Vital Signs: A Personal History

a great piece....

though i agree that the amir zaki fiasco (after the pink floyd concert) was a bit too dramatic, i could even imagine the camera zooming in on each of the vital signs member a dozen times before finally freezing on to an irated face of rohail hayat and turning sepia

this piece in fact is a lot, lot better than the one at wikipedia... i believe that this account of vital signs must immediately replace the one at wikipedia... (on another note, don`t know why the wikipedia article has a mention of NfP though it seems totally irrelevant and out of place, wonder who put that bit in? ........NfP, you attention-seeker)

but a gem of a piece nonetheless... filled in the information gaps i had regarding my favourite band of all time

so sad....makes me cry...my fav song of junaid was ``aankhon ko aankhon ne jo`` and of course ``dil dil pakistan``. I wish he could start singing again!

so sad....makes me cry...my fav song of junaid was ``aankhon ko aankhon ne jo`` and of course ``dil dil pakistan`` (not becuz i m a patriotic person). I wish he could start singing again! but, i don`t like junoon much...

so sad....makes me cry...my fav song of junaid was ``aankhon ko aankhon ne jo`` and of course ``dil dil pakistan`` (not becuz i m a patriotic person). I wish he could start singing again! but, i don`t like junoon much...

#47
NFP did have a falling out with Rohail in `96 which according to the Wiki article was due to him warming upto Salman and Junoon, but by `96 VS were as good as over. :) Whatever, we all know how eventually NFP and Salman too had a falling out in late nineties, so much so that till this day both Ali Azmat and Salman never fail to bad mouth NFP in interviews. Hmmmm ... does this mean this is why NFP makes sure to always give VS so much limelight? Just to bug Salman? :)

The following is copy-pasted from Wilkipedia. It metions VS`s friendship and parting ways with NFP.


Vital Signs (pop band)
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This article is about the band. For other uses, see the term Vital

Vital Signs was Pakistan`s first ever pop band[citation needed] and were given the title of ``pioneers of pop music.``. The original line up consisted of Junaid Jamshed on vocals, Rohail Hyatt on keyboards, Shehzad Hassan on bass and Nusrat Hussain on keyboards as well.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Members
2.1 Rohail Hyatt (Keyboards / Guitars)
2.2 Junaid Jamshed (Vocals)
2.3 Shehzad Hasan (Bass)
3 Discography
4 External links
5 See also



[edit]
History
The band shot to instant fame with their 1987 patriotic song Dil Dil Pakistan. Vital Signs remain the largest selling pop music act in Pakistan.[citation needed] “Dil Dil Pakistan” was voted the 3rd most popular song of all time by BBC World.

Soon after, Nusrat Hussain parted ways with the band to make way for guitarist Salman Ahmad. They released their successful debut album in 1989 along with TV producer Shoaib Mansoor who also wrote the lyrics for the band. In 1990, Salman Ahmad was replaced by guitarist Rizwan-ul-Haq.

After Rizwan-ul-Haq joined the band Vital Signs released Vital Signs 2, the follow up to their debut album in 1991 which was a departure from the band`s rosy imagery and sound. During this time the band befriended leading Pakistani music critic, Nadeem F. Paracha. However, they had a falling in 1996 when Paracha started pushing forward Junoon and his friendship with Salman Ahmad did not go down well with Rohail.

In 1993, Vital Signs began work on their third album in Rohail Hyatt`s studios in Rawalpindi. A few months later they released the album Aitebar, which soon outsold its predecessor, Vital Signs 2. On Aitebar, the Vital Signs returned to the upbeat mood of their first album. After performing a number of concerts, they headed out with director Shoaib Mansoor to film Geetar ‘93, a Pepsi-financed venture featuring videos shot all across Pakistan.

During 1995, Vital Signs began work on their fourth album. Vital Signs asked Assad Ahmed (from Awaz and then Karavan) to play on the new album. The album was titled Hum Tum and was released to critical and commercial acclaim.[citation needed] Producer Rohail Hyatt improved on the moody Pink Floydian sound and production he first attempted on 1991`s Vital Signs 2. The melancholic compositions, dark lyrics and somber vocals on Hum Tum were a far cry from Aitebar`s upbeat tone.

After the release of Hum Tum (album), the band concentrated on their personal projects and Vital Signs drifted away. Junaid Jamshed went on to pursue a career as a solo singer, Shehzad Hasan concentrated on his work as a music producer and Rohail Hyatt formed a production company.

There have been several rumors over the years about the band`s supposed comeback but none of the plans materialized and Hum Tum remains to be Vital Signs` last studio album.

[edit]
Members

Junaid Jamshed
Shehzad Hasan[edit]
Rohail Hyatt (Keyboards / Guitars)
Produced all the Vital Signs albums
Later formed a production house called Pyramid Productions
Composed and produced the number one hit track Jiya Dhadak Jaye sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
[edit]
Junaid Jamshed (Vocals)
Released three solo albums after Vital Signs` fourth album, all produced by Shoaib Mansoor.
Announced that he would not perform or make any more music several times due to his religious commitments but changed his mind several times.
Owner of a successful fashion label in Pakistan.
[edit]
Shehzad Hasan (Bass)
Worked with India`s Pooja Bhatt on her movie Paap.
Produced the critically acclaimed album Sawal by Rushk
[edit]
Discography
Year Studio Albums Label
1989 Vital Signs EMI: Pakistan
1991 Vital Signs 2 EMI: Pakistan
1993 Aitebar EMI: Pakistan
1995 Hum Tum VCI
[edit]
External links
Vital Signs on itsPakistan.net Music
PakistaniMusic.com
Mashhur.com - The `Music 89` Phenomenon
Mashhur.com - The Popularity of `Dil Dil Pakistan`
Pakistani Music
[edit]
See also
Music of Pakistan
List of Pakistani musicians
Retrieved from ``http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vital_Signs_%28pop_band%29``
Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Pakistani musical groups

I only know VS through Dil Dil Pakistan, Goray Rang ka Zamana

and Sanwli Saloni because I consider these songs their best work.

That said, I have always preferred Junoon`s

flavor of music and their social message. On those for me, VS have

often fallen short. Yeh Zamin has some high points but to give

them the top rating in Pakistani Pop/Rock bands is premature.

They were certainly excellent and Pakistan`s first Big Band.


But they do have serious competition from Junoon for that spot.

I have heard both VS and Junoon live on several occasions and

have preferred the latter.


The impact of Nusrat Hussain needs to be studied a bit more here. Both bands that he

was initially involved with turned out to be Pakistan`s biggest successes.

Maybe NFP can elaborate.

And as for Shoaib Mansoor, are there any big bands out there

that have succeeded without him?


Ras

On side note:-
My most favourite song by Junaid Jumshaid......
Tum kehtay ho to pyar hii ho gaa
Jo inkaar laga muj ko , vo izhaar hii ho gaa................

Dear writer
Very interesting article...........
I must admit that I still love Vital Signs almost all songs. I have all their collection of songs. Junaid Jumshed was the heart and soul of the whole band. I had the opportunity of going to their concerts in Islamabad.

Junaid Jumsahid`s voice, style, charisma,composition was/is/will be matchless. God gave him good looks, best voice, excellent talent and charismatic personality. He is a gifted singer..............There is/was/will be no band even close to them in the whole subcontinent.

Thanks for the article.

#31 quit acting like a damn fool. I was just recalling some memories related to the people mentioned from my childhood. I could care less if Mr. Hayat won the nobel prize in physics or flunked it in grade school.

If you don`t think Paracha is hilarious then read this:

`In between the shows, Rohail took the band (along-with Awaz’s Asad Ahmed and Junoon’s Ali Azmat), to see his favorite band Pink Floyd live in London. Rohail had always wanted a guitarist who could sound and play like Floyd’s Dave Gilmore. Now more than ever. But he was shocked when Zaki came out of the concert severely criticizing Gilmour’s playing. This was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.`

hahahahahaha! Let kaka articulate this for you.. Paracha `heard` something about Aamir `criticizing` Gilmore.. which really made Rohail `mad` which resulted in kicking someone out etc.. Do you realize how childish this expose is? Paracha is making sense of his world of Zia > Benazir > pop music > how it affects his world etc.. by relating `insider` gossip and `heard it through the grapevine` and all this got published.

Jang, you are right! can you hear the seventh note ringin` brother.. Here`s a slightly different solo:

guitar2

Re: # 35
Thanks kaka.

Re: # 35

Hehehe....kaka, I`m so sorry....if this is the quality of their musicianship, I sit corrected on my fat ass :))))

This is school band material. I guess I fell for the affectionate tone and the Rush and Pink Floyd ambience. Next time maybe I will exercise my ears before opening my big mouth...lol

Re: # 37
kaka is posting Aamir Jhakki`s solo pieces. Thats not the same as VS,which is more mainstream, if you will.Try VS 2.

Re: # 39

Quote: `` ...the prospect of getting guitar whiz Aamir Zaki became too good an opportunity to let go. Rizwan was quietly siphoned out (he joined Awaz), and in came the moody and temperamental Zaki.``

Guitar whiz my ass. I know (personally) at least three people in my immediate circle of friends that can play better than that crap. Don`t play lead myself, you see.

The timing`s all over the place, the notes are not enunciated enough and don`t get me started on that guitar tone! If this is the guy who replaced the guy who replaced Salman Ahmed, VS got a raw deal.

OK, thanks to some nice chowkies I now have 3 VS/JJ songs (rahul, the Wild World ripoff is called Jana (new))...will give `em a fair listen and get back.

I have never heard Vital Signs except an Urdu ripoff of Wild World sung in a syrupy weak voice by Junaid Jamshed. But I have heard **of** them a lot; seems to me VS is the Pakistani equivalent of Indus Creed, responsible for creating a genre in its own right, touring abroad for the first time, releasing original material, etc. And like the Creed, they did it largely out of love for the music, struggling in a hostile environment that refused to legitimise their existence for a long time. By the time this legitimacy was granted, they were past their prime and headed for different things.

I disagree with kaka. This is a beautifully written piece, almost affectionate at times. NFP has obviously done his research, one only wishes he did his copy editing as well (is it Juniad or Junaid, for example, and is certainly *is* A-Ha, not Aa-ha).

The anecdote about the guitarist being fired for criticising Gilmour`s playing reminded me of those wonderful nights on campus arguing heatedly with those one considered lower down on the scale of musical evolution for holding similar dunderheaded views!

Salman Ahmed in my opinion is a wonderful guitar player. He and Azmat made a wonderful team, and it was sad to hear about Junoon`s break-up. Salman`s follow-up solo album was a big disappointment, the guy can`t sing. Azmat has done some good stuff solo which saw him briefly break into Bollywood as well, hope he keeps it up.

NFP, it`s amazing that VS never made it big on the Indian scene. Nazia & Zoheb were **huge** when I was growing up- my dad used to return home from work half crazy by the ``Aap jaisa koi`` blaring through the loudspeakers of every shopkeeper in Mumbai`s Fort area. Junoon of course was a hit among the college rock-listening crowd. Strings made it big after Duur and especially Dhaani. Fuzon shows promise. Obviosuly not too much of the underground/metal-inflected stuff gets over the border that easy but I heard one instrumental piece by a guy called Faraz anwar which I thought was good.

If anyone will be kind enough to mail me some good VS numbers to my gmail (same handle), would appreciate it. Perhaps then i might enjoy the music as much as I enjoyed reading this piece.

Cheers
Burpy