Bands Reunited was an interesting program that Vh1 put together to bring together some of the bands from the past that either broke up due to personal reasons, or for most part, couldn't continue on any longer in the music business, because well, no one wanted to either see them in concert or buy their records or both. My favorite episodes were ABC, The English Beat, Haircut 100, Flock of Seagulls and Kajagoogoo. If you go on Wikipedia, you can actually see which episodes they had and whether or not they actually reunited. I do believe I recorded the episodes with A Flock of Seagulls and Kajagoogoo and still have them on VHS somewhere (my kids tease me about still having a VCR, the nerve right?)
The episode with Kajagoogoo was very good, it had suspense and comedy, tension and bit of disagreement. All the guys looked great still, you can tell they had been taking care of themselves. Everyone got together and started reminiscing and the ultimate question was asked.."WHAT HAPPENED?" I was shocked to find out that Limahl didn't leave, he was fired. Why may you ask? Well I guess the band was headed in a different direction with Limahl as their front man and they weren't too happy about it. (can you say boy band?) I'm sure it was a tough decision at the time, especially when you really believe it's the right thing to do.
So what genre of Pop music would Kajagoogoo been labeled had they never made songs with Limahl? That might be a difficult question and no I personally won't try to answer it either. Kajagoogoo by themselves has a bit of an edge to their lyrics about life and danger, and the streets and things like that. Kajagoogoo with Limahl however, has songs that speak of love and loss and relationships. Personally if you put them both together on an album you get an even balance, kind of like a good lemonade-not too tart, not too sweet. Perhaps they were meant to be together all along. It's funny how hindsight is 20/20. I think it's really cool that even though they are all doing projects separately, that they can come together for a concert every so often and make the magic.
Since I've been writing this particular blog I've had opportunity to get the CD White Feathers, to go along with my original CD I purchased The Very Best of Kajagoogoo and Limahl. I wanted to get the full affect of who both entities were individually and collectively. I've also ordered Limahl's solo album and Islands is on order as well. One would think I should have a pretty well rounded perspective by the time I'm done listening to everything.
EXCEPT; recently I was on YouTube and found a video of a song from 2009 called Space Cadet, which lead to several other CD's that I had no idea existed. *BREAKING NEWS* the CD that I purchased on Amazon, thinking it was a Limahl solo album, is really a compilation of His stuff, and The Goo's stuff with Limahl singing everything! I don't know if anyone has it, I would think any Goo fan would want this in their collection but its called All the Hits Plus More. It apparently was compiled in 2005. So NOW I still have to find Limahl's solo album. WOW!
Let me tell you, keeping up with any band can be hard work and I may or may not have everything that I would like to own that's has to do with The Goo, but let's just say that I'm up for the challenge. This is 80sMusicGirl saying, Ciao For Now!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Kajagoogoo Versus Limahl Part 2
It would be 20 years before I would know exactly who Limahl was or Kajagoogoo for that matter. Why? Well for one, I had no window of information to find out more about the band. Most of the information printed at the time about bands like Kajagoogoo were in Teen Mags and frankly my teen magazine days were over. Did I ever own any of their music? What before 2004? No. I was a single working mother of 3 growing children and quite frankly any extra money that I had left over from my meager paychecks went to make sure that they had the essentials that they needed. Looking back of course, I may have over-essentialized them (is that a word? could it be?, let's use it just this once, shall we? great!)
Why didn't you purchase music in the 90's Rose? Weeelllll....mainly because during this decade I had become a born again christian and had completely eradicated any secular music in my library as I was doing my best to get to heaven despite my horrible wicked deeds of the past. You know honestly I'm very surprised I lasted as long as I did. I think it was because I was in the choir, and singing has always meant the world to me, but that's another story altogether.
In 2000 I met and married my husband Richard, whom I found surprisingly on the internet in a chat room. Richard who is Scottish, (from Scotland) came over in August of that year and we were married. Prior to his arrival, we would spend long hours speaking to each other on the telephone about quite a few things, somehow our conversations always seemed to come back to music. I found that in our discussions that apparently I was a huge fan of British new wave/new romantic/synthpop and other hybrid pop genres of the 80s and what ever questions I had, Richard had the answers.
It would not be until I discovered Vh1 Classic that I would be able to relive the days of the music videos that I loved and adored. Tears for Fears, Flock of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet , and of course Kajagoogoo. Once again, I was able to enjoy one of my favorite videos Too Shy. By this time, I was totally equipped with the World Wide Web and all of it's magic and I was determined to find out more about them.
Why didn't you purchase music in the 90's Rose? Weeelllll....mainly because during this decade I had become a born again christian and had completely eradicated any secular music in my library as I was doing my best to get to heaven despite my horrible wicked deeds of the past. You know honestly I'm very surprised I lasted as long as I did. I think it was because I was in the choir, and singing has always meant the world to me, but that's another story altogether.
In 2000 I met and married my husband Richard, whom I found surprisingly on the internet in a chat room. Richard who is Scottish, (from Scotland) came over in August of that year and we were married. Prior to his arrival, we would spend long hours speaking to each other on the telephone about quite a few things, somehow our conversations always seemed to come back to music. I found that in our discussions that apparently I was a huge fan of British new wave/new romantic/synthpop and other hybrid pop genres of the 80s and what ever questions I had, Richard had the answers.
It would not be until I discovered Vh1 Classic that I would be able to relive the days of the music videos that I loved and adored. Tears for Fears, Flock of Seagulls, Spandau Ballet , and of course Kajagoogoo. Once again, I was able to enjoy one of my favorite videos Too Shy. By this time, I was totally equipped with the World Wide Web and all of it's magic and I was determined to find out more about them.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Kajagoogoo Versus Limahl Part 1
Where do I begin. How in the world did I ever fall in love with this band. I think it all started with a little video called Too Shy.
There he was, so young so adorable, singing his heart out, trying to get some girl to not be so shy. Trust me I was rooting for them the whole time. But it was to never be. Or was it? Who knows what might have happened if the song had a sequel. I mean, we were all ecstatic when the girl got her boy in Take on Me after that awful fight and him giving it his all to break through to her through another dimension. Only to leave her lonely and sad in the sequel song The Sun Always Shines on TV.
But I digress. I watched Too Shy every chance that I got. Always imagining my self as the waitress, toying with the affections of handsome Limahl. Slowly but surely new songs and videos replaced outplayed ones and Too Shy was to be no more.
Until The Neverending Story came about. I was thrilled! "Hey! its that guy that sang for that band!" I said excitedly while my kids shushed me during the beginning of the movie. Yeah I know they could have cared less. But I did. I even thought he was Swedish or German or something, Limahl? what an unusual name!
Was I in for a surprise...
There he was, so young so adorable, singing his heart out, trying to get some girl to not be so shy. Trust me I was rooting for them the whole time. But it was to never be. Or was it? Who knows what might have happened if the song had a sequel. I mean, we were all ecstatic when the girl got her boy in Take on Me after that awful fight and him giving it his all to break through to her through another dimension. Only to leave her lonely and sad in the sequel song The Sun Always Shines on TV.
But I digress. I watched Too Shy every chance that I got. Always imagining my self as the waitress, toying with the affections of handsome Limahl. Slowly but surely new songs and videos replaced outplayed ones and Too Shy was to be no more.
Until The Neverending Story came about. I was thrilled! "Hey! its that guy that sang for that band!" I said excitedly while my kids shushed me during the beginning of the movie. Yeah I know they could have cared less. But I did. I even thought he was Swedish or German or something, Limahl? what an unusual name!
Was I in for a surprise...
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Heatwave
Okay I've got 5 minutes and counting.
I was walking to the bus stop this morning at 0' dark thirty and a song popped into my head. Hey what a coincidence right? No it wasn't an 80s song but it had a big impact on me at the time. It was 1978, I was at Fort Jackson South Carolina doing my AIT (Advanced Individual Training, for all you non military savvy folks) and someone had lent me their copy of the cassette Central Heating by the band Heatwave.
Now yes, I remember them from 1976 for Always and Forever and Boogie Nights, but this album wasn't that. This was Happiness Togetherness and Groove Line and Mind Blowing Decisions. All I had was a cassette player at the time but that was plenty, I think I eventually warped it I played it so much.
Seeing as how I was reminded of how much they meant to me at the time, I decided to do a bit of research to find out what exactly happened to them. So, I went on Wikipedia and perused the information that was given.
I found it very interesting that the original founding member was a serviceman stationed in West Germany and when he was discharged from the Army, he stayed there. And he had a brother, whom he commissioned to come and give him a hand on vocals as they toured the London nightclub scene as Chicago's Heatwave Heatwave
So here I am in my barracks room, as a service member, listening to a band whose lead singer was a former service member. Coincidence? Irony? Not really sure. But they are definitely and permanently etched in annuls of music history and in my mind.
PS...I never made the 5 minute deadline :)
I was walking to the bus stop this morning at 0' dark thirty and a song popped into my head. Hey what a coincidence right? No it wasn't an 80s song but it had a big impact on me at the time. It was 1978, I was at Fort Jackson South Carolina doing my AIT (Advanced Individual Training, for all you non military savvy folks) and someone had lent me their copy of the cassette Central Heating by the band Heatwave.
Now yes, I remember them from 1976 for Always and Forever and Boogie Nights, but this album wasn't that. This was Happiness Togetherness and Groove Line and Mind Blowing Decisions. All I had was a cassette player at the time but that was plenty, I think I eventually warped it I played it so much.
Seeing as how I was reminded of how much they meant to me at the time, I decided to do a bit of research to find out what exactly happened to them. So, I went on Wikipedia and perused the information that was given.
I found it very interesting that the original founding member was a serviceman stationed in West Germany and when he was discharged from the Army, he stayed there. And he had a brother, whom he commissioned to come and give him a hand on vocals as they toured the London nightclub scene as Chicago's Heatwave Heatwave
So here I am in my barracks room, as a service member, listening to a band whose lead singer was a former service member. Coincidence? Irony? Not really sure. But they are definitely and permanently etched in annuls of music history and in my mind.
PS...I never made the 5 minute deadline :)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Positively Good Times
So lately I've been reading the blog Walking on Planet C by @nilerodgers. If you are not familiar with this blog, Nile discusses his radical surgery in January for prostate cancer and how part of his therapy has been walking.
He talks about the music that he chooses for his walks and how its very important in cancer recovery to stay positive, so the songs he listens to are very upbeat. I sincerely admire that in a person, mainly because I try to remain positive, knowing that life can throw you adversity from time to time.
As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I listen to 80s music is that the majority of it is very upbeat and bouncy and makes you want to dance or bust a move, which in turn gives your spirit a boost of elation and makes things around just that much more tolerable.
So kudos to you dear @nilerodgers. Even though you are Walking on Planet C, you are choosing to take the high road.
Me? I will keep listening to my 80s tunes. #NowPlaying-Celebrate by Kool and the Gang.
He talks about the music that he chooses for his walks and how its very important in cancer recovery to stay positive, so the songs he listens to are very upbeat. I sincerely admire that in a person, mainly because I try to remain positive, knowing that life can throw you adversity from time to time.
As a matter of fact, one of the reasons I listen to 80s music is that the majority of it is very upbeat and bouncy and makes you want to dance or bust a move, which in turn gives your spirit a boost of elation and makes things around just that much more tolerable.
So kudos to you dear @nilerodgers. Even though you are Walking on Planet C, you are choosing to take the high road.
Me? I will keep listening to my 80s tunes. #NowPlaying-Celebrate by Kool and the Gang.
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