A girl drove him crazy...

Shakin 'Stevens, whose real name is Michael Barratt, is a Welsh singer-songwriter who took his first step in his artistic career by creating a rock'n'roll group with school friends in the mid-1960s. Group will be called 'The Oympics', then 'The Cossacks' and eventually be called 'The Denims'. An ephemeral group which will nevertheless experience its heyday in Cardiff…

It was rather within the 'Backbeats', which he joined at the end of the 1960s, that he would start to make a name for himself, and above all he would take the name of Shakin ‘Stevens for the first time. The band was soon to be renamed 'Shakin’s Stevens And The Sunsets' and produced an album called "A legend" in 1970, an album that was to achieve very modest success.

Also at the end of the decade, he joined the musical “Elvis !" to play one of the main roles. A 2nd occupation which will quickly take precedence over the 1st and force him to leave the ship Shakin’s Stevens And The Sunsets. A role that will allow him to appear often in television shows and which will quickly bring him a beginning of almost global fame.

A strong media exposure that allows him to quickly sign with the Epic label, which allows him to record his first solo album "Take one !" in 1980. Album which will produce its first Single classified with the title "Hot dog".

A success that is confirmed, and especially amplified considerably a year later in 1981 when the album "This ole house" was released, an album that mainly produced the flagship Single of the name of the album. A Single that will make a real worldwide hit and literally explode the notoriety of the singer.

An exceptional year in all directions for him in 1981, as the album "Shaky" was released in the wake, an album that was going to be even stronger than its predecessor and remains to this day his biggest record success on the albums side. Album with 3 mega hits that are "Green Door", "It’s raining" but also, and above all, the enormous Single "You drive me crazy" which will set fire to all the Dancefloor on the planet.

An incredible adventure that continued in 1982 with the release of the album "Give me your heart tonight", an album of lesser success but still very successful. Album carried at arm's length by the flagship Single "Oh Julie", single which will become the singer's biggest success in this category.

New album "The bob won't stop" a year later in 1983, album which confirms the beginning of a certain decline in the Charts but which will all the same produce two top Singles which are "Cry just a little bit" and "A rockin 'good way'.

The album "Lipstick, powder and paint" was released in 1985 and confirmed the underlying trend that the singer was less and less successful. Still, he saved the furniture with the single named after the album, which would be the artist's latest notorious success.

Other albums were to be released later, but the singer would never regain the incredible level of success he enjoyed at the start of the decade.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

70s Decade :

Spirit of Woodstock 1970
Jungle rock 1976
Somebody touched me 1977
Treat her right 1978

80s Decade :

Hot dog 1980
Marie, Marie 1980
This ole house 1981
You drive me crazy 1981
Green door 1981
It's raining 1981
Oh Julie 1982
Shirley 1982
Give me your heart tonight 1982
I'll be satisfied 1982
It's late 1983
Cry just a little bit 1983
A rockin’ good way 1983
A Love Worth Waiting For 1984
A letter to you 1984
Teardrops 1984
Breaking up my heart 1985
Lipstick, powder and paint 1985
Merry Christmas everyone 1985
Turning away 1986
Because I love you 1986
A little boogie woogie (In the back of my mind) 1987
Come see about me 1987
What do you want to make those eyes at me for ? 1987
Feel the need in me 1988
How many tears can you hide 1988
Jezebel 1989
Love attack 1989

90s Decade :

I might 1990
Yes I do 1990
Pink Champagne 1990
The best Christmas of them all 1990
I'll be home this Christmas 1991
Radio 1992

2000s Decade :

Trouble 2005
Now listen 2006

2020s Decade :

It all comes round 2023
All you need is greed 2023
Dirty water 2023
Tick tock 2023

Tracks :

1970 ... the very first steps. First steps, to say the least confidential and which do not bode well for the enormous success that awaits the singer in the years to come ...

1976 ... he will spend most of the 1970s chasing success. Without finding it. We will therefore have to be patient ...

1977 ... a success that is slowly but surely approaching. Starting with this title which allows the young singer to seriously start talking about him ...

1978 ... what is clear is that he will not break through during this decade. The foundations have been laid, of course, but not sufficient to allow him to access the big leagues ...

1980 ... the year of the revelation with a first success across the Channel, finally. A decade 80 which will see him really hatch and especially literally explode !

1980 ... a success which now extends to all of Europe. It took him a long time to reach the big league but now that he is there, he intends to do everything except figuration !

1981 ... in just 2 years, he will literally explode on the international scene. Starting with this title, in truth a cover of Stuart Hamblen's title dating from 1954, a title which allowed him to obtain his first global mega hit

1981 ... but it is THIS title which will literally explode its notoriety internationally. He delivers here one of the biggest titles of his career and takes the opportunity to set fire to all the Dancefloor on the planet. MAS-TER-FUL !

1981 ... an exceptional year in every way. The singer aligns the mega hits in an incredible way with the most disconcerting ease and is unquestionably one of the biggest phenomena of the moment

1981 ... 3 mega hits and 1 top hit in one year, who could say better ?! Admittedly, he delivers here a new luxury copy but once again, it works perfectly. This revisited version of Irma Thomas' title dating from 1961 has little to envy the original ...

1982 ... THE title of the consecration. Always in this RockaBilly style, totally improbable for the time, but which he was able to bring up to date. Who would've believed that !

1982 ... when a recipe works perfectly, why change it ? He therefore continues its momentum and intends not to change anything for the moment. And it works !

1982 ... in the 1980s when the synthesizer reigns supreme, he really looks like an extra-terrestrial. A daring bet but a winning bet for the moment !

1982 ... we say to ourselves that after 2 years spent familiar with the stars in a totally improbable style, the great adventure may come to an end. It is very bad to know him. He just has to do something new with old and it works ! The proof with this luxury cover of the title of Jackie Wilson dating from 1959 ...

1983 ... and it's off again for the big show ! Nothing, and no one, is able to stop the steamroller Stevens especially when he is copying a Ricky Nelson track from 1959 !

1983 ... still one of his most emblematic titles. Not only does he remain at the top of the bill with disconcerting ease, but he also manages to last with a style that should have marginalized him for a long time ...

1983 ... luxury covers are even better at 2 ! A shocking and above all charming duo on this revisited version of Priscilla Bowman's title dating from 1958 and above all a planetary mega hit !

1984 ... the great adventure continues with this title and especially this new success. He begins his 14th year without complex and certainly does not intend to stop there ...

1984 ... nothing changes, and above all, everything is under control. The public follows once again on this title so why change anything ...

1984 ... here he signs an Ultimate Slow of great class, in Crooner mode of the 50s. And given the level of success still reached by this title, nobody would risk to call him old-fashioned ...

1985 ... something has changed, that's clear. As much in style as in sound. Reversal of a lasting or ephemeral situation. The future will tell ...

1985 ... hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop. The update will not last long, that's clear. What will happen next, good question ...

1985 ... ah, all he needed was the Christmas song to complete an already abundant list of achievements. It is now done !

1986 ... a revisited version of the title of Crystal Gayle dating from 1984 to say the least successful ! The equal copy, if not exceeds the original, it is clear. Great work !

1986 ... an Intimist break that feels good and above all shows that he can do something else. Another facet of his talent that it would have been a shame to hide !

1987 ... a magnificent adventure which will begin to seize up from this year 1987 and this despite this revisited version for the less successful of the title of Garry Glitter dating from 1977. There is the BEFORE this title and there is the AFTER. And the AFTER will be much less favorable ...

1987 ... the level of success is plummeting in the Charts and has nothing to do with what it was a few years earlier. This time, his style is well and truly out of fashion ...

1987 ... yet another version revisits this time of a title dating from 1917, a title interpreted at the time by a certain Ada Jones. And on this one, the singer is doing a little better than expected and comes back for a moment in the race ...

1988 ... a highly charged title moreover very nice but will pass somewhat under the radar. Like most upcoming titles unfortunately ...

1988 ... a year 1988 which sees him really struggling in the Charts. And yet he tries to adapt to the latest trends while keeping part of his basic style. Insufficient adaptation at this stage ...

1989 ... this time it's Frankie Laine's title dating from 1951 that he brings up to date. This revisited version will not change the situation but has the merit of existing as they say ...

1989 ... yet another track that spins at the speed of light, a constant with him. But as they say, we must not confuse speed and haste ...

1990 ... 20 years of career already ! And here he begins the 1990s without complex and without asking too many questions. Right or wrong. On this point, the story will rather go in its direction ...

1990 ... a year 1990 which will be its last major year. It is clear that now the best years are behind. Things will get seriously complicated later ...

1990 ... which does not prevent him from continuing to produce an impressive number of titles. Especially in this year 1990. The last stand as they say ...?

1990 ... we are getting closer and closer to the exit door. He resists against all odds but it is clear that he is now more figurative than anything else ...

1991 ... he is far from being ridiculous but how to succeed in existing during this decade 90 with a style typical '50s'. Crazy bet and above all a lost bet !

1992 ... he continues to believe in it but there is only him to do it. Mass has been said for a long time, but he is the only one not aware of it. This title marks the official end of an exceptional career to say the least and which will have made this singer one of the flagship singers of the end of the 20th century ...

2005 ... when Shakin covers Pink, who would have believed it ?! Here he revisits the song by the singer released 2 years earlier and the copy is almost worth the original. Never finished the Shakin !