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1984 - July: Nik Kershaw “Human Racing”
Nik Kershaw's debut studio album, Human Racing, would also be his most commercially successful album. He would find more popularity in the UK where his album hit number 3 on the album charts than in the United States, where it would appear at number 70 on the Billboard 200. Kershaw wrote all the songs, performed lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, and percussion. Other personnel on the album would include Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, Charlie Morgan on drums, and a slew of session musicians including his wife Sheri Kershaw on backing vocals.
Nicholas David “Nik” Kershaw came from a musical family - his mother was an opera singer and his father was a flautist - and he was a self-taught guitarist at an early age. Kershaw embarked on a career as a musician and songwriter by 1982, and had significant international success with both this debut album and his second follow-up, “The Riddle.” He was one of the performers at Live Aid in 1985 at Wembly stadium.
Although his solo career waned after that, he continues to produce albums today, and has collaborated with a number of artists, including Kim Wilde, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Elton John, and Michael W. Smith.
Rob takes us into this 80's phenomenon this week.
Wouldn't It Be Good
This song made it to number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has everything you expect from 80's pop music. It is about how the lives of others seems so much better. “Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes even if it was for just one day? Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?” Kershaw would perform this song in Live Aid.
Dancing Girls
The third single from the album is about a guy who is sick of his middle class life. He wants some excitement in his life - "bring on the dancing girls!"
Faces
This song has a different feel than the others. It is about looking at the people who are taking over your mind. There's a sense of religious hypocrisy, with lots of different faces provided and instructions on when to use them.
I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
While it didn't do well in the States, this was a hit in the UK. A cold war song, the lyrics are about choosing to live positively despite the risk of nuclear annihilation.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
The Nerd Theme from the motion Picture “Revenge of the Nerds”
NERDS!!! A surprise success at the movies in the summer of 1984 was the comedy “Revenge of the Nerds.”
STAFF PICKS:
Little Lady by Duke Jupiter
Wayne starts off the staff picks with a group from Rochester, New York, which may be surprising since the song sounds more like Southern rock than something out of the northeast. We think it sounds like ZZ-Top. The song is about a woman who is ditching her groom at the altar. Duke Jupiter had a 13-year career, breaking up in 1986.
Doctor! Doctor! by the Thompson Twins
Brian's staff pick is a song comparing being in love to a medical state. The Thompson Twins got their start as a new wave group before moving to more mainstream success as a part of the Second British Invasion. This song would hit number 11 in the US and number 3 in the UK.
Missing You by John Waite
Bruce's staff pick was a late edition to Waite's second solo album, "No Brakes." It was also a huge success that really launched Waite's solo career. The lyrics were inspired by several relationships Waite was in, primarily his wife with whom he was divorcing at the time. The melancholy denial of "I ain't missing you at all" paired with the background vocals "missing you" struck a chord with listeners, and the song would be a number 1 hit on the US charts.
Legs by ZZ Top
Rob's closes out with a song more famous for its video than the song itself. This is the first top 10 hit from ZZ Top from their "Eliminator" album. A number of people have covered this song, but there's no way to outdo the original. The video tells a story of a girl transforming from a wilting wallflower to a knockout with the help of a ghostly ZZ Top.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
The Call of Ktulu by Metallica
This week's podcast closes out with an instrumental from Metallica before the band achieved the monster status it would attain by the end of the decade.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
View all episodes
By Rob Marbury, Wayne Rowan, Bruce Fricks, John Lynch
4.9
4747 ratings
Nik Kershaw's debut studio album, Human Racing, would also be his most commercially successful album. He would find more popularity in the UK where his album hit number 3 on the album charts than in the United States, where it would appear at number 70 on the Billboard 200. Kershaw wrote all the songs, performed lead and backing vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, and percussion. Other personnel on the album would include Paul "Wix" Wickens on keyboards, Charlie Morgan on drums, and a slew of session musicians including his wife Sheri Kershaw on backing vocals.
Nicholas David “Nik” Kershaw came from a musical family - his mother was an opera singer and his father was a flautist - and he was a self-taught guitarist at an early age. Kershaw embarked on a career as a musician and songwriter by 1982, and had significant international success with both this debut album and his second follow-up, “The Riddle.” He was one of the performers at Live Aid in 1985 at Wembly stadium.
Although his solo career waned after that, he continues to produce albums today, and has collaborated with a number of artists, including Kim Wilde, Tony Banks, Steve Hackett, Elton John, and Michael W. Smith.
Rob takes us into this 80's phenomenon this week.
Wouldn't It Be Good
This song made it to number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100, and has everything you expect from 80's pop music. It is about how the lives of others seems so much better. “Wouldn't it be good to be in your shoes even if it was for just one day? Wouldn't it be good if we could wish ourselves away?” Kershaw would perform this song in Live Aid.
Dancing Girls
The third single from the album is about a guy who is sick of his middle class life. He wants some excitement in his life - "bring on the dancing girls!"
Faces
This song has a different feel than the others. It is about looking at the people who are taking over your mind. There's a sense of religious hypocrisy, with lots of different faces provided and instructions on when to use them.
I Won't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
While it didn't do well in the States, this was a hit in the UK. A cold war song, the lyrics are about choosing to live positively despite the risk of nuclear annihilation.
ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:
The Nerd Theme from the motion Picture “Revenge of the Nerds”
NERDS!!! A surprise success at the movies in the summer of 1984 was the comedy “Revenge of the Nerds.”
STAFF PICKS:
Little Lady by Duke Jupiter
Wayne starts off the staff picks with a group from Rochester, New York, which may be surprising since the song sounds more like Southern rock than something out of the northeast. We think it sounds like ZZ-Top. The song is about a woman who is ditching her groom at the altar. Duke Jupiter had a 13-year career, breaking up in 1986.
Doctor! Doctor! by the Thompson Twins
Brian's staff pick is a song comparing being in love to a medical state. The Thompson Twins got their start as a new wave group before moving to more mainstream success as a part of the Second British Invasion. This song would hit number 11 in the US and number 3 in the UK.
Missing You by John Waite
Bruce's staff pick was a late edition to Waite's second solo album, "No Brakes." It was also a huge success that really launched Waite's solo career. The lyrics were inspired by several relationships Waite was in, primarily his wife with whom he was divorcing at the time. The melancholy denial of "I ain't missing you at all" paired with the background vocals "missing you" struck a chord with listeners, and the song would be a number 1 hit on the US charts.
Legs by ZZ Top
Rob's closes out with a song more famous for its video than the song itself. This is the first top 10 hit from ZZ Top from their "Eliminator" album. A number of people have covered this song, but there's no way to outdo the original. The video tells a story of a girl transforming from a wilting wallflower to a knockout with the help of a ghostly ZZ Top.
INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:
The Call of Ktulu by Metallica
This week's podcast closes out with an instrumental from Metallica before the band achieved the monster status it would attain by the end of the decade.
Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?”
NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.
Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock-worthy memes we can share.
Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!
**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.
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