Shakin' Stevens (album)

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Shakin' Stevens
Shakin' Stevens Shakin' Stevens album.jpg
Studio album by
Shakin' Stevens
Released7 April 1978
Recorded8 January 1978
StudioIsland Studios, London
GenreRock and roll
Length33:37
LabelTrack
Producer
  • Mike Shaw
  • John Fenton
Shakin' Stevens chronology
Come on Memphis!
(1977) 		Shakin' Stevens
(1978) 		Take One!
(1980)
Singles from Shakin' Stevens
  1. "Justine"
    Released: January 1978
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic2/5 stars[1]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music2/5 stars[2]

Shakin' Stevens is the debut solo album by Welsh rock and roll singer Shakin' Stevens, released in April 1978 by Track Records.

Background and release[]

From 1969, Stevens was the frontman of the rock and roll group Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets. However, in 1976, he was offered the chance to record some solo tracks with Track Records. Two singles, "Never" and "Somebody Touched Me", were released in March and September 1977, respectively.[3][4] Neither made any impact on the UK charts, although the latter somehow managed to creep into the Top 40 in Australia. Shortly after the release of "Somebody Touched Me", Stevens landed a leading role in Jack Good's West End musical Elvis!, playing the middle role of Elvis Presley's career alongside Tim Whitnall and P. J. Proby.[5] With interest in Shaky now increasing, Track decided to go ahead and record an album with the hope of capitalising on the singer's newly heightened profile.

After seeing a performance on a TV special called Don't Knock the Rock, Stevens recruited the services of group Sounds Incorporated.[6] Joined by Stevens' old Sunsets bandmate Ace Skudder on piano, the band went into Island Studios on 8 January 1978. With Bob Marley recording in the next door studio and under the musical direction of saxophonist Alan Holmes, producers Mike Shaw and John Fenton captured an album's worth of material in a single day.[7]

Preceded by the single "Justine", issued just a few weeks after the session in January, the album Shakin' Stevens was released in April 1978. Unfortunately, the record flopped soon after the album's release, Track Records ceased operations. However, by the end of the year, Epic Records had signed Stevens and in the wake of his success in the 1980s, the album was re-released by Track's parent company Polydor in 1983.[8]

Although the album is officially titled Shakin' Stevens, the record labels carried the instruction 'Play Loud' which has led many fans and discographers to refer to the album by this title.

Track listing[]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."You Can't Sit Down" (Instrumental)
2:00
2."I'm Ready"
2:43
3."So Glad You're Mine"Arthur Crudup2:30
4."Let's Dance"Jim Lee3:24
5."Till I Waltz Again With You"Sid Prosen3:03
6."Such a Night"Lincoln Chase2:58
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Justine"
3:03
8."Baby Blue"
3:52
9."Wait and See"
2:13
10."Can't Believe You Wanna Leave"Leo Price2:53
11."Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" / "Jenny Jenny" / "Tutti Frutti"
4:58
Total length:33:37

Personnel[]

Musicians[6]

Technical

References[]

  1. ^ "Shakin' Stevens - Shakin' Stevens | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  2. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press.
  3. ^ Shakin' Stevens - Never, retrieved 28 January 2021
  4. ^ Shakin' Stevens - Somebody Touched Me, retrieved 28 January 2021
  5. ^ "FUMBLE in Elvis – The Musical". www.fumbleontheweb.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b Shakin' Stevens (liner). Shakin' Stevens. Track Records. 1978.CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ "The Debut 'Play Loud' Album - We Salute You !". www.shakynow.com. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Shakin' Stevens – Shakin' Stevens (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
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