Music from the UK: Nik Kershaw

Unfairly pigeonholed as an 80’s Artist, Nik Kershaw is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and songwriter from Ipswich, England.  He found huge success in the 80’s with hits such as ‘Wouldn’t it be Good’ , ‘I won’t let the sun go down on me’, and ‘The Riddle’, effortlessly combining instantly catchy hooks with deceptively clever songcraft. His attention to detail in production, recording and arrangement make him a stand out artist of the era. He’s also known for his work with Elton John, Genesis’ Tony Banks, and his hits for Let Loose and Chesney Hawkes. But it is his lesser known trio of albums from 1999 onwards that take him into the songwriting stratosphere alongside the greats: ’15 minutes’, ‘To be Frank’ and ‘You’ve got to Laugh’. On these wonderful albums, Kershaw matures gloriously as a writer, and the feel of the songs are a little more guitar based, with acoustics used to great effect. His lyrics at times border on genius. ‘Billy’ performed acoustically and live below, being one example.  They always say you can tel how good a song really is when you can just perform it on one guitar. This one speaks for itself. Nik Kershaw, one of England’s finest.

Kev Moore

Music from Scotland – Lonnie Donegan

Lonnie Donegan, born 1931 in Glasgow, Scotland  was a british Folk and Rock musician . He was also called the “King of Skiflle Music ” and had a great influence on Rock music , He placed over 30 titles between 1956 and 1962 in the charts and influenced talents like  John Lennon, Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, Rory Gallagher, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Chris Farlowe and Van Morrison.

Here is his song “Tom Dooley ” a cover from the “Kingston Trio ” but a good example for Skiffle Music

Music from the UK – Elton Jon

Elton John, born 65 years and one day ago, is a british pop musician who has sold more than 250 million albums. Here’s his classic called “Circle Of Life“:

Thanks Russel!