Tag: Missionaries Mercenaries and Misfits

In the 1960s and ’70s, India wasn’t a place to buy the latest Western pop music. In the few shops that sold LPs, you might find some Mantovani, the odd Herb Alpert and the TJB, quite a bit of Ventures and always, India’s very own Englebert Humperdink. 
 
The Beatles was rare, as was Deep Purple and The Doors. But amazingly, Simon and Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Waters was readily available and quite popular. Indeed, so precious was Western vinyl in those ancient days that I once made a handy sum selling some old Elvis and Beatles LPs to the management of Allahabad’s coolest dining venue, El Chico. I knew nothing about the music and cared even less. I was a 13 year old cashing in. But the two middle-aged men didn’t even bargain when I offered them the records. They handed over the 25 or 30 rupees I thought they might be worth. An early example of what is now called a “win-win” situation. 
 
But somehow, some way, we young people, did develop an ear for rock ‘n roll, or what we thought qualified as such. I, much later, learned that there were indeed ultra-hip clubs in Delhi, Calcutta and Bombay where not just rock ‘n roll was bashed out by Indian bands, but also some very cool jazz, I was too young at the time to get to such clubs. 
 
Instead, my early learning began during the intervals at Rialto or Picture Palace cinemas in Mussoorie. As the lights came up and the hawkers entered the hall like storm troopers, a scratchy recording of Cliff Richards or the Beatles would fill the room. It would blast  over and over, for the next 20 minutes, while ticket holders relieved themselves, sipped a Fanta or puckered their faces to the taste of mango papad dipped in chili salt. 
 
In eateries like The Tavern (on the Mall) and Kwalitys you could also hear the odd rock song. How our teenage hearts thrilled! It made us American kids feel like we were somehow connecting with the “homeland” even though we had only the vaguest idea of what the States, Australia or England were really like. 
 
Here are five of the most famous Western rock ‘n roll songs that nurtured and inspired an entire generation of Indian (and American expat) boys and girls. 

For what seemed years, this was the song that blasted out of the Rialto cinema in Mussoorie during intermission. We went every Saturday to see a show and soon knew this song by heart. Sir Cliff, of course, like Mr Humperdink, was another native son and thus had pride of place in any rock and roll rotation.

An absolute icon of a song. This suave Santana anthem penetrated the consciousness of India’s urban, West-looking youth, like nothing else. It was almost guaranteed to be heard in every darkened restaurant, bar and coffee shop from Srinagar to Srirangapatnam. 

Someone eventually had a quiet word with the projectionist at the Rialto.  Congratulations was ditched for The Ballad of John and Yoko.  This was then played for the next three years straight. We loved it! “Christ! You know it ain’t easy.” Boy! Lennon was singing for us! 

Like Black Magic Woman, CCR’s first big hit Born on the Bayou touched something in the Indian spirit. It’s heavy, bluesy riff seemed to connect with nothing that Bollywood was producing. Perhaps that is why it caught on.  So influential was this song that an Indian garage band called the X’lents made a cover of it. 

The Ventures were pretty well known in India in the ’60s and ’70s. If you couldn’t identify their name you knew the sound. Their album covers were bright and as the ’70s broke, covered with very beautiful babes in interesting poses. This crisp little number was as big a hit in Hyderabad as it was in Honolulu. 
 
Peace, man!