Wiki
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Release Date
1 January 1983
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Length
10 tracks
Human Racing is the debut studio album by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was originally released in February 1984, on the label MCA. 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 went on to peak at #5 on the UK Albums Chart and reached #35 on the Australian ARIA Charts. The album also reached the top ten in several other countries including Germany, Finland, and Norway. The album launched four charting singles in the UK. "Wouldn't It Be Good" peaked at #4 on the UK Singles Chart; "Dancing Girls" peaked at #13; "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" at #2; "Human Racing" at #19. The album was the 22nd biggest selling album of 1984 in the UK and received a nomination for Best British Album at the 1985 Brit Awards. The album was certified platinum by the 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 synthesized meanderings of no importance to anyone but Mr. Kershaw himself (and even he doesn't sound that interested)." Reviewing for AllMusic, critic Scott Bultman wrote of the album: "His debut, although rough around the edges, showed talent and promise.".
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