Soundtrack - Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973)

I was first exposed to the insane joys of Hindi films back in the early '80s, by an Indian neighbor in Rochester, NY, who would invite us over to see well-worn VHS versions of Bollywood classics -

flash forward to 2008, and the A.R. Rahman Slumdog Millionaire phenomenon, sparking a renewed interest in this most eclectic of film/music genres.

So, of course, I dug into films with A.R. Rahman soundtracks - in the 2004 film "Swades", there is a scene of an outdoor film night in a small Indian village - the film playing is "Yaadon Ki Baaraat", which turns out to be one incredible gem of a film and soundtrack. Before A.R. Rahman, there was R.D. Burman, who is responsible for this wonderous mash-up of 60's spy music, surfer guitar, and the gorgeous "playback singer" vocals of Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Kishore Kumar, and the rest.

1. Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar: Lekar Ham Diwana Dil
2. Kishore Kumar & R.D. Burman: Aap Ke Kamre Men
3. Asha Bhosle & Kishore Kumar: O Meri Soni
4. Lata Mangeshkar, Padmini, Shivangi & Chorus: Yaadon Ki Baarat
5. Asha Bholse & Mohd. Rafi: Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne
6. Kishore Kumar & Mohd. Rafi: Yaadon Ki Baarat

Soundtrack - Yaadon Ki Baaraat