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. The album has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
The album was re-released on 27 February 2012, 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
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)." Reviewing retrospectively for AllMusic, critic Scott Bultman wrote of the album: "His debut, although rough around the edges, showed talent and promise."
Track listing
Additional tracks Bonus tracks on 2012 release Original track listingThe master tapes for Human Racing are shown in the booklet that accompanies the 2012 re-release. They show the original track listing of the album was:
Side 1 "Drum Talk" "Wouldn't It Be Good" "Bring on the Dancing Girls" "Bogart" "Gone to Pieces"
Side 2 "Shame on You" "Cloak and Dagger" "Faces" "Wide Boy" "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down" "Human Racing"
"Wide Boy" was dropped before the album's official release, but was later released on Kershaw's next studio album, The Riddle (1984).
The master tapes also show that the album was completed in November 1983. The master tapes were later baked for preservation purposes. Side 1 was baked on 15 September 2011, and Side 2 on 23 February 2005.
Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.
Musicians Nik Kershaw – lead and background vocals; vocal percussion and effects; guitar; bass guitar; keyboards; percussion Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards; Fairlight CMI Charlie Morgan – drums Reg Webb – keyboards Nick Glennie-Smith – keyboards Don Snow – keyboards Paul Westwood – additional bass guitar on "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Martin Ditcham – percussion Jerry Hey – horns Gary Grant – horns Larry Williams – horns Bill Reichenbach – horns Kim Hutchcroft – horns Sheri Kershaw – backing vocals on "Faces" Lynda Hayes – voice-over on "Bogart"
Production and artwork Peter Collins – producer Julian Mendelsohn – engineer; mixer Stuart Bruce – assistant engineer Keith Finney – assistant engineer Bob Kraushaar – assistant engineer Roger Howorth – assistant engineer Nick Campey – assistant engineer
Charts
Weekly charts + Weekly chart performance for Human Racing Chart (1984) Peakposition Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) 35 European Albums (Music & Media) 14 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) 8
Year-end charts + Year-end chart performance for Human Racing Chart (1984) Position Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM) 64 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) 44 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) 22 UK Albums (Gallup) 22
Certifications
References
External links