Limahl Talks New Single, His Voice And More

80’s superstar Limahl has released his version of America’s ‘Horse With No Name’ along with an official music video. Therefore, it seemed like the perfect time to talk to the man himself and he kindly agreed:

When did you begin songwriting?

I wrote my first song at around 17, before I even knew how to play the piano. It just came to me naturally. I later studied piano for a couple of years when I was around 19.

 

What is your earliest musical memory?

One of my earliest musical memories, around the age of 14, was when my mother’s friend, Irene, gave me a portable 7-inch vinyl record player she was throwing out—along with six singles. I was over the moon! It was the first thing that felt exclusively mine, not shared with my two older brothers. I played those records endlessly until they were practically worn out, completely captivated by the sounds, the lyrics, and the stories within the music. I’d watch them spin, memorizing every detail—the label colors, the fonts, everything.

One of the records was Doris Day’s classic Move Over Darling, and to this day, I still love that song. Another was Bridget the Midget by Ray Stevens, and I learned every single word, performing a full lip-sync routine for Irene and my mum, hairbrush in hand as my microphone.

 

You have released your own version of the track ‘Horse With No Name’ originally by America. What are your memories of first hearing the song? What made you want to record your own version?

I can’t recall exactly when I first heard A Horse With No Name—it’s just one of those songs that has always been on my radar. Like many people, I’ve created several playlists on a digital streaming platform, each tailored to a different mood. One of them, Evening, is filled with chilled, laid-back tracks (as opposed to Workout, which, as you’d expect, is much more up-tempo). A Horse With No Name is on that playlist, and one day, I started playing around with it in the studio—at first, not taking it too seriously. In the back of my mind, a little voice warned me: Careful… tampering with a revered classic is risky business! But to my surprise, everything started falling into place quickly, which is usually a good sign—so I kept going.

 

Where did you record the track and who produced it?

I recorded and produced the track in my home studio in Hertfordshire. The guitar was recorded in Birmingham by Steve Cooper in his home studio and then sent to me as files via email/transfer. I met Steve a couple of years ago while performing Neverending Story with Jane McDonald’s band on her TV show.

 

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the single’s recording sessions?

I remember the excitement of first programming the Roland Jupiter-8 synthesizer sequence—it became the defining personality of the track. These days, I have it as a plug-in within my audio software, but back in 1981, Kajagoogoo owned the real thing, and you can even spot it in the official Too Shy music video.

For this cover, I wanted to make it as different from the original as possible while still honoring the song—a tricky balance. Since the original America version is driven by acoustic guitar, I initially aimed to keep my version purely electronic. However, when Steve Cooper sent me his electric guitar recordings, it quickly became clear that they were the missing ingredient—the icing on the cake.

The way the guitars and synths interact creates a wonderful tension, similar to what you find in an orchestra. For example, when a synth chord changes, but the guitar sustains a note into the next transition, it naturally introduces extra harmonic colors—like a sixth, ninth, or eleventh—adding unexpected richness. That kind of organic magic is exactly what you hope for as a producer.

 

Who were the musicians who performed on the single with you?

I programmed everything on my Logic Audio software except the Guitar.

 

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

I use Logic Audio on an Apple Mac with plenty of plug-ins and extras. I trust my ears implicitly, having spent years in recording studios collaborating with a wide range of musicians, arrangers, and producers—including Colin Thurston, who produced the first three Duran Duran albums, and, of course, the legendary three-time Academy Award-winning Italian maestro Giorgio Moroder, with whom I worked on The NeverEnding Story at his Munich studio in 1984.

My go-to vocal mic is a classic AKG 414 (no longer available as far as I know). I had it serviced a couple of years ago, and it’s still performing beautifully—like a vintage car that only gets better with age (a bit like me, LOL).

I had the final mix mastered four times by three different mastering companies before I was completely satisfied. Over the years, we’ve all seen massive hits come out of small studios or even home setups—Robert Miles’ Children in the ’90s is a prime example, proving that you don’t need Abbey Road to create something special. In fact, I’ve recorded in major studios where the sound quality was pristine, yet the magic just didn’t happen.

 

Do you have any further music releases planned for 2025?

As an independent artist without a major record label backing me, I focus more on quality than quantity—you could see that as a good or bad thing. On the plus side, I’m not tied to a recording contract demanding an album on a set schedule, which gives me the freedom to experiment and chase the best ideas.

I often ask myself: are there really any new melodies or lyrics left after 120 years of songwriting? Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I released two original tracks—having all that unexpected free time certainly helped. My latest release is a cover, but I do have an original song nearly finished, which will likely be my next project. As for when it will be released? That’s always the big question. Creativity has to be balanced with time, budgets, family, and life in general!

 

Which of your tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

For happiest, it has to be Too Shy with Kajagoogoo. It was our very first single, and it went to No. 1 all over the world—plus No. 5 in America. And let’s be honest, every British band dreams of breaking America! I have so many great memories tied to that song—meeting Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran, and of course, our first appearance on Top of the Pops, which back then pulled in a staggering 15–20 million viewers.

As for angriest, I’d probably reframe that as angriest/most motivated. Getting unexpectedly fired from Kajagoogoo over a phone call—without any discussion—definitely lit a fire under me. My first solo single, Only for Love, was driven by that mix of emotions, and if the saying is true that “revenge is sweet,” it was certainly satisfying when that track sold over half a million copies across the UK and Europe. The icing on the cake? While performing Only for Love at the Tokyo Music Festival, I met the legendary producer Giorgio Moroder which led to ’Neverending Story’.

For most reflective, I’d say my 2020 single Still In Love. Lyrically, it’s incredibly poignant because, as I was writing it, I knew I had lived those emotions before—both physically and emotionally. The beauty of that track, though, is that despite the anguish in the lyrics, the chorus somehow feels uplifting. And that’s the magic we music creators always hope to stumble upon.

 

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I think there’d be more than just two things, LOL…

First, that I’ve managed to avoid any major onstage disasters—no falling off stage, no tripping over cables, and thankfully, no rogue lighting equipment dropping on my head. One particularly close call happened in 1986 when I was performing at The London Hippodrome, which was then run by Peter Stringfellow (now a casino). The venue had a dramatic stage feature—a giant hole in the floor where artists would rise up through smoke and lights. Looking back, it was a total health and safety nightmare. At the end of my performance, I was walking backward while thanking the audience, completely unaware that I was heading straight for that 20-foot drop. Luckily, the MC, Bradley, who was standing next to me, gently placed his hand on my back. When I looked at him, he raised an eyebrow and subtly gestured toward the hole. In that instant, I realized I had been this close to falling straight down—potentially to my death or at the very least, a very serious injury. Bradley, if you’re reading this—wherever you are—God bless you!

Second, that I’ve managed to keep the audience engaged—and hopefully even made them smile or laugh. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, and I love when people tell me that my songs take them back to their first kiss, their wedding’s first dance, or even the very first record they ever bought. Moments like that remind me why I do this in the first place.

 

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

I love the freedom of a wireless microphone—it lets me move around without worrying about cables like in the old days (though I do keep a wired mic on standby, just in case). I prefer a simple, straight-up microphone stand—I believe it’s called a “magic stand” because it adjusts so easily. It’s also fun to use the stand as a bit of a prop now and then.

These days, my setlist is usually on a tablet, whereas back in the day, it was just a piece of paper taped to the floor or a speaker. This has become even more important because, on occasion, I’ve made the mistake of introducing the wrong song—I blame that on my little grey cells!

 

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

London:
Vibrant, historic, diverse, ever-evolving, fascinating.

 

How do you look after your voice?

I avoid shouting, steer clear of air-conditioning, and generally take care of body and mind, as it all reflects on the vocal cords when I need to perform. I quit smoking when I was around 40. I’m disciplined during the week, sticking to gym sessions for swimming or strength training, though I usually let loose a bit on weekends with a drink or two and a few extra calories. I try to sing every day, sometimes with backing tracks when I’m driving solo. If my partner, Steve (we’ve been together for 32 years), is with me, I’ll often sing him a little tune too—haha!

 

Who designed the single artwork?

The single artwork is a screenshot from the music video, as it seemed the logical choice to reflect the song’s theme of desert and rocks.

 

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

I don’t recall reading many novels, but I enjoy true stories, so have read a autobiographies and countless magazine and online articles. If I could make a film adaptation, it would likely be about Berry Gordy Jr., the founder of Motown Records or the songwriters/producers Gamble and Huff, who created the record label TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) which gifted the world incredible artists like The O’Jays, The Three Degrees, Teddy Pendergrass, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Billy Paul.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

See answers to question 15 LOL, Motown or TSOP label, some of my first albums were an eclectic mix of The Manhattan Transfer, Barry White, The Carpenters, The Three Degrees. I’d recommend all of the above and probably a million other great songs, bearing in mind that a great song is not just about the melody and vocal, it’s the arrangement, the production, the lyric and of course that certain Je ne sais quoi.

 

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2025?

In July I’m performing a Pride in Cologne, Germany, in September for the first time, I am going to Reykjavík in Iceland, there are some other dates being discussed. My agent is already discussing two or three shows in 2026.

 

What makes Limahl happy and what makes you unhappy?

Happy =

Meeting friends at a restaurant to eat then seeing a great show or gig in London.

A day at the Wimbledon tennis tournament with good seats on either Court Number One or Centre Court.

Cycling along the seafront in Bournemouth/Poole, Dorset.

Unhappy =

A parking ticket.

An announcement of a five hour delay or last-minute cancellation when you arrive at the airport.

Waiting 50 minutes on the phone to get through to a company or organisation.