SHAKY
The Shakin' Stevens story began in a three bedroomed council house in Marcross Road, in Cardiff's Ely district. That somewhat cramped house was home for the youngster who was born Michael Barratt, and then went on to achieve fame as Shakin' Stevens.The rather shy youngster, who was born on March 4, 1948, was the youngest member of a large, working class family. His parents, Jack and May Barratt, had 11 children and Shaky was the youngest member of the family. He has six brothers - Jacky, Kenneth, Jimmy, Freddie, Roy and Leslie - and four sisters - Nancy, Aileen, Joyce and Muriel.
"People say that it must have been hell to have been brought up with so many brothers and sisters. But what they don't realise is that we really were two families. Half of our family were grown up, married and living away from home by the time that I came on the scene. I basically grew up with mum and dad and Roy, Muriel and Leslie. Leslie was just a couple of years older than me so that when I was attending junior school, he was at senior school."
"I grew up in a house full of noise, though and I suppose, since there always seemed to be music in our house, that was one reason why I was introduced early to rock 'n' roll. A definite influence too, was my big brother, Roy, who had a collection of 1950s records. Roy also used to take me to the cinema when I was a youngster. Together we saw films like Rock Around The Clock. All that certainly made a considerable impression," said Shaky. The Barratts were a down to earth family. Jack Barratt had gone to work at the mines when he was just 13, but later went to work in the building trade. Although the family didn't have very much money, those formative years in Cardiff hold happy memories for Shaky. It was while he was a youngster in South Wales that he first heard the name that was to become his rock 'n' roll alter ego... Shakin' Stevens.
Like all young boys, Mike Barratt played football and other games with his mates. It was during a game of bat and ball in the street that one of the most significant events in his life occurred. When it was the turn of one of his mates to take the bat and face the bowler, the youngster, as he made a few practise swipes with the bat, joked... "And now, presenting Shakin' Stevens!" At that time the Welsh youngster thought it was a great rock name. He remembered it and when he formed a rock 'n' roll band years later, it became his stage identity. "Somehow Shakin' Stevens just seemed to be the perfect name for a singer," beamed Shaky as he remembered those far off days. At school he could scarcely be described as the ideal student. The wonders of mathematics, English grammar, history and geography did not hold any great interest for him. "I wasn't terribly interested in books, I suppose. At school I was basically an outdoor person, I enjoyed games and being in the fresh air. So when it was time to leave school I didn't really know what I wanted to do. But I was certain about one thing... I was never going to go to work at the mines, like my dad had done. He'd got out of that as fast as he could, and there was no way that I wanted to be a miner. I had a lot of different jobs, doing everything from cleaning windows - which I wasn't very good at - to learning how to upholster furniture. I was also a driver's mate, which was my first job. I was paid three pounds a week for that before tax deductions."
But music, music, music was the real interest that dominated his thoughts. Even at school he sang in the playground. His school music teacher however was less than enthusiastic about Shaky's efforts. He hated the songs that the young rock hopeful sang. But he did say something which proved to be quite prophetic... "Son, you're going to annoy an awful lot of people, but keep going. You'll make it in the end." It was i
n the classroom that Shaky made what was possibly his first performance in front of an audience. One day he stood up in class to sing Rock Around The Clock. During these schooldays Shaky started to dabble a little seriously in the business of rock 'n' roll. He was in the line up of several groups, which included The Cossacks, The Olympics and The Denims. Most of the time these enthusiastic youngsters couldn't play their instruments - which tended to be of the battered variety - terribly well... but it was a start.Shaky became group singer almost by accident. When one of the school groups was being assembled there was no instrument left for him to play, so he became the vocalist. Being a singer meant that Shaky had to overcome his natural shyness. As a teenager he was almost painfully shy... particularly where girls were concerned. When he first started singing he even used to stand with his back to the audience, to prevent himself becoming overcome with shyness. Eventually, of course, as the stage persona of Shakin' Stevens developed, that character took over from the shy, quiet Mike Barratt, and an explosive dynamic stage performer was created.
During his early years in that cramped council house in Cardiff, Shaky received tremendous support from his parents. One Christmas he actually persuaded his mother, May, to purchase a well-used and aged piano. This gave him the opportunity to try to create his own music on the keyboards, although his mum would possibly have been happier if she'd heard some more familiar sounds coming from that instrument. After a while that piano finally disintegrated... the result of Shaky's pounding and all the wear and tear of being shifted from one part of the Barratt household to another. Jack Barratt, Shaky's father, was also a significant influence. During the days when Shaky was struggling to make a meagre living with his most famous group, The Sunsets, his dad was tremendous in offering encouragement. "When I was doing all the usual clubs and things my dad was so very proud of me that he would carry my picture everywhere with him. He would take the photograph out and tell people... 'That's my son, he's a singer'."
Sadly Shaky's father died before the son of whom he was so proud went on to achieve worldwide fame. It's one of Shaky's lasting regrets that his father didn't live to experience all that has happened to him today. "It's simply that I owe so much to my dad. You could say that it was his love of the music of Al Jolson and J.H. Elliot, the soft shoe shuffle star, that actually got me interested in all this. If he was around today I'm sure that he'd be over the moon at everything that's happened."
Shaky's rock 'n' roll apprenticeship was served the way many of today's established stars... by experiencing the tough, relentless slog of touring small clubs, bars and college venues all over the country. It's the usual story of hard work and not very much in financial terms to show for it after driving hundreds of miles up and down the motorway. This was the period of his career, from the late 1960s until mid-way through the 1970s, when he performed as Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets.
"That was when I paid my dues. We travelled thousands of miles all over the country. It was when I discovered what rock 'n' roll is all about." After his first 'gig', which Shaky remembers was in a church hall in Wales and for which the group were paid the grand total of 6 pounds (out of that had to come the money to pay for the petrol for their van), his life revolved around a seemingly constant stream of one-night stands anywhere and everywhere in the United Kingdom. There's hardly a corner of the country which didn't experience a visit from Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets. The routine tended to have a faintly familiar feel about it, no matter where the concert venue was.
"For instance, we'd leave Cardiff around 6am in this battered old van and drive up to, say, Aberdeen. We'd rush from the van into a tiny dressing room, wash, change and do our stuff on stage. Then, after the gig we'd wonder where we could sleep that night. Usually it was all crowded in the back of the van - we certainly didn't have the money for hotels."
In those days there was never much money to go round, as Shaky recalls. "We just managed to get by and no more. The meals we had were the cheapest ones we could get in motorway cafes, we didn't have enough money for much else. But even in the darkest moments - and there were some of those - I never had the remotest thoughts of quitting. There was no reason why I should have considered calling it a day. Singing was what I enjoyed, what I did best, and I realised that. Another thing that kept me going was just working in front of an enthusiastic audience. That was great, singing for our audiences gave me a tremendous buzz... and still does. There's really no accurate way for me to put into words just what that feeling is like. I suppose it must be like a shot of electricity, when the audience moves with your music."
In 1969 it seemed that the time had come for Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets to evolve from being one of Britain's hard working bands into something much more significant. That was when - much to Shaky's surprise and delight - they were asked to support The Rolling Stones when they played at a London theatre called the 'Saville'. The Stones had sent a tour manager to watch Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets in action. Then, convinced that they were what they were looking for, asked them to be their support act.
"It was the first time that I had played on a stage which had curtains, so that you could make a proper entrance. Before the venues were clubs, bars and colleges, but this was a real stage!" Shaky, and the others, brought their modest equipment - by the Stones' standards - along in old, battered suitcases. But Shaky used Mick Jagger's P.A. system that night when he went on stage. "That proved to be a mistake, because it meant that all I could hear was my own voice. It was almost impossible to hear the music! I also recall that during our spot, the drummer's snare stand broke and he finished up having to beat his drumsticks off a fire bucket."Unfortunately that wasn't to be the start of great things for Shaky. Unlike the world of fairy tales, instant success doesn't happen very often. And so it was back to the grind of gigs and recording sessions for him and his group. During those years there were several records from Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets, but none managed that all-important chart breakthrough in this country. Their discs tended to achieve more success in Holland than in Britain. A solo Shaky single, 'Lonesome Town', was a chart hit in the Netherlands. Nowadays however, original pressings of those recordings - such as the album 'A Legend' or the single 'Jungle Rock' - which was a chart hit for Hank Mizzell while Shaky's version got nowhere - are valuable collectors' items.
It was not until 1977 - seven years after he had turned professional - that events started to move in an upwards direction for Shaky. That was when he met the legendary rock impressario, Jack Good, and made his debut in London's West End. That crucial encounter happened after Shaky was asked to portray the middle period of Elvis Presley's life in the award winning stage musical, 'Elvis'. At first the Welsh singer was reluctant to be involved at all in this production. He was concerned that the musical might not contain the essential elements of what made Presley unique. Also, he was worried that this stage role might not be right for him. So he didn't even go along to the audition that was being held. However, purely by chance, Jack Good happened to see the reluctant star perform at a London gig... and that was that. Good was convinced right there and then that the singer was exactly what he was looking for. He persuaded Shaky that he certainly was not seeking to create a cariacature or an impersonation of Elvis Presley on stage. Instead he wanted to find the right singer who could convey that special magic... the indefinable atmosphere and feeling which Presley conjured up every time he walked out on to the spotlight.
So Shaky, impressed by the enthusiasm and genuine nature of Jack Good's attitude, agreed to play the part. After that Shaky and Jack Good formed what could be described as a mutual admiration society. They found themselves working together on two major television series... 'Oh Boy!' and 'Let's Rock'. Good, who had set the pattern for pop on the small screen way back in the 1950s with the original 'Oh Boy!', decided to recreate that show for today's audiences. And one of the vital regulars in his revamped series was Shakin' Stevens.
After that series, which was screened by ITV in the UK, Jack Good went on to create the 26 programme series 'Let's Rock'. Again Shaky was included as a regular in the shows, which were shown on both sides of the Atlantic. During one of his visits to the UK, Jack, who is nowadays based in the States, paid tribute to Shaky. "He's one of the most exciting rock performers around," said the doyen of rock 'n' roll. No wonder that after all those years Shaky and Jack still keep in contact. The singer whom he described as "the best genuine rocker around today" continues to make Jack Good's words of praise ring true.
It was while he was still starring in 'Elvis' and operating under Jack Good's wing, that Shaky met the person who, it could fairly be said, became the most important influence on his life... his manager and friend, Freya Miller. Freya, who had been involved in directing the careers of The New Seekers, Joe Brown and J. J. Barrie, signed a managerial contract with Shaky in 1979... two years after he had first donned the mantle of Elvis. Since then they have been a team, dedicated to catapulting Shakin' Stevens to success in every record market in the world. And - with the exception of the USA, the arena in which he never really made his mark - they succeeded.
The Shaky - Freya partnership has seen him collect awards and enough platinum, gold and silver discs to start a jewellery concern from all over the world. But the first couple of singles from the solo Shakin' Stevens didn't exactly set the heather on fire. Neither 'Treat Her Right' nor 'Endless Sleep' did terribly well. Things changed for the better though, when he released his distinctive version of the Buck Owens' rockabilly number, 'Hot Dog', which gave Shaky his first taste of chart success. That song climbed to No 24 in the UK charts and then - although the next single, 'Hey Mae' was a major disappointment by vansihing without trace - Shaky went on to indicate that a new talent had emerged, by taking 'Marie Marie' even higher in the Top 30. It went to No 19, and people sat up and took notice of Shakin' Stevens.
But the song which sent the name Shakin' Stevens smashing into the charts with significant force - and which made an indelible mark on the mind of record buyers - was vintage rock 'n' roll. It was an updated version of the Rosemary Clooney hit of 1954, 'This Ole House', which the American star had made a chart topper all those years ago. The Shaky treatment meant that 27 years later the song was every bit as powerful. Yet when his version was released in 1981, Shaky was honest enough to admit... "I don't remember the song from the first time around. I was just a kid when it first came out. I may have heard it but it didn't sink in. In fact the first time that I can remember hearing Rosemary Clooney sing the song was just before Christmas [1980], when I was at the home of a friend, who collects old records. As soon as he put the disc on I knew, right away, that this was something I should record. I was absolutely amazed when I learned that no fresh version had been released since 1954."Shaky reckoned that his version clicked with a massive record buying public, simply because it had across the board appeal. It was rock 'n' roll which could be enjoyed by almost every age group. The result was a chart topping hit which stayed at No 1 for 3 weeks... it was the signal that Shakin' Stevens was here to stay. Throughout the 1980s the hits never stopped. 'Green Door', 'Oh Julie' and 'Merry Christmas Everyone' all went to No 1 - 'Oh Julie' was the more significant of the three since it happened to be a Shakin' Stevens composition. The fact that Barry Manilow went on to record that particular song, and have a hit with it across the Atlantic, was especially satisfying for Shaky.
Throughout the 1980s the rollercoaster of success he rode showed no signs of slowing down. Songs such as 'It's Raining', 'Give Me Your Heart Tonight' and 'Blue Christmas' were simply evidence that a record release was a guaranteed best seller. His albums, as you might expect, were always chart certainties too. Shakin' Stevens experienced unparalleled success throughout the 1980s and has been proven to be the most successful British recording star worldwide throughout that decade - simply because he had hits in the charts longer than any other artist. He also became the first artiste, when promoting his single 'Breaking Up My Heart', to appear 50 times on the UK chart show 'Top of the Pops' - an occasion especially celebrated by the programme's makers, the BBC.
His concerts continued to be sellouts and he always gave good value for money with exciting stage sets and imaginative lighting rigs as well as providing the audience with the product they demanded - him, a vibrant and energetic performance, and top quality rock 'n' roll music. Shaky's concerts continued to improve upon near perfection year on year, resulting in what is regarded to be his best tour at 1990.
It almost seemed as though the man could do no wrong. Yet in the some people's eyes he wasn't 'hip'. Simon Bates summed up the consensus of the music world's opinion during his 'Our Tune' spot on Radio One in the 1980s, saying... "As a serious DJ, I'm not supposed to like this man's music at all, but this next record is simply the best." He went on to play 'Because I Love You'. It just goes to show how a radio controller can influence the path a performer's career can take. Shaky has always enjoyed a trusting rapport with his loyal supporters though - and has shown his appreciation countless times, traditionally through the end of tour get together he throws for the fans who have travelled the country with him. It has to be said - Shakin' Stevens was the 1980s! His success in the 1980s, however, was not to be repeated during the decade to follow.
Far from disappearing, Shaky continued to record singles and albums up until the mid 1990s. During the time from his first No 1, though, his style of music tended to change, possibly in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Some of the single releases during that time could possibly be regarded as mistakes; the British public seem to love the music of Shakin' Stevens when it is pure rock 'n' roll - the proof is in his chart history.
Other problems he encountered ultimately resulted in his partnership with Freya Miller ending, and her replacement as Shaky's manager, Roy Massey, lasted only three years. Breakthroughs were made during this time, however: Shaky's 1992 single 'Radio' was played on MTV - the first time he'd had a single release played there, and Roger Taylor featured on the record and video. Shaky decided to adapt his style of music to create a heavier sound with stronger songs, and this brought him back "home" to the style of music his fans love more than any other - classic rock 'n' roll.
It has to be said that Shaky's career throughout the 80s and 90s was extremely successful, yet a series of events starting in seem to catalogue the beginning of the end of his recording career, at least with Epic Records anyway. In 1985 Epic released 'Greatest Hits Volume 1" which contained the songs Shaky had recorded from 1980 to 1985. Upon it's release it even contained a song which, at that time, hadn't even been released as a single... it was lined up to be his next release. Then we had the "Let's Boogie" album, which contained only one new song, although it did feature a concert performance on the B side. 1992 Brought us "The Epic Years" - another but updated greatest hits compilation. The title of the album seemed to signal the end to Shaky's Epic career, and although no formal announcement was made, Epic have not released any new Shakin' Stevens material ever since, although a number of other hits compilations have been released.
So what has Shaky been doing since 1992? Well, he toured again in 1995, and the following year appeared in festivals all over Europe and in the UK. A new single was released in Germany in 1995 - 'I Can Help' - a rendition of the Billy Swan classic, yet this never made it to release in the UK or anywhere else. Following this Shaky appeared as support act to Status Quo in Norwich, and brought the house down with his hour long performance. He has also popped up on TV occasionally, for example in the 1998 BBC Wales documentary series on Welsh performers - 'A Whole Lotta Money'. This saw Shaky go back to Marcross Road in Cardiff to retrace his childhood days. Shaky has been planning a tour for the past 18 months and this will now take place in April 1999. The timing of the tour coincides with a new spark of media interest in him - the press and TV seem to have decided it's time for Shaky to step back into his spotlight. The Sun ran a series of articles aimed at bringing him back into public view, and we can tell you that they were not the first newspaper to attempt it, as interest from The Daily Star and even The Sunday Times preceeded The Sun's articles by quite a few months. Shaky simply wasn't ready to step into the limelight again, for while he was away from public view he was busy running his company and "putting his house in order" as he describes it.
But now he is ready to show himself again. The 20 date UK tour is selling well, and the public seem to be enthusiastic about his return. One thing of which they can be guaranteed - they'll see shows which are fun, dynamic and which feature at centre stage a performer who can whip a crowd up into a frenzy with his energetic delivery. A Shakin' Stevens concert is all about having a good time. As far as records are concerned, no plans are currently in place for any new releases, but if the interest in Shaky builds up.... who knows?
 |
 |
|
1980 Epic EPC 83978 |
Marie Marie |
Shaky |
 |
 |
 |
|
Give Me Your Heart Tonight |
Lipstick, Powder And Paint |
