Shakin’ Stevens can still rattle and roll as he releases new album

Together with his hair nonetheless jet black, and turned-up collar, Shakin’ Stevens seems to be as cool now at 75 as he did in his Eighties heyday. The Cardiff-born singer, the UK’s biggest-selling singles artist of that decade, is even attempting on his denim jacket only for the Each day Categorical.

“I haven’t put this on for many years,” he smiles.

“It’s the identical one I wore on my first look on Prime Of The Pops once I did This Ole Home. It’s shrunk a bit and it’s critically ripped up, however I can nonetheless get into it.”

Forty-two years after that first primary – three extra chart toppers and 33 prime 40 hits adopted, together with festive favorite Merry Christmas Everybody – Shaky is celebrating the discharge of his new single, a rootsy, spiky commentary on international inequality known as All You Want Is Greed.

The music was unveiled as a world unique by Ken Bruce’s non permanent alternative Gary Davies on his Radio 2 mid-morning present yesterday, forward of its UK launch at this time. The catchy observe is a precursor to Shaky’s equally opinionated and blues-tinged album Re-Set, launched subsequent month.

However the man who has bought extra singles than Wham!, Britney Spears, and Woman Gaga in a profession spanning seven many years, insists he’s not attempting to ruffle feathers.

“I’m not pointing the finger. I’m not judging. I’m simply observing,” he says. “Though I do consider that lyrics are crucial, if you happen to haven’t acquired a tune to go together with them, then you definitely’ve had it.”

Born Michael Barratt, the youngest of 13 siblings, Shaky bootlegged his stage identify from an previous schoolfriend’s nickname and, after leaving college, labored as a milkman and an upholsterer while attempting to interrupt via along with his rock ’n’ roll band Shakin’ Stevens and the Sunsets.

Regardless of a help slot with The Rolling Stones in 1969 and a 1970 report contract with Parlophone Data, mainstream British recognition eluded him till Elvis Presley’s dying in 1977, when pop impresario Jack Good – who managed Cliff Richard, Tommy Steele and Marty Wilde – noticed Shaky at a Sunsets gig and invited him to audition for one of many title roles within the swiftly devised West Finish musical Elvis!

“It’s truthful to say that, had Elvis Presley’s life continued, then my life might need taken a unique path,” admits Shaky, who stayed within the stage function for 19 months, earlier than parting firm with the Sunsets.

His solo profession then exploded in 1981 with This Ole Home, swiftly adopted by his different chart-toppers Inexperienced Door, Oh Julie and his primary album Shaky. He reckons he appeared on Prime of the Pops greater than 60 occasions in all.

“They had been loopy occasions,” he remembers. “I used to be fairly wild on stage in these days, a lot wilder than individuals assume. I used to essentially go for it! Once I was within the Elvis! musical at The Astoria, I used to stroll throughout the again of all of the seats through the present, and once I was touring with the Sunsets, all of us used to go loopy.

“The sax participant would throw his sax within the air and maintain pretending to play it till he caught it, and I used to run throughout the bar throughout exhibits.

“At any time when we arrived on the venue, I used to ask the managers, ‘The place can I climb tonight?’. I used to like climbing up the lighting rigging, though one evening I fell off and broke my ankle.”

Previous to his solo success, Shaky struck up a friendship with The Rolling Stones, supporting them at a December 1969 gig at London’s Saville Theatre, an evening he remembers fondly. “I turned up for the soundcheck they usually knew I cherished rock ’n’ roll and blues, they usually had been taking part in their model of Nice Balls Of Hearth, particularly for me, which was a stunning gesture.

“They had been very down-to-earth, beautiful guys and I keep in mind going out for a drink at The Ivy afterwards, the place the value of a glass of purple wine was extortionate.

“Ronnie Wooden noticed how a lot the wine price and stated, ‘I’m not paying these bloody costs, let’s go to the pub not far away.’”

A decade later, one other unlikely fan emerged within the orange-haired type of anarchic Intercourse Pistols frontman Johnny Rotten. “He was being interviewed on some TV present and stated on the finish of the chat, ‘Proper, I’ve completed this interview, I’m effing off to see Shakin’ Stevens’.

“He was a giant fan which I’ve to say was a giant shock for me, though I do know that fairly a number of punk bands had been followers too.”

In comparison with his octogenarian countryman Tom Jones, who frequently carried out amidst a flurry of underwear flung on stage by fanatical feminine devotees, Shaky’s followers had been typically much less frenzied.

“Individuals used to journey from everywhere in the world to see me carry out, locations like Poland and Germany. The final time I toured we had individuals from Brazil who employed a automobile and went from metropolis to metropolis to look at me.”

He says the strangest fan interplay was at a hometown gig in Cardiff. In his dressing room was a single mattress, and a desk with a full bottle of wine on it. After the present, he seen a number of the wine had been drunk. “I assumed, ‘I didn’t drink any of that. How unusual is that?’,” he remembers.

“My spouse Sue, who can also be my supervisor, was with me. She needed to communicate to some TV individuals, so she left me alone within the dressing room.

“Then swiftly, this feminine head appeared from beneath the mattress and stated expectantly, ‘Shaky!’, at which level Sue walked again in and stated, ‘Oi, what the hell do you assume you’re doing in right here? Get out now!’”

The girl beneath the mattress scarpered however later made two additional makes an attempt to get again into Shaky’s dressing room… in disguise.

“As soon as she was carrying a mac and the opposite time carrying a woolly hat,” the singer remembers.

“However the tour supervisor intercepted her en route and he or she by no means made it again to Shaky.” Not like this thriller groupie, one one that did handle to rise up shut and private with Shaky was Good Morning Britain host Richard Madeley. On his Eighties music present, Calendar Goes Pop, he ended up wrestling the pop star dwell on TV.

“I used to be a visitor on the programme with Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi from Standing Quo,” Shaky recollects. “Richard saved calling me simply Shakin’ and I saved correcting him, saying, ‘It’s Shaky’. Then he saved getting the fashion of my music unsuitable. He hadn’t completed his analysis.

“Then he stated, ‘Let’s not end this with an argument’. Rick and Francis had been watching all this unfold in amazement after which I kind of leapt on him.

“We wrestled for a bit on the couch, and I ended up breaking his watch, however we buried the hatchet 25 years later once I appeared on the Richard & Judy Present.”

Though his wrestling days are over, Shaky continues to be in remarkably impolite well being, 13 years after his second spouse Sue Davies saved his life by giving him CPR when he suffered a coronary heart assault in mattress.

“It’s fairly wonderful to have a supporter like Sue who believes in me a lot,” says Shaky.

Right now he leads a wholesome life-style. “I haven’t drunk or smoked since 2004. I’ve kicked all of that out of the window, and I really feel so significantly better for it.

“Over time I’ve had a coach and a nutritionist. I additionally raise weights now, as soon as per week. And I attempt to maintain as far-off from stress as doable.”

He’s additionally very cautious about his most respected asset. “I’m delighted that I can nonetheless belt out the songs, however I’m cautious with my voice. I train my vocal cords, and I’m rather more cautious about how I deal with myself on stage now.”

Simply earlier than Christmas final yr, he supported Standing Quo in live performance. His perennial favorite Merry Christmas Everybody “went down a storm”.

“I’ll be touring once more this yr and I can’t wait,” Shaky guarantees. “At any time when I step foot on that stage, I give my all, and I feel the group can sense that. I can really feel that heat mirrored again to me.

“And there’s no ego with me. I’m only a down-to-earth, strange man who desires to attach with my viewers, whether or not that’s with the previous hits or with my new songs.”

However will the well-known denim jacket be making a return? Extra to the purpose, will it’s paired with denims to create his trademark double-denim outfit?

“I’m undecided,” he says. “It’s been enjoyable carrying them at this time, however I don’t assume you’ll see me in these denims on stage once more.

“However then once more, by no means say by no means. Perhaps only one extra time.”

• All You Want Is Greed is out now. Re-Set is launched on April 28. Go to shakinstevens.com for extra particulars