Kajagoogoo VH-1

[Kiwi]

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qun_r8qwGU[/media]

This is a fascinating video - regardless of whether you like the band or not. They all seem individually very nice, so how the hell did they end up falling out?

Also - I've decided Nick Beggs must be immortal. Not a line on the mans face after 20 years seems incredible...cliff-esque even. Smooth operator too with Limahl in private...

[ambient]

I saw Nick Beggs with Steven Wilson, he's a really great player.

[bonzodog]

I would imagine this is what happens when a band shoots to fame too quickly without decent management. Sacking the person in the band that got them the most interest seems a very odd thing to do so early in their career. I remember wanting my hair like Limahl the first time I saw him.
Very interesting to watch though and agree that they all seem very likeable guys.

[icastle]

They came not far from where I used to live back in the 80's.

The rumour was that there were issues around religion but, if that was the case, they're older and wiser now and have managed to put those differences behind them.

They weren't my cup of tea (who'd have guessed... ) but they were entertaining and tight.

[gjones]

My best pal had the serious hots for the Kajagoogoo bassist. He was traumatised when I broke the news to him that the bassist was actually a guy not, as he had thought, a girl.

[Dingus]

As someone who was around at the time and remembers those days vividly, the thing that strikes me nowadays about Kajagoogoo is that at the time they were derided as trashy throwaway music for teenage girls , as were many of their contemporaries such as Duran Duran and Culture Club, but history has shown that those bands were in fact highly accomplished musicians making music that would, in part at least, stand the test of time.

Compared to most ( all) of the equivalent acts nowadays, a lot of mainstream pop acts from the early 1980's were incredibly competent players trying to create original music. In the meantime , the music industry has reverted to trying to wring every penny out of its'' most gullible and impressionable audience with the most cynically manufactured acts and artists imaginable , just like it started out doing in the 1950's . It's difficult to imagine a teen band coming along in the present day that could play their instruments and write songs with the kind of artistry that bands like Kajagoogoo obviously had.

I think Nick Beggs is a superb bass player and I have always admired his playing, but his hair is in need of some serious conditioning. It looks like he is colouring ( possibly even bleaching) the living daylights out of it , and it will all end in tears if he doesn't get a deep-penetrating moisturising treatment ( I would recommend avocado and olive oil) in the very near future.

Edited December 23, 2013 by Dingus

[madshadows]

Really enjoyed that, interesting

[Kiwi]

Seems like their management was giving them some bad advice at the time...but it was nice to see them all reconciled.

[Huge Hands]

I have to say I have worked with Chris (Limahl) on several occasions around 10 years ago in a live sound capacity and found him to be very difficult in a "prima donna" kind of way - I know he certainly had a reputation for it.

Just my individual experience of course!

[Dingus]

I remember seeing this documentary when it was first broadcast- must be nearly ten years ago- and were are still doing gigs as Kajagoogoo up to a couple of years ago, I think , , so they must have been getting on O.K , you would presume.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Huge Hands' timestamp='1387812086' post='2316003']
I have to say I have worked with Chris (Limahl) on several occasions around 10 years ago in a live sound capacity and found him to be very difficult in a "prima donna" kind of way - I know he certainly had a reputation for it.

Just my individual experience of course!
[/quote]


Apparently a lot of the problems they had in the early days were to do with Limahl not wanting to perform in public. Too shy , apparently.

I've got my coat on already and I am leaving with my head hung in shame ...

[Kiwi]

lol

He was flat sharing with Paul Gambaccini for a while too - but they were never in a relationship together.
[url="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/ive-had-surgery-to-look-good-for-my-fans-969372"]http://www.dailyreco...-my-fans-969372[/url]

[plumbob]

Not sure about the leather skirt , but Nick seems to be laying it down nicely here on a Stingray !

[media]http://youtu.be/Crn0TY7zztc[/media]

Edited December 23, 2013 by plumbob

[King Tut]

Steve Askew plays bass in a local covers band called Bad Hombre. Went to watch them on Saturday night as I never had a gig.

[Dingus]

[quote name='plumbob' timestamp='1387822785' post='2316152']
Not sure about the leather skirt , but Nick seems to be laying it down nicely here on a Stingray !

[media]http://youtu.be/Crn0TY7zztc[/media]
[/quote]

It takes a very special kind of man to carry off wearing a leather skirt in public.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Kiwi' timestamp='1387812644' post='2316012']
lol

He was flat sharing with Paul Gambaccini for a while too - but they were never in a relationship together.
[url="http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/celebrity/ive-had-surgery-to-look-good-for-my-fans-969372"]http://www.dailyreco...-my-fans-969372[/url]
[/quote]

Flat- sharing with Paul Gambaccini? Hmmm...

Edited December 23, 2013 by Dingus

[discreet]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1387812517' post='2316010']
...a lot of the problems they had in the early days were to do with Limahl not wanting to perform in public. Too shy, apparently.
[/quote]

Bwa Ha Ha Haaaaahhhhh!!!

Edit: And they didn't see eye-to-eye, either.

Edited December 23, 2013 by discreet

[Pentode]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1387807332' post='2315908']
I think Nick Beggs is a superb bass player and I have always admired his playing, but his hair is in need of some serious conditioning. It looks like he is colouring ( possibly even bleaching) the living daylights out of it , and it will all end in tears if he doesn't get a deep-penetrating moisturising treatment ( I would recommend avocado and olive oil) in the very near future.
[/quote]

Nah, his hair was always that colour! We were schoolmates and it was almost white when I knew him in Junior school. I think the first bass he picked up was the no-name pos I was playing when he was the drummer in our band when we were around 13 years old.
Blimey, that was a long time ago.......!!

[paulconnolly]

Saw Nick Beggs with Steve Hackett a couple of times. Yeah not sure about the leather kilt but a great bass player.

[apa]

Saw Beggs in Ellis Beggs and Howard. Excellent player. Not a bad group for the day either.

A

[wombatboter]

Great ! Thanks for sharing, made me feel really good.. best christmas story I've had so far.

[Dingus]

[quote name='Pentode' timestamp='1387830953' post='2316321']
Nah, his hair was always that colour! We were schoolmates and it was almost white when I knew him in Junior school. I think the first bass he picked up was the no-name pos I was playing when he was the drummer in our band when we were around 13 years old.
Blimey, that was a long time ago.......!!
[/quote]

That pretty amazing that you were the man that introduced Nick to the world of bass! For what it's worth, I think Nick Beggs is one of the best British bass players of his generation , and I personally prefer his playing to some other more high-profile bassists ( Mark King) who get much more acclaim.

I know he's a natural blonde , but I'm sure that in Kajagoogoo days and in the present he is getting a bit of "help" to be [i]that[/i] blonde .That's his prerogative of course, but the strain is starting to show. I saw Nick playing with Ellis , Beggs and Howard in the late 1980's and he had reverted to his natural colour and he was blonde but not bleached and he looked much better .

On the subject of Ellis, Beggs and Howard, they were indeed as Apa says, a really good band and they should have had more success than they did.

[Pentode]

[quote name='Dingus' timestamp='1387897360' post='2317014']
That pretty amazing that you were the man that introduced Nick to the world of bass! For what it's worth, I think Nick Beggs is one of the best British bass players of his generation , and I personally prefer his playing to some other more high-profile bassists ( Mark King) who get much more acclaim.

I know he's a natural blonde , but I'm sure that in Kajagoogoo days and in the present he is getting a bit of "help" to be [i]that[/i] blonde .That's his prerogative of course, but the strain is starting to show. I saw Nick playing with Ellis , Beggs and Howard in the late 1980's and he had reverted to his natural colour and he was blonde but not bleached and he looked much better .

On the subject of Ellis, Beggs and Howard, they were indeed as Apa says, a really good band and they should have had more success than they did.
[/quote]

Well I don't know about introducing him to bass but more allowed the opportunity for him to have a go! You could be right about his hair (listen to us babbling on about another guys hair.....!) tbh, I've not seen him for about 35 years!! Always remember him as a really nice guy.

[dmccombe7]

Filled the Steve Hackett slot exceptionally well. Was never a huge fan of that era's music but must admit to admiring his and John Taylor's bass playing and as pointed out earlier far more entertaining than Mark King slap and tickle where he became bigger than the band itself.

Good to see them again.

Dave

Edited December 26, 2013 by dmccombe7