The Korgis (album)

Last updated

The Korgis
The Korgis - The Korgis.jpg
Studio album by
The Korgis
ReleasedJuly 1979
Recorded1978–1979
Genre
Length35:20
Label Rialto Records (UK)
Warner Bros. Records (U.S.)
Producer The Korgis
The Korgis chronology
The Korgis
(1979)		 Dumb Waiters
(1980)

The Korgis is the debut studio album by English pop band, the Korgis. It was released in 1979 on Rialto Records in the UK, and on Warner Bros. Records in the US.

Contents

The album includes the singles "Young 'n' Russian" and "If I Had You" (#13, UK Singles Chart), the latter being notable for the keyboard contributions of Alan Wilder, who in 1982 would join Depeche Mode for thirteen years.

The Korgis was re-issued on compact disc by Edsel Records in 1999.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Smash Hits 6½/10 [2]

Upon its release, James Belsey of the Bristol Evening Post called The Korgis a "truly attractive debut album of perfectionist pop", with "unmistakable influences from John Lennon" and a "string of witty, mature tracks". [3] Steve Richards of the Grimsby Evening Telegraph commented that Warren and Davis had "maintained all their class, feel for freshness and humour" from their Stackridge days and produced "one very charming album [of] 10 songs, each [with] its own distinct qualities". He added, "I love the simplistic feel of the whole affair and the way it all slots so perfectly together. A very, very welcome release." [4]

Ray King of the Manchester Evening News noted that Warren and Davis are "barking up the right tree at last" as the Korgis and added that the ten tracks on the album "comprise out and out pop melodies, with witty, amusing and always inventive lyrics". [5] Red Starr of Smash Hits found the "odd collection" to be "more interesting and adventurous than 'If I Had You' ever lets on" and continued, "Lightweight and melodic, the Korgis are by turns strange, humourous [sic], clever and romantic, with a generous touch of the legendary Stackridge looniness. Not everything works but mostly very likeable, entertaining stuff." [2]

Track listing

Side A:

  1. "Young 'n' Russian" (Davis, Jakki Ridlington, Warren) - 3:12
  2. "I Just Can't Help It" (Davis) - 3:43
  3. "Chinese Girl" (Davis) - 2:19
  4. "Art School Annexe" (Davis) - 3:37
  5. "Boots and Shoes" (Davis, Warren) - 4:32

Side B:

  1. "Dirty Postcards" (Warren) - 4:45
  2. "O Maxine" (Warren) - 2:39
  3. "Mount Everest Sings the Blues" (Warren) - 2:32
  4. "Cold Tea" (Warren) - 4:26
  5. "If I Had You" (Davis, Sergei Rachmaninoff) - 3:55
    • Album version

Personnel

Additional personnel

Production

Release history

Single releases

Related Research Articles

The Korgis are a British pop band known mainly for their hit single "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" in 1980. The band was originally composed of singer/guitarist/keyboardist Andy Davis and singer/bassist James Warren, both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stackridge</span> British rock group

Stackridge were a British rock group which had their greatest success in the early 1970s.

Graduate were an English new wave and mod revival musical group formed in 1978, in Bath, England. They were only mildly successful, and broke up by 1981. They are today best known as being the initial recording vehicle for future Tears for Fears members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, who found international fame in the 1980s and 1990s.

<i>The Man in the Bowler Hat</i> 1974 studio album by Stackridge

The Man In The Bowler Hat is the third album by the British rock group Stackridge. The album was produced by George Martin at AIR Studios, London and released in the UK by MCA Records. This was their highest charting album, peaking at number 23 in the UK Albums Chart.

<i>Extravaganza</i> (album) 1975 studio album by Stackridge

Extravaganza is the fourth album by the British rock group Stackridge. The album was produced by Tony Ashton at AIR Studios, London. The band experienced a significant lineup change after its previous album, with James Warren, James "Crun" Walter and Billy Sparkle all leaving.

<i>Dumb Waiters</i> 1980 studio album by The Korgis

Dumb Waiters is the second studio album by English pop band the Korgis. It was released on Rialto Records in the UK in 1980.

<i>Sticky George</i> 1981 studio album by The Korgis

Sticky George is the third studio album by English pop band, The Korgis, released on Rialto Records in the UK on 10 July 1981.

<i>Burning Questions</i> (James Warren album) 1987 studio album by James Warren

Burning Questions is the debut solo studio album by English singer and composer James Warren,. It was released on Sonet Records on 2 February 1987.

<i>This Worlds for Everyone</i> 1992 studio album by The Korgis

This World's For Everyone is the fourth studio album by English pop band The Korgis. It was released in The Netherlands, Spain and Japan in 1992 and in Germany in 1993.

<i>Unplugged</i> (The Korgis album) 2006 live album by The Korgis

Unplugged is a live album by English pop band, The Korgis. It was released in 2006.

<i>Kollection</i> 2005 compilation album by The Korgis

Kollection is a compilation/studio album by English pop band The Korgis. It was released in 2005.

<i>The Best of The Korgis</i> 1983 greatest hits album by The Korgis

The Best of The Korgis is a compilation album of recordings by English pop band The Korgis. It was released on Rialto Records in the UK in 1983.

<i>Archive Series</i> (The Korgis album) 1997 compilation album by The Korgis

Archive Series a.k.a. The Korgis Archive is a compilation album by English pop band The Korgis. It was released by Rialto Records in 1997.
This is a CD re-issue of the 1983 UK album The Best of The Korgis with eight additional tracks.

<i>Klassics – The Best of The Korgis</i> 2001 greatest hits album by The Korgis

Klassics – The Best of The Korgis is a compilation album by English pop band The Korgis. It was released by Music Club International UK in 2001. The compilation includes the alternate versions of "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" and "Nowhere To Run" that first appeared on Edsel Records' 1999 CD re-issues of albums Dumb Waiters and Sticky George.

<i>Dont Look Back – The Very Best of The Korgis</i> 2003 greatest hits album by The Korgis

Don't Look Back – The Very Best of The Korgis is a two disc compilation album by English pop band The Korgis. It was released by Sanctuary Records/Castle Communications in the UK in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime</span> 1980 single by the Korgis

"Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" is a 1980 single written by James Warren and first performed by British pop band the Korgis, with Warren as the lead singer. It has subsequently been covered by numerous other artists.

<i>A Victory for Common Sense</i> 2009 studio album by Stackridge

A Victory For Common Sense is the eighth and final studio album by the British rock group Stackridge. It was released in the UK by Helium Records in 2009.

<i>Relight My Fire</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Dan Hartman

Relight My Fire is an album by the American musician Dan Hartman, released in 1979.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">If I Had You (The Korgis song)</span> 1979 song by the Korgis

"If I Had You" is a song by British pop band the Korgis, released in 1979 as the second single from their debut studio album, The Korgis. The song was written by Andy Davis and was produced by the Korgis. It gave the band their commercial breakthrough, peaking at number 13 in the UK Singles Chart and remaining in the top 75 for 12 weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young 'n' Russian</span> 1979 song by the Korgis

"Young 'n' Russian" is a song by British pop band the Korgis from their debut studio album, The Korgis. It was released as the band's debut single in February 1979, and following the UK top 20 success of "If I Had You", was re-issued as a single again in October 1979. The song was written by Andy Davis, James Warren, and Jakki Ridlington; produced by Davis and Warren.

References

  1. ↑ The Korgis at AllMusic
  2. 1 2 Starr, Red (9 August 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits . Vol. 1, no. 18. p. 25. ISSN   0260-3004.
  3. ↑ Belsey, James (7 July 1979). "Pops: Korgis make a dream debut" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 6. Retrieved 31 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ Richards, Steve (25 August 1979). "Steve Richards' Record Week" . Grimsby Evening Telegraph . p. 7. Retrieved 31 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ King, Ray (8 September 1979). "Listen Here: Pop - New tricks" . Manchester Evening News . p. 20. Retrieved 31 May 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.