"Wide Boy"
Single by Nik Kershaw
from the album The Riddle
B-side
  • "Shame on You"
  • "So Quiet"
Released4 March 1985[1]
Recorded1983-1984[2]
Genre
Length
  • 3:28 (album version)
  • 3:19 (single remix)
  • 5:07 (extended version)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Nik Kershaw
Producer(s)Peter Collins
Nik Kershaw singles chronology
"The Riddle"
(1984) 		"Wide Boy"
(1985) 		"Don Quixote"
(1985)

"Wide Boy" is a song by English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was his sixth consecutive top-20 single, peaking at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart in 1985.[3] It was followed by "Don Quixote" which was to become the last of his string of top-20 singles on the UK chart. "Wide Boy" also charted highly in Ireland and Australia, peaking at No. 5 and No. 7, respectively.

A version of the song was originally recorded for Kershaw's debut studio album Human Racing, but was dropped before the album was released. It later appeared on Kershaw's next studio album The Riddle in partially re-recorded form.[4][2] He remarked that the song was "an old song, probably four or five years old" by that point.[2] The single was a remix of the album version.[5]

The accompanying music video was directed by graphic designer Storm Thorgerson.[6]

Track listings

7" single (WEA NIK 7)[5]
A. "Wide Boy" (Remix) – 3:19
B. "So Quiet" – 3:12

12" single (WEA NIKT 7)[7]
A. "Wide Boy" (Extended Mix) – 5:07
B1. "Shame on You" (Remix) – 3:39
B2. "So Quiet" – 3:07

Credits

"Wide Boy (Remix)"[5]
Produced by Peter Collins
Remixed by Gary Langan and Nik Kershaw

"So Quiet"
Produced by Nik Kershaw
Piano Accompaniment: Nik Kershaw

"Wide Boy (Extended Mix)"[7]
Produced by Peter Collins
Extended Mix by Nik Kershaw

"Shame on You (Remix)"
Produced by Peter Collins

Charts

References

  1. ^ "News". Record Mirror. 23 February 1985. p. 4.
  2. ^ a b c Sinclair, Paul (2 March 2013). "Nik Kershaw talks 80s pop and Human Racing 28 years on". superdeluxeedition. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  3. ^ "www.nikkershaw.it". www.nikkershaw.it. 7 March 1985. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
  4. ^ Kershaw 2012, p. 14-15.
  5. ^ a b c Discogs 7".
  6. ^ Mvdbase.com The Music Video DataBase
  7. ^ a b Discogs 12".
  8. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 165. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  9. ^ "Nik Kershaw – Wide Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  10. ^ "European Top 100 Singles" (PDF). Eurotipsheet. Vol. 2, no. 14. 8 April 1985. p. 6. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  11. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Wide Boy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Eurythmics – Don't Ask Me Why" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  13. ^ "Nik Kershaw – Wide Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Nik Kershaw – Wide Boy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  15. ^ "SA Charts 1965–1989 (As presented on Springbok Radio/Radio Orion) – Acts K". The South African Rock Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  16. ^ "Nik Kershaw: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nik Kershaw – Wide Boy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  18. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1985". Kent Music Report. No. 599. 30 December 1985 – via Imgur.


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