Outstanding performance from SB John. Very rare. Lyrics by Fayyaz Hashmi, composed by Master Manzoor Hussain for the 1959 film Savera.
Credit to Anis Shakur for this information, and thanks to Asif bhai for bringing it to my attention.
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S.B. John. Sunny Benjamin John, who is popularly known as S.B. John, was born in 1934. He spend most of his life in Karachi, Pakistan.
Accompanied with his wife and two sons namely Robin and Glenn John, S.B. John used to sing gospel on Christmas Eve, on Pakistani television.
Prominent singers like S.B. John who perform it best could still be heard joyously stretching and bending notes, breaking syllables and bouncing phrases back and forth.
S.B. John started singing on Radio Pakistan Karachi as an A category artist. Side by side he also made his presence felt in various functions and stage shows held in Karachi.
S.B. John also sang Janab Rana Akbar Aabadi Sahabs ghazal, Uray hoash us dar pay janay say pehlay. Sohail Rana composed this ghazal at EMI Pakistan.
Around 1973, S.B. John introduced his son, Robin John, to Sohail Rana and said that he wishes to get his son a keyboard. Since young Robin remembered all his fathers songs. Robin was seven or eight years of age at the time.
Fifteen years later, S.B. John again brought Robin to Sohail Rana. By that time Robin had grown up as a talented singer. Hence, Sohail Rana utilized Robins singing talents in Pakistani television shows, and also in private songs and the film recordings.
Additionally, Robin also toured UAE, Turkey and USA with Sohail Rana and participated in the musical programs.
Nowadays, Robin lives in USA. Hopefully, his parents will join him soon.
Presumably, it never occurred to S.B. John that his name will become synonymous with the song
Tu jo naheen hai to kuchh bhee naheen hai, ye mana keh mehfil jawan hai haseen, the 1959 film Sawera, Music composer, Master Manzoor Hussain, lyrics, Fayyaz Hashmi, pictured on Kamal, Shamim Ara- Kamal played the lead.
Forty-seven-years down the line, this song is as much in demand as if it were recorded yesterday. Alas! To this day, no one could come up with the explanation as to what is so special about this song.
But we dont need a logical explanation. Some things should remain mysterious. The wistful magic of S.B. John is, indeed, one of them.
