Shakatak
English jazz-funk band with enduring international popularity.
Shakatak, an English jazz-funk group, came together in 1980 when Bill Sharpe, Nigel Wright, Roger Odell, and Keith Winter joined forces. They landed two UK Top 10 singles, "Night Birds" in 1982 and "Down on the Street" in 1984, and continue to perform, enjoying strong popularity in Japan and the Far East.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- London, England
- Genre
- Post-disco
- jazz fusion
- jazz-funk
- R&B
- smooth jazz
- Years active
- 1980–present
- Label
- Polydor, Secret
- Current members
- Jill Saward
- Bill Sharpe
- Roger Odell
- George Anderson
- Keith Winter
- Past members
- Jackie Rawe
- Nigel Wright
- Steve Underwood
- Norma Lewis
- Friðrik Karlsson
- Alan Wormald
Facts from the source article.
Career
Shakatak first broke into the UK Top 20 with their 1981 single "Easier Said Than Done," which spent seventeen weeks on the chart and introduced their signature blend of instruments and unison vocals to a larger audience. The next year, "Night Birds" became their first Top 10 hit, also reaching number 92 in Australia. The album of the same name became the band's first gold record, entering the UK charts at number four and staying there for twenty-eight weeks.
For their fifth album, Down on the Street (1984), Jill Saward—who had previously sung with Fusion Orchestra, Brandy, and Citizen Gang—took over as the sole lead vocalist. The group found a massive following in Japan, where they put out largely instrumental albums like Da Makani (1988) exclusively for that market. The international release Manic & Cool (1988) featured the club and chart hit "Mr Manic & Sister Cool." In the 1990s, their 1992 album Open Your Eyes hit number one on the US contemporary jazz charts, while 1997's Full Circle introduced hip-hop beats into their sound.
The band remains active, releasing several albums in the 2000s and celebrating their thirtieth anniversary in 2010 with the album Across the World the following year. Guitarist Alan Wormald died in 2023, and original guitarist Keith Winter returned to replace him.
Independent projects
Bassist George Anderson put out his second solo record, Expressions, on Secret Records on September 3, 2012, three years after his debut Positivity in 2009. He wrote, arranged, and produced every track himself. Two more solo albums followed on the same label: Body and Soul in March 2017 and Songs From Tomorrow in March 2021. Keyboardist Bill Sharpe joined forces with Gary Numan under the name Sharpe & Numan, landing a British Top 20 hit with "Change Your Mind" in 1985 and putting out several more singles together over the next year.
Sharpe later worked with American jazz pianist Don Grusin on the project Geography in 2007, and their second collaboration, Trans Atlantica, came out on September 3, 2012, also through Secret Records, packaged as a special two-CD set that included Geography. On February 23, 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 on Passion Jazz), Intrigue (November 15, 2015 on Secret Records), and The Long Drive Home (2019 on Secret Records as Beatifik).
These records feature vocalist Jacqui Hicks, saxophonist Mornington Lockett, Roger's wife Larraine Odell on vocals, and his son Jamie Odell (also known as Jimpster) on keyboards, vocals, and production.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Shakatak from?
Shakatak originated in London, England.
What genre of music does Shakatak play?
Shakatak's music is classified as Post-disco, jazz fusion, jazz-funk, R&B and smooth jazz.
Which record labels has Shakatak released music on?
Shakatak has released music on Polydor and Secret.
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