Feeling High

Feeling High is a composition by Indian musician Ananda Shankar, released as part of his self-titled debut album in 1970. The track spans 5 minutes and 9 seconds and exemplifies Shankar’s fusion of traditional Indian classical music with Western psychedelic rock and funk elements. Shankar performed the sitar as the lead instrument, accompanied by electric guitars, synthesizers, and a rhythmic section that incorporated tabla and conventional drum kits.

The album Ananda Shankar appeared under the label Reprise Records in the United States and World Pacific Records in other regions. Feeling High emerged as one of the album’s most recognized tracks, characterized by its hypnotic sitar riffs, distorted guitar effects, and a driving bassline. The composition opens with an improvisational sitar passage before transitioning into a groove-oriented arrangement, blending raga-inspired melodies with funk-inflected rhythms.

Shankar collaborated with Western session musicians for the recording, though specific contributor names remain partially undocumented in widely available sources. The track’s production reflected the era’s experimental cross-cultural trends, positioning Shankar as a pioneer in the Indo-Western fusion genre. Feeling High later gained renewed attention through its inclusion in compilations and samples, notably in hip-hop and electronic music productions during the 1990s and 2000s.

The original album release featured a mix of instrumental and vocal tracks, with Feeling High standing out as an instrumental piece. Shankar’s use of the Moog synthesizer alongside traditional Indian instruments marked a distinctive sonic innovation for the period. The track’s structure adheres to a cyclical pattern, emphasizing repetition and gradual intensification, a common technique in both classical Indian music and psychedelic rock.

No official music video or live performance recordings of Feeling High from the 1970 release period are verified in public archives. The album’s liner notes credited Shankar as the primary composer and arranger, with engineering and production assistance from unnamed studio personnel. Subsequent reissues of the album, including those by labels like Finders Keepers Records in the 2010s, preserved the original track in its unaltered form.