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.
Out of This World
Shakatak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
see how it might have been
two people in a scene
we´re clear out of this world
Dreams always let me down
sleep silencing the sound
that calls to the one I found
we´re clear out of this world
Shakatak's song "Out of This World" is a dreamy and contemplative piece that speaks of escaping into a world that seems out of reach. The opening lines, "Sleep softly through a dream, see how it might have been," invoke a sense of longing for an alternate reality, one where things might have gone differently. It is often said that when we sleep, we enter into a different plane of existence, one where anything is possible. In that sense, the lyrics speak of the dreamer's desire to escape into a world where they can be free to imagine a life that is "clear out of this world."
The song goes on to talk about how dreams often let us down, but how they also have the power to silence the noise of the outside world. The line "sleep silencing the sound that calls to the one I found" suggests that the dreamer has found someone who they feel a connection with, but that connection is perhaps not possible in the real world. In this alternate reality, however, they can be together and experience a love that is "out of this world."
Overall, "Out of This World" is a beautiful and introspective song that speaks to the universal human desire to escape into a world that is better than the one we currently inhabit.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleep softly through a dream
Let your mind drift off into a peaceful state of slumber
see how it might have been
Imagine a different reality, one where things may have turned out differently
two people in a scene
Visualize two individuals interacting in a particular situation
we´re clear out of this world
Our thoughts and emotions have taken us far away from reality
Dreams always let me down
Expectations and hopes for the future never seem to match up with reality
sleep silencing the sound
Slumber quieting the noise and distractions of the outside world
that calls to the one I found
The desire for a specific person, and the longing to be close to them
we´re clear out of this world
Our minds are so consumed by our emotions that we are lost in a fantasy world
Writer(s): Paula Winger, Richard E. Beach Jr, William Jeffrey Revell Sharpe, Kip Winger, Roger Keith Odell Copyright: Julian Kelly Music, Little Orange, Campbell Connelly And CO.LTD., Music Sales Corporation O.B.O. Garber Music Ltd., Varseau Music
Contributed by Adeline H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@shakatakfan7904
“Shakatak Out Of This World” (1983)
Lyrics
Sleep softly through a dream
See how it might have been
Two people in a scene
We’re clear out of this world
※Dreams always let me down
Sleep silencing the sound
That calls to the one I found
We’re clear out of this world
※Repeat （×4）
@samejimamamimi9483
Sleep softly through a dream
See how it might have been
Two people in a scene
We're clear out of this world
Dreams always let me down
Sleep silencing the sound
That calls to the one I found
We're clear out of this world
@jmontalvo88
Música exquisita, elegancia máxima en este fantástico grupo Shakatak. De lo mejor de los maravillosos años 80s
@Sociologist66
Beautiful Song ! It gives me nice and sweet memories of the 80's ... it's a pitty that there are no more bands like this one !!! Thank you very much !
@shakatakfan7904
“Shakatak Out Of This World” (1983)
Lyrics
Sleep softly through a dream
See how it might have been
Two people in a scene
We’re clear out of this world
※Dreams always let me down
Sleep silencing the sound
That calls to the one I found
We’re clear out of this world
※Repeat （×4）
@hijiritasuzuki6454
Shakatak has a big influence on Japanese fusion music.
@jean-erictateia3273
Shakatak continues to rock us with beautiful melodies with languid rhythm, inimitable, to surround our hearts with a cocoon of extremely pleasant sweetness for infinite pleasure. May God bless you all for all that you bring us.
@joseantoniomiranda2979
You really tells all fans feelings thanks to You too!!!
@jean-erictateia3273
@@joseantoniomiranda2979Hi! josé .Never Mind ,SHAKATAK has GREAT TALENT ,it' s a Fact .It was a great pleasure for me to tell the truth about ...
@darinbennett9087
I love this intro from 0:00 to 0:32. I just heard of this group not to long ago and I love their music. I was introduced to them by YouTube it's how good music can fall right into your lap at the right time in your life.
@dawnjohnson1365
They just were'nt hyped like the others, too much quality.
@davereeves454
@@dawnjohnson1365 yep! Ya got that right.. Prob jealousy in the music business