The Greatest Synth-Pop Bass Line EVER
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- #bass #history #analysis #transcription #newwave #nickbeggs #paulthompson
In this video, I'll revisit an iconic bass line that has haunted me since childhood and the brilliant bassist that wrote it and played it and blew us all away in the process. Diving into 1983's "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo and the amazing bass line that made Nick Beggs a giant among men!
Website: www.paulthompso...
Instagram @pdbass74
Twitter @pdbass74
This is very kind and thoughtful. Thanks for remembering me. x
Wow, it's great to see you on youtube and commenting. I *love* telling people about how great you are as a bassist and use this song as an example. You definitely inspire me as a bassist!
😍🤩
Love you with Steven Wilson , He's no fool . You are a amazing part of the band !
One of the best memories of my tween years.
Thanks for helping me survive my childhood. ❤
Nick Beggs is a phenomenal musician.
The 80's seem like an infinite pool of music, movies, you never stop finding something you haven't seen before.
pretty much music in the past. 60s, 70s & 90s too. especially underground electronic music
Yeah, sure.
I’m 50 so this came out just as I was picking up bass around 12 or so. This- Duran Duran - The Firm - all had an impact on me and what attracted me to bass.
The interlude gives me the goose bumps every time. So so good.
Often overlooked is his synth-stick bassline on another supercool hit from the 80's ; Big bubbles, no troubles by Ellis,Beggs and Howard. Check it out, it's awesome 😉
Let’s hear it for the bass players. Often forgotten but so essential. I love this!
I must say, your RUclips video is really great. I learned something new and to my surprise I never noticed how absolutely great this bassline is. Certainly because I was one-sides/prepossessed as I considered the band to be very shallow and thus forgot to listen to the details. Absolutely great bass playing and creation. I’m impressed.
I remember myself working this bassline back in time, and I thought this guy is a genius !
I know absolutely nothing about playing music, but your explanation in this video was super entertaining!
That’s always been one of my favorite bass lines.
A real trophy of a tribute that Nick Beggs must be beaming with.
I always thought the intro to Too Shy is one of the most "tasty" in all pop sound (if not the most). Thanks for reviving this monumental sound. Even as a kid I loved this song. Now I know why!
It's pretty cool to listen to this breakdown of a song that could be an passing memorial to a curious time in music. We all know the song but I never listened to it with a critical ear regarding the musicianship.
Oh
Now I kinda appreciate this song. I never realised that these guys were this legit. Thanks for the heads up.
Wow! Awesome. That took me back. Nick's. BAD. ASS!
i love that song. especially the synth in the background but it's all great!
Many, many years ago, my then partner's band supported Kajagoogoo on a tour. Apart from @nickbeggsofficial 's amazing bass playing, he also earned a place in music legend for being able to put both his (incredibly long) legs behind his ears while sat on a bar stool!! He remains one of the most talented musicians out there. Whether he's still a contortionist, I don't know. Lovely to see and hear him again!!
Beggs is no joke. He was great playing in Steve Hackett's band.
Saw him live with Steven Wilson. Awesome concert!
Wow, what a great video and what a tidal wave of bass that cat is...The Beggs!! Thank you so much for the incredible insight, Paul.
Only problem is, Some have a system that keeps them from hearing the actual sounds in a proper arrangement.
Worst. Haircuts. Ever. But a great bassline and a great explanation by this guy. Such perfectly crafted videos!
Can recall that tune.
Sounded like a monster bacķ then, the intro, of course. 🇨🇦🇨🇦
Musicians from those 80s synth-pop bands often get overlooked. Those guys have killer chops.
Great video
Nick Beggs was one of the best bass players to come out of the 80s
He still is! ❤
I can only think of Mick Khan from Japan he was quite good Glen Matlock Pistols solid bassist don't forget Mr Beggs was at the age of too young for the 70 s he was of his age 21 early 1980 s excellent to hear he still plays well
@@65Antonis… for example with the mighty Steven Wilson!
@@enduser63Mick Karn "quite good" lol
@@jasoncollins865 let's not forget Simple Minds Derek Forbes.
Nick Beggs and John Taylor are two of the most overlooked musicians, probably just because they play for pop groups, but they are amazing.
Absolutely!
I'm a big Duran Duran and John Taylor fan, and a bass player but, technically, he's not in the same league as Nick Beggs.
I've seen Nick Beggs play with Iona ( Jazz / Celtic / Prog / Fusion ) a few times. Great musician !
JT, divine! 💜
I taught him everything he knows about bass 🔊 😌
Many musicians from the 80’s new wave scene were not given enough credit like the drummer from Simple minds and lest not forget the bassist/singer from Level 42🙏🏼💜🇨🇦
On point with those 2....although most people with a little more than average interest in music would recognize Mark King's bass skills as phenomenal.
Simple minds' drummer.....oh hell yes he's great! Never heard him get much credit....but he's a beast.
I remember reading an article a out mel gaynor from simple minds in the 80s describing him as the best drummer in the world at that time
Mark King is a Legend all across the world!! Facts!
Yeah, no-one forgot Mark King and his incredible thumb.
Ah yes - Level 42 - if memory serves, Mark (King) was one of the (very) few to be offered/given an Alembic. Sweet!
The fact that Nick Beggs was voted best bass player in Prog for 5 years running tells you everything about his ability and he's such a likeable guy too.
Absolutely right. If you HAVE to play some pop... Start on pop when you're very young. Then NEVER look back. Never play it except for a laugh: remember when we played this? Pop is poison. Classical is the growth medium, Prog is the goal.
@TheUprightLuthier-1959 what a laughingly and disappointingly small minded view
@@phillymopwater Your fallacious observation was proven false over 2000 years ago. Reductio ad absurdum is one of several apagogical arguments with too many exceptions to count rendering the statement false without additional claims. I'm laughing at you. Pop is short for popular (in case your small mind lacks the prerequisites) Popular is the lowest common denominator (same) where music is made for the expressed purpose of appealing to the most different people with different tastes and different cultures. You have to remove elements of composition, that are too complex for the simple-minded (like you) to appreciate. Remove anything; from alternate time signatures, discordant melodies, counter melodies, progressions. You have to stick to cookie-cutter recipes, with familiar form and chords, add a hook and throw it against the wall to see if it sticks. Make a thousand more and you might have an album. We call it "selling out". Prostitution. OR: The music biz. My view is that of a retired professional, my advice is normally expensive, only an idiot would not appreciate it for free. I was in what is now called a boy band in college, I played in an american philharmonic for 30 years, I am now in a symphonic metal band. The structure still has me learning, practicing, getting better, and enjoying the music. If I had to play ANYTHING LESS, I would drink bleach. Pop is determined by the ignorant. They wouldn't know QUALITY if it bit them on the ass.
@and321now Throw Beggs Chapman playing into the mix!
Idk he comes off as a little pretentious... I guess that's because he's English lol
Just like John Taylor from Duran Duran , that bass line from Rio was written when he was only 22 . Incredible
I just discovered this channel today, and I was just going to comment about John Taylor but you beat me to it.
I remember reading that Bernard Edwards of CHIC was his biggest influence and if you don't know the bass riff from GOOD TIMES by CHIC, then you just don't care about a good bass line. I also think Bernard Edwards willed one of his favorite basses to John Taylor after he passed.
Love love love John Taylor. The bass line on Rio is truly epic
@@babybear9740 I was about to say the same.
That is a MEAN and epic bass line. The bass makes the whole song.
Whenever people talk about pop / yacht rock bass lines from the 80s, it's either this one or Rio that they mean.
Nick Beggs is also a killer Chapman Stick player.
While singing, of course!
Tony Levin left his Chapman Stick at my house a week ago and I think I could give them both a run for their money now.
Nothing about my comment is based in truth.
My wife tossed a bra at Nick Beggs at a Steven Wilson concert while he was playing the stick and singing backing vocals… he smirked and didn’t miss a note
@@finnmcginn9931 A Great Joke that I will pass on to Tony Levin if/when I see him again at one of the local Bars here in Kingston NY where I live about 25 blocks or so from Tony Levins nice old Colonial House. Tony grew up here and is just another local yokal. A very nice educated Man. People who grew up in small towns are more grounded in life I should think.
@@finnmcginn9931 of course Tony Levin is a colossus player in his own right. Besides the Chapman Stick, there's the Funky Fingers
@@finnmcginn9931 you're Tony Levin's barber, aren't you???
Man. I’ve never heard anyone analyze Too Shy so deeply!!!! Mad respect!!!
Thanks for this. Nick Beggs is amazing. Because people don’t listen well and write off New Wave as just synth music, he and John Taylor are criminally underrated.
Probably because the music as a whole was quite corny.
This track rather sucks, except for the good bits focused on here in this video.
The musicians in many synth based bands are top quality. All of Duran Duran are accomplished musicians. I don't like all their stuff but Ordinary World has a unique, complicated chord structure rarely found in rock music. It's amazing.
Don't forget Mick Karn of Japan!
@@forwardsdrawkcabyou're crazy. This song is crazy dope.
@@forwardsdrawkcab I disagree I think the song is great and catchy. You think too technical and not enough emotionally, which is how a song should relate.
Along with Duran Duran’s John Taylor, Nick Beggs is underrated because of his “too pretty to be stuntman” feature.
Both are such hell-of-a-good bassists.
I agree. Nick Beggs, John Taylor, Mark King, and also the Stock Aitken Waterman trio made fantastic bass lines.
Hella good!
I'm a life long metal head, but I must admit this song was a guilty pleasure. The bass is just so good! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
The 80's were a mix of genres, all my friends went to metal shows but still listened to pop, no one told us we couldn't do that. Slayer and Tears for Fears, heck yeah, Metallica and The Carpenters, The The, Aztec Camera, Gwar and the Dead Kennedys. Gary and Rick and Baloff, Tom and Robby, Kirk and Lars hanging at Ruthie's Inn. Memmmmrieeesss..
I'm not a musician and I don't play guitar or bass, but watching you play those riffs helps me hear it so much better. It brings a new appreciation for a song I grew up with. Thank you for that.
Well said, Rob. And I agree.
And this was from a teeny bopper band lol. They as well as lots of other British pop bands from the 80s were schooled in music. Can't say the same when we hit the 90s lol
100 THIS
I never appreciated how rad this bassline was until I heard some other people cover it. It's freaking awesome. Nick Beggs is also great in Steven Wilson's band and I thoroughly recommend checking that stuff out.
Thanks for the heads up! I thought this guy was a producer, but this band smokes.
Nick’s a great dude too. You can’t go wrong with anything he’s played on.
I was looking for this comment. Mr. Beggs amazing Chapman Stick right into Guthrie Govan's guitar solo on 'Regret #9' is the stuff of legends.
Re: Steven Wilson, I was thinking the same thing.
It didn't quite get it exactly but it's certainly nice. Here is Nick playing it live you can see some differences. Still a great review.
ruclips.net/video/xNVylTCe5MY/видео.html
Finally this one gets it's deserved recognition. Cheers to Nick Beggs!
He was voted best bass Prog rock musician for 5 years straight. Wake up.
Saw Nick Beggs several times while he was Steven Wilson’s bassist. Excellent player. 👍
Could you imagine having this guy for a teacher? He's a pretty amazing dude.
Hah! I actually contacted him for lessons
Whereabouts is he?
it's pretty dope!!
He is, I love him ❤
That’s what he’s doing with these videos
This breakdown of the bass line makes me appreciate it even more. Hard to think it was released 40 years ago this month.
Oh... why... oh.... why... did you remind us of THAT!!!??? Cruelty I say!! Cruelty!!
@@keithmurray9241 Reminds me of back when they started playing the 80's stuff on the "oldies" station. It was a slap in the face as to how much time had gone by.
@@scottdaniels8129....no time has gone by......😂
We are moving, changing, adapting but time is eternal....
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Nick Beggs is a monster player. He used to live up the road from my uncle, and I used to see him around Leighton Buzzard a bit - really nice guy who would always say 'hello' when you saw him. It's quite remarkable what he came up with for such a young player. You don't get to play with the likes of Steve Hackett or Tony Levin without being a virtuoso.
I think that John Taylor is the quintessential 80s bassist, but this one IS sublime. Fun fact - Kajagoogoo was discovered & produced by Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, so the sound similarities are no coincidence.
Exactly the comment I was checking for, before making it myself 😊. No doubt great bass player but the Taylor/Rhodes sound is all over it.
Synth sound similarities from Steve Askew, yes. Probably...but similarities from the bass? Nope. Nick's bass was nowhere near John's. I'm a Duran Duran fan too...the fact that Nick Rhodes found this group was simply because they're different.
CMIIW, Wally Badarou was also present right? He's also present in Level 42 album productions.
Nick Beggs said once that they wanted to sound like Duran Duran, in terms of musical maturity. Their blueprint.
I did not know this.
Colin Thurston also produced Whits Feathers.
It’s such an iconic bassline with that driving power. And Nick continues to produce sublime material to this day. We thank you Nicholas!
"Ooh to be Aah" from the same album has a killer bassline also, the dude has extreme good taste and chops. The band as a whole was fire too
Frayo has a mind-bendingly good bass solo as well
Yessss!!
Nick Beggs is a consummate professional. Some of his contributions to Steven Wilson's music are the epitome of understated genius.
I love the bassline in the live version of Index.
Came here to say this. Love his stuff with Wilson!
I've been playing bass for 32 years. I remember seeing the "Too Shy" video over and over on MTV when I was a kid, and I went out and bought the single. I always loved that baseline in the intro, and when I figured it out for the first time and played it, I was like... yeah, this is sick lol. Bravo Mr. Beggs... Bravo.😎
Nik Beggs Has always been overlooked, and a fabulous singing voice as well.
No he wasn't.
@@MohammedSinghar jealous?
@@russisaac813 i mean i dont agree he was overlooked, he was in every BASS magazine for years.... sure maybe teen boppers don't know who he is, but bassists do... i dunno, maybe he was.. have a nice weekend
i kept telling people how Kajagoogoo is a great band with great musicianship. but people always looked at me like i was stupid. Islands is an excellent album. the instrumental The Loop is an incredible track. such an underrated band, and Nick is criminally underrated.
I think they were promoted as a "boy band" or whatever the term was back then but I can remember Nick Beggs being interviewed in serious music magazines. Nick Kershaw was popular around the same time and he's a very proficient musician but the music press ignored that.
@@geoffpoole483 yes, Kershaw, too. agreed.
I keep telling my friends that Kajagoogoo had an avant garde edge, but they insist that they are a generic sounding 80s pop band, and that I’m just trying to be unique. Too bad that they can’t see what we see.
Image was the BIG thing at the time. It was crucial a band looked outrageously glamorous on stage. This was at the precise moment in time when it started to become too exaggerated to the point of ridiculous. It may have fed the pop-star mania but it also turned people off the musicianship. Nick's look was too much for many, I'm sure he wanted fame and fortune over being recognised as being a good musician. I did think at the time, this guy was talented.
Howard Jones is a great musician as is Nick Kershaw.
I'm consistently amazed at the topics and spotlights on this channel. It present an understanding of the bass I have yet to see elsewhere on RUclips. Paul just gets it. Well done once again.
I picked up bass for the first time a couple of years ago, after twenty of playing guitar and dabbling in keys, and this is probably the channel that most influenced me in realizing it is, hands down, the coolest instrument. The understated passion in every video is compelling.
Agreed!!
I started taking bass seriously in the early 90's and was lucky to know a bassist whose approach to music was as wide and deep as pdbass. As a rock bassist, that guy I met inspired me to go way beyond playing the root notes & fifths. And it's also good to know that pdbass' name is Paul. 😅
His name is Nick Beegs,…I’ve been studying him for years,…If you want to here some Madness,..get the album White Feathers,…only above average bass players can handle those songs!
Literally listen to this jam daily on Spotify. 80s had some phenomenal music…. ABC, Howard Jones, Depeche Mode, New Order…. To me this bands stand up there with Zeppelin and such it’s just a different vibe
Did you catch Nick playing with John Paul Jones a while back? That was cool.
80's reigns supreme!!
ABC "Lexicon Of Love" is a phenomenal album with some incredible basslines by Mark Lickley (fretted) and Brad Lang (fretless),,,,its a near perfect pop album - like a dance-pop version of ELO's "Eldorado" lol
@@Rib13Bass I don't often find myself saying this, but I completely agree. It was a masterpiece of music and music production, not least due to the efforts of producer / engineer extraordinaire, Trevor Horn.
Joy Div/New Order, some Depeche Mode (personal Jesus & l feel you are great)..
But Kaja Gugu?
The joke use to be..
If U wore jeans that are so tight.. itd KajaGugus
I'd understand Killing Joke, Cave etc.. but not the sugar coated droll shite dished out weekly.
Beggs is extremely underrated. Great you cast some light on this very talented bassist.
Really? What’s his rating??
@@jumpinjojo 98
So if I rate him high does that still make hime underrated? Stuppid remark
"The dude was 21 years old!" Man, I felt that.
💯 I always thought this was a catchy tune, but didn’t appreciate how dope this baseline was until I heard somebody else breaking it down and playing it like this. Respect
SAMEZIES
Yay, we’re all besties.
Same!
Always admired Nick Begg’s bass playing. This track was so cool and catchy. Beautifully explained and demonstrated as usual Paul. The 80’s produced some great bands. Would love you to feature Mick Karn from Japan. As with so many of these gifted bass players, Jaco was such a huge influence ❤
Agreed! Mick Karn was a beast!
Mick Karn was amazing. The stuff he did with David Torn was awesome. However, I'm pretty sure I read that Karn didn't even know who Pastorius was until after Japan had become well known. I think he has acknowledged Percy Jones as an influence.
@@davidevans6514 He really was a great player and this can often be the case, not knowing musicians like Jaco, until later. Just depends on your musical exposure. I was into everything, it helped having an older brother who turned me onto all the great bands and musicians. I saw Japan live twice, fantastic. Percy Jones is a tremendous player.
@@matthew4694 without doubt. He had the cool movements on stage too. I wonder if that was anything to do with Jaco’s cool swagger and dance style.
Mick Karn was exemplary, such an understated man and gifted as a sculptor too. I really like his work with Pete Murphy in Dalis Car, for me even better than Japan.
your hunger, and passion for all things bass, throughout multiple genres, and eras is clear to see, and you sharing that with us is a gift I'm most grateful for. Cheers from the UK!
I couldn't have said it better mate. Cheers from the States! Happy New Year.
Bass player lead singer from Level 42 is great. I’m sorry I forgot his name.
@@markusantonio4866 Mark King
He's the nicest guy. I made a training video for a multitack recording device. He came and found me at an exhibition to thank me as he'd been using the hardware. I was blown away.
There were big buggles but no troubles.
When i was a teenager and heard Kaja's White Feathers album, I almost got discouraged from playing bass cause Nick Beggs was so damn AMAZING, I thought I could never do that. John Taylor was my Hero but Nick was a god.
Bro, it was the contrary for me! Nick Beggs started me up on picking up the bass! He's got the smoothest basslines ever.
(the guitar and piano was a bit confusing to me at the time. With all those chords and all...Lol)
I think Nick was severely underrated at that time. I didn't know till seeing this, how good he was. Speechless here. 😮.
Not because you didn’t know him that he’s underrated, simply.
Awesome funky tune from the wonderful 1980's. So glad I was there. Even the rockers loved this tune. A great song is a great song, no matter the genre!
The interlude would’ve sounded better if he played a double octave.
Back in 1984 I was helping out with the Lighting on a large outside Concert here in the UK. Most of the audience had gone It was late at night and the Stage was being cleared and Lights always the last to start coming down. Then by complete surprise and he didn't have to, looking great wearing a really smart suit after wading through up to his knees in mud was Nick Beggs. That didn't bother him as he wanted to take the time to come, hang round for a chat and thank us all behind the scenes personally for all the hard we had all done. Really nice bloke. Just goes to show the power of "thank you" as although that was some decades ago, to this day that really meant a lot.
You've done it again Paul. I've now been enlightened about an older song, but this time it's one that I've actually hated all these years. I've gotta go back and listen to 'Too Shy', only with this new information in mind. Thanks for a great video. 😎
British musicians from the 80's had learned a lot from soul records of the 60's and 70's and it showed in their music. Brit pop was far funkier than US pop of the 80's for that reason. Beggs is fantastic and he kills it on this song, another great track is Ooh To Be Ah, the funk bass on that is incredible too.
Great point. 2.10 short bass breakdown - 'Don't look any further' - Greg Edwards ; )
Spot on and this was due to the melting pot of the big cities. Can't fault Kajagoogoo at al. The bridge bass line and the chords mmmmm!
Old comment but to call Brit pop funkier than the US at any point in history is laughable. British waves (of many genres) owe *everything* to the US (specifically Black Americans). Funk, Disco, Jazz, RnB, House, Blues, Rock and Roll would not exist in the world without the US.
@@Abolas452 -- Dude, you missed the guys point. He said rightfully so that Brit pop was more funkier in the 80's than US pop, and said they owed it to the soul records which of course came from the US.
@@Abolas452 They are masters at selling Americana music back to Americans. British blues invasion case and point. Who listens to that anymore?
Nick Beggs is an excellent musician and a lovely guy. Bass players seem to be ignored in general, but it’s my favourite instrument. In the 80s, the late Mick Karn, Mark King and Nick led the way.
It's good, even great, but Mick Karn's bass work on Japan, Dali's Car or solo is more exceptional. There's a live version of Methods of Dance you may want to check out, or Art of Parties etc.
yeah i thought that also, maybe throw in jaco as well...even john taylor was a force during the 80s ....also what about tony levin?
@@bepitan staying in the realm of synth poppy bands, MK is just wildly unique to me.
Yes, I think that's my stance, Mick Karn is likely the most creative and unique bassist, while still being in a "pop" format. (3 min songs, singable choruses, predominantly groove based) I think Bootsy or James Jamerson would be up there but they fit solidly in a style, where MK is just umm, individual.
OMG SIR, you are the best music explainer. LOVED that you dissected, deconstructed & gave visuals on the keyboard!!! Your style of teaching & interpretation is clear, comprehensive and concise to those of us that play by ear. Best music teacher award. 🏆🎸🎹. You're damn right I subscribed. ⚡☝🏼
Growing up with this song and seeing them on MTV was so awesome 🤘🤘. We had some of the best bass players taking the instrument to new levels. John Taylor from Duran Duran was another one who was just really making the bass a driving force in the songs.
MTV? Are you sure?
@@arfandroid6729are you being facetious? This was on regular heavy rotation on MTV.
Wow, this was totally unexpected, but a well deserved feature. Thank you for reminding me of this classic 80's tune and highlighting the brilliant musicianship of the bassline. Definitely going to the shed with this one, much love and respect from the Central Coast of California!
Òrale two more !, just make’m Bohemia or Pacifico or even betta’ , 805s !, not piss H2O corona!….😂
stay dry , but not thirsty ma’frend !
greetings from san miguel .
@@leonidasrosales9315 salud!
It's a masterpiece and a beautiful song, after so many years i searched it last night and found something I'd never heard before in any other song😎😍👍
Kaja gaa gaa
Kaja goo goo?
Nick Beggs from Kajagoogoo and Mick Karn from Japan were two of the best bass players I ever heard together with Wooten, Joco, Flea or Squire. All amazing bass players.
Everyone you listed is great, but Mick Karn has always stood apart from many other bassist. No one sounded like him before, during or really after. His sound and technique was in my opinion truly unique and instantly recognizable.
@@carriersignal Bang on!
My bass idol...
and John Taylor
Karn - greatest pop bassist of all time.
Check out Bassist John Ferrara from Consider The Source, and more recently doing some solo releases and side projects too.
This was illuminating. Thank you! It was Limahl who stole my 8 year old heart way back then, but I loved that song, and have never ceased to re-visit it. Can't believe 2023 is the 40th anniversary of its release. It was, as you say, a strange fusion of synth and funky jazz. I hear this a lot on other tracks from the same years. Tears For Fears' 'Change' (1983?) has a comparable bassline that drives the song's energy in the middle 8. Also, Duran Duran's 'Rio'. I love that you give Kajagoogoo worthy praise, as people tend to disregard them a bit in retrospect. Howard Jones is another of my '80s faves, though I didn't discover him properly until i grew up. All the best from England.
UK was very blessed to have such amazing talent in that era.Too many to mention.
Kajagoogoo were quite teeny/poppy at the time but you couldn't help notice nicks funky bass style.
tears for fears were uttely jaw droppingly amazing,and gary numan/depeche mode/new order were really pioneering on the electronic scenet at the time
This is a very technical breakdown. The intricate details are caught by someone who must really love music!! I remember this tune kinda grabbed me and I didnt know why. Thanks to this video, dude!! You broke it down. Impressive bass composition and ARRANGING!!!
You forgot that a drummer and Nick Beggs on Chapman were the ensemble chosen by none of than the most legendary JOHN PAUL JONES of Led Zeppelin for his "Zooma" solo album world tour. Saw that tour 4 times in 3 cities: IT WAS THE STUFF OF LEGEND! Those two legends together were almost universe-collapsing in terms of gravity of the moment!
Saw them in NYC opening for King Crimson
@Mark T Collins that was the :thunder thief" tour
I recorded the boston show and shared it everywhere on all the cdr trading sites.
I saw them touring Zooma in Orlando. I got to say 'hi' to Nick as they were exiting the venue heading to the bus after the show and got a handshake. It was my first exposure to a Chapman stick. I was blown away with how Nick pulled off playing Plant vocals, Page guitars, and Jones keyboard sounds with the stick.
There were some 80s pop songs with killer bass lines. "Too Shy" is one of my favorites. Some other great examples are:
Duran Duran - Rio
Paul Young - Come Back and Stay
Level 42 - Something About You
The Waitresses - Christmas Wrapping
Intro to Don't look Down Girl....Go West
Pino Palladino
The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another (and just about everything else they've done) - why isn't their bassist a household name???
@@vixapphire
Wow....I totally forgot about the fixx
I was in a band in Ireland in the 80s...
My bass player was Crazy about them
Duran and Japan too
@@vixapphire One of my all-time fave bass riffs for sure. Like this one from Beggs, it sounds like it comes from some other reality.
@@judgedredd3568 Really underrated album, that one - I love it. Palladino did great work on it.
What a great analysis on so many levels. Too Shy really shaped my musical taste back in '83 - 40 years ago and just light years ahead of what kids have today. I laughed out LOUD when you gave Limahl the shout-out.
Saw him play with Steve Hackett in the UK. Fantastic musician and fit in perfectly, never overplaying or overstepping his mark in the band but still being a stand out performer amongst the talent on stage.
I also saw him on tour with the Steve Hackett band in Norway a few years ago. My friend spent the first half of the concert asking me who the leggy blonde with black leather skirt and bass guitar was. (We had seats a good distance from the stage - I'll give him that 🤣 ) I held him in suspense until he googled the band members ... But it was a great gig, and I have listened to quite a lot of Nick's solo work after that. A really brilliant musician, and as you say; his great performance suited the old Genesis classics as well as Steve's solo material without being "flashy" and trying to show off in any way. A concert to remember!
The way he sits at the bass pedals playing them with his fists during Shadow of the Hierophant was so damn cool
@@JohnnyTronny19841 I don't think he used that trick on the gig I saw - that must have been on an earlier tour ... But I've seen it later on video and have to agree it looks pretty cool (and a bit "flashy" as well, I have to admit .. 😅)
@@attepotterrmmefiremerkersm68 yeah! To me it just added to the dramatic feeling of that track - felt like it went along with how I feel about the track...ominous, heavy, foreboding, majestic, etc
Yes, kids, once upon a time, pop music was actual music! Written and performed by actual musicians! I KNOW, RIGHT!
Another really underrated bassplayer imo is Mick Karn. His way of playing fretless was really unique.
Now he was a bass god!!!
Where do I know that name from ?
@@rottweilerfun9520 He played in a band called Japan.
Couldn't agree more
Was just about to say!
When i first heard this song it sounded like it really was out of this planet. No way they could create this in todays mediocre music industry.
I used to play this song when i used to DJ l, and people would enter a state of sophisticated trance to this tune.
This is truly a sophisticated, ahead of its time, talented gem.
Thank you for giving credit to it.
Spot on. In my naivety, I assumed it was programmed, but yes, can you imagine this type of bass line in any current pop song? The 80's rule!😂
I first became aware of Nick Beggs when I heard him on Steven Wilson's solo work (the song "Luminol" is a spectacular example). I looked him up and was like, "Wait, the guy from Kajagoogoo?" I went back and listened to "Too Shy" and only then realized how incredible this bass line is. Thanks for putting some focus on it!
whoa, didnt know the steve wilson connection...
Same here!
Very well said!
THANK YOU for highlighting this bass line, and artistry of Beggs. Wow. How many times I’ve tried to convey the genius of this song and it fell on deaf ears. You rock, pdbass. Funk on.
This song made me want to learn how to play the bass. So many cover bands could never play this song because of the bass line. One of the greatest pop songs ever.
The man is a musical genius. As a 70’s classic rock follower I have to admit that the 80’s brought about some fantastic bassists.
The other band of that era that deserves JUST as much praise is Level 42. Extremely underrated band with a badass bassist who also sang at the same time 🤯
That was Mark King wasn’t it.
@@kevinstoneham1245 yep!
Ahhhhhh yes...Something About You..,another killin' it bass line from the 80s. This was one of my favorite songs from that era. Used to think myself "dancing my azz off" to this song back then🤣😂Mark King was the f'ing man in those days. 👊🏾👍🏾
Level 42 weren't underrated! They were the dog's bollocks at the time! Mark King was a household name.
Worth noting that Nick Beggs sang while playing too and he was pretty bonkers at it. Huge Mark King fan too.
I just discovered the video for “Too Shy” on RUclips last week, and was blown away by what I saw going on on Nick Begg’s bass. One week later, I discover this video analyzing it. The happiest of coincidences! Love it. Thanks as always. I love your love of the instrument.
As a 56 year old lifelong Bassist this song is one of the reasons that made me pick up the instrument. Always thought it was the coolest and still listen to this song constantly. Huge influence. I really enjoyed the breakdown here.
same here, 52yo and still rocking with a 5 strings! Thanks to Nick Beggs, among others (John Taylor but also Geddy Lee or Johnny Myung...) Cheers from a swiss bass guy
Ok...we all know that white boys can't jump.
However, white boys can thump the crap out of a bass line if your name is Nick Beggs. I'm 68 years old, Black and I've been playing bass with a pick and my thumb for 53 years. After hearing "Too Shy" back in the day, the only thing I could pick was my ass and thumb my nose to people.....
....."Badass Beggs"!!!
a word that screams 80s? I say: gay-ass-sex
I grew up a Led Zeppelin and English classic rock fanatic, but I loved this song from the first time I heard it. Great mood and killer bass part.
Nice one, maestro! Sir Nicholas of Beggs is an excellent musician... doing sterling work with Steven Wilson.
I remember hearing Too Shy for the first time back in 1983 when I was 9 years old and that opening bass line just absolutely blew me away and still does to this day! Fantastic musician Nick Beggs and he doesn't get the credit that he deserves. Thanks for sharing this with us and best wishes to you. Greetings from North Wales, UK ❤🙂👍
Same for me.
I’m so glad you covered this! Kajagoogoo’s entire debut album “white feathers” has so much great bass work on it. If you want another great (and overlooked) 80s record with amazing bass playing, please check out “Penthouse and Pavement” by Heaven 17.
I'll second this. "Penthouse and Pavement" was the song that popped into my mind when I read the title. So many tasty bass hooks in one song. Good call, Chris.
This!
Nick Beggs had his bass strapped higher than anyone back in the day for slapping and pinch-plucking. "Too Shy" really does have a killer bass line! It's been years since I heard it.
YES!!!! I always loved this bassline! I also loved the one on the second single from this album, " Ooh to be Ahh". He was part of a group of young Brits killing on the bass at the time. Which included Mark King of Level 42, John Taylor of Duran Duran and Pino Palladino, just to name a few.
Usually, when I watch this kind of video, they take 20 minutes to break down the song. This is short, sweet, and to the point. I like it
That's one of the best New Wave songs on the 80's, there is something special about it. it never gets old. It's one of my favs from that era. That bass line just sticks in your head forever - it was so funky and the symmetry with the keyboards....is what made it so unique, that's why it stands the test of time. Thanks for covering this song.
I became familiar with Beggs in the early 90s when he was playing with Iona, a celt rock group with some great musicianship. Their song Bird of Heaven is one of my favorites.
Wait....he was in Iona too? I have Iona cd's but somehow I might have overlooked Beggs was part of the band. Troy Donockley has been in Nightwish for years now.....which set me on the path to Iona.
Mind 🤯
I got to chat with him after an Iona gig. Such a nice guy.
That bassline is FIRE.
One of the best bands ever, pity they didn’t continue recording together. Nick Beggs is astonishing!
This was such a sublime video! Thank you for your passion and the breakdown of Kajagoogoo’s most iconic song. I was jaw dropped. We all love John Taylor but this was illuminating!
One of my favorite basslines from the 80s..thanks for analyzing this one!
Everyone in Kajagoogoo is extremely talented. I can't believe it's been 40 years since White Feathers.
If only their hair dresser had been as talented.