Thursday, 15 May 2014

That's Entertainment : Nik Kershaw


In the heady days of 'new-wave' and MTV, there were plenty of male bands and artists out there with the chiseled good looks, the manicured hair-do's and linen jackets & pastel shirts.  They had the girls, the cocaine, the champagne and the jet set lifestyle envied by many who lived their little lives oh so wishing they had the pop star trappings.  They offered something, which was the dream, but when the dream comes true, it's not always exactly how you figured it would be.  Yep…wouldn't it be good to be on your side, grass is always greener over there indeed!

One who seems to be easily characterised - and criticised - by all this, and lumped in to the 'oh, just another synth-pop, new wave, new romantic ponce artist' basket is Nik Kershaw.  I think he he is unfairly maligned by some sections for being simply there during a time and a place where British pop music was bright, bubbly and poppy, and those kind of people just poke fun no matter what. 

Now for mine, Nik Kershaw is one of those pop stars who was a real artisan, a craftsman able to sing and write sumptuous pop hooks and deliver them with aplomb.  And scratch away the veneer, wipe off the sheen and your left with some fairly astute, bittersweet observations of the pop music industry, the trappings of fame, the media and the fans.  And like Rick Astley, both men were smart enough to write their own gear, knew when to get off the ride and are exceptionally good in interviews and grounded individuals as well.

Yet for mine, and it will always be, and I feel sorry for Nik for doing this, but Wouldn't It Be Good? will go down in history as one of the most epic pop songs ever released with a classic film clip to boot.  I mean, just check out the chromakey style suit and tie in the clip!  Just genius!  It's one of those AMAZING tracks that brings together all these wondrous parts - the vocals/lyrics, the synth, the beat and guitars - and produces an all time classic for the ages.  Even today, I still hear it on the car radio and turn it up to 11.  Hell, it's never that far away from my writing playlists and is something I proudly belt out, even if he changes his lyrics from time to time.

And whilst his star burnt brightly - he released TWO hit LPs in 1984 and performed at Live Aid in 1985 - by the time he released his third album in 1986, pop music had changed flavours.  Furthermore, Nik had become skeptical of the media, wanted his privacy and didn't fancy mass-produced pop music, eschewing the dross to craft more of his own material.  Of course, when a pop star is seen to bite the hand that feeds them to 'keep it real' it's like a red rag to a bull for the press and almost fatal for the fan base.  However, Nik continued to release a few more records before quietly disengaging himself from the music biz spotlight to write material for other artists, such as Chesney Hawkes' The One And Only and collaborate with singers such as Elton John, Gary Barlow and Bonnie Tyler.  

After a ten year break, Nik Kershaw greeted the new millennium with new material and continues to release new albums every few years or so, without the fanfare.  He tours regularly, knows he has to sprinkle in the 'hits' to keep people interested and doesn't appear to have been too bothered by side stepping the 'fame game' for the quieter life.  

To me, Nik Kershaw will be forever young…that fresh faced pop star who won my ears with Wouldn't It Be Good?  Of course, there are a plethora of other gems and hits for you to go and explore, and listed here are some of his other singles with the period video clips - many of which were great stories themselves.  Deep down, Wouldn't It Be Good? will always be high in my list of fave songs to throw on and sing, repeat again and again…even in the one setting.  And for those in the know, with things I do, Mr Kershaw will certainly be an inspiration.





I Won't Let The Son Go Down On Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqqXMXpyAkE











Wouldn't It Be Good (Extended Mix) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JNBPO35MXA



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