Shakatak
British crossover jazz, funk, and pop outfit Shakatak are a sophisticated ensemble who have enjoyed a long career. With a sound steeped in contemporary jazz and R&B, they found success with both instrumental albums and pop vocal productions. Formed in London in 1980, Shakatak originally featured keyboardists Bill Sharpe and Nigel Wright, guitarist Keith Winter, bassist Steve Underwood, and drummer Roger Odell. The group quickly scored an underground hit with its debut single "Steppin'." The following year, they cracked the British Top 50 with the singles "Livin' in the UK" and "Brazilian Dawn," both of which were included on their debut album, Drivin' Hard.
With their 1982 follow-up Nightbirds, Shakatak (which replaced Underwood with bassist George Anderson) scored their first Top 20 hit with "Easier Said Than Done"; the disc's title track rocketed into the Top Ten. The album also introduced singer Jill Saward, who quickly emerged as the group's lead vocalist, showcased on 1984's Down on the Street and its accompanying hit single "Watching You." After a 1985 live album, the band returned to studio work on Day by Day: City Rhythm, which included the title track single featuring Al Jarreau.
A series of largely instrumental albums including Into the Blue, Golden Wings, Da Makani, and Niteflite were then issued exclusively in Japan, where Shakatak enjoyed immense popularity. In the meanwhile, 1988's Manic and Cool was released internationally, highlighted by the singles "Mr. Manic and Sister Cool" and "Something Special."
After 1992's Open Your Eyes topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, the band supported 1993's Street Level with a tour of South Africa, while the following year's Full Circle expanded into hip-hop beats. In 1997, Shakatak -- by then consisting of Sharpe, Odell, Saward, and Anderson -- resurfaced with Let the Piano Play, followed by View from the City in 1999.
Along with a busy live concert schedule, Shakatak stayed busy over the next decade, delivering a handful of well-received albums including 2002's Under Your Spell, 2003's Blue Savannah, and 2009's Afterglow. In 2010, they celebrated their 30th anniversary and marked the occasion a year later with the release of Across the World. On the Corner appeared in 2014, followed by Times and Places in 2016.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
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Discography
20 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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The Collection Vol. 1 & 2
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 30 jun. 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The 12 Inch Mixes
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 20 nov. 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Eyes of the World
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 27 okt. 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Ultimate Chill Collection
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 1 jul. 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blue Savannah + Beautiful Day
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 26 mrt. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Full Circle + Let the Piano Play
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 25 okt. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Down on the Street (Deluxe Version)
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 1 jan. 1984
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
All Around the World (40th Anniversary Edition)
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 29 mei 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Invitations (Expanded Issue)
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 1 jan. 1982
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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View from the City + Under Your Spell
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 29 jan. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Times and Places
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 29 aug. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Live at Duo Music Exchange
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 27 sep. 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live in Lockdown
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 25 jun. 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Night Birds Session + Greatest Hits Live at the Stables (Live)
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 22 mrt. 2024
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bitter Sweet + Turn the Music Up
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 4 okt. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Fiesta + Utopia
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 11 dec. 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shakatak in Concert
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 17 nov. 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Street Level + Under the Sun
Jazz - Released by Secret Records on 4 okt. 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo