Too Shy
Encyclopedia
Too Shy is a song written and recorded by English New Wave
/pop music
band Kajagoogoo
, released in 1983. The first single from their debut album White Feathers
, the song was an immediate hit and reached no.1 (for two weeks) on the UK Singles Chart
. It was also very successful in other European countries, spending 5 weeks at no.1 in Germany, and reaching no.2 in Switzerland, no.4 in Sweden and Austria, and no.4 in the Netherlands .
Assisted by heavy rotation on MTV
, the song later became a success in the United States, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100
. "Too Shy" is Kajagoogoo's only significant hit in the U.S., where the band is widely regarded as a one-hit wonder
. In the UK, however, Kajagoogoo had further hits, including two more Top 10 singles: "Ooh to Be Ah" and "Big Apple", both in 1983.
The track was produced by Nick Rhodes
of Duran Duran
and Colin Thurston
, who had produced Duran Duran's first two albums. In 2006, "Too Shy" was ranked number twenty-seven on VH1
's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's and number nine on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
The 12" maxi single's B-side, "Take Another View", a non-album track, often performed live, was included on the 2004 re-issue of White Feathers, which contained several bonus tracks, including the instrumental version of "Too Shy", originally featured on the B-sides of both the 7" and 12" singles.
The song is also included in the computer game The Sims 2: Open For Business
in the Sims' language, Simlish
. An instrumental version of this song is also featured in the hit game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories", on the fictional "Wave 103" station which plays New Wave tracks.
The video for the song cast model Carolyn Espley (later wife of Dennis Miller
) as a waitress cleaning up a nightclub at the end of the night. As the band performs the song on the club stage, she has visions of dancers from different eras populating the dance floor.
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
/pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo are a British pop band, best known for their hit single, "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart and No. 5 on the U.S...
, released in 1983. The first single from their debut album White Feathers
White Feathers
White Feathers is the debut album by British New Romantic band Kajagoogoo, released in spring 1983. It was produced by Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran and Colin Thurston, who was Duran Duran's producer at the time, except for track #5, the self-titled "Kajagoogoo", an instrumental , which was produced...
, the song was an immediate hit and reached no.1 (for two weeks) on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. It was also very successful in other European countries, spending 5 weeks at no.1 in Germany, and reaching no.2 in Switzerland, no.4 in Sweden and Austria, and no.4 in the Netherlands .
Assisted by heavy rotation on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, the song later became a success in the United States, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. "Too Shy" is Kajagoogoo's only significant hit in the U.S., where the band is widely regarded as a one-hit wonder
One-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder is a person or act known mainly for only a single success. The term is most often used to describe music performers with only one hit single.-Characteristics:...
. In the UK, however, Kajagoogoo had further hits, including two more Top 10 singles: "Ooh to Be Ah" and "Big Apple", both in 1983.
The track was produced by Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes
Nick Rhodes is an English musician, is best known as the keyboardist of the pop rock band Duran Duran...
of Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
and Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston
Colin Thurston was a British recording engineer and producer.Born in Singapore, Thurston played in bands in London before he "bluffed his way" into audio engineering...
, who had produced Duran Duran's first two albums. In 2006, "Too Shy" was ranked number twenty-seven on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's and number nine on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.
The 12" maxi single's B-side, "Take Another View", a non-album track, often performed live, was included on the 2004 re-issue of White Feathers, which contained several bonus tracks, including the instrumental version of "Too Shy", originally featured on the B-sides of both the 7" and 12" singles.
The song is also included in the computer game The Sims 2: Open For Business
The Sims 2: Open for Business
The Sims 2: Open for Business is the third expansion pack for The Sims 2, released on March 3, 2006, which allows Sims to run a home or community lot based business. Aspyr released a port of the game for Mac OS X on September 4, 2006...
in the Sims' language, Simlish
Simlish
Simlish is a fictional language featured in EA Games' Sim series of games. It debuted in SimCopter, and has been especially prominent in The Sims, The Sims 2 and The Sims 3. The Sims development team created the unique Simlish language by experimenting with fractured Ukrainian, French, Latin,...
. An instrumental version of this song is also featured in the hit game "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories", on the fictional "Wave 103" station which plays New Wave tracks.
The video for the song cast model Carolyn Espley (later wife of Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
) as a waitress cleaning up a nightclub at the end of the night. As the band performs the song on the club stage, she has visions of dancers from different eras populating the dance floor.
Charts
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 5 |
| U.S. Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... |
25 |