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Post by jno on Feb 8, 2016 8:55:06 GMT
Suggested by: a song I heard on the radio this morning.
With so many negative vibes about 80s music elsewhere on this forum, this week's death match jumps straight into the deep end and looks at Bristol born hit machine, Live Aid performer and 80s pin-up Nik Kershaw.
According to Wikipedia: His 62 weeks on the UK Singles Chart in 1984/85 beat all other solo artists.
So, what's your favourite Nik Kershaw tune to make it into the UK top 10 during this period?
1. Wouldn't It Be Good (January 1984 - number 4, 14 weeks on the chart)
2. I Won't Let The Sun Go Down on Me (June 1984 - number 2, 13 weeks on the chart)
3. The Riddle (November 1984 - number 3, 11 weeks on the chart)
4. Wide Boy (March 1985 - number 9, 8 weeks on the chart)
5. Don Quixote (August 1985 - number 10, 7 weeks on chart)
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Post by Arch Stanton on Feb 8, 2016 9:04:49 GMT
Voted! That was easy.. Not something I would listen to or someone I would know anything about. The name rings vague bells from distant times.
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Post by Portland Road on Feb 8, 2016 10:20:25 GMT
Generally liked his hits at the time. Indeed, when he and Howard Jones vacated the charts it coincided with the time (post Live-Aid) that music really did descend into blandness.
I always liked 'The Riddle'. I had forgotten about it, some years since I've heard it.
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Post by flyingsquad on Feb 8, 2016 11:01:58 GMT
Generally liked his hits at the time. Indeed, when he and Howard Jones vacated the charts it coincided with the time (post Live-Aid) that music really did descend into blandness. I always liked 'The Riddle'. I had forgotten about it, some years since I've heard it. I like the song and video of 'The Riddle' and I also liked Howard Jones. I agree that chart music did descend into blandness around the time Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones vacated the charts. Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones sum up mid 80s music for me in that I don't like them as much as the early 80s music I like but I much prefer them to the chart music of the late 80s.
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Post by mrschisholm on Feb 8, 2016 12:35:45 GMT
I used to listen to his tapes a lot, but have subsequently kind of forgotten about him. But, it was an easy choice because Wouldn't It Be Good was one of my favorite songs way back in the dim and distant.
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Post by flyingsquad on Feb 8, 2016 12:59:24 GMT
My brother was a Haircut 100 fan. I liked them but not as much as him. I don't like Phil Collins/Mick Hucknall. I'd much rather listen to Nik Kershaw and Howard Jones than them.
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Post by ace5150 on Feb 8, 2016 16:22:55 GMT
Nik is a well know wig wearer as well. Couple of catchy tunes and turned in a decent performance at Live Aid, but not for me.
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Post by daz on Feb 8, 2016 19:06:26 GMT
Kershaw always looked like he wanted to be anywhere else bar singing his songs. There are two kershaw songs which bring back happy memories of schooldays, but plumped for Sun Go Down On Me.
DOn't get me started on Howard Jones, I couldn't stick him or his music.
Haircut 100, Pelican West is a great pop album, Heyward must rue the day he walked out on them as they were huge at the time.
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Post by plasticpenguin on Feb 9, 2016 8:49:27 GMT
Chose The Riddle as it's the only one I can remember.
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SunRayD
Winchester Regular
In the car.
Posts: 46
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Post by SunRayD on Feb 9, 2016 15:16:08 GMT
Hey, that’s fun! I generally like the 80’s music a lot, without a doubt that was my most intense music decade. I know all these songs with the exception of “Don Quixote”. Still have the single with “Wide Boy” somewhere and remember of being very disappointed after I’d bought it. Hearing it again I know why. I have never seen the videos, so thanks for that. “The Riddle” is my favorite and it's played quite often on the radio. I can still sing along the whole song. And I’m not ashamed of it.
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Post by mybodyguard on Feb 10, 2016 20:01:34 GMT
I listen to and own a ton of 80s music, both mainstream and obscure, and I've never heard of Nik Kershaw. I don't believe he ever had a hit here in the US.
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Post by jno on Feb 11, 2016 5:02:42 GMT
Let's not forget that Nik Kershaw also wrote Chesney Hawkes 'The One & Only' which did make it to number 10 in the US charts! ...and no doubt a regular fixture at Arch Stanton's Friday night slasher dungeon disco at Stanton Hall. (Come on Arch, click that like button, you know you want to)
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Post by Arch Stanton on Feb 11, 2016 10:16:37 GMT
Let's not forget that Nik Kershaw also wrote Chesney Hawkes 'The One & Only' which did make it to number 10 in the US charts! ...and no doubt a regular fixture at Arch Stanton's Friday night slasher dungeon disco at Stanton Hall. (Come on Arch, click that like button, you know you want to) I can't do it sorry.. I know there's a lot of music fans on here and although I listen to music, it's not really my thing. I don't know anything much about it.. I just like what I like. As for Kershaw, like I said, I remember the name and vaguely remember a song or two but if it hadn't of been for you featuring him in a death match, he was deleted from history, as far as my memory went. I'm sure he has his merits and I'm not about to slag off his music, it's just that someone like him was never meant to be marketed at me in the first place.. This individual is a complete non-entity as far as I am concerned. Just like Mr Hawks and all the others mentioned on here... Finally, for the record (police or otherwise), there is no disco held at Stanton Hall here on a Friday, I have no secret murder laboratory, and all those rumours about dead teenagers in cheerleader costumes stalking the grounds are simply nonsense, made up by the superstitious Cornish locals!!
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Post by mybodyguard on Feb 12, 2016 3:48:12 GMT
Finally, for the record (police or otherwise), there is no disco held at Stanton Hall here on a Friday, That's because it's on Saturday.
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Post by plasticpenguin on Feb 12, 2016 7:56:23 GMT
Let's not forget that Nik Kershaw also wrote Chesney Hawkes 'The One & Only' which did make it to number 10 in the US charts! Mmm... that's not much of a boast. Writing for a on-hit wonder certainly wouldn't be on my CV.
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Post by daz on Feb 12, 2016 19:12:28 GMT
Let's not forget that Nik Kershaw also wrote Chesney Hawkes 'The One & Only' which did make it to number 10 in the US charts! Mmm... that's not much of a boast. Writing for a on-hit wonder certainly wouldn't be on my CV. He isn't a one hit wonder, hsi follow up song "I'm a Man Not A Boy" reached number 27 in the charts.
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Post by jno on Feb 12, 2016 19:51:54 GMT
Mmm... that's not much of a boast. Writing for a on-hit wonder certainly wouldn't be on my CV. He isn't a one hit wonder, hsi follow up song "I'm a Man Not A Boy" reached number 27 in the charts. Everyday when you treat me like a kid, I'm not you're little boy, I'm not you're little toy...
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Post by Portland Road on Feb 13, 2016 9:10:38 GMT
Off topic a little. The guitarist, Graham Jones, from Haircut 100 got married in Truro Registry Office last week. His kids go to Mrs MIAS's school and knowing that Nick Heyward was a guest at the wedding, one of the staff asked Graham's daughter to get his autograph. I had to laugh when I heard what NH signed it "lots of love from Nick Heyward. Have a Fantastic Day". I thought that was quite cool! Being such a special occasion, was Nick wearing one of his favourite shirts....?
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Post by KarinB on Feb 13, 2016 10:17:20 GMT
It is certainly a different Deathmatch topic. How many "which bird is better ?" deathmatches can there be ? For goodness sake. 'Wouldn't it be good' still makes an appearance on radio at times. It made it to No. 5 here. The eternal 'grass is greener' song. I like it. That's my vote.
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Post by Arch Stanton on Feb 13, 2016 15:21:13 GMT
It is certainly a different Deathmatch topic. How many "which bird is better ?" deathmatches can there be ? For goodness sake. In jno's defence we have only had 4/36 'choose your favourite female' type Death Match scenarios. Unless you count 'Least Favourite Beatle Wife', which if you ask me is a more music related question... Therefore only 11%ish of Death Matches so far revolve around 'which bird is better' style polls!! Which when considering the majority of the audience on the forum for the Death Matches, not to mention the randy Welshman that posts them up, it's pretty evenly balanced I'd say.. If you ask me it's all these music polls that jno seems obsessed with that are ruining the Death Matches.... 10/36 which is 28%ish!
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Post by KarinB on Feb 14, 2016 10:27:23 GMT
It is certainly a different Deathmatch topic. How many "which bird is better ?" deathmatches can there be ? For goodness sake. In jno's defence we have only had 4/36 'choose your favourite female' type Death Match scenarios. Unless you count 'Least Favourite Beatle Wife', which if you ask me is a more music related question... Therefore only 11%ish of Death Matches so far revolve around 'which bird is better' style polls!! Which when considering the majority of the audience on the forum for the Death Matches, not to mention the randy Welshman that posts them up, it's pretty evenly balanced I'd say.. If you ask me it's all these music polls that jno seems obsessed with that are ruining the Death Matches.... 10/36 which is 28%ish! I would think jno knows that I am joking when I post something like that, particularly as I put the smilie after my comment. I've had enough communication with him over the years for him to know I'd never have ANY serious dig at him.
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Post by jno on Feb 14, 2016 15:54:14 GMT
Yep, fair dinkum - me and Karin are good pals and with many kind and worthwhile contributions over the years she has very much earned the right to take the Castlemaine XXXX now and again.
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Post by jno on Feb 14, 2016 18:11:10 GMT
Can't get that 'Wouldn't it be good' song out of your head? Good, no wouldn't it be good. I voted for that one. It is a really great pop tune I think with some top guitar 'layering' going on, meaning some very weird chords going on as a result, very tricky to play for a lone guitarist, especially like for like which is why he has two guitarists doing it live. I remember liking it in the 80s when I heard it. 'The Riddle' and 'I Won't Let The Sun Go Down on Me' are also great pop tunes but this one has a real 80s mega pop vibe about it for me, and probably why it is so disliked by some on this thread.
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