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Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy (The Golden Era of TFM)

Topic started by Sharma (@ 61.6.38.132) on Tue Dec 10 00:50:43 EST 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

TFM really took a turn with the arrival of this duo to the field. While TFM has been in existence before Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, it is after their debut that TFM really kicked off.

Songs pre-VR suffered an early death even by the 60s, whereas VR songs are most popular even today, some 40 years later.

Added to their success story is the fact that nearly ALL their songs became popular and still remain so. This is no mean achievement with no other MD having ever reached their success rate.

Let us use this thread to recollect, remininse and celebrate this great duo and their contributions to TFM.
Hope to get interesting quips from knowledgeable people like Manisegaran, Sathya Keerthi, Saravanan, Uthaya, OISG etc etc.

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 213.42.1.171) on: Sun Dec 22 01:56:36 EST 2002
  
  OISG- just wanted to add that though the first tamizh film song that KJY sang was 'Neeyum bommai', Bommai was released only in 1964. In the meantime, Konjum Kumari was released in 1963.
  
  
• From: JSreedhar (@ 24.30.132.23) on: Sun Dec 22 02:38:24 EST 2002
  
  OISG, i have "Kunguma pottu kulunguthadi"(Idhu sathiyam). email me...
  
  
• From: rs (@ 203.124.0.246) on: Sun Dec 22 03:14:40 EST 2002
  
  Regarding the VR foray into hindi film music, check these websites for a glowing commentary of their 1956 hindi film, Naya Aaadmi::
  
  http://members.tripod.com/~ATMJH/in4.html (Article 169)
  
  http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2000/sep/02kalyanji.htm
  
  Note that Snehal Oza complimented the 'Laud gaya zamkazamana' song by emphasizing the spell that the tune casts on listeners and the joy experienced whenever he listens to that VR song sung by Latha Mangeshkar and Hemant Kumar.
  
  Regarding another VR number in that film, Jagat Ka Rakhwaala Bhagwaan, sung by Mohd Rafi, he mentions that Rafi has turned this song into a gem, and that everytime he listen to such songs, he believes that Rafi's was the voice created by God to sing such songs!
  
  It is a pity that the VR duo did only two hindi films in their career. As mentioned by a tfmer in this forum, if they had concentrated om hindi films, would tfm had got their golden era?
  
  The VR duo are great!
  
  
  
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ 195.92.67.74) on: Sun Dec 22 08:29:01 EST 2002
  
  If only some knowledgeable could throw light on how the 'V-R' style happened. If not, rest assured that exploring this will be on my agenda when I visit India next. TKR mentioned in an interview that both he and MSV did spend sufficient time about evolving a style of presentation that would be totally different from those of KVM and GR. It would be interesting to consider all movies of MSV-TKR in the chronological order to determine the culmination point of their ideology.
  
  OISG, I was listening to 'thEdi varum deiva sugam' from 'nimirnthu nil' y'day. If there is something called 'out of the box' (including harmonium box :) , composing, this certainly is it. The pallavi sung with variations and the beat, most interesting and unconventional. w.r.t. different tunes for male and female singers in the same duet song, there are far too many to list. Check out 'pachchai kiLi muththucharam' from 'ulagam sutrum vAliban', PS sings 'ponnin niram' differently only to revert to the same line set to the tune of the pallavi sung by TMS. Please email me at sriramlak@hotmail.com
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ 195.92.67.74) on: Sun Dec 22 08:34:46 EST 2002
  
  OISG, true, about 'pOga pOga theriyum'. The second variation expressing a nonchalant, casual observation of the first. Additionally, the pallavi is put through with a few gamakams and then with a shake in the words 'poovin', 'vaasam'.
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Sun Dec 22 09:08:49 EST 2002
  
  Nice to hear from you SL.
  
  I request you to elaborate more on such songs with variations in pallavis and charanams which could throw more light on their style of "osng making".
  
  Even a casual song like "Mella pesungal" from Kaseshan Kadavulada.Listen to the charanams.I can make two songs out of it.(and thanks for the R3,N3 help on Indru vantha intha mayakkam and Kaviya thalaivi song Oru Naal iravu)
  
  I think of you whenever i hear "Unnai enni ennai" from Poojaku vantha malar.What a pallavi that is.I shall try to get the "Nimirthu nil" song soon.But in Pachai kili i feel the charanams are written for the tune... some mild urgency noticed in the presentation of the II charanam.
  
  Unconventional .....In the song "Avalukenna" you distinctly hear a spoon sound inside a stainless steel glass.Same way the sound of stainless steel
  Kudam (even Kumudam mentioned about this in Vinod s cine column) sound in Katrukenna veli(avaragal).
  
  I certainly see a distinct change instyle in the songs of Kalangarai Vilakkam.The violin accompaniement is more western/light in the charanams of "Pon ezhil".I do not see a TKR influence.Also Paartha Gyabagam (Pudhiya Paravai)and Thedinen vanthathu (Ooti varai Uravu)in a span of 18 months the change in style in distinct.
  
  
  
• From: avr (@ 132.216.66.82) on: Sun Dec 22 11:06:46 EST 2002
  
  OISG, SL:
  
  Nice reading your posts again.
  
  For those of you who want to listen to that Naya Aadmi duet sung Lata and Hemant Kumar and composed by VR, here goes:
  
  http://www.indianscreen.com/mp3/NayaAdmi-Hemant&Lata-LautGayaGhamKaZamana.mp3
  
  Enjoy! Its a beautiful song, not pathbreaking exactly but extremely pleasant and "sweet".
  Hindi cinema certainly lost a lot by not having VR as prime-time composers. It could also have done with atleast few more Ilayaraaja film similarly in the 80s.
  
  As a digression, speaking about South Indian music directors in vintage Hindi cinema, atleast 3 more names come to my mind.
  
  1) One is the GREAT Adinarayan Rao who gave Hindi cinema one of its finest raagamaalikas ("kuhu kuhu bole koyaliyaa..." by Lata and Rafi in Suvarnasundari).
  
  2)The second one is Emani Shankar Shastry ( here is one song by him: http://www.sawf.org/audio/sarang/pyarahumara.ram - he also gave superlative music in a Madhubala starrer called Bahut Din Huwe).
  
  3) The third one is R Sudarshanam who is supposed to have worked a lot with Chitragupt.
  
  end digression.
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Sun Dec 22 23:54:18 EST 2002
  
  J shreedhar
  
  Thanx.Yesterday in SUN TV as soon as I reached home the II song in "Then Amudhu" was "Kungumapottu " from "Ethu Sathiyam".I managed to record it.Sorry i forgot to add my email id.
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.229) on: Mon Dec 23 03:12:31 EST 2002
  
  OISG- Are you referring to 'Unnai enni ennai' from Ragasiya Police 115 or 'Unnai oor kondu' from Poojaikku Vantha Malar? Both are good songs, but 'Unnai enni ennai' is simply class!
  
  SL/OISG, one more song - 'Sendumalli poo pol azhagiya pandhu'- in this VJ first sings the lines 'Endrum indha idhayam oruvanukkendru' differently, and then repeats the same lines in the same tune as KJY's pallavi.
  
  As you said there are many such songs.
  
  'Madhanamaaligaiyil'-Rajapart Rangadurai-
  I just love the arrangement where TMS sings in a low pitch, and PS repeats each word (Madhanamaaligaiyil- Mandiramaalaigala- Udhayakaalamvarai-) in a higher pitch, which she prolongs till TMS finishes 'Unnatha leelaigala' and then that lovely 'Anbe anbe--' which fades off.
  
  OISG- what are your comments on the violin in MSV's 'Vaan nila nila alla'?
  
  
• From: Saravanan (@ 195.229.241.234) on: Mon Dec 23 07:35:28 EST 2002
  
  I just thought of one more simply awesome creation of MSV's -'Enakkoru kaadhali irukkindraal, aval ezhu swarangalil sirikkindraal-from the film Muththaana Muththallavo-1976, sung by MSV-SPB.
  
  It is an amazing song, with MSV singing for Thengai, who acts as a Music Director and SPB for Jaiganesh, an aspiring singer. While the vocal duet is enchanting enough, there is a superb violin-piano interlude which is breathtaking.
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ 213.78.64.197) on: Mon Dec 23 08:52:41 EST 2002
  
  OISG, check this out for 'thEdi varum'. Infact, there are 2 versions.
  http://www.swara.com/index3.shtml?string=oldtmsps&index=songage&sortindex=date&page=7&extra=
  Check out on TKR's songs after the split. Those were never like the 'VR' songs in terms of presentation. Interesting, isn't it ? TKR's contribution was to approve MSV's tunes and overall supervision of song execution and in general, embellishments to the composition. We all now know how adept he was at it. I am sure that he supervised the recording of the song too. Another observation, as time progressed into the 70's MSV's tune started becoming heavy with respect to brikas, curves etc (this is not a spanking BTW). Possibly because, during the late 50s, early 60s era the accent was more on making the songs sound 'light'.
  
  Please listen to 'nilavu oru peNNAgi' from U.Su.vA. 3 stanzas with different tunes and the last 2 lines with the same tune in each stanza.
  
  Saravanan, in the same movie 'margazhippaniyil', a SPB solo is a classic. What would have the song done without a Balu ? Would MSV have even thought of this composition in SPB's absence ? Today's composers could create atleast 5 tunes out of that song. Will get back to you with the link.
  
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Mon Dec 23 10:01:40 EST 2002
  
  Sorry!A bit late for the discussion!
  
  Madhana maligayil was actually two different tunes.In the Program "Thirai Thantha Isai" MSV himself told this.One of the onlookers ,during the composing ,suggested this.
  
  Saravanan,I am mentioning about "Unnai Enni Ennai Maranthen" -picturised on Savithri.The pallavi comes from nowhere.It is difficult to take it as the songs beginning ...and that s what pallavi is!
  
  Van Nila -MSV s violin style certainly changed after ths split.As i had mentioned earlier songs like
  Anbulla Mann Vizhiye
  Nilave nee Satchi
  Sollathan ninaikiren
  mella poo mella poo mellidayale(the charanams is quite interesting..starting with"Semmangani" alternate words actually spelt in prose fashion.)
  
  he has used the solo violin to a different & non-traditional effect.Van Nila was the height.I think it was played by one vidwan "T V S Mani"....though Joseph Krishna claimed otherwise.He had a fight with Kunnakudi on this song in the mags.A great song set in Natabhairavi pattern.
  
  Enakkoru kadhali ..the lyricist also has enjoyed and written.SPB sings "Ennudan Vaazhum ennoru jeevan Mellisayagum"-obviously referring to MSV.Margazhipanyil,Manmatha Leelai and "Ninaithu Paarrkiren" -SPB & MSV were clearly attempting path breaking male-low pitched songs.SPB would have freaked out in these songs.
  
  On the gamakas talk about "Kadhal Kadhal endru pesa" & "Mangayril maharani".In Mangayaril the singer and MD would flirt with Bageswari and Abohi.VAni Jayrams classical trained voice allowed MSV to experiment with more gamakas.
  
  SL you had talked about the "Crazy" Charukesi in "Azhagiya TamilmagaL".In MSV s balancing act Mu.Ka.Muthu got his charukesi too in "Moondru Thamizh thondriyathum".
  
  
• From: OISG (@ 193.188.97.152) on: Mon Dec 23 10:08:40 EST 2002
  
  Male-low pitch ...Did i forget the terrific Shanthi "Yaar Antha Nilavu" ?
  
  

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