Shakatak sco… Read Full Bio ↴Shakatak is an English jazz-funk band, founded in 1980.
Shakatak scored a number of chart entries, including two Top Ten 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. The group are 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.
From their first release in August 1980, (the Bill Sharpe composition "Steppin'" on the Polydor record label), and their first album, Drivin' Hard, the band's singles and albums have entered the charts regularly.
It was the release of "Easier Said Than Done" that gave the band the radio exposure needed for their first top-twenty hit. This record introduced their instrumental-unison vocal sound to a much wider audience, and the track stayed in the UK chart for seventeen weeks. The follow-up, "Night Birds", was their first single to reach the top ten, and 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. By now a major international act, the success of the release gave them the number-one jazz album slot in Japan, and attracted interest across Europe and South America. Night Birds was used in the feature film "Away We Go" directed by Sam Mendes and was used as the demonstration song on many Casio Piano Keyboards such as the Casio CT-460.
Two more albums – Invitations and Out of This World – were recorded in 1982 and 1983, resulting in several more chart hits, and paving the way for the next major breakthrough in the band's career. With a subtle change in musical direction, yet still retaining the band's identity, Jill Saward (formerly of Fusion Orchestra, Brandy and Citizen Gang) became their lead singer to make Shakatak's fifth album, Down on the Street. The resulting single releases "Down on the Street" and "Watching You" had great success, and brought them attention in new parts of the world. The following year saw the release of the group's first live album, which was recorded in both Tokyo and London.
The seventh album, Day by Day, saw the development of songwriting by all of the band members. In 1986 Saward announced that she was expecting a baby later the same year. This news allowed the band to ease their hectic touring schedule for a while, and enabled them to concentrate purely on recording for a brief period. The band were in the top five foreign acts in Japan, and after winning the coveted Silver Award in the Tokyo International Song Festival, Shakatak were asked to produce an extra album each year exclusively for the Japanese market. By this time they had two extra albums released there entitled Into the Blue and Golden Wings. Both sold well, the latter winning the "Best Instrumental Album 1987" at the Japanese Phonograph Record Association Awards.
However, following this success the band felt it was time that they re-directed their efforts back to singles, and an album for release to the rest of the world. The result was Something Special, closely followed by the night club and chart hit "Mr Manic & Sister Cool" from their next LP, Manic and Cool.
In the 1990s, the band had success in the US when they had two albums that went to No 1 in the contemporary jazz charts, and were also awarded the Japanese grammy for best international instrumental album six years running.
Shakatak continue to appear regularly throughout the world with recent festival performances at Jakjazz, the Jakata International Jazz Festival, Bangkok, Hua Hin and the Bratislava Jazz Day and they make annual appearances at the Billboard Clubs in Japan and the Pizza Express Jazz Room in London plus numerous other concert and club performances.
The band celebrated their thirtieth anniversary year in 2010.
Bassist George Anderson is to release his second solo album 'Expressions' on the 3rd September 2012 through Secret Records. Coming three years after his first album 'Positivity', this album again sees George writing, arranging and producing all of the tracks on it.
Keyboardist Bill Sharpe worked with American jazz pianist Don Grusin on a joint project called Geography released in 2007. Sharpe's second collaboration with Grusin, Trans Atlantica has been completed and is to be released on the 3rd September 2012. This is to be released through London label Secret Records and will also include their first album Geography as a special 2-CD package.
City Rhythm
Shakatak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We can feel the (sight)
City rhythm moving overhead
Up above us
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
Do you hear what I hear
Do you see what I see
as we turn down the light
We don't need anybody here at all
They just get in our way
In my dreams I am the one you call
And slowly we're dancing away
City rhythm dancing in my head
We can feel the (sight)
City rhythm moving overhead
Up above us
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
Do you hear what I hear
Is it all in my mind
Do you see what I see
As we leave them behind
But below people dancing all around
I can hear you call
Just one voice rising up above the sound
And into my dream you come forth
City rhythm dancing in my head
We can feel the (sight)
City rhythm moving overhead
Up above us
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
City rhythm dancing in my head
We can feel the (sight)
City rhythm moving overhead
Up above us
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
We don't need anybody here at all
They just get in our way
In my dreams I am the one you call
And slowly we're dancing away
City rhythm dancing in my head
We can feel the (sight)
City rhythm moving overhead
Up above us
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
City rhythm dancing in my head
City rhythm moving overhead
Out of sight and far away
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
City rhythm dancing in my head
City rhythm moving overhead
The opening lines of the song "City Rhythm" by Shakatak set the tone for the rest of the track. The lyrics speak of a "city rhythm" that is "dancing" and "moving overhead" in the singer's head. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for the excitement and energy of life in a bustling city. The line "we can feel the (sight)" also implies a sensory overload, with the singer experiencing the city rhythm in a way that goes beyond what they can physically see.
As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest a desire to escape from the noise and chaos of the city. The lines "in our dreams we'll fly away to follow" and "slowly we're dancing away" could be interpreted as a desire to escape into a dream world, to find peace and freedom from the constant motion of city life. However, at the same time, the chorus reassures us that the city rhythm is still present, still "dancing in our heads" even as we try to escape it.
In the final verses, the lyrics take a slightly different turn, hinting at a relationship between the singer and someone else. The lines "in my dreams I am the one you call" and "into my dream you come forth" imply a connection and intimacy between the two people. However, even in this context, the city rhythm remains a powerful force, "moving overhead" and subsuming everything else in its wake.
Overall, the lyrics to "City Rhythm" portray a complex relationship between humans and the urban environments we create. The city rhythm is both exhilarating and overwhelming, and the song suggests that it can be difficult to escape the pull of the city's energy.
Line by Line Meaning
City rhythm dancing in my head
The beat of the city is constantly on my mind and making me want to dance.
We can feel the (sight)
The rhythm is so intense, it's like we can actually see it in the air around us.
City rhythm moving overhead
The beat is so loud and all-encompassing that it feels like it's coming from above our heads.
Up above us
The sound is omnipresent and seems to be coming from every direction, almost as if it's above us in the sky.
Out of sight and far away
The source of the rhythm is unclear, but it feels like it's coming from a distant place, possibly in our dreams.
In our dreams we'll fly away to follow
The city rhythm is so captivating that it transports us to another world where we can fully immerse ourselves in it.
Do you hear what I hear
The rhythmic sound is so loud and all-encompassing that I can't help but wonder if others can hear it too.
There's a sound in the night
The city rhythm is so powerful that it can be heard even amidst the noise of the city at night.
Do you see what I see
The energy of the city rhythm is so strong that it can be seen in the way people move and dance.
as we turn down the light
As the night grows darker, the rhythm becomes even more heightened and intense.
We don't need anybody here at all
The city rhythm is so captivating that we don't need anyone else around to enjoy it and dance to it.
They just get in our way
Other people can be a distraction from the intensity of the city rhythm and the way it makes us feel.
In my dreams I am the one you call
Even in our dreams, the city rhythm is calling out to us and making us want to dance along.
And slowly we're dancing away
The city rhythm is so powerful that we can't help but dance to it and slowly lose ourselves in its beat.
But below people dancing all around
Even though there are other people around us, they are secondary to the city rhythm and the way it makes us feel.
I can hear you call
The city rhythm is calling out to us and making us want to dance even more intensely.
Just one voice rising up above the sound
Even with all the noise of the city rhythm, there is one voice that stands out and captivates us even more.
And into my dream you come forth
The city rhythm is so intense that it feels like it's invading our dreams and making us want to dance even while we sleep.
Contributed by Violet B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.