Night Birds (album)

Night Birds
Night Birds
Studio album by Shakatak
Released	May 1982
Studio	Jacobs Studios (Surrey); Pye Studio II (London)
Genre	Jazz-Funk, crossover
Length	43:32
Label	Polydor
Producer	Nigel Wright
Shakatak chronology

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

Night Birds, released in 1982 on the Polydor label, is the second album by English jazz-funk band Shakatak. Night Birds established Shakatak's trademark jazz-funk sound, and contains two of the band's biggest hits, "Easier Said than Done" and "Night Birds", the former reaching the No. 12 spot in 1981, the latter climbing to No. 9 in the following year.

Track listing[]

All tracks written by William "Bill" Sharpe and Roger Odell except where indicated.

Side 1:

"Night Birds" – 6:25
"Streetwalkin'" – 5:30
"Rio Nights" – 5:18
"Fly the Wind" – 4:20

Side 2:

"Easier Said Than Done" – 6:10
"Bitch to the Boys" – 6:28
"Light on My Life" – 4:48
"Takin' Off" (William "Bill" Sharpe) – 5:08

Produced by Nigel Wright.

Charts[]

Chart (1982/83)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[2]	52
United Kingdom (Official Charts Company)^[3]	4

Personnel[]

Bill Sharpe – Bösendorfer grand piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano; Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, ARP Odyssey and Prophet-10 synthesisers
Nigel Wright – Fender Rhodes electric piano, Oberheim OB-X & Prophet-10 synthesisers, trombone, brass arrangements
Keith Winter – Yamaha SG2000 & Gibson ES-345 electric guitars, Ovation acoustic guitar; Mesa Boogie amplification and Custom Pedal Board
George Anderson – Music Man StingRay and G&L 2000E electric basses
Roger Odell – Sonor drums, Avedis Zildjian cymbals
Jill Saward – vocals
Jackie Rawe – vocals (also lead vocal on "Streetwalkin'")

Additional personnel

Vocals by Lorna Bannon; lead vocal on "Light on My Life"
Percussion, Portuguese translation and vocal on "Rio Nights" by Simon Morton
Trumpet by Stuart Brooks
Saxophone solos on "Streetwalkin'" and "Light on My Life" by Dick Morrissey (courtesy of Beggars Banquet)

References[]

^ Shakatak - Night Birds (1982) album review by Sharon Mawer, credits & releases at AllMusic
^ 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.
^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 492. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

External links[]

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[1] Shakatak - Night Birds (1982) album review by Sharon Mawer, credits & releases at AllMusic

[aus-2] 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.

[British_Hit_Singles_&_Albums-3] Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 492. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.

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