THOUGH ITS IMPENDING DEMISE WAS PREDICTED WITHIN MONTHS OF ITS DYNAMIC EMERGENCE IN THE EARLY ´FIFTIES, ROCK ´N´ ROLL HAS CERTAINLY PROVED TO HAVE STAYING POWER. THE SAME CAN WELL BE SAID OF SHAKIN´STEVENS WHO FOR MORE THAN A DECADE HAS ESCHEWED THE VERY STRONG TEMPTATIONS TO DEPART FROM THE PURIST LINE BY SINGING POP, BEAT MUSIC OR CONTEMPORARY ROCK AND HAS FINALLY BEEN REWARDED FOR HIS DEDICATION TO ROCK & ROLL WITH A NUMBER ONE THANKS TO THIS OLE HOUSE.

All those years of sticking to his guns have seen Shaky survive where other British purveyors of rock & roll have fallen by the wayside, which says a lot for his deter- mination, especially since many of the die-hard rockers have taken a lot of convincing that authentic rock and roll can emenate from anywhere except the USA. Shakin´Stevens acceptance, firstly by the teddy-boy fraternity and now, at last, by the chart-record buying public at large, must largely be credited to his brave stance in venturing beyond the standard R & R classics into the realms of both obscure American songs and original material written here in Britain. This album, for instance, includes a nice mis or originals, like Come Along With Me, Rock 'N' Roll Singer, Super star and American songs like That is rock and roll (Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller), who gave so many hits to Elvis Presley. The Carl Perkins composition Honey don´t and the powerful Sea of heartbreak, alongside better known items like Chuck Berry´s classic Little Queenie, I´m not A Juvenile Delinquent (Written by George Goldner for the late Frankie Lymon) Smith´s Sea Cruise (a million seller for F Ford). and Huey Piano. In early 1970 Shakin´Stevens and the Sunsets turned professional and soon the band was touring all over the country, and abroad too, being particularly popular in Holland. Records soon followed , a whole string of albums and singles having been released over the years. Dave Edmunds´ multi million selling version of I hear you knockin´ was inspired by his having heard Shakin´Stevens and the Sunsets perform the song - he even borrowed the music and lyrics from them to learn it. Later came Shaky´s role as the mid-period Elvis Presley in the musical Elvis, which started its run in December 1977 and his regular appearances in the popular TV show Let´s rock. Then, in 1981 came the big breakthrough with This ole house which has at last made him a major recording and performing star who still stays faithful to the Rock & Roll heritage.