Michelle Shocked (born Dallas, Texas, February, 1962) is the stage name of … Read Full Bio ↴Michelle Shocked (born Dallas, Texas, February, 1962) is the stage name of Michelle Karen Johnston, an American singer-songwriter.
As a young feminist, she left Texas to travel, Kerouac-style, and was caught up in Reagan-era grassroots politics. Her musical career was ignited by a bootleg recording made around a Kerrville Folk Festival campfire on a Sony walkman. Released in England as ‘The Texas Campfire Tapes’ without Shocked’s authority, its success abroad enticed Mercury Records to offer the newcomer a recording contract.
Her break into U.S. national renown came with the release of her 1988 album Short Sharp Shocked on college radio rotations around the country, which was met with strong acclaim from listeners. On the crest of this independent momentum, her 1989 album Captain Swing on Mercury Records was released.
In 1995, she contributed an original song to the soundtrack for the film Dead Man Walking called "Quality of Mercy". In 1996, she released a studio version of an underground release Kind Hearted Woman (black cover) on the short-lived Private Music label.
Starting in 2002 with the release of Deep Natural, Shocked established her own label, Mighty Sound. She reissued expanded versions of her entire catalog, made possible by having retained complete ownership of her work when she signed with Mercury in 1987.
An acoustic version of her song "How You Play the Game" was featured as the opening and credits soundtrack in the DVD of the 2004 documentary film Bush's Brain.
Shocked continues to make music as an independent artist. In June 2005 she released a trilogy of albums called Threesome (Don't Ask Don't Tell, Mexican Standoff and Got No Strings). In September 2007 she released album ToHeavenURide.
On 12 May 2009 her new album, Soul of My Soul, was released on Mighty Sound (distributed by Megaforce/MRI through RED Distribution).
As a young feminist, she left Texas to travel, Kerouac-style, and was caught up in Reagan-era grassroots politics. Her musical career was ignited by a bootleg recording made around a Kerrville Folk Festival campfire on a Sony walkman. Released in England as ‘The Texas Campfire Tapes’ without Shocked’s authority, its success abroad enticed Mercury Records to offer the newcomer a recording contract.
Her break into U.S. national renown came with the release of her 1988 album Short Sharp Shocked on college radio rotations around the country, which was met with strong acclaim from listeners. On the crest of this independent momentum, her 1989 album Captain Swing on Mercury Records was released.
In 1995, she contributed an original song to the soundtrack for the film Dead Man Walking called "Quality of Mercy". In 1996, she released a studio version of an underground release Kind Hearted Woman (black cover) on the short-lived Private Music label.
Starting in 2002 with the release of Deep Natural, Shocked established her own label, Mighty Sound. She reissued expanded versions of her entire catalog, made possible by having retained complete ownership of her work when she signed with Mercury in 1987.
An acoustic version of her song "How You Play the Game" was featured as the opening and credits soundtrack in the DVD of the 2004 documentary film Bush's Brain.
Shocked continues to make music as an independent artist. In June 2005 she released a trilogy of albums called Threesome (Don't Ask Don't Tell, Mexican Standoff and Got No Strings). In September 2007 she released album ToHeavenURide.
On 12 May 2009 her new album, Soul of My Soul, was released on Mighty Sound (distributed by Megaforce/MRI through RED Distribution).
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@codered2216
Michelle Shocked was (rightly) famous in the 1980s for the single "Anchorage", and the album it came from: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Sharp_Shocked
I wouldn't agree with these recent comments _ IF she made them _ but why should that mean that every single clip of her songs (from 20 years ago) has suddenly disappeared from YouTube?! Two wrongs don't make a right.
I normally agree with your channel on a lot of issues, but if you don't call out censorship when it doesn't come from your opponents, well....!!!
If Michelle Shocked is to be turned into a censored non-person (reminiscent of the Stalin-era USSR), why is it OK for Trump to tour the whole USA, spewing hatred at rally after rally?!
Why is it OK for his supporters to post a YouTube clip _ which YouTube did nothing about _ filming a huge crowd of themselves beating up one solitary anti-fascist protestor?!
In the comments below the clip were calls for the rape of female "civil rights campaigners" (as they called them). I absolutely kid you not. I reported it _ and I might as well have been talking to the wall.
Go and do a YouTube search on "Heydrich" _ and sit back and watch as all the pro-Nazi videos (and utterly vile comments below them) roll in. Not a flicker from YouTube or Google _ other than to put adverts on them!
But oh, somehow Michelle Shocked is worse? Gimme a break!
Also _ you made an issue of whether or not she's a lesbian. In fact, at the time of "Short Sharp Shocked", she identified as bisexual. I thought your channel is supposed to claim that her sexuality shouldn't matter?!
By the way _ "Anchorage" is a feminist song! (I'll bet whatever twat did the censorship, did so _ without researching _ because it mentions Alaska, Sarah Palin's state!)
@eaks5292
Short sharp shocked, every song is a little gem on that album
@susieturk1
Love that album. That's all I need to know about her
@CinemaDemocratica
When I grow up /
I want to be an old woman.
@goregore6259
You do realize she actually stole the cover art and title from Chaos UK
@gregmerk427
Great record!
@SuperMerchus
She’s on the black folks side. Always has been. Don’t diss her if you don’t know her. She’s fucking great.
@pianochikke1
man I WISH they would re-title this video.....she has denied it and they don't have or show or play any ACTUAL audio of her saying this in this video....damn....her music is awesome--ESPECIALLY her album Captain Swing
@JBCo2012
+pianochikke1 are you JUST another DIED IN THE WOOL 'Chelle SICK SYCHOPHANT or are YOU* Michelle herself just FARTING again some STINKY SHIT? Captain Swing SUCKS.
If I need to hear great Swing I'll go to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Count Basie NOT a POSER PRETENDING to be an African American minstrel in blackface FRAUDULENTLY "swinging".
TAKE YOUR MEDS MICHELLE SHOCKED!!!!!!
@JBCo2012
+MusicMC1 Captain Swing is a VERY OBNOXIOUS album by the #WorldsBiggestHomophobe STINKY SMELLY TURD MICHELLE SHOCKED
EVEN HOWEIRDFARTMANSTERN THINK SHE STINKS! Hehe
@pianochikke1 ARE YOU REALLY MICHELLE FUCKING SHOCKED?
@hcharton5722
Right, they are whores trying cash in on a headline. Cancel this idiot.