TRACK RECORDS had a reputation for recognising talent and they had proved it with many artists, including THE WHO, JIMI HENDRIX and MARC BOLAN so in March 1976 when they saw SHAKIN“STEVENS at the lyceum they knew he was a winner. He was appearing with his band THE SUNSETS and although they were a great Band it was clear that if SHAKY was to develop his recording career he would have to go it on his own.
At the first recording session his producer was CHARLIE GILLETT an authority on the Roots of Rock who had his own record programme on Radio London in which he featured early Rockabilly and obscure Rock tracks. It was thought that his knowledge would point SHAKY in a new direction.
In March and April, CHARLIE and SHAKY went into Morgan Studios an Gooseberry Studios and from these sessions came, MOUNTAIN OF LOVE, NO OTHER BABY, RUBY BABY and TOSSING AND TURNING. Everyone was pleased with these tracks but felt that they weren“t single material.
At that time there was a Rock n“ Roll resurgence in Britain, HANK MIZELL was high in the charts with JUNGLE ROCK and the teddy Boys marched on the BBC demanding more Fifties R&R music. Incidentally, they were led by STUART COLMAN who got his own programme on Radio 1 and later joined SHAKY“S band and became his producer, taking him to Number One in 1981. Another band having great success with Rock revivals was SHOWADDYWADDY and their producer MIKE HURST seemed an ideal choice for SHAKY so in January 1977 they went into The Music Centre at Wembley. From this came SHAKY“s first single for TRACK RECORDS which was NEVER b/w YOU ALWAYS HURT THE ONE YOU LOVE (2094 134) and it was released on March 18th. In July they went back to The Music Centre to prepare an album and during this period they recorded JUST WALKING IN THE RAIN and the follow-uip single SOMEBODY TOUCHED ME b/w WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS (2094 136) which was released on September 30th.
On August 16th 1977 ELVIS PRESLEY died and within a few weeks this was to have a great significance on SHAKY“S career. On October 21st SHAKY auditioned for the stage-show ELVIS and a week later he signed the contract and started rehearsals. Interviews on radio and television and pictures in the daily papers soon followed and the country started to take notice of SHAKIN “STEVENS. The show opened in December to great acclaim and was seen as a fine tribute to ELVIS and SHAKY“S perfomance made hime the star of the show. On December 18th SHAKY went into Island Studios to start recording an album with two new producers, MIKE SHAW and JOHN FENTON and featuring the noted sas“ player ALAN HOLMES from the legendary band SOUNDS INCORPORATED. They finished the album on January 8th 1978 and from this recording came, REBOUND, KEEP A“ KNOCKING, GOT A LOTTA LIVIN“ TO DO and HOUND DOG. The single from this session, JUSTINE b/w WAIT AND SEE (2094 141) was released on January 27th and the album, SHAKIN“STEVENS (2406 011) was released on April 7th.
Unfortunately at this time TRACK RECORDS had to close down but the seeds had been sown for SHAKY“S solo career so after an amicable parting of the ways he signed with EPIC. After this SHAKY appeared regularly on televivion in OH BOY! and LET“S ROCK! and he has gone from success to success, his records top the charts and his stage-show is a sell-out.