Category: Nik Kershaw

Nik Kershaw – When A Heart Beats (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

A. Front

“When A Heart Beats” is a song by the English singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Nik Kershaw. It was released as the lead single from his third solo studio album, Radio Musicola, being Kershaw’s eighth single. The single features the track, “Wild Horses” as the B-side, which was originally released on Kershaw’s previous album “The Riddle”.

Though hitting #27 in the UK Singles Chart towards the end of 1985, “When a Heart Beats” marked the beginning of a downturn of Kershaw’s fortunes on the singles charts, as it was the first time that a lead single from a Kershaw album failed to hit the Top 20 in the US/UK.

SIDE A:
When A Heart Beats (Extended Mix) 6:10
Mixed By – Nik Kershaw, Simon Boswell
Producer – Nik Kershaw

SIDE B:
Wild Horses (Extended Mix) 6:51
Edited By – Simon Boswell
Engineer – Stuart Bruce
Producer – Peter Collins

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– NIKT 9
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single, 45 RPM
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop

CREDITS:
Design – Leisure Process, The
Written-By – Nik Kershaw

NOTES:
Track durations are incorrect on labels.
Made in England.

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

B. Back

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck 
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Nik Kershaw – The Riddle (Europe 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

A. Front

“The Riddle” is a song recorded by English synth-pop singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from the album of the same name. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart. In the US the single debuted on the Billboard Charts on April 13, 1985 however the single failed reach the Hot 100 peaking at #107.

SIDE A:
The Riddle (Extended Riddle) 5:10
Producer – Peter Collins

SIDE B:
Progress (Live) 3:04
Mixed By – Simon Boswell

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

CHART HISTORY:

Year Single Chart Position
1985 The Riddle U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 #107

 

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records ‎– 259 225-0
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM
Country: Europe
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Photography, Art Direction – Iain McKell
Written-By – Nik Kershaw

NOTES:
Cover states A as a “Special Extended Mix”, whereas label says “Extended Riddle”.
B is recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon.
From the album: “THE RIDDLE”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

B. Back

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Pro-Ject Speed Box S
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Nik Kershaw – Radio Musicola (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986


Side A Label

REQUEST

Radio Musicola was the third single released from Nik Kershaw’s third studio album of the same name. The album deals with subjects of integrity – media skepticism (particularly towards tabloid journalism), privacy, insecurity and mass produced run-of-the-mill pop. The song peaked at #43 on the UK singles chart.

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records Ltd.
Catalog#: NIKT11, NIKT 11
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Single
Country: UK
Released: 1986
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Written-By, Producer – Nik Kershaw

SIDE A:
Radio Musicola (Extended Version) 7:15
Remix – Bryan “Chuck” New

SIDE B
L.A.B.A.T.Y.D 4:12
Radio Musicola 4:16

VINYL GRADE:
Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint (company)

DISCOGS LINK


Side B Label

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 20
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

Nik Kershaw – Don Quixote (UK 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1985

Front Cover

Don Quixote was the third single taken from Nik Kershaws second studio album “The Riddle”. The song peaked at UK #10, AUS #83, Ireland #9, Germany #39.

The song has some direct ties to the original novel “Don Quixote.” Published in two volumes a decade apart (in 1605 and 1615), Don Quixote is the most influential work of literature to emerge from the Spanish Golden Age and the entire Spanish literary canon. As a founding work of modern Western literature, it regularly appears high on lists of the greatest works of fiction ever published.

Don Quixote was from the region of La Mancha, which is likely were Nik Kershaws music video “Don Quixote” takes place, and also lead to the last line? of the song “We’re all men of La Mancha.” There is also a famous scene in the novel where the Don Quixote character (or the man on the horse in the video) has a sword fight with a windmill and looses. That also lead to the line in the chorus “Are we shouting at windmills like you.

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: MCA Records Ltd.
Catalog#: NIKT 8
Format: Vinyl, 12″
Country: UK
Released: 1985
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits:  Written-By – Nik Kershaw

SIDE A:
Don Quixote (Extra Special Long Mix) 8:41
Mixed By – Julian Mendelsohn , Nik Kershaw
Producer – Peter Collins

SIDE B:
Don’t Lie 3:52
Engineer – Julian Mendelsohn
Producer – Nik Kershaw

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

DISCOGS LINK

 

Back Cover

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 20
Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Adobe Photoshop CS5
ClickRepair
dBpoweramp
Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
Downsampled to 24bit/96kHz and16bit /44kHz using iZotope RX Advanced 2
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi