"Don Quixote" is a song by English singer-songwriter Nik Kershaw from his 1984 studio album The Riddle. Released in August 1985 as the final single from that album, it reached No. 10 on the UK Singles Chart in September 1985, and became Kershaw's seventh (and last) consecutive UK top 20 hit single.[2]
A month before "Don Quixote" was released as a single, it was the second of four songs played by Kershaw at Live Aid. The others were previous singles "The Riddle", "Wouldn't It Be Good" and "Wide Boy".[3]
Background
While discussing his method of writing lyrics, Kershaw explained the song's origins in the January 1986 issue of music technology magazine Sound on Sound.
The lyric that ended up as 'Don Quixote', was actually 'Gorgonzola'! So I was walking about the house singing 'gor-gon-zola' all day long, trying to think of a lyric. Basically the music was a sort of Samba thing, which reminded me of Spain, and Don Quixote happened to come to mind so I thought, 'Why not write a song about Don Quixote ?'. So I went and bought the book.[4]
Track listing
7" single (WEA NIK 8) A. "Don Quixote" - 4:11
B. "Don't Lie" - 3:52
12" single (WEA NIKT 8) A. "Don Quixote" (Extra Special Long Mix)- 8:41
B. "Don't Lie" - 3:52
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 165. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA from mid-1983 until 19 June 1988.
