"MSV CLUB" - The Discussion Forum of MSVTimes.com

[Ram N Ramakrishnan]

What makes a film song – a hit? Some songs have instant appeal; it catches a particular sense of a listener or a group of listeners and gains popularity. Some songs have greater appeal – great music penetrates the ear and leaves the memory with difficulty. And then there are songs which are eternal hits – those which do not leave the memory, stand the test of time and linger for generations. It is open debate on what made these songs get into such cult status – it may be the tune, the lyrics, the singer, the orchestration, the presentation of the song in the film, the actor's mimes or simply – listener's like minded preferences. When I continue to listen to the eternal hits from the 60s through the three decades a number of composer-singer combinations come into the fore-front. Dwelling a bit deeper I was startled by some facts, specially when I look at the combinations of composer-singer, with a specific metric of measurement:

“The ratio of “Eternal Hit Songs” TO “the total songs composed for the singer by the music director”.

In this I only took published data from the list of songs in a film. I also took a cut-off year from 1960 - when the trend of light music entered a golden era. And when analyzing this measure even more surprises were in store. I didn’t want to draw any conclusions or comparisons between one composer-singer combination vis-a-vis others. I understand that there are several such success combinations. However in this article let me draw your attention on the journey of a very successful combination. The ratio they achieved in a short span of time with a limited number of songs is unprecedented, where almost every number composed became an “eternal hit” – is this MSV-TMS: MSV-PS: MSV-SPB or cross the Vindayas and ask if it is SDB-Rafi: SDB-Kishore: SJ-Rafi: SJ-Mukesh: RDB-Asha or OPN-Rafi. As I said this is not about debating which combination is the best - but reflecting on a journey of the great composer-singer duo of - "MSV (TKR) & P B Sreenivos.".

Presented here is a complete list of all songs composed by MSV (TKR) for PB Sreenivos over the years. My score using the measure betters Don Bradman's cricketing average of 99.99 - what's yours?.

1960-61: 5 songs came about in 2 years. The MSV-TKR duo brought PBS into limelight in “Anbu Manam Kanintha Pinne Acham thevaya” in (Allokoru Veedu). In the magnum opus of tamil celluloid in “Paasa Malar” PBS is declared as the ghost voice of Gemini (replacing the earlier A M Raja) in the song “Yaar Yaar Aval Yaro”. But what possibly makes people remember PBS today belongs to “kalangalil aval vasantham” from the classic “Paava Mannippu”. Look at the 1960-61 songs and go ahead, make your rating.
Alokkoru Veedu :- Anbu Manam kanintha
Mannathi Mannan: -Neeyo Naano
Manapanthal:- Udalakku Uyir Kaaval; Paarthu Paarthu
Paasa Malar :-Yaar Yaar Aval Yaro
Paava Mannippu:- Kalangalil Aval
A great opening and a gradual climb to a steady state belting of hits!

1962 :
This year created rain from this combination. The range goes from soft romantic (thulli thirintha penn onru) to tragic solos ( mayakama kalakama), teasers (kanpadume) to philosophical (manithan enbavan theivamagalam), a first acknowledged male-duet (pon onru kanden) , a brother-sister duet (intha manrathil) and playback for a variety of stars, ………..the results speak for itself - about 24 songs done in this year still breathes life after 47 years! Here is the list:

Bale Pandiya: Aadhi Manithan - Athikai kai Kai
Banda paasam: Idazh Mottu Virinthida
Kathiruntha Kangal: Kanpadume - Thulli thirintha pen onru - Kaatru vanthaal - Valarndha Kalai
Nenjil Or Aalayam: Ninapathellaam
Paatha Kanikkai:Poojaikku Vantha - Kaathal Enbathu ethuvarai
Padithal mattum Poduma: Pon Onru Kanden - Nallavan Enakku thane
Paasam: Paal Vannam - Maalayam Iravum
Policekaran magal:Intha manrathil - Pon Enben - Nilavukku En Mel - Aandonru Ponaal
Sumaithangi: Mambazathu Vandu -Mayakkama kalakkama - Manidan enbavan - Endan Parvayin Kelivikku
Veera Thirumagan: Paadatha Pattellam - Roja Malare

1963
The numbers obviously look less for this year but it doesn’t matter, the score continues! That soulful number in “Yaar Sirithaal Enna” and the very uniquely composed “Ennai Thottu” compensated for the limited editions of this year. And if not that, you have the most complex composition in “Nenjam Marapathillai” – indeed, this heart will never forget these songs as long as it beats!

Idayathil Nee: Odivathu Pol Idai irukkum - Poo Varayum Pongodiye - Yaar Sirithaal Enna
Nenjam marapathillai: Azhagukkum Malarakkum - Nenjam Marapathillai (title song)
Paar Magale Paar: Ennai Thottu - Madura Nagaril thamizh sangam

1964
If you thing 1963 was a miss in terms of numbers, it was made up the next year.. Another 26 songs were composed and they all never missed the mark. If in ‘mullil roja” (sumaithangi) PBS just hummed, he came with all that jazz in “madi mele madi katti”, candle light love in “anubavam pudumai”, rhythmic rhapsody in “naalam naalam thirunalaam”, a child like “chinna chinna kannanukku”, and the love lost woebegone in “kangale kangale, kaathal seivathai vittu vidungal”. The list:

Aaandavan Kattalai:Kannirendum Minna
Kalaikovil: Mullil roja - Naan Unnai Serntha
Karnan: Enna Koduppan - Naani chivandana - Sanginal paal
Kadalikka Neramillai -Maadi Mela Madi Katti - Unga Ponnana Kaigal - Anubavam pudumai -Naalam Naalam
Pachai Vilakku:Kanni Venduma
Server Sundaram:Poga Poga Theriyum
Vazhkai Vazhvatharke: Nenjathil Irupathu Enna - Aathorum manaleduthu
Hello Mr Zamindar: Ilamai Koluvirukkum -Kaathal Nilave -Hello Mr Zamindar how do you do?
Pazhani: Aarodum Mannil
Poojaikku vantha malar: Maiyenthum Vizhiale
Santhi: Vazhnthu Paarka Vendum - Sendoor Murugan
Vazhkai Padagu:Nettru Varai Nee -Chinna Chinna Kannaku -Kangale Kangale
Vennira Aadai: Chitthirame Nilladi -Oruvan Kaadalan

1965 to 1970:
A number of events took place during this half-a-decade which probably diminished the number of songs – questions that come to mind? Did PBS focus more on Kannada? Decline of Gemini as a romantic hero? MGR-Sivaji wave?. All of this didn’t matter as the facts remain that MSV continued to maintain the success ratio with this singer – nothing but hits!

Nee: One day Oneway One boy
Ramu:Nilave ennidam - Pachaimaram onru
Chithi: Santhipoma
Motor Sundaram Pillai: Kathiruntha Kangale
Kumaripenn:Jaav Re Jaao - Neeye Sollu
Kodimalar:Mouname Paarvayal
Ooty varai Uravu:Raja Rajasree Rani
Kuzhanthaikkaaga:Devan Vanthaan
Nil Gavani Kaathali:Engeyo Paartha Mugam
Oru thai makkal:Padinaal Oru Paatu


About 75+ songs composed over a decade and each one of them reaching the annals of Tamil film music - PBS gains an eternal place in the hearts of many and this music director-singer combination is probably unparalleled.

One thing is for sure, that PBS sang many more songs for other composers as “Entha Oor Enbavane”, “Paarthen Sirithen”, “Inbam Pongum Vennila Veesuthe”, “Thol Kanden”, “Nee Pogum idamellaam”, “Azhagiye Mithilai Nagarathile”, “Iravu Mudinthuvidum”, “Ore Kelvi”, “Thamarai Kannangal” and many more………….. In all probability everyone concluded that it was the MSV(TKR)-PBS combination that produced this hit – such was their magic that will be hard to achieve again......................Ram N Ramakrishnan

Note: I originally wrote this article on Microsoft Word with all my analysis, scores, presented in tables, charts etc. I couldnt post it in its original state. Though the article lost some of its form and gloss the content remains. I request the webmaster for help in enabling these type of features in the site posting...thanks......Ram

[Venugopalan Soundararajan]

Dear Mr RNR,

Nice posting. Strangely, it has coincided with another thread in the forum where we have been discussing PBS' "Thirumbip Paarkiren" on Jaya TV, where he had hardly mentioned anything about MSV or we are wondering whether it was edited out by the channel.

Your list is almost complete, except the following two numbers:

1. "AvaL Parandhu PonaLe" from "Paar MagaLe Paar"
2. "Ennaruge Nee Irundhal" from "Thirudadhe" (as every one knows now, music for "Thurudadhe" was scored by SMS, but for "Ennaruge..." the music was composed by MSV).

Cheers!

Venu Soundar

[Ram N Ramakrishnan]

Venu:

Thanks for the additions - I felt let down when I watched the program too.......in any case that doesnt matter - MSV's score (music) and score (metric) continues at the same level after the additions!

cheers
Ram

[parthavi]

Dear Mr. Ram,

A painstaking and perspicacious analysis. I am surprised to find that PBS has sung only 75 songs for MSV(TKR). It looks as if there were hundreds. That such an impression has been created (at least in my mind!) points to the popularity of these songs. It is amazing that these 75 songs have been around for more than 40 years dominating all realms of film music, notwithstanding the competition from a couple of thousand songs that should have got added during this period. As you have rightly pointed out, PBS has been almost completely identified with MSV (TKR).

There is one song 'Yaarodum Pesak koodaadhu' from Ootti Varai Uravu (the song doesn't find a place in the film but has been lattributed to this film - at least by Radio announcers.) This should be added to your list.

There is another brilliant song from 'Raja Malayasimhan' ('Azhage, amudhe') but, since you have taken 1960 as the cut-off point, this 1958 film song could not be added to your list. But this is also a remarkable number. I think there should have been very few songs of PBS, before 1960.

Thank you for your thought-provoking posting.
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[Ram N Ramakrishnan]

Parthavi/SRS:

Thanks for the additions. I vividly remember watching "Thavaputhalvan" in a "kottai (tent theatre)" in our village, and with a childlike innocence we all laughed at Thikkurisi (?) miming PBS whilst our hero Shivaji took the accolades in that musical competition.

Another justification for the metric - which continues to stand tall still.

best regards
Ram

[ragasuda]

Dear Ram,
Who can forget the song in Kumarip Pen? Javre jaa indha kaattukku nee raaja? What a voice modulation in the song? There are some more in the MSV PBS combo.
e.g. Naan paadiya padalai mannavan kettu - Vaazhkkai Vaazhvadharke
Ethanai ethanai inbamada - Yarukku Sondham, etc.
But anyway, leave the numbers - The ratio of MSV PBS - composed: Hits = 100%.
Raghavendran.
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[Ram N Ramakrishnan]

Hi

"jaav re jaav" as you rightly mentioned is a great voice modulated number - I really cannot forget the Bongo accommpaniment in that song. In a similar note a great "tune" modulation from MSV is from "Nil Gavani Kathali" in "Engeyo paartha mugam", which had completely contrasting introduction when compared to the stanza. MSV-PBS combo always intrigued me with their hits - my continuous hearing actually led me to the posting. Their collection of songs is something I relish everytime I realize I need a "change" to my listening repetoire.

I am really looking forward to the "missing list" from others, anxious to know if there is a change to the final score!

best regards
Ram