About 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 and singer/bassist James Warren , both former members of 1970s band Stackridge, along with violinist Stuart Gordon and keyboardist Phil Harrison.
The Korgis released their first single "Young 'n' Russian" in February 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, featuring on Top of the Pops and 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 was "Everybody's Got to Learn Sometime" , a number one hit in three countries, France. Spain and Switzerland, peaking at number 5 in the UK, 18 in the US and 11 in Australia. It was also a top ten in Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. 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 Sometime" 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 produced by Trevor Horn, known for his work with The Buggles, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, 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 went on to issue a solo LP entitled Burning Questions in 1987. Some of the singles during that era were released as "the Korgis", essentially a one-man band consisting solely of Warren, and co-produced by Andy Davis. Davis released his own solo LP, Clevedon Pier, in 1989.
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