Shakatak

{{Short description|English jazz-funk band}} {{EngvarB|date=December 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2017}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Shakatak | image = 2014-09-19 Shakatak 042.jpg | caption = Shakatak performing at Wuppertal, Germany, 2014 | image_size = 200 | background = group_or_band | alias = | origin = London, England | genre = {{hlist|Post-disco<ref>Shapiro, Peter (1999). ''Drum 'n' Bass: The Rough Guide'' – Jimpster: "Odell [Jamie] combines Down Tempo and sorta-Junglist rhythms with flutes and jazzy atmospheres in the same way his father's band [Roger Odell, Shakatak] combined post-disco beats with flutes and jazzy atmospheres." Publisher: Rough Guides, p. 293. {{ISBN|1-85828-433-3}}</ref>|jazz fusion|jazz-funk|R&B<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/artist/5FFtX4eFjh2vZQEl31d2XJ|title=Shakatak|website=Open.spotify.com}}</ref>|smooth jazz}} | years_active = 1980–present | label = {{hlist|Polydor|Secret}} | website = {{URL|shakatak.com}} | current_members = Jill Saward Bill Sharpe Roger Odell George Anderson Keith Winter | past_members = Jackie Rawe Nigel Wright Steve Underwood Norma Lewis Friðrik Karlsson Alan Wormald }} thumb|Shakatak performing at Knebworth Park as part of the Capital Radio Jazz Festival, 1982. thumb|Logo

'''Shakatak''' is an English jazz-funk band founded in 1980<ref name="Larkin"/> by Bill Sharpe, Nigel Wright, Roger Odell and Keith Winter. An initial white label release, "Steppin", caught attention by Passion records label owner Les McCutcheon and Northern Soul DJ Kev Roberts. The band's name was created by them and derived from the name of a record store in Soho, London called "Record Shack".

Shakatak scored a number of chart entries, including two Top 10 hits in the UK Singles Chart, "Night Birds" (1982) and "Down on the Street" (1984), plus a further 12 entries in the ''Guinness Book of British Hit Singles''.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> The group is still active and popular throughout the world, particularly in Japan and the Far East, and generally produce a new album every two years on JVC Records.

==Career== It was the release of the 1981 single "Easier Said Than Done" that gave the band the radio exposure needed for their first top-twenty hit.<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=1997|edition=Concise|isbn=1-85227-745-9|page=1073}}</ref> This record introduced their instrumental-unison vocal sound{{Clarify|date=September 2021|reason="instrumental-unison vocal sound" needs to be better explained}} to a much wider audience, and the track stayed in the UK Singles Chart for seventeen weeks. The follow-up, "Night Birds" (1982), was their first single to reach the top ten and it also peaked in Australia at number 92.<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=269}}</ref> The album of the same name gave Shakatak their first gold album, entering at number four and remaining in the charts for twenty-eight weeks.<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book | first= David | last= Roberts | year= 2006 | title= British Hit Singles & Albums | edition= 19th | publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London | isbn= 1-904994-10-5 | page= 492}}</ref> Jill Saward (formerly of Fusion Orchestra, Brandy and Citizen Gang) became their sole lead singer to make Shakatak's fifth album, ''Down on the Street'' (1984).<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shakatak-mn0000791326#biography |title=Shakatak Biography |publisher=AllMusic }}</ref>

The band gained a huge popularity in Japan, where they released a series of largely instrumental albums such as ''Da Makani'' (1988) exclusively for the Japanese market.<ref name="allmusic" /> ''Manic & Cool'', featuring the night club and chart hit "Mr Manic & Sister Cool" was released internationally in 1988.<ref name="allmusic" />

In the 1990s, the band achieved success in the US when their 1992 album ''Open Your Eyes'' went to No 1 in the contemporary jazz charts.<ref name="allmusic" /> The 1997 album ''Full Circle'' expanded their sound with hip hop-beats.<ref name="allmusic" />

Still active, the band has released a number of albums in the 2000s and celebrated their thirtieth anniversary year in 2010, marking the occasion with the release of the album ''Across the World'' the following year.<ref name="allmusic" />

Guitarist Alan Wormald died in 2023, and was replaced by returning original guitarist Keith Winters. <ref>https://www.bishopsstortfordindependent.co.uk/whats-on/shakatak-guitarist-back-with-the-band-after-miracle-recove-9349605/</ref>

==Independent projects== Bassist George Anderson released his second solo album, ''Expressions'', on 3 September 2012 through Secret Records.<ref>[https://www.discogs.com/artist/163837-George-Anderson George Anderson] Retrieved 27 August 2025</ref> Coming three years after his first 2009 album ''Positivity'', this album again had Anderson writing, arranging and producing all of the tracks. The albums ''Body and Soul'' (10 March 2017) and ''Songs From Tomorrow'' (5 March 2021) followed, again through Secret Records.

Keyboardist Bill Sharpe teamed up with Gary Numan, billed as Sharpe & Numan, and scored a British Top 20 hit with the single "Change Your Mind"<ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums"/> in 1985, and released several other singles with Numan under the Sharp & Numan moniker over the next year.

He later worked with American jazz pianist Don Grusin on a joint project called ''Geography'' released in 2007. Sharpe's second collaboration with Grusin, ''Trans Atlantica'', was released on 3 September 2012. It was also issued through Secret Records, and included ''Geography'' as a special 2-CD package. On 23 February 2024 Leee John and Bill Sharpe released the album ''Intimate Glow''.

Drummer Roger Odell has released three albums with his band Roger Odell's Beatifik: ''The Blue Window'' (2000, Passion Jazz), ''Intrigue'' (15 November 2015, Secret Records) and ''The Long Drive Home'' (2019, Secret Records as Beatifik). These albums feature Jacqui Hicks (lead vocals), saxophonist Mornington Lockett as well as Roger's wife Larraine Odell (vocals) and son Jamie Odell a.k.a. Jimpster (keyboards, vocals, producer).

==Personnel== <gallery> File:2014-09-19 Shakatak 013.jpg|Bill Sharpe File:2014-09-19 Shakatak 040.jpg|Jill Saward File:2014-09-19 Shakatak 002.jpg|George Anderson File:2014-09-19 Shakatak 039.jpg|Roger Odell File:2014-09-19 Shakatak 060.jpg|Debby Bracknell (Tour) </gallery>

;Current members * Jill Saward – vocals, percussion, flute (1980–present)<ref name="saward">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jillsaward.com/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110207151439/http://www.jillsaward.com/|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 February 2011|title=Jill Saward – 'The Voice of Shakatak' – Jill Saward – Biography 1|date=7 February 2011}}</ref> * Bill Sharpe – keyboards (1980–present)<ref name=sharpe>{{cite web|url=http://www.billsharpe.com |title=Official Bill Sharpe website |website=Billsharpe.com |accessdate=11 December 2012}}</ref> * Roger Odell – drums (1980–present)<ref name=odell_1>{{cite web|url=http://www.rogerodell.co.uk |title=Official Roger Odell website |website=Rogerodell.co.uk |accessdate=11 December 2012}}</ref><ref name=odell_2>{{Cite web|url=https://ee.co.uk/|title=EE|website=Ee.co.uk}}</ref> * Keith Winter – guitar, backing vocals (1980–1989, 2023–present) * George Anderson – bass (1981–present)<ref name=anderson>{{cite web|url=http://www.gabass.co.uk |title=Official George Anderson website |website=Gabass.co.uk |accessdate=11 December 2012}}</ref>

;Touring musicians * Jacqui Hicks – backing vocals, sax & flute * Debby Bracknell – backing vocals, flute

;Former members * Jackie Rawe – vocals (1980–1983)<ref name=rawe>{{cite web |url=http://www.jackierawe.com/ |title=Official Jackie Rawe website |website=Jackierawe.com |accessdate=11 December 2012 |archive-date=5 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905015641/http://www.jackierawe.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> * Nigel Wright – keyboards (1980–1982) * Steve Underwood – bass guitar (1980–1981) * Tracy Ackerman – vocals (1980s–1990s) * Lorna Bannon – vocals (1982) * Norma Lewis – vocals (1983) * Friðrik Karlsson – guitar (1990s–2000s)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Artists2/Karlsson.htm |title=Fridrik Karlsson |website=Smooth-jazz.de |accessdate=14 September 2013}}</ref> * Alan Wormald – guitar (1995-2023; his death)

=== In studio === * Dick Morrissey – saxophone * Mornington Lockett – saxophone * Derek Nash – saxophone * Malcolm Tagg-Randall – saxophone * Fridrik Karlsson – guitar * Roberto Tola – guitar * Kazumi Watanabe – guitar

==Discography== {{Main|Shakatak discography}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==See also== * Jazz fusion * Level 42

==External links== {{Commons category}} * [http://www.shakatak.com Shakatak official website] * [https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shakatak-mn0000791326/biography Shakatak biography by Jason Ankeny, discography and album reviews, credits & releases] at AllMusic * [https://www.discogs.com/artist/47202-Shakatak Shakatak discography, album releases & credits] at Discogs * [https://open.spotify.com/artist/5FFtX4eFjh2vZQEl31d2XJ Shakatak albums to be listened] as stream on Spotify

Category:Musical groups established in 1980 Category:English boogie musicians Category:English funk musical groups Category:English jazz ensembles Category:English jazz fusion ensembles Category:English post-disco music groups Category:Smooth jazz ensembles Category:Crossover (music) Category:Jazz-funk ensembles