on whose two albums ~ Love. Angel. Music. Baby. and The Sweet Escape ~ he has drummed like a man possessed by a passion. Not just Stefani, he is also the drummer for renowned Alpine horn player Eliana Burki and Elan Attias of The Wailers. Being part of a group, one tends to get lost while touring and the vocalist steals the limelight. LoGerfo thrilled critics, promising that better music is on the way. His association with Gwen Stefani was purely acci...
Read more

Junior Statesman

-
Image
Who remembers Junior Statesman, India’s first youth magazine that was published by The Statesman newspaper in the 1960s and 70s? The magazine had columns by Zeenat Aman, Jug Suraiya, etc... JS was perhaps Desmond Doig’s biggest contribution – except, perhaps, his sketches of Calcutta -- to the newspaper. Anyway, I’ve several issues of the magazine and I still enjoy reading them.
Read more

The Singer not the song

-
Image
Tony Brent created a splash in the music scene of the 1950s; his songs ring true even today. But the singer’s journey through life is yet to find a chronicler, writes Mathures Paul The saddest part of a show is the overture. What begins must come to an end. And Tony Brent knew this well. For most, it is a forgotten, if not unheard name. He did the disappearing act from music charts many decades ago. But he recorded in a few years what most contemporary singers would record in a few lifetimes. Walkin’ to Missouri, The Game of Love, In My Little Room, Cindy, Oh Cindy, Forever My Darling, Don’t Save Your Love for a Rainy Day... Brent records are classics. After all these years we wonder where he is. What happened after the 1960s? Where did he begin? How did it all end? There are questions galore but answers, none. Not even the best music encyclopedias or Internet search engines will answer your queries. First, the sad news. Tony is no more. He died suddenly in 1993. Re-tracing his family ...
Read more