British guitarist analyses Nik Kershaw's subtle progressive pop live in 2008!

[@Nixenji]

I think Nik Kershaw is one of the most underrated musicians in Europe. It's sad that many people think that he was just a pretty teenage idol in the eighties. I've listened to him since I was a child, and it's only now as an adult that I realise how fantastic he is. Lyrics, melodies, harmonies, and a really good singer & guitar player. His latest album is also really good.

[@NathanVeenstra]

I think that when I met him some 4 years ago, I was so overwhelmed meeting someone I so appreciated for so many years that I forgot to tell how much I really appreciate him.

[@WWAWHTR]

Oxymoron is excellent.

[@5ivetimes1]

He's a genius and a rare treasure, singer-song writer. One of my favourite artists of all time and up there with some behemoths of rock and pop.

[@griffini19]

Nik Kershaw is simply brilliant!! And all of his work since the 80’s is IMO even better. His most recent releases are fabulous as well.

[@BenjaminKanarek]

Nik Kershaw is the "Mozart" of pop rock! The melody and lyrics always bring me to tears... Very powerful stuff!

[@someopinion922]

More like a Richard Strauss.

[@ganazby]

Nik, along with being a brilliant composer, is also a superb guitar player, with an instantly recognisable tone. Thanks for this, Fil.

[@vidargarlie9765]

This is live from Norwegian TV (NRK) with Norwegian musicians.

[@davelawrence9810]

Great analysis Fil . You have managed to highlight all the reasons why Nik Kershaw is such a great talent and , in my opinion, stands head and shoulders above so many of his contempories. He has it all - great singer, guitarist, songwriter, producer. Always produced interesting songs with unpredictable chord changes, exceptional lyrics, different guitar sounds and textures and great hooks. Unlike so many artists you couldn't just pick up a guitar and play one of his songs. You needed to sit down and work out exactly what it was that he was playing and it was never easy ! He deserved to achieve more success than he actually did and it is sad that so many lesser talents captured the publics imagination more than Nik. Thanks Fil for spending time on this and drawing attention to the unique skill and ability of this great artist.

[@leeharcus7001]

I was in high school when this song came out. Loved it then. Love it now. Thanks for the fond memories this song gives me.

[@loripond1839]

I LOVE Nik Kershaw!! Great 80's memories!! Voice of my youth too!! I can close my eyes & still see him in the white TV screen suit in the video!!..MTV was so powerful!!..Well done, maybe you should cover this track, Fil!!...✌️❤️🤘😎

[@RCAnderson42]

Agreed! It seems to suit him

[@jennrat513]

I miss MTV's Unplugged and VH1's Storytellers...great stuff..👍 Fil's voice might lend itself to this quite nicely..😳👍

[@thebiggerbyte5991]

Excellent. Nik is brilliant, and that solo remains one of my favourites. The way it is doubled with the brass (which was apparently a spur of the moment thing) makes it an absolute classic. Nicely detailed analysis, Fil, as always :)

[@joanodean8313]

I had never heard of Nik or this song. But, in this time of being quarantined at home, I have listened to about five versions of this song (on KZbin) and bought the same on iTunes! Thanks for introducing him to me!

[@Pianodean]

MTV and TBS here in the US played "Wouldn't It Be Good" a lot, but such a shame it didn't crack the top 40 here. It's my 2nd favorite song of all time. Nik said that the major 7 feel in the chords of this song were not "express-able" enough on the guitar by strumming....so, on the studio version he did the old Brian May thing of recording the guitar chords one note at a time and multi-tracking them. Also, Fil...great job of copping Nik's vocal vibrato...you pretty much sounded just like him!

[@iansnyder274]

Nik is one of my favorites....I got hip to him late as he wasn't big in the states...I knew this song but wasn't aware of the vast catalogue he has recorded. He is often overlooked for the incredible guitarist that he is....He is killer! Check out the live versions of his hits on youtube and the recent ones with Go West. The guy is insanely great in so many ways....wide boy is great...and I won't let the sun go down on me...the live ones he cuts loose...thanks for giving Nik his propers! Love him!

[@NoCanDu]

Yes! I know this is a late reply, but I discovered him much the same way! I had his first album and played the hell out of it. Then in the 90s I made a friend who had all the UK stuff and 12” singles that I didn’t know existed!

[@briangregory6303]

Taking me back to 1984 and my Air Force years. Loved the video for this song. Since your on 80s music, how about The Fixx?

[@lynndow3185]

Irresistible!!! It's as much fun to hear an artist I don't know as one that I already love. Of course, a guitar demo of the fine points made me love him even more. Bravo!

[@mevrammcoyoteV8f150]

Hello Lynn..they play this song all the time on the overhead speakers at the place I work..didn't know Nick did this cool tune

[@lynndow3185]

@@mevrammcoyoteV8f150 It IS a cool song! I am always wheeling my grocery cart to get right under the overhead speakers at the store when there's a song I like. Well, when I used to go to the store *sigh*.

[@aubindemontfalcon5967]

Just to say how much I'm a Kershaw fan : back in the eighties "Wouldn't it be good" and "The Riddle" were my absolute favourite songs, BUT I didn't know it was from the same artist. That's to say how much musical genius Nik is. And most of his other songs are at the same level, hit-single or just album tracks. To me that's simple : On one side there's all the pop scene, and on the other side, there's Nik Kershaw : totally above the others, musically.

[@teresafinoalchemy]

Such a great trip down memory lane. I had forgotten about Nick Kershaw and it was so good to re-visit this song. Thanks for an excellent analysis, Fil.

[@mevrammcoyoteV8f150]

I like this classic 80's type tune..didn't know Nick performed this song..thanks Fil

[@JC-Denton]

Well, The Riddle will always be my favourite song by NK. Didn't know that he was such a refined guitarist. So thanks for enlightening me once again, Fil. :)

[@georgeisaac9european387]

I had heard this song in the 80s but it was not until 2019 that I really dug into his music and now he is one of my favourite artists along with Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce and Al Stewart.

[@phantomcollector1976]

ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME

[@kimblewt]

You What ?? have I been missing something here or are you from a desert island : )

[@ManubibiWalsh]

Are all of his songs so fun to listen to?? You can never predict where the melody will go next. Goddamn. Love it. Would like to hear a rendition of The Riddle that chooses a key and stays consistent with it, just to hear how radically different it’d be.

[@Tmanaz480]

This song hasnt been overplayed, so was refreshing to hear it again this morning in the office cafe. I love the bit of added drama when a song has a pre-chorus.

[@Candyskin69]

Great analysis. as always. Nik has always written and performed songs with interesting chord changes and strong melodies and lyrics. He can pull on your heart strings in a single line. His voice has that unique and identifiable tone across the whole range. His guitar playing is hugely understated. His songs stand up to being played on a single guitar, which is always an indicator of a great composition. He has consistently produced great music throughout his career. I particularly love the Eight album.

[@heidichristensen7919]

Oh, such great memories this song brings! I have been a huge fan since forever. Was in London as an exchange student back in 1984 and was in Harrod’s when “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me” came on. The Voice of my young adulthood :)

[@elizabethspedding1975]

I've had a busy day today, so now I shall relax with one of your videos. This guy is pure 80s , a great decade with fantastic memories.

[@joeyhursler3600]

Also Nik was described by Elton John "The greatest songwriter of a generation" you can see WHY!

[@myhumbleopinion1036]

Thank you for featuring Mr. Nik Kershaw one of the masters of the key change. The song City Of Angels is proof of that.

[@glamgal7106]

I saw this on Patreon last night. Yet being a musician and an admirer of Nik Kershaw's music, this video was "so nice I had to listen twice." All jokes aside, I put headphones on to really experience the musical journey. I enjoyed your analysis of Nik's composing and vocal skills, especially in your own live demonstration of the song's overall dynamics. Fil, you always remind me of what I learned as a musician and teach me new things--e.g. you reminded me about barred guitar chords' importance soundwise and as a player--thanks for this fab analysis!

[@wingsofpegasus]

👍

[@kitcanttat]

NK was a highly regarded 'local' fusion guitarist around Essex pre-fame (see Giles Smith's Lost in Music book). He had chops in abundance allied to great songwriting.

[@minderDOTorg]

So happy you covered this song - it is so well constructed and Nik's solo is superb, the Fusion album is great too, worth checking that out.

[@steve-on7kl]

Nik was such a big influence on my music. His chord progressions and the quality of his studio production always sent chills down my back. Amazing artist! Cloak and Dagger was a great track and really showcased his lead guitar and talent in incredible lead melodies. This is the live version. So good: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZpSmhZ-NgNlqd9k From about 4.20 you can see the band is loving it too. One of those very special moments when the music is tight, flowing and incredible.

[@sallynielsen8150]

Thanks for the suggestion, Steve! Just watched performance of Cloak and Dagger...loved it!!

[@marshlanderdumarais264]

I saw Nik perform for the first time this Saturday just gone. I only really knew the hits from the eighties, but the whole evening was a revelation. He was phenomenal and his four-piece band were stunning. Very happy to be a new convert here! ❤

[@bekind6763]

Thanks for the memories I love this song and I dig it when you get your guitar out. Teacher/Professor Thank you for the lesson and btw you nailed it, spot on! Awesome!!!

[@mydailybread7]

Yes. I dig it when the t/p gets out his guitar too. 🎸👏

[@damienthompson873]

Loved watching this! 💙 You are very good at this mate Thank you!

[@BenjaminKanarek]

One of the most eclectic, brilliant, unique and unpredictable pop/rock songwriters of all time! 🤩🤩🤩

[@grantwalker2307]

The instrumental break in this song is NIk's greatest moment for me, so good, still sounds good to this day.....

[@rcsproject627]

Great vibes, love this song. Such positive lyric content. A great analysis Fil, thanks for sharing. Boris is rock'n again, good thing!

[@RaysTrack]

I had the joy of watching Nik's solo show pre-pandemic. Phenomenal performance. I remember George Martin saying that the most important ingredient in making a great record is having a great song to start with and Nik has amassed a treasury of them.

[@jamestom2510]

I remember hearing Nik for the first time on a train on my way to high school. I love his sound. His Live show in Germany was unreal.

[@andrear1751]

Thank you for this reaction to Nik Kershaw. I have loved his work ever since I heard this track on Pretty In Pink! Nobody (in the States) seemed to know who he was even back then. But it was one of those songs that I have kept on my playlists for years.

[@seaoftranquility7228]

Man, thank you. I feel so vindicated. Grew up in the eighties and always had fairly esoteric, some would say pretentious taste. Always loved this song tho and my friends at the time thought he was just a teen idol pretty boy. So great to see it getting some love from real musos. Love your work fil.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Thanks!

[@michaelescareno7048]

Great breakdown of this 80s classic!! Nik Kershaw's music in the last 10 years includes some phenomenal songwriting. The video to "The Sky's The Limit" is beautiful, and off the recent Oxymoron album his songs "Swings and Roundabouts", "She Gets Me", and "Babylon Brothers" are amazing production arrangements!!!! I highly encourage Nik fans to check these out!! Again, great reaction to this!

[@voulafisentzidis8830]

Love Nik Kershaw. Thanks heaps for another excellent analysis, Fil!

[@bigfoot99]

Always loved this song, especially the horn segment. Maybe you could consider doing another band from this era, Echo & the Bunnymen. Lips Like Sugar has some great guitar riffs.

[@harbourdogNL]

Yes!

[@fabiobianchini8922]

Thanks for this in-depth analysis, this song is a an absolute masterpiece. Nick should have continued in that direction of progressive guitar sound and style!!

[@maca8521]

Excellent video and analysis, not just because I agree but it's the range of music chosen to analyze which are worth noting as they are a credit to the analyst. Thank you!

[@JFinnerud]

I actually watched this live performance as it aired back in '08. It's from an Norwegian game show that ran on Saturday evenings for a few years.

[@WWAWHTR]

Really pleased to see you pay such respect to Mr Kershaw. You are a man with impeccable taste!😀👍

[@cocolossal69]

Fabulous. I've loved Nik since the very beginning in the 80s. Human Racing is one of my most treasured albums. I travelled to Ireland in 2010 to see him doing his solo acoustic tour which was wonderful. He's an amazing guitarist, he writes great songs and his voice is gorgeous (as is he) It would be awesome if you took a look at one of the clips from that tour, you really get to see how skilled he is on the acoustic guitar 💜

[@debishaw9355]

Liked this song, Fil.. have not heard his music before. Thank you for a great analysis.

[@michaelholycross2633]

Thank you Fil! I never heard of this fellow. I'd moved back to the States by the time he was big in the UK. Definitely gonna check out more of him...😊

[@philipedelmann397]

14:39 Where can I actually find the mentioned video featuring Mark King from Level 42?

[@alexendrix6]

Nik what a great composer and player i love him i still learning from all his songs :)

[@andrea22213]

As soon as I heard this record on the radio in 1984 I was stunned at how slow this pop single is. But it is perfect. A fraction slower and it would drag, a fraction faster and it would lose its brooding quality.

[@RCAnderson42]

Why does this song always make me think of Pretty in Pink?! 🦆 I've always loved what a unique sounding song this is! (And the horns!!) I can honestly say I've never heard another song by Nik, but now seems like a good excuse to do some exploring. I know I already said it once, but I'm SO glad you keep putting breakdowns of the songs in your videos! Not only do I just enjoy it, it helps things click for me musically, and motivates me. Ha! "Nik" played on "Nik"ita!

[@radiosonos]

I love Nik , I'd know your voice in a thousand , I'd know your guitar in a thousand , I'd know your music in a thousand ... unique and unmistakable NIK

[@dryster123]

Nik Kershaw, Thomas Dolby and Howard Jones, three of my heroes from around 1983/84 : Thank you for the "Old Friend" reference.

[@wonsworld61]

Thanks for this Fil. This analysis of how he wrote the song explains a big thing about Nik Kershaw. I grew up influenced by music of the 60's and growing into rock music of the 70's and then "suffered" through the synth muzak of a lot of the 80's. A lot of that synth heavy music would often have me lunging for the radio dial to quickly change most what ever was on. However, Nik was not one of the artists that I would turn off and in fact I liked this so much that I bought this single (and "The Riddle"). I guess it shows that good, well written and interesting music, will always draw people in no matter what the current trend is.

[@danr5105]

I saw the name (I recognized it) then the song title, I could not place it. As soon as the 'second" keyboard line hit, then I knew the song. I do not mind at all if Fil hangs out in the 80's for a good long while. It will be May 1st at the earliest before my new acoustic guitar starts its journey to me (store in Texas says they will start shipping again in May). I am not crying too hard as I understand there are more important things going on (corona is messing with the delivery of just about everything) Oh, "Live Aid". The story of how Live Aid came to be,who played,who wanted to play,who at first did not want to play, really just about everything dealing with Live Aid is a great story. Live Aid was such an event it would not be to far fetched to say 'was that before or after Live Aid"? Thanks Fil.

[@NicholasWoodley]

He also wrote a book called "Spilling the beans on making it in music. Very funny and enlightening. He's my favourite musicians of all time. They say never meet your heros but he's also a really nice guy too.

[@andyg4082]

Great analysis on this very underappreciated artist. On the 1st album he pretty much played everything. Keys/synth, bass, guitar n drums. Great song writer multi talented musician. 👍👍👍

[@robertmuckle2985]

Brilliant song by such a talented songwriter/guitarist. It's was quite unusual to hear such a dark song (lyrically) make it to the charts. His arrangement was absolutely intriguing to me, and still is.❤

[@suzannerobbins6293]

Hi Fil! Since I don’t know this artist I just wanted to say hello, and I did take a listen to a new to me musician! I can’t figure out why I never heard of him...he would have been around when my daughter was graduating high school, and going to college. I think she probably liked his sound! He reminded me of Bono...is that weird? Have a good evening! ✌️. BTW...U2 is my daughter’s favorite band, so maybe why I thought that!

[@mariorabottini5687]

Totally loved Nik Kershaw’s musical style! Great lyrics coupled with his brilliant voice and his amazing guitar playing.....just awesome! Excellent Fil! Cheers Mario! 😎🤘👌

[@SwappingIsSaving]

Nik is a genius writer.

[@soozikins]

Nice explanation, Nik Kershaw was/is a huge talent.

[@eugenemalush9284]

Hey Wings, let us not forget that Nik was drop dead gorgeous back then. I'm not even gay but when the cassette came out I took a step back and cursed him.

[@sbbinahee]

A childhood hero..thanks for this analysts Fil. This was like nothing I ever heard before when.it came out..like the Phoenix rising from the ashes of the 1970s..p s it was MCA records not RCA.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

Thanks, I read many of the comments and I must admit I wasn't aware of him, but when you mentioned all the people he collaborated with then of course he was in the music I heard. Which is the genious of your channel. You can go to any era and let us know about the music and the musicians.

[@mightyV444]

I was 14 when that song was a hit, in '84, and both my Sisters had the hots for him 😄 That whole 'Human Racing' album was pretty good, I reckon; His voice sounds quite a bit like Stevie Wonder's in the title track 🙂 And 'The Riddle' was playing at the local supermarket recently 😀 Thank you for the video, Fil! 😀

[@briansd2772]

Sort of a 70's stage visual. Neat.

[@gejuje]

I was a fan of his, and even admired him more later, when i heard him play the songs in a different way, just with an acoustic guitar. He is equally good on the guitar, and as a songwriter. His acoustic version of The Riddle is brilliant. Maybe that one is worth checking out too, some really interesting chords and fingerpicking going on there

[@TomTom-rh5gk]

I just love the way to analyze performers.

[@ChrisOwenGuitar]

Saw him in Manchester last month. Amazing gig. Great vocals and superb chord progressions. Not your usual 4 chord repeated generic songs.

[@dougiemilnephotography756]

I have the sheet music for this somewhere. That very first chord is a 9th, if I recall. Must look it out

[@dougiemilnephotography756]

I'm wrong, it's a major 7th.

[@markukeley2924]

Spot on analysis, Fil! Love your breakdown of the chord movements. Dang, tho, the horn section really bullied Nick's solo out of the mix. Cheers!

[@riphraph66]

FM7 | Bb | Dm/G | C | ..................... Em5b/A | Dm ... that s why the chords of the intro sounds so great !! ;)

[@rialobran]

I'd forgotten what a cracking song this was, so thanks for reminding me. As a punk at the time he was a bit too 'soft' for me. Now a 50 something 'punk' I get it more and more, as with my sudden fascination with the Bangles and other 80's bands.

[@gregkunkel8704]

Rock Wingers, It doesn't seem likely that people will go to any shows for at least a couple months. I hope we get back to normal soon.

[@robincortez6586]

Music DEFINITELY helps me keep my sanity, and I'm enjoying these analysis videos. 👍💟 I don't think we appreciated our "normal" pre-virus lives as much as we do now. I'm quite nostalgic about those days, staying optimistic, looking forward to a vacation this summer, hopefully. Stay healthy, and KEEP THE MUSIC ROLLING!! 🥳💜

[@jennrat513]

Yeah...I wanted to catch Eric Johnson a month and a half ago but the location of the venue and this cootie floating around deterred me..outside venues only for how long..🤔😐

[@marilynsheffield612]

Good sound, I enjoyed listening to this. Have a good day.

[@Shell6424]

Nick with a mohawk! Love this song - you summed up the complexity of the notes and how well the track is put together. Got Nick mixed up with Howard Jones who was around at the same time in the 80s.

[@nightsampler]

Have a look for Nik performing this song with Howard. Really good :)

[@jamesjohnson77]

Great performance from Nik and his band here. For a greater appreciation of his guitar playing check out his album "No Frills", from 2010, on which he plays acoustic versions of his hits.

[@avnrulz]

Have you covered Big Country? I loved how the guitar sounded like bagpipes.

[@wingsofpegasus]

Not yet!

[@avnrulz]

@Robin Diamond I was jamming out to them yesterday!

[@KayEl58]

Great idea! I loved Big Country. I travelled across Europe by the Magic Bus (three days and two nights from London to Athens) in 1983 and I had their album on cassette in the walkman I'd splashed out on especially for the journey so I wouldn't be bored. It was perfect music for flying past endless countryside for days so I just played it over and over again. Tragic what happened to Stuart Adamson, so much talent wasted.

[@richtraube2241]

Low guitar in the mix lets his voice shine. And kudos for using live horns.

[@shay3087]

Always loved this song!! 💛💕💛

[@vaccarioou22]

Good analysis of a great player and songwriter - Fusion was a great band also :-)

[@benpowersguitar]

This was new to me. Very cool.

[@kayredburn930]

HI FIL YOU DID SUCH A GOOD JOB. YOUR TOPICS ARE SO INTERRESTING. THANKYOU. I LOVE HEARING ABOUT YOUR TOPICS. THATS COOL ALSO HOW YOU STRUM AND SING. VERY COOL. THANKYOU AGAIN. STAY SAFE PEACE AND LOVE

[@AndrewGruffudd]

I think it would have been a better showcase of his solo axe-work if you could have found a live version of Cloak and Dagger - but then I suppose you have to go with what's available. His guitar playing was what originally got me interested in his music, a breath of fresh air from the three-chord synth pop available at the time and a useful counterpoint to the ELO, Focus and Jethro Tull aural ambience of my usual fayre.

[@gagemoss1075]

I can't believe I've never heard of him! Back in those days I was always looking for something NOT played on the radio. College radio or indie were terms used back then to describe "alternative' music (Pop, Power Pop,New Wave, Punk, Garage and Rockabilly) of the day. His career parallels another great singer songwriter (almost to the year ) Marshall Crenshaw. He's some one you should do an analysis on, maybe "Someday, Someway" from the Merv Griffin Show. Keep up the good work!

[@venderstrat]

I used to like this song/ now I'm analysing it.

[@Hans-fz6cc]

Great to see the bass player in the background enjoying himself 😂😂😂 👍👍👍

[@jayfulkerson6329]

i love this song and the LIVE AID version of it. you can tell Fil's love for it, i'd like a full blown cover of it from Fil

[@beatlessteve1010]

A rare example of me not liking this particular tune...but I do like the band and of course another great analysis .

[@pamelahewlett1750]

I LOVE this song, I've loved it since the very first time I heard it in the 80's ❤❤❤

[@aaron2709]

Great song. Unusual and unforgettable.

[@mrblue8439]

Of all the singers you have shown us, which one is your all time favourite ?

[@wingsofpegasus]

Impossible to choose!

[@mrblue8439]

@@wingsofpegasus Fare enough Fil. Thanks for your tapes

[@davidcantwell2489]

Hi Fil !!!! For me I guess I'd have to say my favorite song was the riddle, if you listen to it it's pretty deep.

[@lynndow3185]

Hi David!

[@davidcantwell2489]

Lynn!!! Elo Luv!

[@darlatidwell6255]

The intro sounded kind of like a Clapton song. I liked that song. Nice job Fil.🤘

[@jennrat513]

Haven't heard this in awhile..always liked it.. maybe I just keep missing it on the Sirius 80's channel..lol...anyway..👍❤️