For anyone interested in hearing a fine musician/bassist, pay close attention. I had the opportunity to study with Nick while residing in London recently. He by far is one of the most gifted players to ever pick up the bass!! His self taught Stick playing and slap bass technique is impeccable indeed!! I highly recommend purchasing one of his Kajagoogoo records, if at all accessible. Their records are out of print here in the States. The "White Feathers" album is a good representation of Nick's unorthodox style of slap playing.
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"Master of Bass, Nick Beggs"
- Thread starter bearclaw
- Start date
Nick's currently working on a solo stick and loops project that promises to be pretty out there! It's also well worth catching him playing with Howard Jones band if they come near you, or John Paul Jones trio...
see Bad Link Removed for more info on him
steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
see Bad Link Removed for more info on him
steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
I do remember being impressed by the bass lines on some Kajagoogoo tracks - "Too Shy" is obviously the most well known and starts with a great bass riff. But I think a lot of people were put off by their "image" - dodgy haircuts etc. into thinking that they weren't really serious musicians... or at least that they weren't very "tasteful" - it wasn't wise to mention that you liked Kajagoogoo amongst most of the people I mixed with in the 80s!! 
Nick played a large portion of his new record for me to hear. His midi approach to the instrument is out of this world! The album has a very esoteric/moody feel to it. A definite "ear-candy" delight. I was blown away that one person created all of the sounds on Stick! I cannot wait to hear the finalized version!!
Ah yes, Nick Beggs/Kajagoogoo...
....I was playing in a club in Melbourne, FL last Friday nite and "Too Shy" came on the house system during a break. Both myself and the drummer perked right up, big grins, and started going on and on about how much we dug that band, despite their "dodgy" appearance, and the narrow-minded opinions of all those guys wearing spandex and putting a whole can of Aqua Net in their hair every nite back in the 80's (speaking of "dodgy" appearances...). Hey, at least the people in Kajagoogoo could actually PLAY!!! ....and Poison was "good" 
......these are probably the same people who were talking bad about Thomas Dolby back then.....sigh....
Anyhoo...Nick is a great player, good for you that you got to study with him
....I was playing in a club in Melbourne, FL last Friday nite and "Too Shy" came on the house system during a break. Both myself and the drummer perked right up, big grins, and started going on and on about how much we dug that band, despite their "dodgy" appearance, and the narrow-minded opinions of all those guys wearing spandex and putting a whole can of Aqua Net in their hair every nite back in the 80's (speaking of "dodgy" appearances...). Hey, at least the people in Kajagoogoo could actually PLAY!!!
....and Poison was "good" ......these are probably the same people who were talking bad about Thomas Dolby back then.....sigh....Anyhoo...Nick is a great player, good for you that you got to study with him
Originally posted by Gard
Hey, at least the people in Kajagoogoo could actually PLAY!!!
Is this sarcasm? If so does it apply to the whole sentence?
Bruce -
Yes, that was my particular and peculiar brand of sarcasm, and it applied to the guys who had Aqua Net endorsements back in the 80's putting down ANY other person, whether for musical ability or appearance. For example, any one who was listening to Poison and putting down Thomas Dolby because he didn't look as "cool" as Ricki Rocket, Bobby Dahl, or CC DeVille....
If you're enquiring as to whether or not I was insulting Mr. Dolby: NO, most emphatically not. He is a musical genius, IMO, and that is not sarcasm.
[Edited by Gard on 11-17-2000 at 02:43 PM]
Yes, that was my particular and peculiar brand of sarcasm, and it applied to the guys who had Aqua Net endorsements back in the 80's putting down ANY other person, whether for musical ability or appearance. For example, any one who was listening to Poison and putting down Thomas Dolby because he didn't look as "cool" as Ricki Rocket, Bobby Dahl, or CC DeVille....
If you're enquiring as to whether or not I was insulting Mr. Dolby: NO, most emphatically not. He is a musical genius, IMO, and that is not sarcasm.
[Edited by Gard on 11-17-2000 at 02:43 PM]
Yes, I remember seeing a very young Thomas Dolby playing in a punk-type band in the UK in about 1980 and have followed his career since. I liked all his solo albums and he has done some brilliant production work/playing on Prefab Sprout albums!
I just couldn't see the connection with "Poison"?
I just couldn't see the connection with "Poison"?
Originally posted by Gard
Bruce -
Yes, that was my particular and peculiar brand of sarcasm, and it applied to the guys who had Aqua Net endorsements back in the 80's putting down ANY other person, whether for musical ability or appearance. For example, any one who was listening to Poison and putting down Thomas Dolby because he didn't look as "cool" as Ricki Rocket, Bobby Dahl, or CC DeVille....
Just to clarify my point - I suppose that when Kajagoogoo came out in the 80s, my friends who were mostly musicians, were very suspicious of bands like them who seemed to have spent an awful lot of time and effort of their appearance. They mostly saw Kajagoogoo as a "manufactured" , hyped-up non-band - like a lot of "boy-bands" today. I just liked the basslines, but I didn't dare say this to any serious musos - hated Limahl though!
It was a difficult time for this sort of thing, as we had just had "Frankie Goes to Hollywood" who came up with some great-sounding singles with very nice basslines. I only found out later though, that the band coudln't play at all and that Trevor Horn, the producer, had got some session musicians in for them, including Norman Watts-Roy who is a great bassplayer and only paid them peanuts, while FGtH got all the credit and big bucks!
Beyond These Shores by Iona is one of my all time top 10 albums - it's an astonishing work of art, and the only reason it's not still my number 1 album is overfamiliarity - there are few albums that have ever had the impact on me that that one did! And Nick's bass playing on it is superb, as well as some fine Stick work...
Get this album!!
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
Hello Steve,
Funny you should mention Iona. Nick mentioned that he will be performing with them sometime in December. London area I believe. Have you ever heard of his band "Ellis Beggs & Howard"? They recorded two albums, one which never saw the light of day unfortunately. Funky ass Stick work with pulsating grooves! See ya,
Joe
Funny you should mention Iona. Nick mentioned that he will be performing with them sometime in December. London area I believe. Have you ever heard of his band "Ellis Beggs & Howard"? They recorded two albums, one which never saw the light of day unfortunately. Funky ass Stick work with pulsating grooves! See ya,
Joe
Hi Burcaw - I think the Iona date is in Holland, not sure though...
I've got both Ellis Beggs and Howard albums - the 'proper' release on vinyl, and a CDR of the other stuff - both great.
EB&H were touted at the time as 'the next big thing' - but certain sectors of the music press blanked them purely because Nick had been in Kajagoogoo! The triviality of some people's minds will never cease to amaze me...
Nick also played on the last album by contemporary spanish guitarist Jason Carter - I've not heard it, but I played on an album that Jason did a couple of years ago, in a quartet that he formed with Nick, but Nick had to bow out of due to his heavy touring schedule with Howard Jones. I joined the quartet, called Ragatal, and we did an album called Fragments Of Grace... looks like we've got some more gigs with that quartet early next year...
And you've got to get the latest Howard Jones album, another gig that I did when Nick got to busy! Nick's on the latest CD, which is a rerecording of many of Howard's classic songs with his new live band - Nick's on Stick and Bass and plays fabulously - see http://www.howardjones.com for more info.
cheers
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
I've got both Ellis Beggs and Howard albums - the 'proper' release on vinyl, and a CDR of the other stuff - both great.
EB&H were touted at the time as 'the next big thing' - but certain sectors of the music press blanked them purely because Nick had been in Kajagoogoo! The triviality of some people's minds will never cease to amaze me...
Nick also played on the last album by contemporary spanish guitarist Jason Carter - I've not heard it, but I played on an album that Jason did a couple of years ago, in a quartet that he formed with Nick, but Nick had to bow out of due to his heavy touring schedule with Howard Jones. I joined the quartet, called Ragatal, and we did an album called Fragments Of Grace... looks like we've got some more gigs with that quartet early next year...
And you've got to get the latest Howard Jones album, another gig that I did when Nick got to busy! Nick's on the latest CD, which is a rerecording of many of Howard's classic songs with his new live band - Nick's on Stick and Bass and plays fabulously - see http://www.howardjones.com for more info.
cheers
Steve
http://www.steve-lawson.co.uk
I think Nick was/is an incredible player..Kajagoogoo was one of my fave bands back in the day, as anyone who knew me then would tell you!
I liked their look, their sound was incredible and then there were those incredible funky basslines that i couldn't even play! Just awesome!
I saw their Bands Reunited show on VH1 (taped it) and it was great to see them together again. I'd love to sit in a room with Nick and a couple of basses and play. He seems like quite the character and a nice person to know. I hope Kajagoogoo can get it back together and maybe make a new record or something.
I liked their look, their sound was incredible and then there were those incredible funky basslines that i couldn't even play! Just awesome!
I saw their Bands Reunited show on VH1 (taped it) and it was great to see them together again. I'd love to sit in a room with Nick and a couple of basses and play. He seems like quite the character and a nice person to know. I hope Kajagoogoo can get it back together and maybe make a new record or something.
ERIC31 said:I saw their Bands Reunited show on VH1 (taped it) and it was great to see them together again. I'd love to sit in a room with Nick and a couple of basses and play. He seems like quite the character and a nice person to know. I hope Kajagoogoo can get it back together and maybe make a new record or something.
Awhile back the subject of Kajagoogoo came up and someone told me that they had seen that VH1 special, and claimed that Nick was running a small business these days and hadn't played music in years. That was rather disheartening, and I'm glad to be able to infer from this thread that my friend was mistaken.
Among my regrets from the 80's is not allowing myself to fully embrace some of the coolest bands of the era, because I couldn't associate anything 'iffy' with my fragile self-image. As Yoda would say, realize the errors of my ways, I have...
Huh, I didn't notice that this one had been pulled from the cooler when I posted. I hardly ever check the date chronology on a thread...
Nicks playing was super in Kajagoogoo, I have a their greatest hits album. Thats all I could find on them.
He allready played stick back then as you can hear on tracks like "turn your back on me". Or his great melodic playing on "melting the ice away" and "on a plane".
he was only 22 when he played those lines, a gifted and original player!
He allready played stick back then as you can hear on tracks like "turn your back on me". Or his great melodic playing on "melting the ice away" and "on a plane".
he was only 22 when he played those lines, a gifted and original player!
Nick's also been touring with John Paul Jones for Zooma and Thunderthief... jonesy didn't want a guitar player, so he hired a Stick player.... so when Jonesy plays bass, Nick does guitar or key-style stuff on stick, and when Jonesy plays lap steel, mandolin, etc Nick plays bass!
