The Official Special, THE EARLY YEARS AND ON:
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 to the scene. Shaky Acrobat 1 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 used to also 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 & 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 that it was a great rock name. He remembered it and when he formed a Rock & 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 £3 a week for that —before tax deductions; But music, music, music was the real interest that dominated his thoughts. Even at school he sung 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 in 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 & Roll. He was in the line-up of several groups, which included The Cossacks, The Olympics and The Derirns. 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 a]most 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 explosively 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 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 is a singer"
Sadly Shaky's father died eleven years ago.., 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 know that lowe so much to my dad. You could say that it was his love of the music of Al Jolson and J. H. Elliott the soft shoe shuffle star that actually got me interested in all this. If he was around today I'm sure he would be over the moon at everything that's happened. Shaky's Rock & Roll apprenticeship was served the way of many of todays 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 truly discovered what Rock & Roll is all about. After his first gig; Ehich Shaky remembers was in a church hall in Wales and for which the group of six were paid the grand total of 6£ (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 similar 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 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 ... it 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 many 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 PA. 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 Mizell while Shaky's version got nowhere; are valuable collectors items. But it was not until 1977 and 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 singerShaky Acrobat 3 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 caricature 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 1950's 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 this country, 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 television on both sides of the Atlantic.
During one of his visits to nowadays is country, Jack, who is based in the Sates, paid tribute to Shaky, He's one of the most exciting rock performers around, said the doyen of Rock & Roll. No wonder that after all those years Shaky and Jack Good 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 the stage 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 which he has still to make his mark they have 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 charts and then although the next single, Hey Mae, was a major disappointment by vanishing 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 of Shakin'Stevens smashing into the charts with significant force and which made an indelible mark on the mind of record buyers; was vintage Rock & 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 releasedin 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, 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 and roll which could be enjoyed by almost every age group, The result was a chart topping hit which stayed at No 1 for three weeks... it was the signal that Shakin' Stevens was here to stay. Since then the hits haven't stopped. Green Door and Oh Julie both went to No 1. Oh Julie was the more significant GoTo 'The singer
And His Songs'of the pair since it also 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. The rollercoaster of success which he's riding has shown no signs of slowing down. Songs such as It´s Raining, Give Me Your Heart Tonight and his Christmastime hit, Blue Christmas have simply been evidence that a record release from Shakin'Stevens is a guaranteed best seller. His albums, too, as you might expect, are always chart certainties !
THE SINGER AND HIS SONGS:
My obvious influences are the great Rock & Rollers... but that's true of so many singers. I suppose when I
was a kid so many chart hits came from classic rock stars, and they left their mark on me. Every artist, I would reckon, takes something from someone who has gone before. It's a natural progression, you see. We are all influenced by so many different things that we see and hear. "The important thing however, is that you should try to create your own style. It's vital in this very competitive industry of ours to be individual... and I think that I have been able to do that. It's Shakin'Stevens talking about his role as a writer of the songs that he sings. He's sitting in his hotel suite in Manchester, running through a rough tape of his latest album, and pointing out the songs which he has penned. Writing is growing in importance for Shaky. I'm writing more of my own songs. It's something which gives me enormous pleasure... and the way each song comes about is always different.
Sometimes the whole thing just falls into place right away. Another occasion I'll get a hook line and work in the lyrics around that. It's never the same for any two songs. Writing is special because if you create the right type of number you will have something which will live on, long after you're gone. I suppose that's really why I write. I want to pen something which will become a pop classic. A number, which cuts across the barriers of language and race and almost becomes immortal. It's my dream to write my White Christmas or HappyXmas, War is Over. The frequency of Shakin'Stevens compositions has grown with the release of each new album. On This Ole House there was a brace of Shaky's songs. Baby If We Touch and Make It Right Tonight. But by the time that the Give Me Youre Heart Tonight album came along, Shaky had become quite a prolific composer. On that album which showed Shaky pictured on the front cover in slick tuxedo, wing collar shirt and black bow tie there were no fewer than five of his compositions They were Josephine, BoppityBop, Don't Tell Me We're Through, (Yeah) You're Evil and Oh Julie.
Oh Julie of course was the most significant number in the story of Shaky and his songs. It was his first self-penned number to shoot to No 1. Not only that but it was covered in the USA by the American ballad star, Barry Manilow. It was a surprise when I heard that Barry Manilow had recorded Oh Julie. What it means to me, though, is a great compliment as a writer. It's rather like Frank Sinatra deciding to release his version of Long Tall Sally.
I suppose since Oh Julie was a world-wide hit, that Manilow must have heard it during his travels and decided that it was his kind of song. This cover version is that it underlines that despite the 1950s image which some critics have tried to use as a label for Shaky, he is very much a singer and writer of today's sounds. I'm not into Rock & Roll revival, even though some people seem to think that I am. It's true that I have released some old numbers but each time; with This Ole House and Green Door. I would say that I have put my own particular style into the recordings. You could say that I am always on the look-out for old and obscure numbers which perhaps did not get the best of chances to be widely heard when they were originally released. And with This Ole House and Green Door, the original versions were so long ago that today's pop generation had most probably never heard of them. But there are some songs which I think that no-one should touch. These are the classics of rock which I don't think could ever be improved upon.
I'm meaning such songs as Rock Around The Clock, You Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Say a Little Prayer or Summertime Blues. The originals of these are now amazing parts of the history of rock music. Having said all that and much as I do love the great music of yesterday l am an 1980's rock artist. My music is now, for today... and I hope for tomorrow as well. Like so many singers who have made it to the top after years of slogging away in the rock business, Shaky has been plagued by re-issues of old material. Most of the old songs which are re-packaged tend to be from the days of Shakin'Stevens and the Sunsets. Interestingly enough they holdup pretty well when compared to the sounds of right now. Reordings have come out on a number of record labels, such as Pickwick, Mint and Battle Of The Bands. It could be said that it is a tribute to the success of Shakin'Stevens that record companies are so anxious to scrape up any archive material and give it a new lease of life.
THE FAMILY MAN
There was a time when Shaky would try to ignore any reference to the events which took place in St David's Church, Cardiff on October 7, 1967. That was the date when Michael Banatt married his teenage sweetheart, Carole. And initially his management endeavoured to keep the marriage a secret & even though Shaky and his wife of 15 years had a family of three youngsters. But today Shaky realises that the fact that he is married; with three children, Dean (3), Paula (8) and Jason (11) doesn't make any difference at all to his army of loyal fans. Now he says that it was the very fact of being married which gave him stability as his career, like a rocket, went soaring upwards. My marriage kept me sane. In this business it's easy to lose touch with reality, so it is very important to have a family to come back to. After all that has
happened to me it would have been easy to lose control, but thankfully I knew that I could always go back to my family. Shaky, who now lives with his family in a big house in Surrey, remembers those dreadful days when a Christmas turkey on the table was a luxury. There was a time when he was out of work and he and Carole couldn't afford to buy that traditional festive turkey. But even then, I was always convinced that success was somewhere just around the corner. I never stopped believing. Shaky dotes on his children and places great emphasis on the many youngsters who come along to his concerts. He also examines all his fan mail, looking for letters from children in need. He regularly takes time out to visit children in hospital, realising that a smile and a kind word from him can sometimes be just as beneficial as any medicine. It's at home that the quiet side of Shakin'Stevens can bubble to the surface and he can relax in an atmosphere, free from the hurly burly of the pop industry. At home I just like being able to unwind, to drift away from the spotlight. In this business the one thing you see little of is fresh air. If you are not touring then you are in the recording studios or travelling round radio stations or television studios. All that is very necessary, ofcourse, and enjoyable if you want to make a name for yourself in this very competitive business. I realise and accept that. GoTo 'Shakin all over the world'But that's why I regard the opportunity of just wandering about in the wide open spaces of home as being so important. And I also value my privacy. When I'm onstage or television then sure, I belong to my public. But I do need time for myself and my family. I don't ever want to become a recluse, like say, Howard Hughes, but when I go home I like to be able to close the door behind me and shut out my public life. When l am with my family I think that I should be allowed to enjoy those private moments.
SHAKIN' ALL OVER THE WORLD:
Gained his first No 1 with This ole house, Shakin´Stevens has gone on to grab a sizeable chunk of the world´s record market. His hits have swept through his way from Germany, Belgium, France, Scandiavia and all over the continent. In Sweden he became the first non-swede to collect a double platinum award for Oh Julie. And in Germany he was the first artist ever to have four singles Shakin All Over The Worldsimultaneously in the national chart´s top 30. Not even the Beatles managed that feat!! While he became the biggest selling solo rock singer in Europe, Shaky began to make an impact in other parts of the world. Canada and australia have already fallen for the Shakin´Stevens magic and his appearance on stagein South America received critical acclaim. Whe he toured ´Down Under´ he was almost pulled off the stage by girls
in Sydney. Part of the arm of that famous denim jacket was ripped as Shaky just stopped himself from being dragged into the audience. So far it seems that my records heve given me hits all over the world! except in the U.S.A. And naturally it is the States which is the bigone for any rock performer. But I´m not to worried about that American hit being a long time coming. After all it has happened for me in Canada, which is just next door to the U.S.A, so the American thing could happen when the time is right. Timing is crucial. After all look at Cliff Richard. He´s been an international success for years but the American charts have never really been such a successful arena for him.
CONQUERING THE CONTINENTS:
Spending time on the sun kissed Copacabana beach in Brazil sounds like almost everyone's dream come true. But it didn't quite work out that way when Shaky went to South America for a series of TV dates and concerts in February 1983. Soon after arriving in Brazil's former capital, Rio De Janeiro, Shaky paid a visit to the famous golden beach. I was warned about the dangers of exposing myself to too much sun, and so at first I took it very easy,he said. But everyone on the beach looked so bronzed and healthy that I was determined to get a suntan. So on the morning of Saturday February 5th I lay on the beach for about three hours ... and that was much too long in the sun. My body was lobster red from top to bottom and I actually was quite badly sun burned. Despite feeling distinctly uncomfortable, Shaky proceeded with the next hase of his South American
and flew to Chile, for two oncerts in front of crowds of 15,000 at Vina Del Mar. When I came offstage that night I was totally dry, and normally I am dripping with sweat after a performance. But because I was suffering from mild sunstroke I was too dehydrated to sweat at all. The next day I felt so bad that I remained in bed.
Afterwards I felt slightly better but I was still red and blistered. So all that I remember from Chile - apart from being on stage was being in my sick bed! Despite his sunbathing stint that went wrong, Shaky regards his lightning South American trip as a great success. His Chilean concerts were both televised and were broadcast to 110 million viewers and in Mexico his appearance on the Siempre En Domingo TV show went so well that he taped 13 songs. It was a great experience; even though I suffered sunstroke in Brazil and a nasty stomach upset in Mexico. I hope to go back to South America early in 1984 for more TV appearances and concerts.
During the Spring of 1983 Shaky embarked on another European tour... playing 25 dates in just 29 days.There were some interesting challenges on that tour. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland the audiences were quite incredible, really enthusiastic and noisy. But in Scandinavia the audiences were rather subdued. It took until I'd performed four or five numbers before I really won them over. It's good though to have that kind of tour, where the audiences are always different. It keeps you on your toes. Touring today is very different from those years when Shaky travelled in a beaten up old van and was lucky at the end of a performance, he had a proper bed for the night. Now it's jet planes and good hotels, and a tour itinerary which is planned like a battle campaign. Yes, things are a lot better organised and more comfortable, but touring is just as tiring as it always was. But that's not a bad thing, I actually enjoy the work. I'm fortunate that the people who work with me also work very, very hard.
It's all a business of having mutual respect. But anybody who doesn't pull their weight on a tour simply won't find themselves there a year later." Touring is now a vital part of Shaky’s annual programme. In 1982 he had concerts all over Europe, the UK and Australia. A year later he.visited South America, and Europe and finished the year with a comprehensive list of British dates. Strangely enough though I find that I have more time off than ever before. Although I'm still kept very busy my schedule isn't quite as hectic as it was in the days when I was fighting to establish myself.
During 1983 there were a couple of hiccups in the otherwise smooth running Shakin' Stevens success story. He parted company with his producer, Stuart Colman and their last single together, was Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night. The song was Shaky During Shirleyreleased to tie in with Shaky's 1983 European tour, and it was a hit in Denmark, Germany and Belgium. I just wasn't happy with the way the record finished up. But every singer even Frank Sinatra has songs which don't work out quite as well as they had hoped. There aren't any plans to issue that single in Britain so I suppose it'll go onto become a collector's item in this country. The end of the Shakin'Stevens and Stuart Colman partnership means also the end of a recording era and the start of a new sound for Shaky.
Stuart and I are still friends though, and I have the utmost respect for him. But it was just time to move on to something fresh. So I've been working with producers like Chris Neil (who has worked with Sheena Easton) and Richard Hewson (who has produced Cliff Richard). And I've been dabbling in production myself. The last time I did any producing was on Hot Dog which I co-produced with B. J. Cole, and I find this kind of work fascinating. But I don't think that you really can be in a studio, singing with a band, and do your own producing.There's just too
much work involved. For his tours in 1983, Shaky was on the road with an impressive bunch of musicians He was backed by his fivepiece band - Chris Wyles (drums), Gavin Povey (piano), Roger McKew (rhythm/lead), Les Davidson (lead) and Dick Bland (bass) plus the four strong Rumour Brass Section who are... Dick Hanson, Chris Cower, John Irish; Earle, and Ray Beavis. The only way that you can know that a band is right for you is by touring together, and when we did all those European dates it was obvious that the mixture was just right. When he returned from the European tour Shaky discovered that one of his songs, Baby If We Touch,was going to be featured on a film soundtrack. It's going to be in the movie Top Secret, which is being made by the team who created the Airplane films. So far Shaky has got half a dozen new songs together. They include... Your Ma Said You Cried In Your Sleep Last Night, Love Me Tonight, It's Good For You Baby, Diddle I, Brand New Man, A Love Worth Waiting For and It's Late. Love Me Tonight and GoTo 'The other side' It's Good For You Baby are Shaky compositions and A Love Worth Waiting For is the first song that he had recorded with STRINGS! There's a 16 piece string section which gives the song a Latin American feel. It just seemed that the song was perfectly suited for strings. But this doesn't mean that I'm about to turn my back on Rock & Roll. A lot of good rock numbers have used strings and I'm still true to my Rock & Roll roots. I'd never want to do any other kind of music anyway.
THE OTHER SIDE
Apart from music it is the cinema which is Shakin“Stevens great passion. He loves movies, especially vintage comedies such as those created by Buster Keaton and Laurel and Hardy. I think that I must have seen just about every film which Laurel and Hardy made. And I adore them all. What I find so fascinating about their films is that they really created a brand of humour which is still being copied today. Film comedies are my favourite simply because I feel that in any pressyure industry, such as the pop business, I reckon that anything which makes you laugh is good for you. Since he went on the pop hit trail, it has been a natural thing to suggest that Shaky would one day Like so many other rock stars – move in front of the cameras for his film debut. There was even the rumour that he was being cosidered to play the lead role in a movie about one of his rock heroes, Eddie Cochrane. But, so far, Shaky has remained ultra cautious about the entire business of entering the film world. Naturally I would like to make films, but only if I felt that I would be any good as an actor. I certainly wouldn“t take on a film, just to be able to say that I was making one. Hopefully people will consider that I have done a professional job as a singer and I would only agree to do a film if I truly believed that I could be just as professional in that medium.
FREYA MILLER HIS BEST FRIEND:
Wherever you find Shakin'Stevens it is a stone cold certainty that Freya Miller will be close by. The blonde 37 year old is the singing star's manager 24 hours a day. That means that she is totally involved in everything that affects his career. When Shaky is on tour, Freya goes to, making sure that all the arrangements at every single concert venue are exactly as she has insisted upon before contracts were signed. A television date, for a guest appearance on a program or a special singing spot on shows such as Granada Television's Pop Goes Christmas... and Freya is at Shaky's side. Even when he is being interviewed by journalists for newspapers, magazines, radio or television then Freya tags along... ever mindful of her all consuming task as Shakys manager and confidante. Her determined attitude has meant that Freya Miller has received a distinct reputation and image in the pop world She's been described alternatively as the Svengali to Shaky's Trilbyora female version of Elvis Presley's legendary manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The latter description has already given rise to her nickname, The Major. None of these descriptions however adequately cover the role that Freya has set herself It would be much fairer to call her Shakin' Stevens best friend... that, in fact, is how she sees herself.
Visitors to their offices in North London would bear witness to the very obvious fact that Freya has immersed herself completely in the business of managing Shakin' Stevens. The walls of the offices are literally dripping with Shaky's platinum, gold and silver discs... awards from almost every corner of the globe. Pictures of the handsome, dark-haired singer are everywhere and pride of place in the boardroom goes to a huge portrait of Shaky. It is in these offices that every single piece of Shakin'Stevens merchandising is carefully vetted before Shaky and Freya give their-final approval. This is the base of Shaky Management, the company which stretches its tentacles into the lucrative business of establishing official Shakin'Stevens T-shirts, sweat shirts, badges and all sorts of pop paraphernalia.
While Shaky concentrates on the business of creating hit records, Freya carefully ensures that any piece of merchandise which carries the star's name, lives up to the image and reputation he has developed. It's my job to see what Could go wrong and how that might affect Shaky... then I have to make sure that it doesn't happen. I'm totally involved in the merchandising of Shakin'Stevens. I look after the business side and Shaky takes care of the music. But there are always bootleg Shakin'Stevens products on sale, even though we do everything possible to try and stop that happening. All we can do to combat this is to see that any official Shaky product is so much superior to any bootleg And it is. It was while she was managing the British singer Joe Brown that Freya met Shaky. They were both appearing in a stage production of Jack Good's Oh Boy! at the time.
Freya, who had never seen Shaky perform before and hadn't seen his acclaimed act in the Elvis stage show, met him because the Welsh singer and Joe Brown happened to be sharing the same stage dressing room, at London's Astoria Theatre. Soon after that eventful meeting the team of Shakin'Stevens and Freya Miller was born. Shaky told me that he wanted someone to manage him who would think Shakin'Stevens for 24 hours of every day Jack Good had already told me that Shaky was an unbelievable talent, so I decided to see if being Shaky“s manager would workout. Since then Shakin'Stevens has gone on to become one of CBS Records biggest selling solo singers. Every Shakin'Stevens album has gone gold all over the world... with the notable exceptions of the USA and Japan. Freya, however, refuses to accept that all or even any- of this happened simply because she waved some sort of magic wand. To be honest, the talent was always there. Shaky was always a great singer. I don't believe that anyone can create a talent, or that you can manipulate anyone into being a star. That only happens in fantasies or in film scripts. You've got to have that indefinable sparkle, that special touch of magic to be a superstar... and Shaky had that, for sure. All that he needed was the other half of the chemistry which would allow all that natural ability to blossom. And I just happened to be lucky enough to provide that extra piece of the jigsaw. It pleases me now that we have been called Britain's most successful pop partnership.
Freya, who is the daughter of the Daily Express cartoonist, Roy Ullyett, sees the Shakin'Stevens success story as just beginning. It's easy to say that Shakin'Stevens has arrived and to a certain degree that is true. But there is still so much more that he is capable of achieving. For instance there is still the USA to conquer... that, as anyone will appre date, is a big ambition for both Shaky and myself and there are a lot more years of hit records to come yet He's not going to be one of those singers who has a series of hits and then vanishes... Shakin'Stevens is too talented for that to happen. There will eventually be films.... but there's plenty of time for that. Shaky is in the position where he doesn't have to rush at things. Everything that he wants to tackle can be carefully, painstakingly thought out so that he only does it when the time is right.
I'M NOT A SEX SYMBOL
Call Shakin'Stevens a Rock & Roll sex symbol and he'll blush right to the roots of that shock of gleaming, dark hair. The girls scream in ecstasy when he produces that famous pelvic grind on stage. They drool with pleasure when he picks up a favour hurled on stage and uses it to dab his forehead. They go wild if he smiles in their direction and reaches out to touch their hands. It is fan worship on the greatest scale... to these girls Shakin'Stevens is their rock Romeo, the handsome dreamboat for whom they would do anything. Some of them dare any risk just to be within kissing distance of their idol. One girl once dressed up as a singing telegram girl and pret ended she had a special greeting for Shaky, to talk her way into the star's dressing room at the Hammersmith Odeon, in London. Once she had come face to face with the somewhat bemused singer, the girl was helpless with delight. All she did was to shout I made it! All I want to say is Give me a kiss, Shaky She's just one of the shock troop of female fans who continue to conjure up different devices to break through the very necessary security which surrounds a Shakin'Stevens concert.
Even when Shaky is in the privacy of his hotel room he isn't completely safe. One girl tried to bribe a hotel porter with £50... just to discover what his room number was. Another slipped a note under Shaky's bedroom door, giving the sender's room numbe and an invitation to pay her a visit! But! don't think of my self as a sex symbol. The very idea of it seems ridiculous to me. Allright, it's very flattering if the girls think that I am hand- some and sexy... but that's something which! I don't really understand. To me I´m just the way I´ve always been. I don't think that I have changed because of success. I certainly hope not. It's probably much more true to say that success alters the attitudes that other people have, rather than it changes the person who experiences fame. When I'm out there on stage, under the lights and! Hear the sound of the audience I'm pleased. An exciting audience can make me give my very best performance and I would agree that l feed off their enthusiasm. But the very last thing that's in my mind while I'm on stage is how sexy l should try to make my act. People might not believe this, but I just do what seems to come naturally I always have. If I was a singer who was just promoted on a sexy image then I wouldn't have such a wide ranging audience at my shows. I think it's great that I attract fans of all ages. From toddlers to pensioners. It means that there is something in my music which has an appeal for almost everyone. I couldn't ask for more than that, could I?
THE PERFORMER:
It's nearly two hours before Shakin'Stevens is scheduled to bound triumphantly on stage with a selection of songs which will send the packed audience into shrieks of delight.., but already the fans are starting to gather around the stage door, in anticipation of catching a glimpse of their idol. To actually touch him, or to have him stop and speak a few words would be a fantasy beyond the wildest dreams of these besotted followers. When the star's gleaming car turns the corner and drivestowards the concert venue, the waiting faithful go berserk. It's then a frantic scurry as Shaky rushes into the sanctuary of his theatre dressing room. It's there that he starts the ritual of preparation for another concert performance, and already his adrenalin is starting to bubble. There is chilled white wine and some light snacks ready prepared. Usually he will sip some wine, or a glass of lager, but normally the food will be ignored. The main event is the concert. About 45 minutes before his stage entrance, friends journalists or any other visitors to his dressing room, are politely ushered outside. From then on it is down to the business of Shaky making himself ready for the hordes of fans - seated out there in the theatre. He always attends to his own stage make-up. Carefully checking in the mirror until he is satisfied Chewing gum almost constantly, he'll sing a few notes from various of the numbers that he will perform that night And then it's down to the organisation of his stage costumes. There are a variety of outfits which Shaky favours for each gig... such as the striking salmon pink jacket and black baggy slacks he often wears at the opening of a show. Always, carefully wrapped in layers of tissue paper, is his famous denim suit This jacket and those jeans have seen such use that it seems that sometime the material has got to give way during one of Shaky's strenuous routines. So far the fabric has stood up to all that the Welsh rocker can do. The final check is to see that his white shoes are gleaming with virginal purity before he makes that spectacular entrance.
Once on stage, that's when the screaming starts as Shaky's fans of all ages whoop their evident pleasure as he works his way through the numbers that have made him famous. That reaction from the fans gives me a tremendous kick, says Shaky who enjoys nothing more than the live performance. His concerts hold many favourite memories, and one television appearance is especially savoured. That was in 1982 when this shootingstar was honoured to be selected as one of the stars in the line-up of the Children´s Royal Variety Show. It was on that occasion that Shaky was introduced to HRH Princess Margaret... something which he counts as one of the major thrills of his career. On stage and on the small screen, Shaky has become famous for his energetic dance style, which adds so much to his performance of his songs. The way l move on stage is just my way of interpreting the music.
