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.
Once Upon A Time
Shakatak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sound of your summer song
Floats across the sand
And back into my heart
Was it just a song?
Playing on the radio
Or is it calling me
As it floats back to sea
Shade across my eyes
Shadows that dance and play
Are you hiding there?
Keeping out of sight
Will you disappear?
Slowly when the sun goes down
Or is it only a game
Will you call out my name?
Even now
Every little sound
Take my heart
Turns it upside down
Long ago
When your world was mine
You were here
Once upon a time
Are you lying here?
Watching me silently
Waiting for the breeze
To carry you away
Take our summer song
Back into the radio
And as you're leaving to go
Turn the music way down low
Even now
Every little sound
Take my heart
Turns it upside down
Long ago
When your world was mine
You were here
Once upon a time
Is the song you play?
Nothing but a memory
And is it only the sea
I hear whispering to me
Even now
Every little sound
Take my heart
Turns it upside down
Long ago
When your world was mine
You were here
Once upon a time
Repeat the last verse and fade.
The lyrics of Shakatak's song "Once Upon a Time" express a nostalgic longing for a past love that was connected to a particular summer song. The song starts with the memory of the music in the singer's ear, the sound of the summer song that floats across the sand and back into their heart. The question is then posed - was it just any song playing on the radio or is it a call back from their lost lover?
The singer then sees a shade across their eyes and shadows that dance and play, indicating the memory of their lost lover. They wonder if their lover is hiding, waiting to disappear when the sun goes down, or if they will call out their name. Throughout the song, the singer reminisces about their past relationship and the summer they shared together with a feeling of longing for what once was.
The last verse of the song leaves listeners with a sense of sadness, as the singer wonders if the song they hear and the whispers of the sea are all they have left of their love. The lyrics are poetic yet melancholic, conveying emotions of nostalgia, loss, and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Music in my ear
I can hear a summer song playing that reminds me of a special memory.
Sound of your summer song
The song brings back a specific memory of a summer day.
Floats across the sand
The sound of the song travels through the air and echoes across the beach.
And back into my heart
The song brings back feelings of love and nostalgia.
Was it just a song?
I wonder if the song was just a coincidence or if it was meant to bring back a memory.
Playing on the radio
The song is coming from a radio or another media device.
Or is it calling me
I feel like the song is meant specifically for me.
As it floats back to sea
The song fades away and returns to the ocean.
Shade across my eyes
A shadow is cast across my eyes, possibly from a passing cloud.
Shadows that dance and play
The shadows move around and play with each other.
Are you hiding there?
I wonder if someone is hiding in the shadows.
Keeping out of sight
Whatever is hiding is doing so intentionally.
Will you disappear?
I wonder if the person or thing hiding will leave once the sun sets.
Slowly when the sun goes down
The sun is gradually setting and the shadows are getting longer.
Or is it only a game
I wonder if someone is just playing a joke by hiding and then disappearing.
Will you call out my name?
I wonder if the person hiding will try to get my attention.
Every little sound
All the sounds around me are amplified and noticeable.
Take my heart
The sounds and memories I'm experiencing are affecting me emotionally.
Turns it upside down
My emotions are flipped and changed by these memories.
When your world was mine
I'm remembering a time when my life was different and I had different experiences.
You were here
The memory I'm recalling involves someone who was present with me at the time.
Are you lying here?
I wonder if the person from my memory is present and watching me now.
Watching me silently
If the person is here, they're not making themselves known and are observing me quietly.
Waiting for the breeze
If the person is real, they might be waiting for something to happen before revealing themselves.
To carry you away
Perhaps the person is waiting for a specific moment or opportunity to leave.
Take our summer song
If the person is real, they might want to take the song and memory with them.
Back into the radio
The memory and song might be returned to where they originally came from.
And as you're leaving to go
Whoever was present is now ready to leave or disappear.
Turn the music way down low
The person is turning down the music as they leave and the memory fades away.
Is the song you play?
I wonder if the song is being played by someone or if it's just a memory.
Nothing but a memory
The song might be nothing more than a recollection of something that happened in the past.
And is it only the sea
Perhaps the sounds I hear are not real, but just the result of ocean waves and wind.
Writer(s): ODELL ROGER KEITH, SHARPE WILLIAM JEFFREY REVELL
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.