Category Archives: Madras

Categories: India, Madras

The Frustrations Amalgamated from Madras

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Frustrations Amalgamated at the 1972 Simla Beat Contest in Bombay
Frustrations Amalgamated at the 1972 Simla Beat Contest in Bombay

Frustrations Amalgamated flyerPreviously I’ve written about Simla Beat in regards to the 1970 and 1971 contests and the records released at that time. Shyam Sunder Damoda of the Frustrations Amalgamated wrote to me about the group’s participation in the 1972 Simla Beat Contest, and sent the photos seen here.

I was the lead singer from the Frustrations Amalgamated from Madras, which won the All India Simla Beat Contest Award in 1972 at Shanmukhananda Hall, Bombay. We won the Best Group Award, the Best Singer Award and the Best Own Composition Award that year! Jaya Bhaduri gave the awards to us. On winning the Simla Beat Contest we did do a recording at the Royal Gems studio, but nothing came out of it.

Manu (Manohar Roberts, our lead guitarist) is in Chennai and still plays a mean lead guitar and is still in music. Ramji, our drummer was with the Abhaswaram and is in Chennai, still very much into music. Dumbu, our bass guitarist is in the U.S.A. and we are trying to get into contact again. Lawrence, our rhythm guitarist, is in Singapore and I believe, still in music.

I am presently in Bangalore and very much in music. I had a group called the West Wind here but am presently singing with my keyboard accompaniments and MIDIs, along with a good guitarist Dominic.

Shyam Sunder

Frustrations Amalgamated at the Bristol Beat Contest in Madras
Frustrations Amalgamated at the Bristol Beat Contest in Madras
Jaya Bhaduri presents an award at Simla Beat '72
Jaya Bhaduri presents an award at Simla Beat ’72
The Purple Flower from Ahmedabad and the Crimson Fire of Bombay. Vispi was judged best drummer, and Clifford from Crimson Fire voted best lead guitarist. Other groups included the Rolling Beat from Goa, the Gauls from Delhi, and the Living Dead from Gauhati
The article above has additional info about that years contest:
The Purple Flower from Ahmedabad and the Crimson Fire of Bombay were sensational.
The Purple Flower’s drummer Vispi (sp?) was judged best drummer, and Clifford from Crimson Fire voted best lead guitarist.
Other groups included the Rolling Beat from Goa, the Guals (sp?) from Delhi, and the Living Dead from Gauhati.
Categories: EMI, India, Madras

The Mustangs (India)

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Mustangs EMI PS "Love Is Blue", 'Lies", "Nina's Theme" and "Summer Wine"
Mustangs EMI PS “Love Is Blue”, ‘Lies”, “Nina’s Theme” and “Summer Wine”

Joseph C. Pereira, author of Legends of the Golden Venus, will be contributing rare oddities to Garage Hangover from time to time.

I have attached a picture of a band from Madras called Mustangs. Must have been a Mustangs from every country in the world.

I spent time in Chennai visiting second hand book stores and a few shops selling old vinyl, which is where I got this Mustangs single.

The record was released in 1968 I guess because “Love Is Blue” is present. The line up is Derek Norris (sax), Kittu Rufus (lead), Darryl Cordeiro (rhythm), Haroon Mohamed (bass), S. P. Ananth (drums).

The songs are “Love Is Blue”, ‘Lies”, “Nina’s Theme” and “Summer Wine”. The style though is restrained supper club music. Maybe they were told to record in that manner by the record company executives.

Derek Norris looks like a Anglo Indian given his Caucasian features. The rest of the band are Indians and includes a Muslim, a Hindu and two Christians.

Joseph C. Pereira

The Mustangs 1967 single, “Escape”, a cover of the Ventures, written by Danny Hamilton of the T-Bones
Categories: Bangalore, India, Madras

Simla Beat 70: The Confusions from Madras, and the Dinosaurs from Bangalore

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Simla Beat 70, the Confusions and the Dinosaurs
Simla Beat 70 seven-inch with the Confusions and the Dinosaurs

Confusions Simla Beat 70 45, Voice from the Inner SoulFor at least five years, from 1968 to 1972, a cigarette company in India sponsored a nationwide battle-of-the-bands competition.

In 1970 and 1971, the winners went to Calcutta to record for compilations called Simla Beat. One LP was released each year, with no info about the bands other than their hometown. In 1970 Simla Beat also released this 45 with two of the better tracks from that years album, and some florid liner notes on the back of the sleeve:

Simla Beat 70 seven-inch liner notes

When I first read about Simla beat around 2002, some people commented that the recordings must have come from somewhere other than India, or that this was a hoax. However, it is now known that these are authentic Indian bands. It’s true that some groups have a similar sound, though this could be from sharing a studio and perhaps some instruments as well. Also, the bands lean heavily on American rock of the time and show very little British influence.

Dinosaurs Simla Beat 70 45, Sinister PurposeThe Confusions from Madras cut this amazing original, “Voice from the Inner Soul”. It has a tough, heavy sound with a rudimentary beat, sharp bluesy guitar fills, and an organ sound right out of 1966.

I only know one name from the Confusions: Bala Ravi was lead vocalist.

The Dinosaurs, from Bangalore, contribute a fine cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Sinister Purpose”, giving Fogerty writing credit. This one has fine fuzz guitar and gravely vocals. I’d say it surpasses the original!

The Dinosaurs included Terence Michael on drums and Roy Letchu on guitar and vocals. In 1971 they released a single on His Master’s Voice ‎NE. 1012, “Dream Walking Mary” / “It’s A Dog Eat Dog World”, both originals by Letchu, with R.H. Outerbridge contributing the lyrics to “It’s a Dog Eat Dog World”.

My research so far turns up no other information about the groups on these releases. Hopefully people associated with these bands will come forward and fill us in on their stories.

Simla Beat 70 seven-inch back cover