INDIAN ROCK PIONEERS HIGH CELEBRATE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘WHITE KNIGHT'S TALE'

THE KOLKATA GROUP’S BASSIS LEW HILT AND DRUMMER NONDON BAGCHI REMINISCE ABOUT THE BAND, THE SONGS AS WELL AS THEIR LATE VOCALISTGUITARIST DIL BALAKRISHNA

- DAVID BRITTO

In 1971, then 21-year-old singer-songwriter Dilip Balakrishnan com-posed one of India’s earliest original rock albums titled White Knight’s Tale, inspired by the works of English writer Lewis Carroll. Balakrishnan would go on to form rock outfit High alongside bassist Lew Hilt, drummer Nondon Bagchi and guitarist Adi Irani in 1974. High performed at various concerts over the years gaining a cult following. Although Irani departed the group in 1979 and was replaced with guitarist Subir Chatterjee, the band soldiered on right through till 1990 until Balakrishnan’s untimely death.

While no studio recordings of White Knight’s Tale exist, this year marks 50 years since the conception of the music and the band has put together a record comprising remastered versions of the songs from home archives featuring Balakrishnan and Hilt. In this interview with Rolling Stone India, Hilt and Bagchi talk to us about what it was like being in High, remember their dear friend Balakrishnan and more.

I first want to ask you to take me back to 1974 and tell me about the formation of High and what it was like putting a band together back then?

Bagchi: It wasn’t difficult for High because we had all played together before so we just decided that the four of us would get together. I can’t remember whether Adi Irani was in the very first lineup but I think he was, so he was the only guy we hadn’t played with a lot. But Lew, me and Dilip played a lot together.