I know this thread is going to go down like a lead balloon but I wanted to make a bit of a tribute to Shakin' Stevens. Not well known outside the UK, he was a pure 80s performer who lost chart success after 1990. He has recently achieved cult status and has attempted something of a comeback.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakin'_Stevens

Here are a couple of his hits from Youtube. A copy of Rosemary Clooney's 'This Ole House':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5YF9zyTQwE

And this is his cover of Emile Ford's 'What do you wanna make those eyes at me for':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6mNNqY5e10

In my eyes, the man's a legend.  8)

Rock on Shaky!!!

I am a BIG fan of Shakin' Stevens.  He wasn't popular over here, but he did get several album releases

His 1984 'Greatest Hits' album was released in North America under the title 'A Rockin' Good Way' and contained the non-single 'The Bop Won't Stop'.  Here's pictures of my Shakin' Stevens collection ...

'This Ole House' is a Holland LP release.  All the singles (last two photos) are UK releases and the 'Greatest Hits' LP is a UK release.  All the rest are Canadian releases.  I've also got Canadian released cassette copies of 'Get Shakin', 'Shakin' Stevens' and 'The Bop Won't Stop', but they are buried in boxes

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/7493/2008060177352cn3.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/5818/2008060177230ku5.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3427/2008060177279lu2.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/6069/2008060177412qz1.jpg
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/7533/2008060177434jq3.jpg

You're the man, Jason!  8)  ;D

Shaky is one of those rare performers who hasn't compromised his own style for anyone. The only criticism I have is he made a lot of cover records but, on most occassions, I thought they were much better than the originals.

Despite his 'comeback', it seems as if the man will forever (and unfairly) be consigned to the 80s memory bin... :-\\

Okay, some of his later efforts did lack a certain something ('Merry Christmas Everyone' is just unforgivable!), but in his heyday, he gave some great exposure to little known RnR/RnB numbers (probably due to his association with producer Stuart Coleman)...

And he attacked Richard Madeley in that oft-repeated TV clip...class!

You're the man, Jason!  8)  ;D

Shaky is one of those rare performers who hasn't compromised his own style for anyone. The only criticism I have is he made a lot of cover records but, on most occassions, I thought they were much better than the originals.


It seemed like he did mostly covers.  One of the songs he actually wrote called 'Oh Julie' became a US Top 40 hit for Barry Manilow in 1983

Despite his 'comeback', it seems as if the man will forever (and unfairly) be consigned to the 80s memory bin... :-\\

Okay, some of his later efforts did lack a certain something ('Merry Christmas Everyone' is just unforgivable!), but in his heyday, he gave some great exposure to little known RnR/RnB numbers (probably due to his association with producer Stuart Coleman)...

And he attacked Richard Madeley in that oft-repeated TV clip...class!


Tee hee, admittedly I like 'Merry Christmas Everyone' but, in retrospect, I think Shaky kind of changed identity or something around that time preferring jumpers to his usual denim jacket.

He attacked Richard Madeley!?! I'm going to check to see if it's on Youtube, lol.

It seemed like he did mostly covers.  One of the songs he actually wrote called 'Oh Julie' became a US Top 40 hit for Barry Manilow in 1983


Wow, Manilow covering 'Oh Julie' is scrambling my mind - who'd a thunk it?

Thank you and Paul for the info.  8)

And just for the heck of it, Shakin' Stevens didn't go totally unnoticed in North America.  I don't know complete other charts for America, but 'I Cry Just A Little Bit' reached US #67 and was his only hit on the Billboard Hot 100


In Canada ...

ALBUMS
1982 - Shakin' Stevens (self-titled)

SINGLES (AC = Adult Contemporary Chart)
1982 - This Ole House
1984 - I Cry Just A Little Bit