Hindi Film Instrumental
Instrumental records are the sleeper hits of Indian vinyl. From the 1960s through the 80s, labels released a steady run of LPs where film melodies and classical ragas were handed to a single instrument — veena, violin, accordion, electric Hawaiian guitar — and allowed to speak without words. Some were easy-listening records for the family radiogram; others were serious virtuoso showcases. This collection gathers both, and crate-diggers have learned that this is where some of the strangest and most sampled Indian grooves hide.
Artists in this collection
The veena maestro Chittibabu dominates the shelf — his Musings of a Musician appears here in numerous copies and variants, a measure of how popular that record was in its day. Carnatic violin comes from Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan, whose film-tune adaptations made him a household name in the South, and from Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, including his 1970 duet record with G. Srimathi. Enoch Daniels, India's great film-orchestra accordionist, is here with Eventide Echoes; nadaswaram tradition is represented by Karukurichi P. Arunachalam. Then there is the pure filmi end: Film Hits on Electric Hawaiian Guitar, Instrumental Film Hits, Great Instrumentals, and oddities like Joe Gomes's Journey 77 — the kind of rare groove that never resurfaced after its first pressing.
Why instrumentals matter on vinyl
These LPs came out mostly on HMV and EMI India, with later titles on Polydor and Music India, and they were treated as catalogue filler at the time — which means small pressings, no reissues, and near-total absence from streaming today. For listeners, they are a painless way into Indian music; for DJs and producers, they are sample gold: melodies you know, arrangements you have never heard. Original sleeves, often with wonderfully literal cover art, are half the charm.
Buying from us
Every record is honestly graded, new or used clearly stated, with scans of both sides of the sleeve on each listing — sleeveless copies are flagged in the title. We ship worldwide from India in rigid record mailers, usually within five days of your order.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly counts as a Hindi film instrumental LP?
Two things, broadly: albums of film songs re-recorded on a lead instrument — Hawaiian guitar, accordion, violin — and instrumentalist showcase records that mix ragas with light melodies. Labels marketed both to the same living-room audience, so we keep them together, and the line between filmi and classical is often deliberately blurred on these records.
Why do so many copies of the same title, like Musings of a Musician, exist?
Popular instrumental LPs were repressed across years, sometimes with different sleeve designs or label variants, and they sold steadily to households rather than collectors. That means more surviving copies, but in wildly varying condition — some pampered, some played weekly for a decade. Each of our copies is graded individually, so compare listings before choosing.
Are these records good for sampling and DJing?
Very much so — Indian instrumental LPs are a known quarry for producers, full of breaks, drones and unaccompanied melodic passages. If that is your use, prioritise vinyl condition over sleeve condition, and note that we describe surface wear honestly. A quiet pressing of a common title beats a rare one that crackles.
