Kajagoogoo Exclusive – Ooh to be……Nick Beggs’ Jacket!
Very occasionally, a piece of merchandise comes your way that is so exciting that you cannot believe your good fortune in being in ‘the right place at the right time’. Today, KajaFax is proud to present the spoils of one such moment.
The internet is a magical thing; it brings together people that, under other circumstances, would never have met. One such chance virtual meeting a couple of months ago resulted in this unexpected find – a true piece of memorabilia and an important item of band history.
The story harks back to 1983 and a song championed by DJ and music historian Paul Gambaccini – namely Ooh to be Ah. Regular readers will of course remember our previous article about the film shoot for the promotional video for the song, which you can read again here. Unofficial band historian Jez Strode gave KajaFax access to a fantastic gallery at that time, a montage of which can be seen below, accompanied an exclusive live performance of the song recorded live in 2008.
Enjoy that? Ever wonder what happens to all those props and outfits used during the filming? Well, so do we…..
KajaFax does have in its archives a few items relating to the song:
….the 7” test press of the single:
….the promotional ‘in store’ poster:
and…..something else…..
Take a look at this video of the band on Top of the Pops back in 1983:
A superb single? We think so. Certainly one that cemented the band as one of Britain’s biggest chart acts. Now….look at the below photograph:
As we said earlier, what happens to all those props and outfits?
Most of them have probably been destroyed, but we can explain the whereabouts of one such item!
May we present…..this jacket, as worn by Nick Beggs in the pop promo video for Ooh to be Ah. A pale turquoise/blue colour, the jacket is leather and is in incredibly good condition.
Previous owner and Kajafan ‘Susan’ continues the story:
“Nick gave the jacket to a former colleague of mine called Donna. In the 80s, she temped as a receptionist in London and did a stint at a record company. She adored Nick and used the time to follow him all over. Her story is that she simply pestered him to death until he gave her the jacket….there is a small gold coloured item in the pocket (wrapped in tissue). I feel sure this is one of his hair beads although I can’t say for definite.”
A real treasure and another important part of the group’s history.
As for the contents of the pocket……well, make up your own mind. Is it one of the Beggion’s hair beads? Whatever it is has been carefully wrapped in tissue and kept in the pocket all these years…..
Steve and I send a huge thanks to Susan for parting with her beloved jacket and thus enabling us to bring it to you the KajaFax readers. We would also like to thank ‘Limahlette‘ for the fantastic tour scarf also featured 🙂
Does that make you want to go back in time to 1983?
Well, courtesy of Kajagoogoo frontman Limahl you can! Limahl’s current single, 1983, is still available from the below digital retailers. Click on your store of choice to be taken to their website and buy your copy!
Six mixes for £1.99 is a great price – please support Limahl and buy your copy of 1983 today.
2012 KajaFax
Limahl – ‘1983’ Single Update
It has been a while since our last Limahl update, but today he have some terrific news for KajaFax readers. Limahl’s current single, 1983 has begun to make headway in the United States and is currently sat at #7 on the airplay chart of Chicago based station Radio Crème Brûlée.
This is a fantastic achievement and our congratulations go to Limahl on this incredible top ten placing!
Don’t live in America? Not a problem. You can listen to the station via Live365 here.
You may wish to bookmark the station as they have a Limahl exclusive coming your way soon… keep checking http://www.radiocremebrulee.com/ for more on that one….
Limahl fans have more to look forward to in April when ‘Awesome magazine’ run a Limahl feature that promises to contain great photos and a fantastic interview.
Awesome magazine can be obtained here
Moving on to live performance, and for those of you who live for the moment, don’t forget that you can watch our man LIVE on stage tonight at the Skyline Pavilion in Bognor Regis, details of which can be found here, although you will have to book quickly!
And finally, don’t forget that Limahl’s current single, 1983, is still available from the below digital retailers. Click on your store of choice to be taken to their website and buy your copy!
Six mixes for £1.99 is a great price – why not support Limahl and buy your copy today?
Shouldn’t Do That – Test Pressing 12” Single
At KajaFax, we take great pride in bringing you the best in Kajagoogoo collectible vinyl. Today, we feature this lovely 12″ test pressing of the band’s 1985 hit, ‘Shouldn’t Do That’.
Featuring the Chainsaw Party Mix on it’s A side; the single was released by EMI Parlophone in August 1985 in this stunning custom die cut sleeve.
It is unusual to see a test press single in something other than a generic outer cover; this one is simple but striking!
Shouldn’t Do That was released on August 26th 1985, and was the lead single from the third Kaja long player ‘Crazy People’s Right to Speak’ that hit the shops on September 30th of that same year. As all fans know, the single was to be the bands last until the release of Rocket Boy in 2007.
To round off this short feature we present the Shouldn’t Do That promotional video. Enjoy!
Bloggers Choice Awards Double Winners 2011
Bloggers Choice Awards Double Winners 2011
KajaFax was born out of our love for the music and that is the main reason why we do what we do. Any external recognition is however, always welcome and very exciting!
The Bloggers Choice Awards for 2011 have only just been closed off and we are delighted to announce that we have won not one, but two awards!!
BEST POP CULTURE BLOG
BEST ENTERTAINMENT BLOG
Our main interest was the Pop Culture Blog category and this was a very hard fought battle all year with KajaFax winning by five votes!
We were stunned to see we’d also taken the Entertainment Blog category.
The awards are voted for by fellow bloggers and fans of the site so we are extremely grateful for all your support throughout the year in voting for us.
For a list of all the winners:
http://bloggerschoiceawards.com/#winners
So you’re now reading the multi award winning KajaFax!!
2012 KajaFax
BBC Transcription Disc – The White Feathers Tour 1983
Regular readers of KajaFax may remember our article about the ‘Islands’ BBC transcription album; a full soundboard quality show from the 1984 Islands tour, recorded in London. If you missed that article, you can read it here.
Today, we bring you a similar article from 1983, with this rare copy of a BBC Transcription album from the White Feathers tour. Broadcast on BBC Radio 1 in 1983, these transcription discs are pressed on a very limited run (usually no more than a few dozen) and issued to BBC regional stations up and down the country on a five year license, at which point they are, we presume, recalled and subsequently destroyed. KajaFax has in its archive this copy, which has evaded the BBC’s clutches since December 1987!
Produced for broadcasting purposes only, the disc contains an introduction by Radio 1 DJ Richard Skinner, which we have digitised from the original vinyl and made available:
The source of many bootleg albums back in the day, inferior quality audio can be heard on bootleg albums ‘Over the Top’ and ‘Kajagoogoo Live’ (click on the hyperlinks to see previous KajaFax articles on these bootleg albums)
The ‘Over the Top’ bootleg was issued as a very attractive double album, but unfortunately the audio content was substandard….. still a lovely item to own though!
These live albums are a true piece of ‘Goo history and a great opportunity to own full soundboard quality recordings of the band live on stage.
The track listing of this album is:
Introduction by Richard Skinner
Kajagoogoo
Interview Rooms
This Car is Fast
Monochromatic
Hang on Now
Magician Man
Take Another View
Ooh to be Ah
Over The Top
White Feathers
Frayo
Ergonomics
Too Shy
Lies and Promises
As far as we are aware, the only known audio recordings of the White Feathers Tour are this ‘BBC Transcription’ album, and the (also soundboard) PMI/EMI recording of the following night’s show, also in London, as used on the White Feathers Tour video. Bootleg audio is in circulation of this show, containing full uncompressed PCM 16-bit/44.1 kHz audio taken from the LaserDisc edition of the release.
KajaFax advises you to grab them when and where you can! Audio from the featured BBC album can be purchased in lossy mp3 form here.
If the sounds of 1983 make you want to go right back in time to 1983, why not purchase your digital copy of Limahl’s new single entitled 1983?
The single is out now on iTunes and all other digital retailers.
Limahl – Look-In Magazine June 1986
Look-In magazine was a British children’s magazine that was in publication in the UK from 1971 until 1994. Today, KajaFax brings you scanned images from an edition first issued in June 1986.
Here, Limahl is interviewed about amongst other things, the forthcoming release of his then new single Love in Your Eyes.
**Click on the below to open a large sized image on your browser page**
He is also featured in the centre spread fold out poster.
Don’t forget that Limahl’s current single, 1983, is still available from the below digital retailers. Click on your store of choice to be taken to their website and buy your copy!
Six mixes for £1.99 is a great price!
…and those of you who have not yet ordered your Don’t Suppose CD album, you can do so here
Steve Hackett feat. Nick Beggs & the Steve Hackett Band: ‘Out of the Ferry`s Mouth’ Live in Scotland 19th November 2009
Steve Hackett – Out of the Ferry’s Mouth
Today, KajaFax brings you live video footage of the first order!
Recorded live in 2009 and released to the Members of the Genesis Movement shortly after, ‘Out of the Ferry’s Mouth’ is an ‘artist approved film’ that was then made into a fan made concert DVD release, free for all to enjoy. A huge debt of gratitude goes out to Richard Coppola for helping today’s post turn into a reality.
On November 19th of that year, the Steve Hackett Band performed at the Ferry in Glasgow. The Ferry is an unusual music venue as is actually a boat, previously known as the Renfrew Ferry, which shuttled passengers from the Renfrew side of the River Clyde to the Clydebank side. It ‘retired’ in 1989 and subsequently became a music venue.
The Ferry is an extraordinary venue, not just on the outside but on the inside too, containing both a downstairs level and an upper floor with a glass balcony looking down over the stage. It was from that upper tier that this multi-cam film was shot.
No act of plagiarism would be complete without giving the appropriate credit, so KajaFax would like to say a HUGE thank you to the guys that made this project possible, who are:
Multi-Cam Filming and Footage: Richard Coppola & Dave Walker
Audio: Ben Fenner and Richard Coppola
Audio Mastering: Tom for TM Productions
DVD Authoring and Cover: Willem Beens
A EPPING FOREST PRODUCTION
The Band*:
Steve Hackett – guitars, vocals
Nick Beggs – bass, chapman stick, vocals
Amanda Lehmann – guitar, vocals
Rob Townsend – clarinet, saxophone, flute, reeds
Roger King – keyboards
Gary O’ Toole – drums, vocals
*click on the above KajaLinks to be directed to the artists personal sites where available
Special thanks to Steve Hackett and Jo (for permission to film) and particularly Brian Coles (management).
Thanks also to the management of ‘The Ferry’, for allowing the filming.
And so we come to the main feature. Sit back, select the ‘full screen’ option on the YouTube link, and enjoy the show!
2012 KajaFax
Stuart Croxford Neale Video Performances
Stuart Croxford Neale Video Performances
Leading on from our interview post of yesterday and in our role of sharing all band member projects, today we bring you some fantastic footage of Stuart Croxford Neale performing live.
Many fans will not know that Stuart is a religious man and likes to use his musical talents to express this as part of the Lisburn City Elim Worship Team.
It gives us great pleasure to share these videos with you today. Stuart is usually to be found at the back behind the keyboards but not here. These videos feature Stuart singing and also playing guitar, a real insight into just how talented and versatile he is.
Please note that KajaFax is not sharing these videos with you in any religious nature, purely to showcase the talents and work of Stuart Croxford Neale.
It’s a great treat to see this footage of Stuart, this is of course a very different setting to hammering the KajaGooGoo keys!
Credit is given to YouTube user LisburnCityElim for the video content.
2012 KajaFax
Since we first went online in 2010, KajaFax has strived to bring you the best and most comprehensive coverage of all aspects of Kajagoogoo’s career. There is however one band member that for one reason or another we have never really managed to feature, and both Steve and I have always felt incredibly guilty about it!
In an attempt to rectify this, we are proud to present highlights of an interview given to the ‘New Roxette’ magazine by ‘Goo keyboards wizard and all round nice chap Stuart Croxford Neale.
How do you all feel about being back in Kajagoogoo once again?
It’s been a personally rewarding and fulfilling experience. It’s like being whole again, and even to the point like we never were apart. In the end it has made so much sense to do this. Yes you get all the clichés about bands reforming or “cashing in” for a commercial project, but in addition to those reasons, we genuinely have got so much out of being the 5 piece band we once were on many levels. For instance, the live production of songs from “White Feathers”, “Islands” and “Crazy Peoples Right To Speak”, plus Limahl songs from his successful solo career has been stepping back in time – we even had to learn the parts again, re-create the sounds, re-work the vocal harmonies – all culminating in our 90 minute live show. This same show was really well received on our recent German dates so now has been stress tested ready for many more dates…we hope! I believe a true test of a band that is destined to survive is when they can continue to sit in the same room and create music in the same way for which they first became famous. This is what has happened since we reformed. Not immediately though as the first priority was to cement the live set ready for gigs. We then inserted a 4-day writing session – in fact it was just 4 evenings – to create what was the nucleus of 4 brand new Kajagoogoo songs. Ideas came thick and fast with the same spark and chemistry flowing through us all.
Everyone contributed, and a new 4 track EP was born – “Death Defying Headlines”.
In 2004, VH1’s Bands Reunited managed to bring everyone together for the TV programme. Was this the defining moment that reconnected the band, and ‘planted the seed’ that a reunion would be a great idea and opportunity, for not just the fans, but for the band members as well?
Absolutely, yes. Whilst after the VH1 show there still was some distance to cover regarding the commercial agreements etc, we certainly knew that there was a golden opportunity presenting itself to us. It actually took a further 5 years before it happened!
Please tell our readers (in brief) what else you’ve all been doing over the past 25 years when Kajagoogoo ended, for those that don’t know.
25 years in one paragraph….not easy. Well basically I came out of the music industry after several years following the Kajagoogoo split in around 1986/87. Some musical projects a solo album, and various projects with other artists. I ultimately moved into OCR/ICR software (ReadSoft) in 1992 and in Nov 2008 moved to a new company TIS in the same industry. Music has stayed close to my heart and I have continued to work in bands outside of my IT position, having worked with Steve Askew in a band on a part time basis for nearly 20 years.
Have you any/many fond memories of Aylesbury and/or performing at Friars in the early 80’s?
Oh yes, Friars was a regular venue for me and my circle of friends in the mid to late 70’s. I saw people like John Otway, Hawkwind and Budgie to name but a few. I loved the gig – even if the sound was rather unusual (it had certain places in the auditorium where it “phased” and sounded hollow). Probably the building shape I guess. That whole vibe reminds me of the Hunt hotel in Leighton Buzzard which was promoted by Chris France and bands like Caught in the Act with their guitarist ‘Dusty’. Heady days but they really influenced my musical upbringing. We did of course have a great gig at Friars ourselves when we supported Fashion on their UK tour, and again I think with Howard Jones supporting us…(I may be wrong there). Anyway, I remember our families and friends from Leighton Buzzard coming along.
What are your current plans?
My ambition is for Kajagoogoo to be working more frequently with the hope of going to the States and Japan.
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A huge thanks to the ‘New Roxette’ magazine for giving their kind permission for KajaFax to publish this interview.
As some KajaFax readers may be aware, the ‘New Roxette’ and ‘Aylesbury Showcase’ have an upcoming gig on July 21st and 22nd called ‘The Aylesbury Festival Weekender‘. The ‘weekender’ is the 5th consecutive FREE annual music festival and will be held in the middle of Aylesbury Town Centre between 11am and 4pm.
Please show your support for this great event – sure to be both a fun day of great music!
More details can be found here:
http://www.aylesburyshowcase.com/
here:
http://www.lemonrock.com/aylesburyfestival
and here:
http://www.facebook.com/events/100865633372890/
It’s sure to be a great day! Put a note in your diary!
If Stuart is your favourite member of the ‘Goo, why not subscribe to KajaFax? We have more great Stuart news to bring you within the next few days, when we will be showing him in a musical role that may surprise you…..
2012 KajaFax
Luigi Sinis: Artist
Today, KajaFax moves away from a ‘traditional’ type ‘Goo post to feature something more avant-garde in the form of artwork by Italian artist Luigi Sinis.
Born in 1971, Luigi Sinis graduated from art school in Salemo, south-western Italy, in the late 1980’s. During his early career, Luigi provided artwork for a wide range of clients, ranging from Masters of the Universe to cult magazines Spatter & Mostri. Sinis has lent his considerable talent to many other publications, and in 1992 he famously published the ‘History of Comic Art’. He also worked for the Milan based Sergio Bonelli Editore, providing stunning visuals for numerous editions of comic-horror publication Dylan Dog, published in the 1990s.
Luigi is one of the designers of the Italian comic publication Martin Mystère and, and has also provided illustrations for the cover of magazine GotiKa.
“Why are we featuring an artist on KajaFax?” I hear you say.
Well, Luigi has done this fantastic portrait of Kajagoogoo bass god and Chapman Stick maestro Nick Beggs. With the Beggion in full performance mode, Luigi has captured Nick wonderfully!
Other examples of Luigi’s work in the Rock Star category are featured in this slideshow:
Impressive, I’m sure you agree.
When KajaFax first approached Luigi with a view to writing this article, it was primarily based on his portrait of Nick Beggs, which blew us away. Following on from those initial conversations, KajaFax has commissioned this special portrait of Limahl, created exclusively far KajaFax. A huge thank you goes out to Luigi for this marvelous gift to all KajaFax readers!
To keep a check on Luigi Sinis’ latest work, please bookmark his rather special site:
http://luigisinis.blogspot.com/
Thanks for reading, and thank you Luigi!
kajafax.co.uk 