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The Korgis are a British pop band, originally composed of singer / bassist James Warren (born 25 August 1951, Bristol) and singer / drummer Andy Davis (born Andrew Cresswell-Davis 10 August 1949), both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with unofficial members guitarist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.

Career

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

Their next single, "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" (1980), from their second album Dumb Waiters, was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, hitting Number 5 in the UK, and #18 in the U.S.. The Dumb Waiters album reached Number 40 in the UK in 1980 and was followed by singles "If It's Alright With You Baby" and "Rovers Return". The band was alternately marketed as a duo, a trio and a quartet around this time. The commercial breakthrough was however not enough to keep them together, and after a third album, Sticky George - and with lead single "That Was My Big Mistake" being released as 'James Warren & The Korgis' marking the fact that the group had now more or less evolved into a one man band, Davis and Warren went their separate ways. 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, while some of the singles during this era were still released as 'The Korgis' and co-produced by Andy Davis.

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

1999 saw the three original Korgis albums being re-issued by Edsel Records and was 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 they released their first single in thirteen years, "Something About The Beatles", which can be heard on Myspace. Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Sample box end Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Sample box end Template:Sound sample box align right Template:Sample box end

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 (1991), 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" live at the 12 Bar in 1998.

In 2005 Canadian musician turned record label executive Jaimie Vernon of Bullseye Records released his 2nd 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 to their single, "Geraldine".

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

Discography

Singles

• "Young 'n' Russian" / "Cold Tea" (1979)
• "If I Had You" (Single Version) / "Chinese Girl" (1979) UK #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 #5, U.S. #18, Australia #11 France #1, Spain #1, Netherlands #3, Germany #3
• "If It's Alright With You Baby" / "Love Ain't Too Far Away" (1980) UK #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)

Albums

• The Korgis (1979)
• Dumb Waiters (1980)
• Sticky George (The Korgis/James Warren & The Korgis, 1981)
• Burning Questions (released as James Warren solo album, 1986)
• This World's For Everyone (1992)
• Kollection (2005)
• Unplugged (2006)
• Folk & Pop Classics (2007)

Compilations

• The Best of The Korgis (1983)
• The Best Of The Korgis (Japan) (1988)
• The Best of & The Rest of The Korgis (1990)
• Archive Series (1997)
• Greatest Hits (2001)
• Klassics - The Best Of The Korgis (2001)
• Don't Look Back - The Very Best Of The Korgis (2 CD) (2003)

Videography

• Kollection (DVD)

See also

• Stackridge
• List of New Wave bands and artists
• 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 Limited. p. 307. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
2. Myspace.com

External links

• Official Korgis Web Site (recently offline)
• Official Stackridge Web Site
• Record Co.
• The Korgis, James Warren and Stackridge discography

• English musical groups
• Musical groups established in 1979
• 1970s music groups
• 1980s music groups
• 1990s music groups
• 2000s music groups
• New Wave groups