Radio Musicola is the third studio album by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw, released on 20 October 1986 by MCA Records, just under two years after Kershaw's previous studio album, The Riddle (1984). It was the first studio album to be produced by Kershaw. It features guest backing vocalists, including Icehouse's Iva Davies, and Night's Stevie Lange, and Miriam Stockley.

The album was released to critical acclaim, but wasn't as successful as Kershaw's previous studio albums. It peaked at #47 on the UK Albums Chart, marking the beginning of a downturn in Kershaw's fortunes on the album charts. Four singles were issued from Radio Musicola: "When a Heart Beats", "Nobody Knows", "Radio Musicola", and "James Cagney", but none of them reached the Top 20, a first for Kershaw. However, Kershaw did find some minor success with the aforementioned single "When a Heart Beats" (which was not featured on the LP release, only on the cassette and CD versions of the album). The track "Running Scared" was dismissed as title track of the film Running Scared (1986). The album (to date) remains Kershaw's last album to make the Top 75, and was his last to receive a certification, being certified silver by the BPI.

After the original release, the album remained out of print on any format for many years. However, the album became available via online MP3 download on major sites such as Amazon, and iTunes.

Background The album showcased Kershaw's frustration at the time, with subjects of integrity – media scepticism (particularly towards tabloid journalism), privacy, insecurity and mass-produced run-of-the-mill pop music ("Why can't you let us do it like Joni [Mitchell] does it? There you go again, giving it your very best – trying so hard to make it sound like all the rest"). The subject is reflected in the cover artwork as well, depicting a faux pocket radio made by Phil Warren based on the Sony TR-63. The LP record release featured 1950s style spoof advertisements with the song titles woven in, some of which were replicated in the compact disc's booklet.

Release and chart performance The album's first single in the United Kingdom was "When a Heart Beats", which peaked at #27 upon its release, the first time that a lead single from a Kershaw album failed to hit the Top 20 in the UK. It became a bigger hit in Ireland, peaking at #14. Further singles from the album were "Nobody Knows" and the title track "Radio Musicola", which peaked at #44, and #43 respectively.

When Kershaw was asked about the poor sales of the album he said: "I didn't keep their attention – two albums in nine months was a stupid idea because the next one took two and a half years and a lot of people lost interest and went elsewhere, which is fair enough. And the music changed a little bit as well and I produced it myself so that might have been a reason."

Track listing

Personnel Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.

Musicians Nik Kershaw – lead and background vocals; guitars; keyboards; computers Andy Richards – keyboards; computers; Fairlight CMI programming Paul "Wix" Wickens – keyboards Tim Moore – keyboards Robin Cruikshank – keyboards Rupert Greenall – keyboards Simon Phillips – drums Mark Brzezicki – drums; drum programming Charlie Morgan – drums Mark Price – drums Steve Brzezicki – bass guitar Felix Krish – bass guitar Kuma Harada – bass guitar Dennis Smith – bass guitar Tim Sanders – saxophones Simon Clarke – saxophone; flute Roddy Lorimer – trumpet; flugelhorn Steve Sidwell – trumpet Peter Thoms – trombone Gary Wallace – percussion Iva Davies – backing vocals Miriam Stockley – backing vocals Stevie Lange – backing vocals Sheri Kershaw – backing vocals Carol Kenyon – backing vocals Martin Taylor – backing vocals Gary Dyson – backing vocals

Production and artwork Nik Kershaw – producers Stuart Bruce – engineer; mixer Robin Cruikshank – assistant engineer Ian Cooper – mastering Phil Warren – Model maker Richard Evans – Design and art direction Andrew Ellis – photography Icon – Artwork

Chart performance Album Chart (1986) PeakpositionAustralia (Kent Music Report)92Canadian Albums Chart87UK Albums Chart47

Certifications

See also List of albums that were released in 1986 Nik Kershaw's discography

References

External links

Patrick Dailly: Taking Pop to pieces - "Life Goes On"