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The Riddle (Nik Kershaw song)

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"The Riddle"
Cover of The Riddle 12" Single
Single by Nik Kershaw
from the album The Riddle
Released5 November 1984
Recorded1984
GenreSynthpop, pop rock, new wave
Length
  • 3:52
  • 5:08 (extended version)
LabelMCA
Songwriter(s)Nik Kershaw
Producer(s)Peter Collins
Nik Kershaw singles chronology
"Human Racing"
(1984) 		"The Riddle"
(1984) 		"Wide Boy"
(1985)

"The Riddle" is a song by the English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw. It was released in 1984 as the lead single from the album of the same name. Kershaw described the lyrical content as being nondescript to fill as a "guide vocal" for the production. It reached number three on the UK Singles Chart and peaked within the top 10 in countries like Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Australia and New Zealand. An accompanying music video was made for the song and features references to Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland. The song was covered by many artists, including by Gigi D'Agostino (1999) and Jack Holiday and Mike Candys (2012).

Lyrics

The "riddling" lyrics caused speculation among listeners as to their meaning; Kershaw states that there is in fact no intended meaning at all, the words simply being a "guide vocal" thrown together to fit the music. Kershaw has stated: "In short, 'The Riddle' is nonsense, rubbish, bollocks, the confused ramblings of an 80s popstar."[1]

Music video

The music video to "The Riddle" depicts Kershaw walking through a house shaped like a question mark, making his way through certain obstacles and looking through drawers while singing. The video depicts many references to Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland with an appearance of a young girl exiting the room through a small door, two portly gentlemen who resemble Tweedledum and Tweedledee and an observation made by Kershaw to Through the Looking Glass.

At the beginning of the music video Kershaw is seen trying to get through a door with a screwdriver. The video ends with the camera moving up away from Kershaw to reveal that the question mark is lying in an alleyway, at which point a man in a green costume seen earlier in the video comes and picks it up. The green man is the Riddler, a villain from the Batman comics.[citation needed]

Track listing

7" Single (WEA NIK 6)[2]
A "The Riddle" - 3:52
B "Progress" (Live) - 3:02

12" Single (WEA NIKT 6)[3]
A "The Riddle" (Extended Riddle) - 5:08
B "Progress" (Live) - 3:02

Cassette Single (WEA NIKC 6)[4]
A1 "The Riddle" - 3:52
A2 "Interview"
A3 "Progress" (Live) - 3:02
B1 "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" (Extended Mix)
B2 "Wouldn't It Be Good" (Extended Mix)

Credits

"The Riddle"[2]
Produced by Peter Collins

"Progress"
Recorded Live at Hammersmith Odeon.
Mixed by Simon Boswell

"The Riddle (Extended Riddle)"
Produced by Peter Collins
The extended mix is named "Special Extended Mix" on the cover & "Extended Riddle" on the label.

Chart performance

Chart (1984) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 8
Canada (RPM)[7] 49
France (SNEP)[8] 18
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 19
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 6
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[13] 5
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 3
West Germany (GfK)[16] 8

Gigi D'Agostino version

"The Riddle 2000"
Single by Gigi D'Agostino
from the album L'Amour Toujours
B-side"Remix"
ReleasedDecember 1999
Recorded1999
GenreItalo dance
Length4:45, 3:42
LabelZYX, EMI Music
Songwriter(s)Nik Kershaw
Producer(s)Gigi D'Agostino
Gigi D'Agostino singles chronology
"Another Way"
(1999) 		"The Riddle 2000"
(1999) 		"La Passion"
(2000)

"The Riddle" was covered as a dance song by Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino with uncredited vocals by Armenian singer and house producer Andrew Sarkeesian, who would also work with D'Agostino on La Passion. This version was released on D'Agostino's album, L'Amour Toujours. The same lyrics are used as in Kershaw's song, but the order is changed and the tempo is faster.

Music video

The music video, which was made by Andreas Hykade, features La Linea styled animation like the "Bla Bla Bla" music video (both of which feature the same humanoid character), taking place entirely with white lines on a light green background and features the aforementioned character fighting a dragon on a mountainous terrain. The length of the video is 3:25[17] but the track on L'Amour Toujours lasts 4:45.

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (2000–2002) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 4
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[20] 11
Canada (Nielsen SoundScan)[21] 8
France (SNEP)[22] 7
Invalid chart entered Germany2 4
Hungary (Mahasz)[23] 5
Italy (FIMI)[24] 21
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[25] 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[26] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (2000) Position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[28] 26
Germany (Official German Charts)[29] 23
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] 67
Chart (2002) Position
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[31] 47
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[32] 61
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[33] 52

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[34] Gold 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Jack Holiday & Mike Candys version

"The Riddle Anthem"
Single by Jack Holiday and Mike Candys
Released19 November 2012
GenreElectronic music
Length3:13
Songwriter(s)Nik Kershaw
Producer(s)Mike Candys
Jack Holiday
Jack Holiday and Mike Candys singles chronology
"Sunshine (Fly So High)"
(2012) 		"The Riddle Anthem"
(2012) 		"Bring Back the Love"
(2013)

"The Riddle" was covered as a dance song by Swiss DJs Mike Candys and Jack Holiday. It was titled The Riddle Anthem and was released in November 2012.

Chart performance

Chart (2012–2013) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[35] 29
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)[36] 31
France (SNEP)[37] 43
Invalid chart entered Germany2 44
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[38] 26

Other cover versions

In 1999 Lightforce released an instrumental dance cover of the song titled "Take Your Time (The-Riddle '99)".

In 2009, the Italian group Prezioso & Marvin (actually brothers DJ Giorgio Prezioso and Andrea Prezioso and vocalist Alessandro Moschini known as Marvin) released it as a single from a similarly titled The Riddle EP. The single on Bang Record also featured vocals by Marvin (real name Alessandro Moschini) and was credited as Prezioso & Marvin. An official music video was also released.[39]

In 2013, the French harpist Cécile Corbel included the song on her fourth studio album, SongBook vol.4 – Roses and gave the melody a Celtic coloration.

References

  1. ^ Kershaw, Nik. "The Official Nik Kershaw FAQ file". The Official Nik Kershaw Website. Archived from the original on 7 February 2003. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b Discogs: Nik Kershaw - The Riddle 7".
  3. ^ Discogs: Nik Kershaw - The Riddle 12".
  4. ^ Discogs: Nik Kershaw - The Riddle Cassette Single.
  5. ^ 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. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA from mid 1983 until 19 June 1988.
  6. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  7. ^ http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0527&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0527.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0527
  8. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle" (in French). Les classement single.
  9. ^ http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement
  10. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". VG-lista.
  13. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". Singles Top 100.
  14. ^ "Nik Kershaw – The Riddle". Swiss Singles Chart.
  15. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  16. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Nik Kershaw – The Riddle" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  17. ^ "Gigi D' Agostino: The Riddle - YouTube". YouTube. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  18. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  19. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  20. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle" (in French). Ultratip.
  21. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino". Billboard. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle" (in French). Les classement single.
  23. ^ "Music & Media: Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  24. ^ http://www.hitparadeitalia.it/indici/per_interprete/ad.htm
  25. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Gigi D'Agostino" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  26. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  27. ^ "Gigi D'Agostino – The Riddle". Swiss Singles Chart.
  28. ^ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2000". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  29. ^ "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts". GfK Entertainment (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Swiss year-end chart". swisscharts.com. 2000. Retrieved 22 November 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  31. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 2002". Ultratop. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 2002". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  33. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 2002" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  34. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Gigi D'Agostino; 'The Riddle')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  35. ^ "Jack Holiday & Mike Candys – The Riddle Anthem" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  36. ^ "Jack Holiday & Mike Candys – The Riddle Anthem" (in French). Ultratip.
  37. ^ "Jack Holiday & Mike Candys – The Riddle Anthem" (in French). Les classement single.
  38. ^ "Jack Holiday & Mike Candys – The Riddle Anthem". Swiss Singles Chart.
  39. ^ YouTube: Prezioso & Marvin - The Riddle (THE Official Video)
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