"Big Apple" is a song written and performed by the British band
Kajagoogoo
Kajagoogoo were a British new wave band, best known for their 1983 hit single "Too Shy", which reached No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart, and the Top 10 in numerous other countries.
History Beginnings (1978–1982)
Formed in Leighton Buzza ...
. Released in September 1983, it was the first single to be taken from the band's second album ''
Islands
An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...
'' (1984), and their first song without lead singer
Limahl
Christopher Hamill (born 19 December 1958), known professionally as Limahl (an anagram of Hamill), is an English pop singer. He was the lead singer of the pop group Kajagoogoo beginning in 1981, before embarking on a brief solo career, garnering ...
, who had been fired from the band earlier that year. From this single onwards, lead vocals were performed by bassist
Nick Beggs
Nicholas Beggs (born 15 December 1961Larkin, Colin (1997) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 270-271) is an English musician, noted for playing the bass guitar and the Chapman Stick; he is a member of the Mute Go ...
.
The song became the group's fourth Top 20 hit in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, peaking at number eight (though was less successful in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, where the band are still considered to be a
one-hit wonder
A one-hit wonder or viral hit is any entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. The term is most commonly used in regard to music p ...
).
Track listings
7" EMI 5423
# "Big Apple" – 4:12
# "Monochromatic" (Live) – 4:12
12" 12EMI 5423
# "Big Apple" (Metro Mix) – 6:08
# "Big Apple" (Single Version) – 4:15
# "Monochromatic" (Live) – 4:12
Charts
References
1983 singles
Kajagoogoo songs
Song recordings produced by Colin Thurston
1983 songs
Number-one singles in Iceland
{{1980s-single-stub