Too Shy

"Too Shy" is a song written and recorded by English band Kajagoogoo, released in 1983. The first single from their debut album White Feathers, the song was an immediate hit and reached number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. It was also very successful in other European countries and Japan, spending five weeks at number one in Germany, also reaching number one in Belgium and Ireland, as well as reaching number two in France and Switzerland, and number four in Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands.

"Too Shy"
Single by Kajagoogoo
from the album White Feathers
B-side	"Too Shy (Instrumental)" (7", 12") "Take Another View" (12")
Released	January 1983[1]
Genre	New wave[2] synth-pop[3]
Length	3:45
Label	EMI (UK) EMI America (US)
Songwriter(s)	Steve Askew Nick Beggs Stuart Neale Jez Strode Christopher Hamill
Producer(s)	Nick Rhodes Colin Thurston
Kajagoogoo singles chronology
"The Fear Machine" (1982) "Too Shy" (1983) "Ooh to Be Ah" (1983)
Music video
"Too Shy" on YouTube

"Too Shy '92 Remix"
Single by Limahl
from the album Love Is Blind
B-side	"Too Shy (Remix '92) (Acapella)" 7"
Released	1992
Length	4:12
Label	Bellaphon
Songwriter(s)	Steve Askew Nick Beggs Stuart Neale Jez Strode Christopher Hamill
Producer(s)	Limahl
Limahl singles chronology
"Maybe This Time" (1992) "Too Shy '92 Remix" (1992) "Love Is Blind" (1992)

Assisted by heavy rotation on MTV, the song later became a success in the United States, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.[4] "Too Shy" is Kajagoogoo's only significant hit in the US, 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.

Production

"Too Shy" was written by Kajagoogoo and produced by Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes and Colin Thurston, the latter of whom had produced Duran Duran's first two albums. In 2006, "Too Shy" was ranked number 27 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's[5] and number 9 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.[6]

Music video

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.

Chart performance

The song was an immediate hit, topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks.[7] It was also very successful in other European countries, spending five weeks at number one in Germany, and reaching number two in Switzerland, and number four in Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands.[8] The song was also a top 10 hit in the United States during the summer of 1983.

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.

Weekly charts Chart (1983) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[10] 4 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[11] 1 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 8 France (IFOP)[13] 2 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 1 Japan (Oricon International Chart)[15] 1 Japan (Oricon Singles Chart)[15] 23 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[8] 4 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[16] 5 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[17] 2 South Africa (Springbok Radio)[18] 11 Spain (AFYVE)[19] 19 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 4 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] 2 UK Singles (OCC)[22] 1 US Billboard Hot 100[4] 5 US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[4] 25 US Billboard Top Tracks[4] 23 US Cash Box[23] 5 West Germany (Official German Charts)[24] 1

Year-end charts Chart (1983) Position Australia (Kent Music Report)[25] 84 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[26] 59 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[27] 72 France (IFOP)[28] 7 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[29] 37 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[30] 26 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[31] 16 US Billboard Hot 100[32] 50 US Cash Box[33] 42 Certifications and sales Region Certification Certified units/sales France (SNEP)[34] Gold 893,000[35] United Kingdom (BPI)[36] Gold 500,000^^ ^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Appearances

The song can also be heard in the Rockstar video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, played on the in-game radio station Wave 103. It also appears as a collectable cassette tape in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. A Simlish version of the song is also featured in The Sims 2 expansion pack, The Sims 2: Open for Business.[37] The song also features in the Black Mirror interactive film Bandersnatch on Netflix.[38] The song was also in Everybody Hates Chris.

See also

• List of number-one hits of 1983 (Germany)
• List of number-one singles of 1983 (Ireland)
• List of UK Singles Chart number ones of the 1980s

References

1. Johnson, Michael A. (2011). "Three: Music". A 1980s Childhood: From He-Man to Shell Suits. The History Press. ISBN 978-0-7524-7891-3.
2. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Kajagoogoo – White Feathers". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
3. Simpson, Mark. "1983: The Last Great Year of Pop". Out. Retrieved 11 May 2015. Other 1983 synthpop singles that got played to death either in the common room or in my bedroom included (...) the toe-tapping, fringe-flapping "Too Shy," by Kajagoogoo
4. "White Feathers – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
5. "Rock On The Net: VH1: 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's: 1-50". Rock On The Net. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
6. Ali, Rahsheeda. "100 Greatest One Hit Wonders Of The 80s: Read the List – VH1 Blog". VH1. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
7. "All The Number 1 Singles". Official Charts Company. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
8. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Kajagoogoo - Too Shy" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
9. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
10. "Austriancharts.at – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
11. "Ultratop.be – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
12. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6261." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
13. "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Kajagoogoo" from the artist drop-down menu. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Too Shy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
15. "Japan #1 IMPORT DISKS by Oricon Hot Singles". 18.ocn.ne.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 11 September 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
17. "Charts.nz – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
18. "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (K)". Rock.co.za. South African Rock Encyclopedia. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
19. Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
20. "Swedishcharts.com – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
21. "Swisscharts.com – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
22. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
23. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JULY 16, 1983". Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
24. "Offiziellecharts.de – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
25. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
26. "Jaaroverzichten 1983" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
27. "The Top Singles of 1983". RPM. Vol. 39 no. 17. Library and Archives Canada. 24 December 1983. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
28. "TOP – 1983" (in French). Top-france.fr. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
29. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1983" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
30. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1983" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
31. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1983" (in German). Hitparade.ch. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
32. "Top 100 Hits for 1983". The Longbored Surfer. Archived from the original on 29 November 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
33. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1983". Archived from the original on 11 September 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
34. "French single certifications – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy" (in French). InfoDisc. Select KAJAGOOGOO and click OK. 
35. "Les Singles en Or". InfoDisc (in French). Archived from the original on 6 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.
36. "British single certifications – Kajagoogoo – Too Shy". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Too Shy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
37. "EA and Depeche Mode Collaborate on Signature Song for The Sims 2 Open for Business". Electronic Arts. Retrieved 8 August 2015. Also making musical appearances in the game are "Things Can Only Get Better" by Howard Jones, "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo and "Synthesized" by Epoxies.
38. Bowman, Sabienna (29 December 2018). "Here's Every '80s Song From 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch' So You Can Marvel At The Details". Bustle. Retrieved 30 December 2018.