KAJAGOOGOO - TOO SHY

Estrena: gener de 1983

Llistes: EUA: #5   Regne Unit: #1 (2 setmanes)

"Too Shy" és una cançó escrita i enregistrada per la banda anglesa Kajagoogoo, llançada com a primer senzill del seu àlbum debut "White Feathers". Aquesta cançó presenta al cantant principal Chris Hamill (conegut com "Limahl") intentant convèncer una noia perquè s'obri amb ell. La cançó va ser escrita per Limahl i el baixista de la banda, Nick Beggs.

Nick Rhodes de Duran Duran va aconseguir que la banda signés amb el seu segell EMI, i Rhodes va produir la cançó amb Colin Thurston, qui va produir els dos primers àlbums de Duran Duran.

"Too Shy" va ser un èxit enorme de Kajagoogoo al seu país natal, el Regne Unit. Als Estats Units, MTV es va llançar l’agost de 1981 obrint la porta de la promoció per a molts grups foranis. Durant els següents anys moltes bandes britàniques amb una aparença interessant van tenir èxit a Amèrica simplement perquè tenien vídeos disponibles per al canal per reproduir; a Europa hi havia més facilitat per a programar vídeos musicals abans que es promocionesin als Estats Units. Alguns d'aquests grups, com Duran Duran, van tenir regularitat a Amèrica, però d'altres, com Haircut One Hundred, Soft Cell o Dexys Midnight Runners, van ser fenòmens d'un sol èxit a Estats Units. Kajagoogoo pertanyen a l'última categoria, tot i que van tenir diversos èxits més al Regne Unit, com "Ooh To Be Ah" i "Big Apple".

Aquesta és una cançó que parla sobre una persona que lluita per comunicar els seus sentiments i desitjos a la noia que li agrada. L'ús de frases fent referència a la llengua callada, la mancat d'alè per llançar-se o moure’t en cercles no t’ajudarà, suggereixen un sentiment de nerviosisme i vacil·lació cap a fer el pas. La frase repetida "You're too shy shy, hush hush eye to eye" reforça encara més aquesta idea que la persona reprimeix els seus veritables sentiments a causa de la seva timidesa. L'ús de la frase "Modern medicine falls short of your complaint" (La medicina moderna falla en el teu reclam) crea un sentiment de frustració, com si el cantant sentís que hauria de poder superar la seva timidesa però sembla que no pot fer-ho.

El cantant Limahl va marxar després del primer àlbum de Kajagoogoo, i la banda va continuar sense èxit com a "Kaja", mentre que Limahl va seguir com a solista, assolint un únic èxit el 1985 amb "Never Ending Story".

KAJAGOOGOO - TOO SHY

Released: January 1983

Charted:  US: #5    UK: #1 (2 wks)

"Too Shy" is a song written and recorded by English band Kajagoogoo released as the first single from their debut album “White feathers”. This synthesizer-driven song finds lead singer Chris Hamill (who goes by "Limahl") trying to convince a girl to open up to him. The song was written by Limahl and the band's bass player, Nick Beggs.

Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran got the band signed to their label EMI, and Rhodes produced this track with Colin Thurston, who produced Duran Duran's first two albums.

It was Kajagoogoo's huge hit in their native UK. In America, MTV launched in August 1981, and over the next few years many British bands with interesting looks had some success in America simply because they had videos available for the station to play - in Europe there were outlets for music videos before they became viable in the States. Some of these acts, like Duran Duran, had staying power, but others, like Haircut One Hundred, Soft Cell or Dexys Midnight Runners, were one-hit wonders in America. Kajagoogoo is very much in the latter category, although they had several more hits in the UK, including "Ooh To Be Ah" and "Big Apple."

This is a song about a person who is struggling to communicate their feelings and desires to their romantic interest. The use of phrases such as "Tongue tied or short of breath" and "Moving in circles won't you dilate" suggest a sense of nervousness and hesitation towards making a move. The repeated lines "You're too shy shy, hush hush eye to eye" further emphasize this idea that the person is holding back their true feelings due to their shyness. The request for the object of the speaker's affection to "move a little closer" in the pre-chorus implies that the speaker is seeking some sort of physical or emotional closeness, but is too shy to make the first move. The use of the line "Modern medicine falls short of your complaint" creates a sense of frustration, as if the speaker feels that they should be able to overcome their shyness but can't seem to do so. 

Lead singer Limahl left after Kajagoogoo's first album, and the band continued without success as "Kaja" while Limahl carried on as a solo act, scoring a hit in 1985 with “Never ending story”.