Human Racing

This article is about the Nik Kershaw album. For the title track, see Human Racing (song).

Human Racing
Studio album by
Nik Kershaw
Released27 February 1984 (1984-02-27)
RecordedSummer 1983
Studio
Genre
Length39:39
LabelMCA
ProducerPeter Collins
Nik Kershaw chronology
Human Racing
(1984) 		The Riddle
(1984)
Singles from Human Racing
  1. "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
    Released: 9 September 1983
  2. "Wouldn't It Be Good"
    Released: 20 January 1984
  3. "Dancing Girls"
    Released: 2 April 1984
  4. "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Re-release)"
    Released: 4 June 1984
  5. "Human Racing"
    Released: 3 September 1984

Human Racing is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released on 27 February 1984 by MCA Records. Several songs like "Drum Talk" were based around improvisation; other songs, like "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", had a political message.

Kershaw's most commercially successful solo album, it peaked at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart and reached the top 10 in several other countries, including Germany, Finland, and Norway. The album spawned four charting singles in the United Kingdom. "Wouldn't It Be Good" peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart; "Dancing Girls" peaked at No. 13; "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at No. 2; "Human Racing" at No. 19. Human Racing was the 22nd best-selling album of 1984 in the UK and received a nomination for Best British Album at the Brit Awards 1985.[2] The album has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

The album was re-released on 27 February 2012,[3] on Universal's new Re-presents imprint featuring rare bonus content. The reissue is a 2-CD set with the original album digitally remastered from the original 1/2" mix tapes; the bonus content consists of associated 12" mixes and B-sides including a previously unreleased version of "Bogart", a special brass mix of "Shame on You" and a live version of "Cloak and Dagger" recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
BillboardFavourable[5]
Record Mirror[6]
Smash Hits[7]

Smash Hits magazine gave the album a highly negative review, awarding it 1 out of 10, and calling it "Competent but relentlessly dull synthesised meanderings of no importance to anyone but Mr Kershaw himself (and even he doesn't sound that interested)."[7] Reviewing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Scott Bultman wrote of the album: "His debut, although rough around the edges, showed talent and promise."[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Nik Kershaw

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Dancing Girls"3:46
2."Wouldn't It Be Good"4:32
3."Drum Talk"3:10
4."Bogart"4:38
5."Gone to Pieces"3:11
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Shame on You"3:33
7."Cloak and Dagger"4:55
8."Faces"4:05
9."I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"3:23
10."Human Racing"4:26
Total length:39:39

Additional tracks

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[10]

Musicians

Production and artwork

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for Human Racing
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[27] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[28] Platinum 300,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Kershaw 2012, p. 2–3.
  2. ^ "Shows". Brits.co.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
  3. ^ "Nik Kershaw To Release Expanded Reissue Of 'Human Racing'". thisisnotretro.com. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b Bultman, Scott. "Human Racing – Nik Kershaw". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  5. ^ Billboard magazine - Reviews: albums - April 21, 1984 - page 60
  6. ^ Hills, Simon (3 March 1984). "Albums". Record Mirror.
  7. ^ a b Cranna, Ian (1 March 1984). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. Vol. 6, no. 5. p. 37.
  8. ^ Kershaw 2012, p. 14-15.
  9. ^ "Nik Kershaw talks 80s pop and Human Racing 28 years on". Superdeluxeedition.com. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  10. ^ Human Racing liner notes. MCA Records. 1984.
  11. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 165. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 6785a". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  14. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 1, no. 19/20. 13 August 1984. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  15. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  17. ^ "Charts.nz – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  18. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  19. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  20. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 November 2015.
  21. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  22. ^ "Nik Kershaw Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  23. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41, no. 17. 5 January 1985. p. 8. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  24. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  25. ^ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1984" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January 3–December 29, 1984)" (PDF). Music Week. 26 January 1985. p. 42. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  27. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". Music Canada. 1 August 1984. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  28. ^ "British album certifications – Nik Kershaw – Human Racing". British Phonographic Industry. 8 October 1984. Retrieved 26 May 2022.