Hence, holding auditions for Kajagoogoo in the early '80s, and unearthing Limahl; initiating funk merchants Ellis, Beggs & Howard after Kajagoogoo fizzled out; then teaming up with sessioneer supreme Herbie Armstrong and neo-gospelites Iona, all count as A&R. Thus armed, Beggs capably embraced lecturing and teaching at a guitar institute, and then considered a real A&R job: " It was a natural progression for me." 

Beggs's CV won several promising responses, and Phonogram put him on a six-month trial, "the brief being, if I signed hits, great, and if not, well . . ." Once settled on the "other side", Beggs realised that there really was no other side. 

"Record companies are on your side," he contests, unfashionably. "They make mistakes, but often it's the artist who's failed. They naturally blame someone else when their career doesn't go the right way." 

Who could he blame when his A&R career was mercilessly annulled? Having A&R-ed a Top 20 hit for Let Loose (Seventeen) and brought in Nik Kershaw to write with them "I was the golden boy for a while" - cuts made by Phonogram's new MD included Beggs. 

"I was gutted, because I believe I was on the crest of something positive. Then I had to go into hospital and split up with my wife, all in the same week." 

Unbowed, Beggs continued lecturing before session requests piled up: Duran Duran guitarist Warren Cuccurullo, Germany's Alphaville, then two years as Musical Director for Belinda Carlisle. He's producing some Japanese artists. "I'm still using skills relating to A&R," he maintains. But what about a real A&R post now? 

"When I was made redundant I didn't feel it was a good idea to get right back into it. Plus the music industry is very unforgiving, and although I'm only doing what comes naturally, I will always be Nick Beggs who was in Kajagoogoo, smirk smirk. You only have a short time to prove yourself in this business. But I'm lucky. I can stay vital in an industry that is ever-changing by diversifying. My options are always open."