Biddu, or Biddu Appaiah (Kannada: ಬಿದ್ದು ಅಪ್ಪಯ್ಯ) (born 1944), is an Indian-born, England-based music producer, composer, songwriter and singer who produced and composed many hit records worldwide during a career spanning five decades. Considered one of the pioneers of disco, Euro disco, and Indian pop, he has sold millions of records worldwide, and has received Grammy and Ivor Novello awards for his work. He has been ranked at number 34 on NME's "The 50 Greatest Producers Ever" list.Biddu was born in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He began his music career in the 1960s, singing as part of a music band in India before moving to England where he would start his career as a producer. He eventually found some success producing a hit song for Japanese band The Tigers in 1969, scoring the soundtrack for 1972 British film Embassy, and producing several early disco songs that would find a niche audience in British northern soul clubs during the early 1970s.His international breakthrough came in 1974 with "Kung Fu Fighting" performed by Carl Douglas; the song became one of the best-selling singles of all time with eleven million records sold, helped popularise disco music, was the first worldwide disco hit from Britain and Europe, and established Biddu as one of the most prolific dance music producers from outside the United States at the time. He soon began producing his own instrumental albums under the name Biddu Orchestra, which started an orchestral disco trend in Britain and Europe with 1975 hits "Summer of '42" and Blue Eyed Soul; his solo albums eventually sold 40 million copies worldwide. He also launched the careers of other British disco stars such as Tina Charles, helping her sell 36 million records within a few years, and Jimmy James; scored soundtracks for several British films such as The Stud (1978); and produced a hit song for late French singer Claude François. Biddu also experimented with electronic disco and Hi-NRG music from the mid-1970s, and influenced British new wave bands such as The Buggles, founded by two of his former session musicians Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes.Following the decline of disco in the Western world, he later found success in Asia during the 1980s, where he launched the careers of the late Pakistani pop singer Nazia Hassan and her brother Zohaib; he produced their debut album Disco Deewane, which charted in fourteen countries and became the best-selling Asian pop album up until that time, and helped the duo eventually sell 60 million records worldwide. During that decade, he also produced several hit Bollywood soundtracks for films such as Qurbani (1980) as well as several hit songs for Japanese pop idol Akina Nakamori and Chinese pop singer Samantha Lam (林志美). In the 1990s, he popularised Indian pop with the hit album Made in India (1995), which became the best-selling pop album in India and launched the career of Alisha Chinai, after which he would launch the careers of several more Indian pop acts such as Shaan and his sister Sagarika as well as Sonu Nigam. In the 2000s, Biddu has been active in the Western and Indian music scenes producing albums which are more spiritual and Eastern-oriented. He will be rearranging a classical hit for Luke Kenny's untitled thriller film.
International Viewer's Choice Award for MTV India, Mirchi Music Awards for Critics' Choice Album of The Year
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Star
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Fact
1
His songs with Tina Charles were used in the Malaysian TV drama Salam Taj Mahal (2000). It was produced by singer, actor M.Nasir.
2
Disco Deewane by Rabi Peerzada was a cover version of the original song.
3
Pop singer Anamika did a cover version of the song "Disco Deewane".
4
Nazia Hassan's Disco Deewane was sung by "4M" in Arabic as Jnoon El Disco,.
5
"Cumbia Divani" by Grupo Revelacion is a Spanish cover version of the song "Disco Deewane".
6
His songs "Disco Diwane" and "Aao Na Pyar Karen" from the album Disco Diwane was used in the Pakistani movie Sangdil (1982).
7
The Australian band The Bombay Royale were huge fans of Biddu., As a tribute to his Indian disco songs from the 80's, they created the song "Wild Stallion Mountain". The song sounds very similar to Nazia Hassan and Zoheb Hassan's earlier songs.
8
Did a pop album titled "Kismet" with Sonu Nigam in 1998.
9
Did a pop album with the girl band "Models". The album was titled "Jaana Hain Bollywood". This was in 1996.
10
Biddu did a pop album titled "Dil Ki Baaten" this was in 1994.
11
Participated in a swimming marathon for charity with Amitabh Bachchan's niece Namrita Bachchan.
12
Elder sister is National Tennis Champion Dechu Appaiah Moola.
13
Son name is Zak Biddu. Zak was born in 1975.
14
Daughter Zaza Biddu married David Chambers on May 1, 2014.
15
Was a major fan of Joanne Wilson song "Got To Have You".
16
Was roommates with IS Johar's son Anil Johar when he lived in India.
17
Lived in the same neighborhood as Vinod Khanna when he went to college. Vinod was a friend of his.
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Strictly Come Dancing
2014
TV Series writer - 1 episode
Top of the Pops: The Story of 1978
2013
TV Movie documentary writer: "I'll Go Where Your Music Take Me"
One Hit Wonderland
2012
TV Series documentary writer - 2 episodes
Miss Lovely
2012
writer: "Dum Dum Dede"
Any Day Now
2012
writer: "The Stud"
Tosh.0
2011
TV Series music - 1 episode
Shootout at Lokhandwala
2007
music: "Live By The Gun" / performer: "Live By The Gun" / writer: "Live By The Gun"
writer: "The Bitch", "Pour Your Little Heart Out", "I Feel Lucky Tonight", "Dancing on the Edge of a Heartache", "Just Like We Never Said Goodbye" as "Never Say Goodbye"
Top of the Pops
1976-1979
TV Series writer - 11 episodes
Claude François - le film de sa vie
1979
Documentary writer: "Laisse une chance à notre amour Now is the time"
The Stud
1978
music: "Let's Go Disco" / writer: "The Stud", "Fire Down Below", "It's Good", "Almost"