Category Archives: THE KORGIS
THE KORGIS By Appointment
Some of the tracks here are originals, some 1990′s re-recordings, others presented in alternative ‘unplugged’ versions re-recorded in 2005. Ultimately the provenance doesn’t really matter, it’s all about their underrated songwriting artistry, as the covering of their material by Beck, Rod Steward, Erasure, Tracey Ullman and The Dream Academy among others testifies.
Uncut magazine (February 2015)
‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ might have been THE KORGIS’ only hit, yet ‘All The Love In The World’ – in acoustic version here, just like ‘Young ‘n’ Russian,’ a hard-hitting artifact from the Iron Curtain era – is every bit as tremulous and uplifting, whereas the world music rhythmic patterns add to the tight transparency of ‘This World’s For Everyone.’ And if the Rachmaninoff strain in a slide-kissed ‘If I Had You’ betrays the band’s sophistication, the reggae flow of ‘Lines’ reveals their humorous side, although the synthetic layer under the Latinesque buzz in ‘One Life’ somewhat jars until it comes to an organ solo. Still, that’s only a slight trade-off for this unique link between 10CC and THE BUGGLES so, with a few obscure tracks on display, the disc is as interesting a collection as it gets. ****
DMME.net (January 2015)
…By Appointment is a collection of some of the band’s best songs as well as some unplugged performances. The best known hits are included (“If I Had You,” “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime”) as well as lesser known songs that should have been hits (“Perfect Hostess,” “If It’s Alright With You Baby,” “I Just Can’t Help It”). Although Warren and Davis parted ways for many years, in the twenty-first century they decided to reform Stackridge (much to the delight of their fans) as well as The Korgis (who will be touring in 2015). When The Korgis hit the target, they really hit it dead center. Some of these tracks are just…THE BEST.
babysue (December 2014)
The newly reformed Korgis celebrate their return to the fray with the release of a typically tuneful package featuring re-recordings of the best of their repertoire from the late seventies and early eighties. The mildly eccentric Bristolian duo are obviously firm believers in the enduring power of a quirkily memorable melody and some fine examples of their distinctive songwriting style are gathered together here…
Kevin Bryan, Regional Newspapers (December 2014)
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THE KORGIS The Kollection DVD
…What stands out is just how talented the trio are as they swop songs around and perform a devastatingly simple set…They are superb songwriters with a knack for capturing the spirit of the three minute single and the wealth of material on display proves that they should really have had a higher profile.
Classic Rock Society (September 2005)
Overall this is an interesting DVD that shows that the band had a lot more to offer than just one song which everybody knows…
Feedback (November 2005)
This nicely unassuming package is dominated by an ‘unplugged’ performance…and the collection is supplemented by some original promo videos and an interesting documentary feature on the history of the band
Kevin Bryan, Stirling Advertiser
Easy on the ear and the eye this delightful DVD also includes lots of bonus features, such as archive videos as well as a history of the group and a discography.
Hartlepool Mail (September 2006)
…by simply unplugging their guitars and creating sumptuous new arrangements, The Korgis breathe new life into these golden numbers, until it’s amazing just how fresh they all now sound, as the duo and a guesting John Baker astutely bring out each song’s inherent magic, highlighting its mood, melody, and lyrical strength. So, although it may look like just another a Best Of package, Unplugged actually walks the Korgis to brand new heights. A must for all fans.
Jo-Anne Greene, Goldmine (October 2006)
Easy on the ear and the eye this delightful DVD also includes lots of bonus features, such as archive videos as well as a history of the group and a discography.
Hartlepool Mail (September 2006)
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THE KORGIS Something About The Korgis
This collection is bang up to date and includes the 2006 single ‘Something About The Beatles.’ The CD part of this set includes 15 tracks plus a further four under the heading ‘Bonus Rarities.’ The DVD is the ‘Unplugged Kollection’ from when the band reformed in 2005. (The CD version was also issued by Angel Air in 2006.) The DVD also includes some bonus footage such as promo videos, a documentary on the band dubbed ‘Off The Leash’ and a history and discography.
‘Something About The Korgis’ is great value for money and a wonderfully compiled set that will appeal to newcomers to the camp as much as it’ll appeal to serious collectors. The sheer depth and emotion on some of these songs is incredible and well worth paying attention to.
****
Neil Daniels, www.getreadytorock.com (August 2008)
Formed to be ‘more commercial’ than Stackridge, the songwriting of Davis and Warren shows the same quirkiness and humour, but with a radio-friendly sound that led to the hits ‘If I Had You’ (#13) and ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ (#5).
The CD in this package is a greatest hits collection comprising not just their UK hits (except one), but their massive European hit ‘All The Love In The World’ and their latest single ‘Something About The Beatles’. Add to that some rare demos and remixes and it’s worth getting for that alone.
However, there’s also a DVD included. This has the band: Warren, Davis and John Baker performing an ‘unplugged’ set and promo videos along with a ‘Story of The Korgis’ documentary.
Truly Klassic Korgis!
Martin Hutchinson. The Bolton News (August 2008)
Leave it to an astute archival label like Angel Air to take it upon itself to revive a band like the Korgis, a deserving combo that was scarcely appreciated even in their native Great Britain… Etched in the great British pop tradition – one that relied on such esteemed forebears as the Kinks, the Hollies and naturally, the Beatles – the band carved its template from lush, effusive melodies, subtly shaded arrangements and the cooing vocals of chief protagonists Andy Davis and James Warren, the Stackridge expatriates who shaped the band’s sound.
Something About the Korgis is their fifth offering from Angel Air and their second Korgis compilation, but given the songs’ strong first impression it’s clear the group warrant the additional exposure. Two takes on “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” and a more recent release – the aptly dubbed “Something About the Beatles” – find a place among nineteen selections representing the best of the Korgis catalogue.
A bonus DVD featuring an unplugged performance by the reunited trio, archival videos and an illuminating documentary complete the package, making this a must-have for that especially discerning collector who considers him or herself a Korgis completist.
Lee Zimmerman, November 2008
…filing under ‘relevant’ is an option
Mojo, November 2008
…raging emotions put into simple delivery, heartfelt words…A gem among gems.
www.dmme.net (November 2008)
…the band carved its template from lush, effusive melodies, subtly shaded arrangements and the cooing vocals of chief protagonists Andy Davis and James Warren, the Stackridge expatriates who shaped the band’s sound…a must-have for that especially discerning collector who considers him or herself a Korgis completist.
Lee Zimmerman (December 2008)
UK vocal/instrumental group The Korgis had a debut top twenty hit in 1979 with If I Had You. The following year they followed that up with the classic Everybody’s Got To Learn Something, a track still regularly played today…This 19 track ‘best of’ CD collection also includes a bonus DVD of promo videos and the Korgis documentary Off The Leash.
Bev Bevan
THE KORGIS The World’s For Everyone
From the title track, through ‘Show Me’ and the magnificent ‘No Love In the World’ … and ‘Love Turned Me Around’ only the use of drum machine betrays the late-80s, early-90s origins. Just when you thought it couldn’t get much better, the band roll out ‘Wreckage Of A Broken Heart’ and ‘All The Love In The World’.
The inclusion of the ‘major ‘hit’ and bonus tracks including the original demo for the album concept, together with Bakers’ instructive liner notes, round out an excellent package. Classic pop doesn’t come much better, and an almost forgotten gem shines again. Simply wonderful. *****
David Randall, www.getreadytorock.com (December 2007)
The production throughout is phenomenal, the sound magnificent, and the arrangements dense, but with close attention to musical details. As always with the Korgis, the strong melodies and catchy choruses reign supreme, with every song emphasizing the band’s exquisite vocals and ferocious musical talent.
Fifteen years on, this superb set finally received a British release, an event celebrated by the inclusion of a previously unreleased bonus track, a pair of alternate recordings, “This World”‘s original demo, and a rollicking rock & roller recorded live in 1993. A must have for every Korgis’ fan, an old album that in today’s climes sounds surprisingly up to date.
All Music Guide (December 2007)
With a handful of bonus cuts, including the rarest of all rarities, THE KORGIS’ live rendition of the “Mount Everest Sings The Blues” rockabilly from 1993, that’s from the studio-only band, this CD will feel at home in every home.
www.dmme.net (December 2007)
One of the most haunting and melodic of pop bands…
Classic Rock Society (Dec 2007)
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THE KORGIS Something About The Beatles
If the Korgis were called something different, like, say, Squeeze, Crowded House or Tears For Fears might they have enjoyed the success they deserved? There’s just something comical about their chosen moniker which perhaps means it’s hard to take them that seriously.
Which is a shame, because Something About The Beatles is a dreamy, wistful meditation on the 60s, innocence lost and The Beatles (of course) which deserves a wider audience than it undoubtedly will receive.
Given that this is the band which enjoyed a brief flirtation with the singles charts with the gorgeous Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime, it’s no surprise that their newest single sports a marshmallow soft chorus which will lodge inside your mind in seconds. ***
Ian Harvey www.rockblogger.co.uk
…the song makes full use of great melodies and harmonies…this track stands out from many of the other new releases
Evening Echo (July 2006)
Super-slick pop that brings to mind the Bee Gees at their melodic harmonious best. The chorus is simply sweet and totally irresistible.
Hartlepool Mail (August 2006)
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THE KORGIS Unplugged
The hits are here with ‘If I Had You’ adapting well to the acoustic mode whereas ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ lacks the big production values for me. ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ and ‘Lines’ would easily sit on daytime radio.
www.getreadytorock.com (February 2006)
Recreating hits like Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime on three acoustic guitars (with a hint of piano) takes them to a simple, beautiful level often not immediately apparent in their earlier incarnation…A stylish songbook from two of Britain’s vastly underrated artists.
Maverick (April 2006)
…by simply unplugging their guitars and creating sumptuous new arrangements, The Korgis breathe such new life into these golden numbers that it’s amazing how fresh they all now sound…Although it may look like just another best-of package, Unplugged actually walks The Korgis to brand new heights. A must for all fans
Jo-Ann Greene, Goldmine (May 26, 2006)
…the vocal harmonies on ‘If I Had You’ are wonderful and well worth hearing…Of course it will be to ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ that most people will turn, and the version here is truly beautiful.
Feedback (May 2006)
The acoustic versions of this simply structured, accessible songs, though a bit thin, make the songwriting shine with its bits of wittiness (such as those found on “Cold Tea,” “Dumb Waiters” and “Perfect Hostess”). (5.5/10)
Avi Shaked, Maelstrom (May 2006)
…there are some excellent harmonies as a feature of the music, and the instruments are always impeccably played…
Classic Rock Society (June 2006)
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THE KORGIS The Kollection
Released with the full approval of the band, this hand-picked ‘best of’ rarely flags…
Music Week, 23.04.05
The Korgis had a brief chart success between 1979 and 1980 with two UK hit singles, ‘If I Had You’ and ‘Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime’ – both included on here. Both of these are certifiable pop classics with their lush arrangements and melodious vocals (the nearest comparison to the Korgis sound would be fellow Brits Sad Café). The band did a dance style version of ‘Everybody…’ with DNA in 1993 but this failed to chart (again it is here on this collection).
Only one slight drawback is that a few numbers tend to merge into one another sound wise but at 19 tracks you are sure to find
something to enjoy.
This collection has the added bonus for fans of some newly recorded tracks, which carry on the bands core sound of gentle melodies plus extensive sleeve notes. There are some demos dating back from 1978 that have aged remarkably well.
An enjoyable collection from a band who certainly deserve more credit and exposure than they got. One for fans of well crafted and timeless pop melodies.***1/2
Jason Ritchie, www.getreadytorock.com (April 2005)
…we get a significant portion of their latest release, 1992’s This World’s for Everyone (recorded after reforming as a trio), including a version of their hit “Everybody’s Got to Learn Sometime.” There is also a bunch of new songs, recorded in the current millennium.
Avi Shaked, www.maelstrom.nu (May 2005)
…there are some lovely melodies floating around in there…
Record Collector (July 2005)
…includes five songs from a recording session that the band conducted in 2003…
Feedback (August 2005)
…carefully crafted brand of highly melodic pop-rock was all the rage for a few years during the late seventies and early eighties…
Kevin Bryan, Belfast Telegraph
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