Tag Archives: Simla Beat

Categories: Bombay, India, Polydor

The Combustibles “Watch Her” from Bombay, India

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Combustibles Polydor 45 Watch HerThe Combustibles came from Bombay, India, and recorded “Watch Her” / “Some Peace of Mind” in 1970. Vocalist Everett Perry wrote both songs. “Watch Her” has vocals and rhythm that reminds me somewhat of the Velvet Underground. The songs saw release as Polydor 2067 020 in 1971.

Members on the single were Everett Perry on lead vocals, brothers George Taylor on bass and Lionel Taylor on lead guitar, Nissim Ezekiel on rhythm, and Bobby Furtado on drums.

The group participated in the Simla Beat contests in 1968 and 1969 and did well, but unfortunately those years did not see LP releases like the ’70 and ’71 contests. I would like to have heard that band at that stage, as the group had a partly different lineup, which included Christopher Valles on lead guitar and Croyden Maben on drums.

The Combustibles have a great website, www.thecombustiblesband.com with lots of photos and information on the band and the Bombay music scene. I highly recommend taking a look.

Thank you to Jörgen Johansson for providing this copy of the single.

Combustibles Polydor 45 Some Peace of Mind

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: 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