In the mid-90s the music scene in India was dominated by Pop music and videos with repeated telecast on both MTV and VTV (the two close competitors), several times a day influencing young music lovers. One of the most popular artists of those times was Bally Sagoo, who had made a grand entry in the world of both pop and remix music with songs such as “Jhoole Jhoole Laal” (Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), “Gurh Nalon Ishq Mitha” (Malkit Singh) and the amazingly famous re-sung version of “Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko” from film YAADON KI BARAAT (1973).
Widely credited as the pioneer of remix revolution in that era of 90s, Bally operated from abroad as an artist of Oriental Star Agencies (Birmingham).
In the same part of the decade, Amitabh Bachchan also launched his audio company BIG B owned by Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited and released an outstanding soundtrack of Shekhar Kapur’s controversial film BANDIT QUEEN that had music by Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan making his debut in an Indian Hindi film as a music director and singer.
Interestingly both Amitabh Bachchan and Bally Saggo joined hands for making a private music album for BIG B music label that soon became the most awaited project after its official announcement. The album finally got released in 1996 titled ABY BABY (with BPL as sponsors printed on the sleeve) and created a great buzz getting some good initial sales due to an entertaining comical video as “Eer Beer Phattey” featuring three school going kids and a comic Amitabh Bachchan as a villager.
The second video was the remix of the famous title track from film KABHIE KABHIE sung by Sadhna Sargam featuring the poetic dialogues in the icon’s baritone voice. It portrayed Amitabh as a sculptor with Shobhana as his model or muse (a National Award winner actress and atrained Bharata Natyam dancer) and the album had a saxophone instrumental version of the song too as its closing track.
The two video songs really worked well in the beginning but the rest couldn’t win over the listeners despite having their own rich literary value. Where two of the remaining tracks were unexciting remixes of
Amitabh’s ‘Mere Angne Mein’ from film
LAAWARIS and
‘Khaike Paan Banaras Wala’ from
DON, the rest two were folk based songs penned by renowned Indian poet and Amitabh’s father
Sh. Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The tracks had catchy compositions and lyrics as
‘Jaavo Laavo Piya Nadiya Se Son Machari’ and
‘Aaj Mehenga Hai Saiyaan Rupaiya Re’ giving the listener a completely different flavour and feel. But they somehow didn’t work and probably would have sounded much better with a more Indianised rhythm as used in the
‘Eer Beer Phattey’ track.
Unfortunately the album remains unavailable in the present market since the company is not operational anymore. But you can still hear its tracks and watch the videos too posted by fans at online portals like Youtube and more remembering that particular era.
ABY BABY stills remains the favourite of many like-minded friends interested in such experimental projects but I honestly just recently came to know that its creative music videos were directed by none other than the veteran director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra in his initial years.
Cheers!
(Note: An edited form of the article also got featured at UC-News Mobile App in October 2017)
Tags :
ABY BABY Amitabh's pop-remix album with Bally Sagoo An overview by Bobby Sing, Indian Pop Remix Album, The era of 90s, The era of music videos MTV and VTV
