Shakatak is an English band formed in 1980 and originally composed of Keith Winter, Jackie Rawe, Nigel Wright, Steve Underwood, Norma Lewis, Tracy Ackerman, Lorna Bannon and Fridrik Karlsson.
It was the Single "Easier Said Than Done", released in 1981, which will make them known to the public and give them their first notorious hit. Single which will remain classified for no less than 17 weeks in the English Top Singles.
They had to wait for 1982 and the release of the Single "Night birds" to see them land their first Top10. Flagship title taken from the album of the same name, album which turns out to be a real success.
Also in 1982 released the album "Invitations" which produced the minor hit of the same name. Followed a year later in 1983 by the album "Out of this world" which produced a slightly larger hit with "Dark is the night".
The supreme consecration came in 1984 with the release of the album "Down on the street", from which the Single of the same name was to be extracted. It’s a huge success. The title sets fire to all the dancefloors on the planet.
Colossal success which will remain like their last because the release of other albums thereafter will not allow to repeat such a feat.
They will experience two, three last major hits with the Singles "Don’t blame it on love" in 1984, "Day by day" in 1985 and "Mr Manic and sister Cool" in 1987.
The adventure will continue thereafter with the release of a large number of albums which will only know a level of success after all limited unfortunately.
To discover or rediscover...
Discography (among others ...) :
80s Decade :
Feels like the right time 1980
Living in the UK 1981
Brazilian dawn 1981
Easier said than done 1981
Night birds 1982
Streetwalkin’ 1982
Invitations 1982
Stranger 1982
Dark is the night 1983
If you could see me now 1983
Out of this world 1983
Down on the street 1984
Don’t blame it on love 1984
Watching you 1984
City Rhythm 1985
Day by day 1985
Mr. Manic and Sister Cool 1987
Time of my life 1988
Turn the music up 1989
Back to the groove 1989
90s Decade :
Bitter sweet 1991
One day at a time 1993
Let the piano play 1997
Move a little closer 1998
2000s Decade :
Sunshine 2001
Falling 2001
Walking on starlight 2003
Shadow 2003
Beautiful day 2005
Lover's paradise 2005
All because of you 2007
Fall in love 2007
Footprints 2009
Afterglow 2009
2010s Decade :
Love hold the keys 2011
Real thing 2011
Once upon a time 2013
Lumiere 2013
The greatest gift 2014
No clouds 2014
I will be there 2016
Time and place 2016
To be loved 2019
Love light 2019
2020s Decade :
All around the world 2020
Tracks :
1980 ... after a first unsuccessful attempt, it is the 2nd single of the group which will bring him his first success. The start of a long list ...
1981 ... a slow but steady rise in power. Well, for now, it's a story without words, but it's not going to last ...
1981 ... well, for now, it lasts. But that's for sure, it won't last ...
1981 ... a year 1981 which ended in style with this 3rd hit of the year. Their biggest by the way. And the voices are finally here ...
1982 ... and the voices left as quickly as they came. But what is certain is that it's serious funk and that's the main thing !
1982 ... no, you're not dreaming, there is indeed a singer on this track. It's coming, I'm telling you, it's coming !
1982 ... pieces that spin at 200 km/h, a habit with them. The style is refined, the best is in preparation, it's obvious !
1982 ... always so festive, always so lively even if the tempo has slowed down somewhat ...
1983 ... a new vintage that starts off with a bang with this new top hit. They quietly accumulate them year after year ...
1983 ... the sung pieces are structured, the group becomes a 'normal' group. All they have to do is grab the planetary mega hit they deserve ...
1983 ... well, for the mega top hit, we will have to wait a little longer. This title holds up but does not have the stroke of genius that makes all the difference ...
1984 ... the stroke of genius, here it is. The group signs here one of the most HUGE hit dances of the decade and of the end of the XXth century period. Just that !
1984 ... a quality sequel but how to compete with the previous gem ... An almost impossible bet !
1984 ... a decidedly incredible year 1984 with a new title of extraordinary inspiration. Incomprehensible fact, it will not even be classified ...
1985 ... yet another high-caliber Dance title that once again strengthens the group's heavyweight status in this area
1985 ... when 2 big names of the moment unite their voices, the result is inevitably something exceptional. A piece that works perfectly !
1987 ... the last notorious hit. The programmed end of a truly remarkable career which left in the musical history of the 1980s a jewel of which they can be particularly proud !
1988 ... even if no more titles will be classified, the adventure continues. And the group is far from being ridiculous, that's clear !
1989 ... a rhythmic and cheerful end of the decade. Unfortunately, despite an obvious title quality, this will not change the situation ...
1989 ... in the same vein. The group continues to believe in it but the general public has already looked elsewhere for some time ...
1991 ... they will even attempt the transition to the 90s. But what did not work at the end of the previous decade is unlikely to work at the start of the new decade ...
1993 ... we really have the impression of having gone back 10 years. It is therefore impossible for the group to fight on an equal footing with the competition ...
1997 ... a decade 90 which sees them trying to resist by all means. It starts from a good feeling but it is indeed a waste of time ...
1998 ... a nice title full of finesse to end the adventure definitively. We couldn't ask for a better outing ...
2001... when we thought that the adventure would not go further than the 90s, here they are again in this new decade of the 2000s. To do what, the future will tell us...
2001...we're not lying to each other, the best years are now behind them, that's for sure. But they still have things to say and especially to sing !
2003... what the group will not succeed in doing is reinventing himself. They'll just stay in his comfort zone and do what he's done before. Really unfortunate...
2003...even if the group will never again reach the top of the Charts, the fact remains that what he continues to produce is far from deserving. Especially in the 'emotional' register...
2005...they continue to do a little faster tempos but without being able to deliver very high level Dance titles as he knew so well in the middle of the 80s. Frankly too bad...
2005... what impresses all the same is the number of titles that they still manage to produce. It's not an album here and there but an almost uninterrupted succession...
2007...plethora of titles but many are alike, that's the main problem. The group really struggles to get out of his comfort zone and innovates little, which does not necessarily benefit him..
2007...no more albums or singles will be ranked. The group continues the adventure more to have fun than anything else. Or at least please his basic fans...
2009...be that as it may, the group absolutely does not take into account the lack of success encountered by his titles. For them, the main thing is to participate as they say...
2009...it remains to be seen what they have in store for us for the next decade. Will they finally take the measure of the essential changes to be made or on the contrary will they continue on the same path ? The future will tell us...
2011...we take the same ones and we start again. No major changes at first sight at the start of the new decade...
2011...we would have really liked them to finally take a little more risk. What they continue to deliver is nice but given their potential, there is a feeling of waste...
2013...here they are in jazzy mode, a first. Certainly they innovate somewhere but not necessarily in a good way. Cruel strategic error...
2013...we are far, very far from what they could offer at the height of their glory. A bias that they assume but which is not likely to put them back on the front of the stage...
2014... the albums follow and inexorably resemble each other. It's really hard to understand why such a talented group settles for the minimum...
2014...as long as they enjoy doing what they do, isn't that the main thing ? Afterwards, everyone pursues his career as he wishes...
2016...when you see the number of albums they produced throughout their career, the result is impressive to say the least. Too bad they all look a little too similar...
2016... what is certain is that they are still there, which is not the case for most of the groups that started at the same time as them. Just for that, respect as they say !
2019 ... a fourth decade that ends for the group but we suspect that they surely do not intend to stop there. Because with them, we now know, nothing is ever over...
2019...one last fine title to end the decade in the best possible way. The group will have made his fortune and his glory with Dance titles but does not have to be ashamed of all that he has been able to deliver in the Intimist register, that's for sure...
2020...as expected, we find them in this new decade of 2020. And we can easily imagine that we risk finding them later. To be continued as they say...
Wiki :
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
Discography :