High (musical group)

This article is about the Indian rock group. For the English rock group, see The High.

High was an Indian rock group from Kolkata, established in 1974.[1] High marks the efflorescence of American pop and rock music in the city and was contemporaneous with rock bands from other metropolitan cities like Calcutta, Bombay, Goa, Darjeeling and Chennai. Some of the notable ones were The Combustibles and The Savages in Bombay, the Fentones in Shillong and the Mustangs in Madras.[2] High performed in the 1970s and 1980s, disbanding in 1990.[3][4] Although their music was heavily influenced by British and American rock acts like the Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers' Band, Pink Floyd and Traffic, it was in terms of their original compositions that the band gained a huge cult following.

The original line-up of the band comprised Dilip Balakrishnan (Rhythm Guitar, keyboards, harmonica and vocals), Nondon Bagchi (Drums), Adi Irani (Lead Guitar) and Lew Hilt (Bass Guitar) with Balakrishnan's lyrics and compositions comprising the bulk of the band's original playlist over the years.[5][6] Dwight Pattison also briefly played in the band.[7]

In addition to songs like 'Monkey Song' and 'Shambhu' that achieved anthem-like status among followers, Balakrishnan and High were unique in that their discography boasted of 3 thematic rock operas – White Knight's Tale (inspired by Lewis Carroll), The Tolkien Suite (based on the poems of JRR Tolkien) and The Winter Planet (about nuclear holocaust).[8]

Although High disbanded with Balakrishnan's death in 1990, the band has retained a cult following over the years. A collection of the band's recordings were released on the Saregama label in 2009.[9]

Nondon Bagchi and Lew Hilt have regrouped periodically with other musicians (Shaukat Ali, Jeff Menezes and others) to bring back the music of High. The band was awarded the 'Rerock Award for Lifetime Contribution to Indian Rock' in 2013.[10]

  1. ^ "A High Point in Indian Rock". redbull.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  2. ^ Scroll Staff (2014-02-06). "Unknown stories and rare sounds of the great Indian bands from the 60s: Part 2". Scroll.in. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  3. ^ ""High... to Dilip": Remembering the granddaddies of Kolkata's rock scene". sunday-guardian.com. Retrieved 2018-01-30.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Return of the Native- Business News". businesstoday.in. 13 October 2009. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  5. ^ "The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Entertainment | The Good Life". The Telegraph. India. Archived from the original on 20 April 2014. Retrieved 2018-01-30.
  6. ^ "Facebook". Retrieved 2024-01-28 – via Facebook.
  7. ^ "Jazz Utsav is back again". The Hindu. 2004-05-18. Retrieved 2018-01-30.[dead link]
  8. ^ Bagchi, Nondon (14 July 1990). "When the Music Died". The Telegraph.[dead link]
  9. ^ High Again - 12 January 2008 Download | High Again - 12 January 2008 Movie Songs Download, retrieved 2024-01-28
  10. ^ Sarkar, Vaaswat (2023-09-28). "Explore The Golden Age of Kolkata Indie Rock With Legendary Drummer Nondon Bagchi". Homegrown. Retrieved 2024-01-28.