70s Disco Queen Asha Puthli on Warhol, Dali, and Influencing Donna Summer

In February 1971, Asha Puthli was at Max’s Kansas City, a New York nightclub, when the DJ played her latest single. It was a cover of Marvin Gaye’s Motown classic “Ain’t That Peculiar,” performed with the Peter Ivers Group. Excited, Andy Warhol, who was sitting with her, asked who would handle the album’s cover art. Puthli had an audacious idea: a man’s zipper opening to reveal the album, housed in a pink inner sleeve resembling a prophylactic.

The album never materialized, but months later, a strikingly similar image appeared on the cover of the Rolling Stones’ album “Sticky Fingers.” The cover, featuring a denim-clad crotch with a prominent zipper, became notorious and was a collaboration between Warhol and Craig Braun. Puthli reflects, “I never thought of the Stones doing music that you can masturbate to. There is no song alluding to a sexual connotation [on that album]. Or did I miss something?”

Now 79, Puthli seems unfazed by Warhol possibly borrowing her idea. She knows the world is finally recognizing her. Born in India, Puthli almost became a huge star in the ’70s, with her sultry jazz-disco fusions predating the glitterball era in the U.S. She performed at Studio 54, mingled with celebrities like Bianca Jagger and Grace Jones, and was even tattooed by Vali Myers. Despite this glamorous milieu, she never achieved household-name status but left a lasting impact.

In the ’90s, Salman Rushdie’s central character in “The Ground Beneath Her Feet” bore striking similarities to her, and hip-hop icons like The Notorious B.I.G. sampled her records. A gold dress she wore on Italian TV seemed to predate Madonna’s iconic Jean Paul Gaultier corset. “I’ve realized getting older, nothing is original any more,” she says. “It’s all part of the collective consciousness.”

We met in London as Puthli was midway through her first major tour in 40 years. Her albums, once collector’s items, have been reissued, showcasing everything from galactic disco to jazz, soul, and glam pop. Her covers, such as JJ Cale’s “Right Down Here,” John Lennon’s “Love,” and George Harrison’s “I Dig Love” from her self-titled 1973 debut, exude sensuousness and cosmic whimsy.

“I sexed it up,” Puthli says of her rendition of “I Dig Love,” which begins with the sound of her “gargling with champagne.” She aimed to blend eastern and western musical influences, inspired by how The Beatles incorporated Indian sitar into their music. “Why can I not be accepted on an equal platform?” she queried.

Born in Mumbai in 1945, Puthli studied opera, Indian classical dance, and singing, particularly the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana closed-throat style. She discovered jazz through Voice of America radio broadcasts. To obtain an Indian passport, she became a flight attendant, a radical move in her traditionally-minded family.

Arriving in New York in 1969 on a dance scholarship, she experienced the cultural explosion of the era. In 1970, with her student visa expiring, she married her first husband and met CBS talent scout John Hammond, who introduced her to saxophonist Ornette Coleman. Puthli recorded with Coleman for his 1972 album “Science Fiction,” winning an award for best female jazz vocalist. However, acceptance in the U.S. was elusive. Coleman warned her, “They want sitars and temple bells, so it’s easy for them to accept you, otherwise it’s going to be difficult.”

Refusing to change her name or sound, Puthli signed with CBS in the UK, frequently appearing on major TV shows. Her track “Space Talk” from 1976’s “The Devil Is Loose,” became a cult hit at NYC parties like David Mancuso’s Loft. “My music has always been underground,” she observes.

Despite limited mainstream success, Puthli influenced many. Her label suspended her when she became pregnant, shortly before disco hit global heights. Puthli suggests that Donna Summer’s producers used her 1973 debut as a reference for Summer’s music, specifically pointing out the parallels when “Love to Love You Baby” was released globally in November 1975.

Keeping a low profile from the mid-’80s onwards, Puthli still captivated music enthusiasts. British DJ Bill Brewster, who featured “Space Talk” in a 2013 compilation, praises the song for its unique blend of genres. In 2009, the song was even transmitted into space to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11’s moon landing.

Puthli’s recent performances, including a triumphant show at Glastonbury, mark a well-deserved renaissance. Anita Rani, a “Woman’s Hour” presenter who attended the Glastonbury performance, found it uplifting to see a south Asian woman finally getting recognition.

Today, Puthli inspires a new generation of south Asian creatives. Raveena named her 2022 album “Asha’s Awakening” after her, and Nadine Shah’s upcoming album draws from Puthli’s sound and style. “I was just being myself,” Puthli comments.

Living in the present, Puthli continues to influence and create. There’s a documentary in the works and a new compilation of her remixes titled “Disco Mystic.” She’s motivated by the visibility of south Asian talent at festivals, stating, “The whole idea of doing this journey … makes it all worthwhile. When I see young people getting recognition, getting the platform … The time is right for them now.”

• Asha Puthli is at Jazz Cafe, London, on 3 August, Bristol Beacon on 9 August, and We Out Here festival, Dorset, on 18 August

Source: The Guardian