Flashback While browsing Jim Romenesko's Obscure Store and Reading Room a funny looking word caught my eye. It was in a reference to a dope smokin' column by Richard Roeper who claims "The last time I even toked on a joint, Kajagoogoo was topping the charts, OK?". Obviously, Kajagoogoo was the word that attracted my attention. I have to admit that I actually own their 1982 release "White Feathers" - on vinyl of course. The song "Too Shy" was a catchy little tune that was getting lots of radio play. I remember buying the album at Rasputin Records one afternoon with the intention of sharing it with Francesca, a pretty, blonde, Italian girl who was in my English Literature class at Berkeley. The next time Francesca came over to study I put "White Feathers" on the turntable. As the drum machines and synthesizers fired off the opening notes of "Too Shy", my young Italian girlfriend started smiling. Tossing Jame Joyce's Dubliners aside, Francesca stood up and began doing a sexy bump and grind around my bedroom. Jumping on the bed, she really got into it, showing me moves seen only in flashy euro-discos. The radio length song was soon over, and the second track had started. Something was not quite the same. Where was the energy, the punchy beat? Francesca jumped off the bed and scratched the needle over to the next track, then the next. Same problem. I suggested Side B. There we found several more tracks of fluff. Resigning ourselves to the fact that Kajagoogoo was destined to be a one-hit wonder, we re-queued "Too Shy" and continued dancing around the bedroom. We must have listened to that song 20 times that afternoon, driving my roommate crazy, and leaving me an album with deep grooves in a single memorable song.

I checked to see if "White Feathers" is still in print. It's not, but you can get Too Shy: The Singles...& More (or you might want to just see if you can find the 12" single at a used record store) if you want to re-live any "Too Shy" memories of your own.