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| Shakin' Stevens | ||
Shakin' Stevens the most successful UK chart performer of the 1980s, and the holder of more number ones than any other Welsh performer.
Tickets will go on sale in August 2008 from the venues and Ticketmaster nationwide.
SHAKIN’ STEVENS Success did not come overnight for Shakin’ Stevens, and early on he realised that fame didn’t come easy. After many years of touring and making records, the beginning of the 80’s was to become a major turning point in Stevens’ career. “I really paid my dues during that period,” he recalled. Such dues-paying would last a decade before Hot Dog in 1980, provided him with his first UK hit, with Albert Lee on guitar.
That same year, ‘Marie Marie’ was the spark that ignited his European success, and in 1981 ‘This Ole House’ became a huge International hit - establishing him as a unique international artist - despite the trend out of the Punk era and into New Wave, Electronic and the New Romantics.
He was to work with producers including Stuart Colman, Christopher Neil, Peter Collins, Pete Hammond, Dave Edmunds, and Rod Argent.
As his audiences grew bigger and increasingly diverse, the demand for Shakin’ Stevens records grew, and Shaky continually rang the changes as his acclaim continued. In the UK alone, he has had 39 hit singles, 37 of which were consecutive – accumulating more weeks in the UK chart than any other international recording artist in that decade.
But providing hit singles wasn’t what Stevens was all about. The diversity of his music meant that he additionally attracted an album buying public. In one year he notched up 3 chart albums, including ‘Shaky’, a release that not only topped the UK charts but remained in the best-selling listings for 28 weeks. This success was mirrored throughout Europe and Internationally.
He has been awarded a multitude of Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum Discs, and a plethora of global honours and prestigious industry awards - in the UK and Internationally - including thirty Top 30 hits in a decade (still unsurpassed by any other artist); being named best Singer/Performer at Midem, the international music convention. In Germany he picked up the unique Chartmaker award to commemorate four singles in the German chart at the same time – a record which remains unbeaten. In Sweden he became the first International artist ever to receive a double Platinum Disc.
Many artists have covered his recordings; among them world-beaters such as Barry Manilow (who had a US hit with 'Oh Julie', which was also nominated for an Ivor Novello award), Eddy Raven and Sylvia taking 'A Letter To You' and 'Cry Just A Little Bit' to # 1 and # 9 in the Nashville charts. Stevens has also collaborated musically with a number of world renowned musicians including Roger Taylor, Albert Lee, Hank Marvin and Bonnie Tyler, and most recently Tony Joe White.
Although he had hits into the early 90s, in ’93 he stopped recording. Nevertheless, Shaky’s fans still found much to celebrate. Tours and appearances at festivals across Europe have since provided additional entries on Stevens’ ever impressive CV.
Tours of the UK in 1999 and 2000 were joined by an invitation to perform at the historic launch of the Welsh Assembly, and he entered the new Millennium by headlining at an open-air concert in his home town of Cardiff, attracting a massive audience in excess of 100,000. That same year he was paid tribute by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, when he was presented with a prestigious Gold Badge Award to commemorate his contribution to the music industry.
In 2002 Stevens received a Number One Gold Award from The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles. In 2003 he headlined to an audience of 200,000 in Austria, and in 2004 topped the bill at the prestigious charity event of the Frankfurt Opera Ball, then appearing in the tv celebration to mark 50 Years Of Rock. Stevens was then ranked as the 16th highest selling artist in the UK, ever, and also acknowledged as having had more number 1’s than any other Welsh artist. He followed all this up with a further Number 1, Platinum selling album in Denmark, and in 2005 with a # 4 album, in the UK, which went Gold within 9 days of release and a top 10 DVD of the same title.
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With a sell-out UK tour at the end of 2005, in 2006 Shaky then went back into the studio to complete a new album ‘Now Listen’ released by SonyBMG Denmark, on 29th May 2007, which went straight in at number 8 !
‘Now Listen’ marks a distinct progression in Stevens’ career, and will be released through SonyBMG; a twelve-track album which will feature new songs, many of which were co-written by Stevens. The album displays Shaky’s distinctive and gutsy vocals, together with strong country rock and blues influences, thus appealing to his fans while also attracting a new audience. Now Listen, the title track, written by Stevens with Tim Woodcock and Cliff Masterson, is an infectious song with a very catchy chorus. Stevens has also teamed up with fellow Welsh writer John David, for the memorable Lonely Too Long, and John’s haunting composition Somewhere In The Night. Stevens’ powerful vocals and new arrangements provide a brand new take on classic songs, including Rudi Clark’s Got My Mind Set On You, Burt Bacharach’s soul classic, Baby It’s You and Dave Bartholomew’s I Hear You Knockin’.
How Could It Be Like That is a hypnotic swamp-rock track, featuring the legendary Tony Joe White on lead guitar, and written by Stevens and Ronnie Harwood.
It’s A Shame, co-written with John David and Jason Lee (The Leez), demonstrates Shaky’s strong vocals with meaningful lyrics. Combine all this with the pure energy and excitement of the tracks Fire Down Below - with a gospel feel – together with his rousing versions of Pump It Up and Trouble, and finish it all off with Stevens’ anthemic new festival song Get Together, and you have Now Listen.
This very special album has been a long time coming, but it’s well worth the wait.
Following a tour of Denmark, 4 shows at the NEC on RWL, a tour of Romania and then BBC TV Northern Ireland, swiftly followed by a charity gig to raise money for a children’s hospice in Romania, Shaky again headlined on Polish National TV for New Years’ Eve. Performing in Cracow Square, and to a record live audience of 200,000 ! Shaky was then asked to perform at the Gävle Konserthus, alongside Billy Bremner and Geraint Watkins. Billy and Geraint worked with Stevens on his early recordings, and he is looking forward to being on stage with the guys, once again, after such a long time.
Shakin’ Stevens is certain to be around for many years to come……. |
