#WaybackWednesday

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

So, even though I draw most of my musical influence from music primary of the 70s, I was an 80s child, and have a soft spot for not only 70s and 80s R&B/Soul/Funk, but also of the musical British invasion that we had in the 1980s.  The first invasion was in the 1960s, with bands such as The Beatles, but for me, I leave my heart with the British synth-pop invasion of the 1980s.  Bands such the Eurythmics, Kajagoogoo, Thomas Dolby, Phil Collins, Howard Jones, Tears For Fears, and others have tempted me in the past to leave the bass and learn keyboards.  I absolutely love synthesizers and the layers/textures that they contribute to music.  I love them almost as much as actual strings and horn sections.  So, it is always nice to see that unlike in America, outside America, the nostalgia circuit is much more substantial and if you have an audience, places like Europe and East Asia will make a home for you.  The sentiment proved true for many R&B Funk bands that found their audience dwindling as the "Gansta Rap" era of the early 1990s started sweeping the nation, and eventually the world.

Artists such as R&B crooner Alexander O'Neal, who was a 80s hit-maker here in the states, all of a sudden found England to be his adopted home for the better part of the last three decades, as America's attention span in pop culture continues to shorten with each decade.  But, the fact that he is still singing and continuing to make records is a great relief and I wish him and the countless other artists and bands in similar situations the best.

One band that I found to be a true success story is Kajagoogoo.  The band's synth-pop that took the world by storm, with hits such as "Too Shy," "Ooh To Be Ah," and "Hang On Now." The quintet eventually disbanded due to conflicts in managerial advice and musical direction. Limahl, the lead vocalist and co-writer/vocalist/bassist Nick Beggs began to clash as Limahl was beginning to emerge as a successful solo artist.  He indeed became successful.  I know him fondly for singing of the eighties title song of the movie soundtrack, "The NeverEnding Story," an 80s classic.  After Limahl left the group to launch a solo career, Nick shortened the band name to Kaja, and continued to write, record and perform with the remaining members.  Eventually, the 80s were over and so was the band. However, Nick continued to be a sought-after bassist for high-profile performances with other bands as well as for session work.  For example, I remember seeing him performing with another 80s band, ABC, during the "Prince's Trust" concert honoring super-producer Trevor Horn some time ago.

Fast-forward to the early 2000s, and one has the VH1 TV Show, "Bands Reunited," where the host goes in search of finding the different members of the bands that have made their mark in the gran musical narrative, and unites them in hopes of performing a one-off concert in front of loyal fans. Fortunately, the show has brought the likes of bands like Kajagoogoo back together and allowed them to "clear the air" and start anew.  Some stories were a success, some not so much.  And so here we are, and Kajagoogoo are back and at it again.  They have released new records since the reunion in addition to some new "Greatest Hits" compilations, including DVDs of their early music videos. Here they are performing one of their biggest hits in London.  One of the few songs with the distinction of having a prolonged bass intro to start off the song...  Enjoy and be safe!