Human Racing
{{Short description|1984 studio album by Nik Kershaw}}
{{about|the Nik Kershaw album|the title track|Human Racing (song)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2014}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Human Racing
| type = Studio album
| artist = Nik Kershaw
| cover = Nik-Kershaw-Human-Racing.jpg
| alt =
| released = {{Start date|1984|02|27|df=y}}
| recorded = Summer 1983
| studio = * Sarm East (London)
- Sarm West (London)
- Marcus Music (Los Angeles)
- Cherokee (Los Angeles){{sfn|Kershaw|2012|p=2–3}}
| genre = * Pop
| length = {{Duration|m=39|s=39}}
| label = MCA
| producer = Peter Collins
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = The Riddle
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Human Racing
| type = Studio album
| single1 = I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
| single1date = 9 September 1983
| single2 = Wouldn't It Be Good
| single2date = 20 January 1984
| single3 = Dancing Girls
| single3date = 2 April 1984
| single4 = I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me (Re-release)
| single4date = 4 June 1984
| single5 = Human Racing
| single5date = 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1985|title=Shows|publisher=Brits.co.uk|access-date=14 August 2014|archive-date=23 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923221109/http://www.brits.co.uk/history/shows/1985|url-status=dead}} The album has been certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
The album was re-released on 27 February 2012,{{cite web|url=http://www.thisisnotretro.com/nik-kershaw-to-release-expanded-edition-of-human-racing|title=Nik Kershaw To Release Expanded Reissue Of 'Human Racing'|publisher=thisisnotretro.com|date=15 February 2012|access-date=9 July 2013}} 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
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{cite web |last=Bultman |first=Scott |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/human-racing-mw0000765461 |title=Human Racing – Nik Kershaw |website=AllMusic |access-date=29 November 2015}}
| rev2 = Billboard
| rev2score = Favourable Billboard magazine - Reviews: albums - April 21, 1984 - page 60
| rev3 = Record Mirror
| rev3score = {{Rating|2|5}}{{cite magazine|last=Hills|first=Simon|date=3 March 1984|title=Albums|magazine=Record Mirror}}
| rev4 = Smash Hits
| rev4score = {{Rating|1|10}}{{cite magazine |last= Cranna|first= Ian|title= Album Reviews|magazine= Smash Hits|volume= 6|issue= 5|page=37|date=1 March 1984}}
}}
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
{{Track listing
| headline = Side one
| all_writing = Nik Kershaw
| title1 = Dancing Girls
| length1 = 3:46
| title2 = Wouldn't It Be Good
| length2 = 4:32
| title3 = Drum Talk
| length3 = 3:10
| title4 = Bogart
| length4 = 4:38
| title5 = Gone to Pieces
| length5 = 3:11
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Side two
| total_length = 39:39
| title6 = Shame on You
| length6 = 3:33
| title7 = Cloak and Dagger
| length7 = 4:55
| title8 = Faces
| length8 = 4:05
| title9 = I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
| length9 = 3:23
| title10 = Human Racing
| length10 = 4:26
}}
Additional tracks
| class="collapsible collapsed" border="0" style="margin-right:20.45em"
! style="width:100%; text-align:left;" | Bonus tracks on 2012 release ! | |
| colspan="2" |
{{Track listing | title1 = Dancing Girls | note1 = extended 12" remix | length1 = 8:05 | title2 = Bogart | note2 = extended 12" remix | length2 = 4:29 | title3 = Monkey Business | length3 = 3:30 | title4 = Shame on You | note4 = additional brass mix | length4 = 3:40 | title5 = Drum Talk | note5 = extended 12" remix | length5 = 5:00 | title6 = Faces | note6 = extended 12" remix | length6 = 4:40 | title7 = Dark Glasses | length7 = 4:16 | title8 = Wouldn't It Be Good | note8 = extended 12" remix | length8 = 6:52 | title9 = Human Racing | note9 = extended 12" remix | length9 = 5:24 | title10 = She Cries | length10 = 3:48 | title11 = I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me | note11 = extended 12" remix | length11 = 6:33 | title12 = Cloak and Dagger | note12 = live at Hammersmith Odeon 1984 | length12 = 5:07 }} |
| class="collapsible collapsed" border="0" style="margin-right:20.45em"
! style="width:100%; text-align:left;" | Original track listing ! | |
| colspan="2" |
The 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:{{sfn|Kershaw|2012|p=14-15}} Side 1
Side 2
"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.{{cite web|url=http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/interview/nik-kershaw-talks-80s-pop-and-human-racing-28-years-on/ |title=Nik Kershaw talks 80s pop and Human Racing 28 years on |publisher=Superdeluxeedition.com |access-date=29 November 2015}} 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.{{cite book|title=Human Racing liner notes|year=1984|publisher=MCA Records}}
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
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
= Weekly charts =
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Weekly chart performance for Human Racing ! scope="col"| Chart (1984) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|publisher=Australian Chart Book|year=1993|page=165|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
| 35 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Canada|19|chartid=6785a|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|13|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2015}} |
| scope="row"| European Albums (Music & Media){{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/84/M&M-1984-08-13-OCR-Page-0004.pdf |title=European Top 100 Albums |magazine=Eurotipsheet |volume=1 |issue=19/20 |date=13 August 1984 |page=12 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}
| 14 |
| scope="row"| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book |last=Pennanen |first=Timo |title=Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 |language=fi |edition=1st |location=Helsinki |publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |year=2006 |isbn=978-951-1-21053-5}}
| 8 |
| {{album chart|Germany4|8|id=105|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2022}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|32|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2015}} |
| {{album chart|Norway|7|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2015}} |
| {{album chart|Sweden|38|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2015}} |
| {{album chart|Switzerland|12|artist=Nik Kershaw|album=Human Racing|rowheader=true|access-date=29 November 2015}} |
| {{album chart|UK2|5|date=19840708|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Billboard200|70|artist=Nik Kershaw|rowheader=true|access-date=25 May 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
= Year-end charts =
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Human Racing}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Nik Kershaw|title=Human Racing|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1984|certyear=1984|date=1 August 1984|access-date=26 May 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=Nik Kershaw|title=Human Racing|award=Platinum|type=album|relyear=1984|certyear=1984|id=3042-3151-2|date=8 October 1984|access-date=26 May 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
References
{{Reflist}}
- {{cite AV media notes
| title = Human Racing (2CD Expanded Edition)
| others = Nik Kershaw
| year = 2012
| last = Kershaw
| first = Nik
| type = CD booklet
| publisher = Universal/Island Records Ltd.
| id = UMCREP2013
}}
External links
- {{discogs master|86810}}
{{Nik Kershaw}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Human Racing}}