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Shakatak

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Shakatak
Background information
OriginLondon, England
GenresPost-disco,[1] funk, jazz-funk, R&B,[2] smooth jazz, jazz fusion
Years active1980–present
LabelsPolydor Records, Secret Records
MembersJill Saward
Bill Sharpe
Roger Odell
George Anderson
Past membersKeith Winter
Jackie Rawe
Nigel Wright
Steve Underwood
Norma Lewis
Friðrik Karlsson
WebsiteShakatak.com
Shakatak performing at Knebworth Park as part of the Capital Radio Jazz Festival, 1982.
Shakatak performing at Wuppertal, Germany, 2014

Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band founded in 1980[3] by Bill Sharpe, Nigel Wright, Roger Odell and Keith Winter. Following an initial white label release, "Steppin", the band's name was derived from a record store in Soho, London Record Shack with the name created by Les McCutcheon, Passion records label owner and Northern Soul DJ Kev Roberts, It was they who first showed interest in the initial single.

Shakatak scored a number of chart entries, including two Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart, "Night Birds" (1982) and "Down on the Street" (1984), plus a further 12 entries in the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles.[4] The group is still active and popular throughout the world, particularly in Japan and the Far East, and generally produce a new album every two years on JVC Records.

From their first release in August 1980 (the Bill Sharpe composition "Steppin'" on the Polydor record label), and their first 1981 album, Drivin' Hard, the band's singles and albums have entered the charts regularly.

Career

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It was the release of the 1981 single "Easier Said Than Done" that gave the band the radio exposure needed for their first top-twenty hit.[3] This record introduced their instrumental-unison vocal sound[clarification needed] to a much wider audience, and the track stayed in the UK Singles Chart for seventeen weeks. The follow-up, "Night Birds" (1982), was their first single to reach the top ten and it also peaked in Australia at number 92.[5] The album of the same name gave Shakatak their first gold album, entering at number four and remaining in the charts for twenty-eight weeks.[4] Jill Saward (formerly of Fusion Orchestra, Brandy and Citizen Gang) became their sole lead singer to make Shakatak's fifth album, Down on the Street (1984).[6]

The band gained a huge popularity in Japan, were they released a series of largely instrumental albums such as Da Makani (1988) exclusively for the Japanese market.[6] Manic & Cool, featuring the night club and chart hit "Mr Manic & Sister Cool" was released internationally in 1988.[6]

In the 1990s, the band achieved success in the US when their 1992 album Open Your Eyes went to No 1 in the contemporary jazz charts.[6] The 1997 album Full Circle expanded their sound with hip hop-beats.[6]

Still active, the band has released and number of albums in the 2000s and celebrated their thirtieth anniversary year in 2010, marking the occasion with the release of the album Across the World the following year.[6]

Independent projects

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Bassist George Anderson released his second solo album, Expressions, on 3 September 2012 through Secret Records. Coming three years after his first 2009 album Positivity, this album again had Anderson writing, arranging and producing all of the tracks. The albums Body and Soul (10 March 2017) and Songs From Tomorrow (5 March 2021) followed, again through Secret Records.

Keyboardist Bill Sharpe worked with American jazz pianist Don Grusin on a joint project called Geography released in 2007. Sharpe's second collaboration with Grusin, Trans Atlantica, was released on 3 September 2012. It was also issued through Secret Records, and included Geography as a special 2-CD package. On 23 February 2024 Leee John and Bill Sharpe released the album Intimate Glow.

Drummer Roger Odell has released three albums with his band Roger Odell's Beatifik: The Blue Window (2000, Passion Jazz), Intrigue (15 November 2015, Secret Records) and The Long Drive Home (2019, Secret Records as Beatifik). These albums feature Jacqui Hicks (lead vocals), saxophonist Mornington Lockett as well as Roger's wife Larraine Odell (vocals) and son Jamie Odell a.k.a. Jimpster (keyboards, vocals, producer).

Personnel

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  • Bill Sharpe
    Bill Sharpe
  • Jill Saward
    Jill Saward
  • George Anderson
    George Anderson
  • Roger Odell
    Roger Odell
  • Debby Bracknell (Tour)
    Debby Bracknell (Tour)
Current members
  • Jill Saward – vocals, percussion, flute (1980–present)[7]
  • Bill Sharpe – keyboards (1980–present)[8]
  • Roger Odell – drums (1980–present)[9][10]
  • George Anderson – bass (1981–present)[11]
  • Keith Winter – guitar, backing vocals (1980–1989, 2023–present)
Touring musicians
  • Jacqui Hicks – backing vocals, sax & flute
  • Debby Bracknell – backing vocals, flute
Former members
  • Jackie Rawe – vocals (1980–1983)[12]
  • Nigel Wright – keyboards (1980–1982)
  • Steve Underwood – bass guitar (1980–1981)
  • Tracy Ackerman – vocals (1980s–1990s)
  • Lorna Bannon – vocals (1982)
  • Norma Lewis – vocals (1983)
  • Friðrik Karlsson – guitar (1990s–2000s)[13]
  • Alan Wormald – guitar (1995-2023)

In studio

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Discography

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Main article: Shakatak discography

References

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  1. ^ Shapiro, Peter (1999). Drum 'n' Bass: The Rough Guide – Jimpster: "Odell [Jamie] combines Down Tempo and sorta-Junglist rhythms with flutes and jazzy atmospheres in the same way his father's band [Roger Odell, Shakatak] combined post-disco beats with flutes and jazzy atmospheres." Publisher: Rough Guides, p. 293. ISBN 1-85828-433-3
  2. ^ "Shakatak". Open.spotify.com.
  3. ^ a b Colin Larkin, ed. (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music (Concise ed.). Virgin Books. p. 1073. ISBN 1-85227-745-9.
  4. ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 492. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 269. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Shakatak Biography". AllMusic.
  7. ^ "Jill Saward – 'The Voice of Shakatak' – Jill Saward – Biography 1". 7 February 2011. Archived from the original on 7 February 2011.
  8. ^ "Official Bill Sharpe website". Billsharpe.com. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  9. ^ "Official Roger Odell website". Rogerodell.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  10. ^ "EE". Ee.co.uk.
  11. ^ "Official George Anderson website". Gabass.co.uk. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Official Jackie Rawe website". Jackierawe.com. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
  13. ^ "Fridrik Karlsson". Smooth-jazz.de. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
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