In 1960, they released "Shakin' All Over", which topped charts and became their biggest hit. Though they never released a full-length album, they released more than twenty singles. The band dissolved after the death of Kidd in a car crash on 6th October 1966. However, the classic lineup reformed as an R 'n' B group in 1976 and would perform sporadic tours until their ultimate disbandment in 2010.
Johnny Kidd (born Frederick Albert Heath, 23 December 1935 – 7 October 1966) was an English singer and songwriter, best remembered as the lead vocalist for the rock and roll band Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. He was one of the few pre-Beatles British rockers to achieve worldwide fame, mainly for his 1960 hit, "Shakin' All Over".
Frederick Albert "Freddie" Heath was born in 1935 in Willesden, North London. He began playing guitar in a skiffle group in about 1956. The group, known as "The Frantic Four" and later as "The Nutters", covered primarily skiffle, pop and rockabilly. Simultaneously Heath was proving to be a prolific writer; penning most of 30 songs in over three months. Heath's 31st song would prove to be the group's break.
In 1959 Heath and his band were given a recording test for their first single, a rocker titled "Please Don't Touch". A contract with HMV quickly followed and the group were then informed during the session that their name "Freddie Heath and the Nutters" would be changed to Johnny Kidd & the Pirates. "Please Don't Touch" would reach the low twenties of the music charts. Although it is not as well known as Kidd's later song "Shakin' All Over", it is a stand-out among other British rock songs of the time. Unlike Billy Fury or Marty Wilde, Kidd does not sing in an imitation voice of Elvis Presley or one of his American contemporaries. The song also bears a smooth harmony and contains no clear references to the rockabilly style.
Kidd's most famous song as a composer was "Shakin' All Over", which was a No. 1 UK hit and the band's finest hour in 1960. Kidd's own version did not chart outside of Europe, but two cover versions did: The Guess Who topped the Canadian charts (and hit No. 22 US) with their 1965 version of "Shakin' All Over", and in Australia, Normie Rowe topped the charts with it later the same year. The song was originally to be a B-side to the Ricky Nelson cover "Yes, Sir That's My Baby". Kidd was told that a self-penned song could be used and together with The Pirates the new number was written in the basement of the Freight Train coffee bar the day prior to recording.[1]:55 In addition to Kidd (vocals), Alan Caddy (guitar), Clem Cattini (drums) and Brian Gregg (bass) session guitarist Joe Moretti was called in by Kidd and Caddy to play lead guitar. It was Moretti who created the songs signature sound by sliding Brian Gregg's cigarette lighter up and down the fret-board of his guitar.
"Shakin' All Over" was a UK no 1. It has been covered by The Who on the classic Live at Leeds album. Iggy Pop also included it on his solo album Avenue B. Other covers have included Vince Taylor and the Playboys, the rock group Humble Pie and The Swinging Blue Jeans. The fact that the song continues to be covered some 50 years after its first recording is a testimony to Kidd and the Pirates.
"Shakin' All Over" marked the peak which Kidd would not reach again. Future records did not fare as well in the charts. In 1961 Cattini, Caddy and Gregg left the band and would later play for Joe Meek in The Tornados. Kidd now assembled a new band of Pirates. Johnny Spence was now added to bass, Frank Farley to drums and later Mick Green would become guitarist. The band now toured extensively throughout England and into Europe. Adopting a more beat-influenced style, the group reached the British Top 5 with "I'll Never Get Over You" (#3) and split chart action with The Searchers with "Hungry For Love" (#20) in 1963; both songs were penned by future pop impresario Gordon Mills, then of The Viscounts. The four piece band would prove to have a profound effect on another touring band at this time. Watching Kidd perform in the center front of the stage, with Farley directly behind him on drums and Spence and Green flanking him on either side, inspired Roger Daltrey the then guitarist of "The Detours" to lay aside his own guitar, dismiss his own group's singer and concentrate on vocals. This allowed rhythm guitarist Pete Townshend to concentrate more on playing lead. In time a stage act had also emerged with Kidd and the Pirates dressed as actual Pirates. Kidd would don an eye-patch and carry a cutlass which he would swing around on stage, damaging the wooden framework, and high kick in time with the music of the band. By 1964 the "British Invasion" was taking shape and Kidd was left in the shadows.[1]:59 Kidd had another new group by this stage "The New Pirates" but recordings had now become covers of R&B and pop songs. By 1966 it would seem that Kidd was on the verge of a re-emergence but this was soon to be cut short.
Kidd died at age 30 in 1966, in a motor car collision on the A58, Bury New Road, Breightmet, Bolton, Lancashire. The car in which he was travelling as a passenger had a head-on collision with one driven by Peter Metcalfe. Metcalfe's 17-year-old girlfriend, Helen Read, also died in the accident. Pirates' bassist Nick Simper, who later became an original member of Deep Purple, was also in the car with Kidd but he suffered only some cuts and a broken arm.
Kidd was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium, London.
In hindsight Kidd was both musically and visually important for the rock music genre. Long before the likes of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Alice Cooper and other such performers dressed up for a performance, Kidd and his contemporary Screaming Lord Sutch were already doing so. Kidd and the Pirates were a transitional band. In a time before bands like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and The Animals, Kidd was recording music that placed increased emphasis on electric blues and R&B. His records circa 1961–64 included Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love To You", Bo Diddley's "I Can Tell", Willie Perryman's "Dr Feel-good" and Richie Barrett's "Some Other Guy". These are songs that are not sung in imitation of the original recording artists but instead Kidd puts his own stamp upon the song. These were the types of changes that would become more crucial as British blues gained more ground in the early 1960s.[1]:57–60 Many rock historians consider Kidd's UK Top 50 disc "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" c/w "I Can Tell" (HMV POP 1088, December 1962) to be the sonic bridge between British rock and roll and British beat/British R&B.
Please Don't Touch
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Now don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Ah, well there ain't no other woman that makes me feel this way
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
When she comes up close, well I just ain't got a word to say
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I shake so much
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I sha-a-a-a-ake so much
(Well, don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
(Now don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Ah, well I get so nervous when I see her eyes that shine
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
She looks right through me and the chills run down my spine
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I shake so much
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I sha-a-a-a-ake so much
Ah, well I don't know why she dug her claws in me
I wanna be a bachelor and fancy free
Runnin' from the preacher, boy, what a relief
I'm gonna spend my life a-shakin' like a leaf
Ah, well remembering the first time her ruby lips brushed my cheek
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
I opened up my mouth, but the rest of me just wouldn't speak
(Don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Ple-e-e-ase don't touch, I shake so much
Ple-e-e-ase don't touch, I sha-a-a-a-ake so much
(Ah, don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much)
Why, c'mon baby, don't you touch-a-me now
Because I'm shakin' so much
Why, c'mon baby, don't want ya to
Fade
The lyrics to Johnny Kidd & The Pirates's song "Please Don't Touch" express the singer's extreme nervousness and shakiness around a particular woman. He cautions her not to touch him because he is shaking so much that he can't even speak. The singer is so overcome with emotion that he cannot express himself verbally. The woman has a powerful effect on him, and he cannot resist her even though he fears her.
The song is a classic example of a rock & roll tune of the late 1950s and early 1960s, often called "dance crazy" or "rockabilly" music. The lyrics are straightforward and easy to understand, and the driving beat of the music inspires listeners to dance. But beyond the catchy rhythm, the lyrics reveal the vulnerability and insecurity of the singer, who is unable to control his emotions around this woman. This vulnerability is also evident in the guitar solo, where the high, wailing notes suggest an almost painful longing for love and affection.
The song is a testament to the power of a single emotion to overwhelm a person's senses and to the transformative and irresistible nature of love. It captures the angst and excitement of the teenage years and speaks to the universal experience of falling in love for the first time.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much
I'm so nervous around this woman that I physically shake when she's near me
Now don't you touch me baby cause I'm shakin' so much
I'm so nervous around this woman that I physically shake when she's near me
Ah, well there ain't no other woman that makes me feel this way
This woman has a unique effect on me that no other woman has ever had before
When she comes up close, well I just ain't got a word to say
I'm so nervous that I can't even speak when she's near me
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I shake so much
I'm begging you not to touch me because I'm so nervous that I'm physically shaking
Ple-e-ease don't touch, I sha-a-a-a-ake so much
I'm begging you not to touch me because I'm so nervous that I'm physically shaking
Ah, well I get so nervous when I see her eyes that shine
This woman's eyes have a mesmerizing effect on me that makes me incredibly nervous
She looks right through me and the chills run down my spine
This woman has a powerful gaze that makes me feel uneasy and gives me chills
Ah, well I don't know why she dug her claws in me
I don't know why I'm so attracted to this woman and why she has such a hold on me
I wanna be a bachelor and fancy free
I want to be single and not tied down to any one woman
Runnin' from the preacher, boy, what a relief
I'm glad I'm not married and don't have to deal with the responsibilities that come with it
I'm gonna spend my life a-shakin' like a leaf
I'm resigned to the fact that this woman will always make me incredibly nervous and I'll never be able to shake it
Ah, well remembering the first time her ruby lips brushed my cheek
I can still vividly remember the first time I had a physical encounter with this woman
I opened up my mouth, but the rest of me just wouldn't speak
I was so overwhelmed with nervousness that I couldn't even speak when this woman touched me
Ple-e-e-ase don't touch, I shake so much
I'm begging you not to touch me because I'm so nervous that I'm physically shaking
Ple-e-e-ase don't touch, I sha-a-a-a-ake so much
I'm begging you not to touch me because I'm so nervous that I'm physically shaking
Why, c'mon baby, don't you touch-a-me now
I'm pleading with this woman to not touch me because of how nervous she makes me
Because I'm shakin' so much
I'm shaking uncontrollably because of how nervous this woman makes me
Why, c'mon baby, don't want ya to fade
I don't want this woman to leave and I don't want our encounter to end
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Fred Heath, Guy Robinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind