The Korgis

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 (born Andrew Cresswell-Davis 10 August 1949) and singer/bassist James Warren (born 25 August 1951), both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.

The Korgis
OriginBristol, England
GenresPop, new wave, synthpop
Years active1978–1982
1985–1986
1990–1993
2005–2007
2017-present
LabelsRialto Records
Asylum
Warner Bros.
London Records
Angel Air
Associated actsStackridge
Graduate
DLM
The Welders
Websitewww.thekorgis.com
MembersJames Warren
John Baker
Al Steele
Past membersAndy Cresswell-Davis
Stuart Gordon
Phil Harrison
Bill Birks
Roy Dodds
Maggie Stewart
Steve Buck

Career

The Korgis released their first single "Young 'n' Russian" in early March 1979 on the label Rialto Records, owned by their managers Nick Heath and Tim Heath. Joined briefly by drummer Bill Birks; their next single "If I Had You," was released soon after and moved up to Number 13 on the UK Singles Chart,[1] prompting the release of an eponymous debut album, The Korgis, in July 1979.

The follow up singles a re-release of “Young ‘n’ Russian” and “I Just Can’t Help It” failed to chart. However the next single, from their second album Dumb Waiters (1980) was "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" (1980), a hit in three countries, peaking at Number 5 in the UK,[1] 18 in the US and 11 in Australia. The album reached Number 40 in the UK in 1980 and was followed by the singles "If It's Alright With You Baby" and "Rovers Return". The commercial breakthrough that accompanied the release of their second album and the resulting singles was not enough to keep them together, however, and Davis departed the band prior to the recording of their third album, Sticky George, despite having a number of songwriting credits on the album. The lead single from Sticky George, "That Was My Big Mistake", was released under the name 'James Warren & The Korgis' to denote the fact that Davis and Warren had now gone their separate ways. By the end of 1980 Gordon and Harrison had also departed the band; subsequently the band was augmented by the arrival of guitarist John Baker, drummer Roy Dodds, and keyboardist Maggie Stewart. This line-up went on to promote "Everybody's got to learn" and subsequent singles on European TV and promotional appearances. The following year the band was joined by flautist Steve Buck and was contemplating a Korgis Live show that ultimately failed to materialise; leading the band to dissolve and Warren to go solo in 1982. The single "Don't Look Back", originally a demo from the Sticky George sessions, was however remixed by Trevor Horn, at the time best known for his work with The Buggles, Dollar and Yes, and issued by London Records in the summer of 1982. A follow-up single with Horn, "Endangered Species", was planned but never materialised.

Warren would go on to issue a solo LP entitled Burning Questions in 1986. Some of the singles during this era were released as 'The Korgis' (essentially a one-man band consisting solely of Warren during this period) and co-produced by Andy Davis.

The band reunited in 1990 to re-record "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime". The re-formed group, consisting of Warren, Davis, and Baker, released the album This World's For Everyone in 1992, having some success in Continental Europe and Japan, before breaking up again in 1993.

1999 saw the three original Korgis albums being re-issued by Edsel Records, followed by the two disc anthology Don't Look Back – The Very Best of The Korgis in 2003, issued by Sanctuary Records/Castle Communications.

In 2005 Warren, Davis, and Baker reunited again for a film shoot for DVD/compilation album Kollection and recorded the fourteen-track album Unplugged, which was released on the Angel Air record label the following year.

In 2006 the Korgis released their first single in thirteen years, "Something About The Beatles", which can be heard on Myspace.[2] This song belatedly acknowledges the influences of John Lennon in particular, which was very strong on "If I Had You" and "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" which capture the ethereal sounds of Lennon's early 1970s output. The band acknowledged John Lennon's influence in interviews at the time, shortly before his murder.

Former member Stuart Gordon, died on 28 August 2014 from lung cancer. He was 63.[3]

When Stackridge took a break from touring in 2014; Warren and Davis organised a tour of the UK in 2015 under the name of The Korgis and using exactly the same 5-piece line-up as Stackridge. The re-formed Stackridge usually included some Korgis songs in their live set. Stackridge retired in 2017, and a recording of the farewell concert was released as The Final Bow.

In 2017, Warren, encouraged by old mate, guitarist/arranger Al Steele, played some dates as James Warren and Friends. This included a Korgis set, and has led on to the first ever touring version of The Korgis - featuring James Warren. The first gig was at The Sunshine Festival in August 2018, and saw the return of John Baker plus Glenn Tommie from Stackridge (who also played on the original of Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime), and Al Steele from the 1990s touring band. During 2019, the band have played in Leeds, Shoreham, Bristol, and the legendary 100 Club in London. During the Covid lockdown in 2020 The Korgis began recording their first new album in close to 30 years. It is entitled Kartoon World and is planned to be released in early 2021. The album has a common thread and could even be called a 'concept album'. The subject matter stretches from 1980 through to 2030 and poses the fundamental question... has the human race become too big for its boots? Concerts and festivals are planned all the way through 2021.

Cover versions

In September 2004 Zucchero and Vanessa Carlton entered the French charts, with their cover version of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" and had some success. That same year, Beck also covered the song for the Michel Gondry film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. In 2003 it was included on Erasure's cover album Other People's Songs.

Other cover versions of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" also took the song back into the UK Singles Chart over the years, most notably those by The Dream Academy (1987), Yazz (1994), Baby D (1995), Army of Lovers (1995) and German techno duo Marc et Claude (2000). In 1997 a cappella group The King's Singers recorded the track with lead vocals by James Warren. Tracey Ullman and Rod Stewart have also covered "If I Had You". Ginger of The Wildhearts performed "If I Had You" in 1998, as heard heard on the double album Grievous Acoustic Behaviour – Live at the 12 Bar.

The Soviet synthpop/synthwave act Forum also released a Russian language cover under the title ‘Falling Leaves’. Unlike much of their other output which saw limited release in some Western countries, this recording was made without prior agreement with the label (Asylum), or the band and is virtually unknown outside of the former Soviet Union.

In 2005, Canadian musician-turned-record label executive Jaimie Vernon of Bullseye Records released his second solo album Time Enough at Last, which featured "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime".

Another version of "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" has been recorded by the Dutch band Krezip. In 2008, Dutch electro house producer Laidback Luke released a bootleg remix of "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometimes". Also in 2008, the Glasgow-based band Glasvegas covered the song; it was as the B-side of their single "Geraldine."

In 2008, Beck performed "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" at the O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park.

The Swedish artist known as 'The Field' released the album Yesterday and Today (2009), which included a cover of the song "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime".

A version called "Need your Lovin" was created by Jungle producers NRG back in 1992, sampling the original Korgis track, of which Baby D did their own version.

In 2010, Sharon Corr, of The Corrs, released a version of "Everybody's Got To Learn Sometime" on her solo album Dream of You.

Members

Discography

Albums

Singles
  • "Young 'n' Russian" / "Cold Tea" (1979)
  • "If I Had You" (Single Version) / "Chinese Girl" (1979) UK No. 13
  • "Young 'n' Russian" / "Mount Everest Sings the Blues" (Re-release, 1980)
  • "I Just Can't Help It (Remix)" / "O Maxine" (1980)
  • "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" / "Dirty Postcards" (1980) UK No. 5, US No. 18, Australia No. 11 France No. 1, Spain No. 1
  • "If It's Alright With You Baby" / "Love Ain't Too Far Away" (1980) UK No. 56
  • "Dumb Waiters" / "Perfect Hostess" (1980)
  • "Rover's Return" / "Wish You A Merry Christmas" (1980)
  • "That Was My Big Mistake" (Edit) / "Can't We Be Friends Now" (James Warren & The Korgis, 1981)
  • "All The Love in the World" (Edit) / "Intimate" (1981)
  • "Don't Say That It's Over" (Single Version) / "Drawn And Quartered" (1981)
  • "Sticky George" / "Nowhere To Run" (Single Version) (James Warren & The Korgis, 1981)
  • "Don't Look Back" /"Xenophobia" (1982)
  • "Burning Questions" / "Waiting For Godot" (1985)
  • "Burning Questions" (Extended) / "Waiting For Godot" (12", 1985)
  • "True Life Confessions" / "Possessed" (Edit) (1985)
  • "True Life Confessions" (Extended) / "I Know Something" / "Possessed (edited)" (12", 1985)
  • "They Don't Believe in Magic" / "I'll Be Here" (James Warren, 1986)
  • "It Won't Be the Same Old Place" (Single remix by David Lord) / "Climate of Treason" (James Warren, 1986)
  • "How Did You Know?" / "Can You Hear the Spirit Dying" (James Warren, 1987)
  • "True Life Confessions" ('88 Remix by Kenny Denton) / "Possessed" (edit) ('The Korgis', 1988)
  • "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" (1990 re-recording) – 4:09 / "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" (Instrumental) – 4:09 / "This World's for Everyone" (Home demo version) – 3:07 (CD, 1990)
  • "One Life" – 3:36 / "Wreckage of a Broken Heart" – 3:12 / "No Love in the World" – 3:39 (CD, 1992)
  • "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime – DNA Remixes" (Slow & Moody 7") – 3:43 / (Slow & Moody 12") – 5:24 / (12" Disco Heaven Mix) – 6:47 /(Housey 7") – 3:51 (CD, 1993)
  • "Something About The Beatles" / "It All Comes Down To You" / "Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime" (2006)
  • "The Ghost Of You" (2020)
  • "Bringing Back The Spirit Of Love" (2020)
  • "Time (Song For Dom" (2021)

Compilations

Live albums

Videography
  • Kollection (DVD)

See also
  • Stackridge
  • List of 1980s one-hit wonders in the United States

References
  1. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records. p. 307. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  2. Myspace.
  3. Rock, Doc. "The Dead Rock Stars Club : July – December 2014". The dead rock stars club. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
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