When you reach the age of 'getting high on numbers', any small thing can flood you with nostalgia. My way to dam the flood and make it safe to wade happily (remember, I am a non-swimmer) in memories is to 'blog' it!
The other day, there was a story in BabaMail featuring 15 hilarious amateur recreations of famous paintings. One of the originals was the entertainment trademark "His Master's Voice", used on the recording labels and gramophones of 'The Gramophone Company/EMI/HMV'. It featured a dog looking curiously into and seemingly listening to the horn-like speaker of a hand-winding gramophone.
The real-life story behind the logo is heartwarming. There actually was a dog, a little terrier named Nipper, belonging to one Mark Henry Barraud in Bristol, UK. Mark died in 1887 and his brothers, Francis and Philip, took care of Nipper. Apparently, Nipper used to sit in front of a phonograph and listen in wonder to recordings of the voice of Mark which the two brothers used to play for the dog.
The dog died in 1895 and three years later, Francis, an artist, made a painting of Nipper and a phonograph titled "Dog Looking at and Listening to a Phonograph." The painting was offered to various phonograph companies including Edison Bell whose owner famously rejected it saying, "Dogs don't listen to phonographs". Finally, 'The Gramophone Company' in England bought it with the modification that the painting show one of the Company's own disc machines. And so was born 'His Master's Voice'.
The story is special to me as it was through an 'His Master's Voice' gramophone that I was introduced to music. As a child, as soon as I became aware of things around me, I found an HMV gramophone at home and some 78 rpm records. With only my grandparents in the house, I took possession of my finds and learnt to play the machine. Soon music became my passion and no day would go by without my playing a few records.
Starting with the morning, the house would echo with sounds of "Yeh Kaun Aaj Aaya Savere Savere", rumbling and whistles of "Toofan Mail", marching beats of "Praan Chaahe Nein Na Chaahe", hopes of someone visiting with "Aayega Aane Wala", approach of the night with "Yeh Raatein Yeh Mausam" and falling asleep hoping for sweet dreams listening to "Soja Rajkumari, Soja."
Then there were songs to be played on a specific occasion. For example, whenever I got good results in exams, I would come home and play "Aaj Apni Mehnaton Ka Mujhko Samra Mil Gaya".
I lost my father when I was just four but thanks to the love and care of Mummy, my Nana and Nani and my two Mamas, I had a happy childhood. So I loved 'bachpan' songs of which there were plenty. To name a few, I had "Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena", "Bhala Tha Kitna Apna Bachpan", "Kahan Woh Bachpan Ka Pyara Sapna", “Bachpan Ke Din Bhi Kya Din Thay” and "Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Mujhe Bhool Na Jaana".
I used to eagerly look forward to Vinnie Mama's visits who always brought new records whenever he came home on vacation from Allahabad University. Then he joined the Navy and I, St. Xavier's Jaipur and we got interested in English music. Vinnie Mama's first buys were "The Rich Maharajah of Magador", "My Truly Truly Fair", and "Goodnight Irene". Meanwhile, I learnt that English records were available in Delhi at a shop "Marques & Co." in Connaught Circus. We used to visit Delhi quite often and a visit to that shop was always on my schedule. And so I had "Don't Let The Stars Get in Your Eyes", "My Blue Heaven" and "White Christmas" on my fingertips whenever I desired.
With NDA and Navy for me and my grandparents changing houses, the gramophone got lost. I was heartbroken but forever grateful to it for instilling music in my blood.
Thank you for the music, Nipper and 'His Master's Voice'. I shall never forget you.
