Puppet on a string...
Sandie Shaw, real name Sandra Goodrich, is an English singer who will start her artistic career by getting noticed in a local singing competition. A performance that will earn her as a reward to win participation in a charity concert organized in London. Concert which will allow her to be seen by - and above all to impress - the singer Adam Faith...
Which allows her to sign with the Pye Records label in 1964, a label that will first change her name to Sandie Shaw and allow her to release a first Single "As long as you're happy baby" the same year. Title that will unfortunately go somewhat unnoticed…
On the other hand, the following title "(There's) Always something there to remind me" will not go unnoticed, far from it ! The title will simply give her her first planetary hit and above all propel her to the front of the stage in a sensational way to say the least.
1964 was an exceptional year in all respects since she released a third title "Girl don't come" which would confirm that in just one year she had already become one of the phenomena of the moment.
The year 1965 will confirm the public's enthusiasm for the singer with the successful release of the album "Sandie" on the one hand but also of the Single "Long love love". Single which will offer her second biggest planetary hit to the young singer.
She should have recorded another title the same year, a certain "It's not unusual". But it is when hearing on a demo an illustrious stranger by the name of Tom Jones interpret it with such brilliance that she will gladly agree to give him the opportunity to take it on his own. We know the rest…
After two years that will have seen her rise very, very high in terms of success and popularity, the year 1966 will see her come down somewhat from her pedestal. She will release four titles this year and all four will only experience a limited level of success.
She will bounce back in a spectacular way a year later in 1967 by participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for England. A competition that she will win hands down with the huge title "Puppet on a string", a title in which she did not really believe and which will still allow her to be the first English singer to win Eurovision. Title that will sell around the world more than 4 million copies, just that !
Unfortunately the result will be much less favorable with a beginning of deceleration which will only increase over the years and especially over the decades. Certainly we will find her during the 70s and 80s but none of the titles that will be released later will allow her the incredible level of success that she will have known at the very beginning of her career...
To discover or rediscover.
Discography (among others…) :
As long as you're happy baby 1964
(There's) Always something there to remind me 1964
Girl don't come 1964
I'll stop at nothing 1965
Long live love 1965
Message understood 1965
How can you tell 1965
Tomorrow 1966
Nothing comes easy 1966
Run 1966
Think sometimes about me 1966
I don't need anything 1967
Puppet on a string 1967
Tonight in Tokyo 1967
You've not changed 1967
Today 1968
Don't run away 1968
Show me 1968
Together 1968
Make it go 1968
Monsieur Dupont 1969
Think it all over 1969
By tomorrow 1970
Wight is Wight 1970
Rose garden 1971
Show your face 1971
Father and son 1972
Just a disillusion 1977
Anyone who had a heart 1982
Wish I was 1983
Hand in glove 1984
Are you ready to be heartbroken ? 1986
Frederick 1986
Please help the cause against loneliness 1988
Nothing Less Than Brilliant 1988
Where were you ? 1995
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Clips :
1964...a first title to launch the career of one of the most emblematic singers of the 1960s. But at this stage, no one knows it, let alone the young singer...
1964... it is by covering the title of Lou Johnson dating from the same year that the young singer will go from shadow to light in a way that is, to say the least, sensational. Here she lands a first planetary top hit that calls for many others...
1964... second planetary top hit in the process and which confirms above all the status of a phenomenon of the moment of the young Sandie. An ideal career start as they say...
1965...a slightly less favorable start to the year 1965 but no reason to worry about the future of the young singer at this stage, that's clear...
1965...the proof with this new title which allows her to win a new planetary star. In just 2 years she will have become a real planetary phenomenon and it's going to last like that for a few more years...
1965...the year 1965 had started quietly but the singer is in the process of setting the record straight with certainty. The opposite would have been surprising...
1965...another slight drop in speed at the end of the year. Slowdown but the level of success remains largely sufficient to keep her in the lead...
1966...after 2 exceptional years in all respects for the young singer, the sequel will prove to be a little more complicated to manage than expected with a level of success in sharp decline...
1966...a sharp drop in the rest of the world but fortunately not across the Channel. For the moment she retains its status as a phenomenon of the moment without too much difficulty...
1966...we're not going to lie to each other, the best years are now behind her in terms of mega success but the adventure is far, very far from over...
1966... the deceleration is accentuated somewhat on the Charts side, at least outside of England. The qualitative level meanwhile remains largely sufficient to keep her in the race...
1967...a deceleration that continues at the beginning of 1967. But it could be that the sequel will allow her to make talking about her again and in a very good way !
1967... she will bounce back in a big way by simply winning the Eurovision Song Contest of this year 1967, just that ! A title full of freshness and lightness so typical of the 60s. MAS-TER-FUL !
1967...a nice sequel but which cannot compete with the huge previous title. It must be said that she set the bar damn high with this victory at Eurovision …
1967...she will never repeat the feat achieved with 'Puppet on a string' but that will not prevent her from continuing the adventure in a very beautiful way...
1968...a 1960s decade that saw her hatch and then explode at the highest level and win the Grail at Eurovision. What more !
1968... which will not prevent certain titles from going completely 'through' as they say. Difficult to understand why but it will be the case...
1968...it must be said that the number of titles released is impressive and that it is logical that some are a little less visible than others...
1968...here she uses a title by singer Nilsson dating from the same year and even if the interpretation is exactly the same, the singer's voice undoubtedly wins over...
1968...the second part of 1968 saw her come back in force in the race even if we cannot speak of a frank and massive comeback. The essential is preserved in any case...
1969... the last year of the decade will allow her to show in an obvious way that everything is still possible concerning her. To be continued as they say...
1969... now remains to be seen how she will manage to get through the next decade ? Gradual disappearance or spectacular rebirth ? We will soon find out...
1970...for the moment we cannot say that business is picking up as hoped. So watch out for an exit from the road that could get closer faster than expected...
1970...here she revisits Michel Delpech's title from the previous year and this time her version will not transcend the original, far from it...
1971...new luxury cover this time of the title of Lynn Anderson dating from the same year. A version that will surpass the original on this point...
1971...a 70s decade that will see her gradually disappear from the Charts, despite an obvious desire to do well. Really unfortunate...
1972...here she revisits Cat Stevens dating from 1970 and her feminine voice plays to the fullest on this title with finesse. Good game...
1982... we will lose sight of her for almost 10 years and the mass seemed to be said for good. But it was very bad to know her because here she is back !
1983...not only she it back but she has perfectly known how to reinvent herself and stick to the latest musical trends of the moment. Impressive...
1984 ... unexpected return and which will in all bear fruit since she will succeed in classifying almost all the titles which will be released during this decade. Who would have thought that possible...?
1986...certainly the number of titles released will be limited to say the least, but quality is better than quantity, as they say. And on this one, she understood everything !
1986 ... she decides to revisit here the title of Patty Smith released in 1979 and even if this version will not bring much more than the original, it has at least the merit of giving a somewhat different version ...
1988...you have to remember that she started her career in 1964 ! It's been 24 years since she's been there and what she continues to offer is far from devoid of interest...
1988... well, this time, it could well be that she arrived at the end of her adventure. Will she have the courage to move on to the next decade, good question...
1995...we thought we wouldn't see her again this time but here she is again, stealthily to say the least. An adventure that will have lasted almost 30 years and that will have seen her reach the stars several times, isn't that the main thing ?
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Wiki :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandie_Shaw
Official Website :
Greatest Hits :
https://www.deezer.com/us/artist/7454
Discography :
https://www.youtube.com/@SandieShawOfficialChannel/featured