As a young teenager and avid reader of Smash Hits Magazine, it was Shakin’ Stevens who made my heart pound first of all, and his poster held pride of place on the inside of my wardrobe door. Well Shaky is back, and his new single, ‘Wild At Heart’, has today received its world exclusive first play on Ken Bruce’s show on BBC Radio 2.
The track is included on his upcoming releases, the 19 disc complete anthology, ‘Fire In The Blood’, and the definitive 3CD/2LP singles collection, ‘Singled Out’.
‘Wild At Heart’ follows on from Shakin’ Stevens’ gospel song, ‘I Need You Now’. Speaking of the track, Shaky said,
“I was laying on the sofa in my friend John’s studio, and he was playing tracks to us – and this one caught my attention. I really like country rock – its upbeat, feel-good factor – what’s not to like? Unfortunately, it wasn’t right for the ‘Echoes Of Our Times’ album, which had a clear theme, but it deserves to be out there, so it’s great to be releasing it now.
“Every now and again you hear something in the feel of a song that makes you want to record it – and that’s what happened when I first heard this gospel song. I recorded it but then went on to another project, which happens at times. But good songs always come to the surface and it was great to discover it once again and to be able to include this previous unreleased song on ‘Fire In The Blood’.”
‘Fire In The Blood’ is set for release on 27 November, through BMG, and can be pre-ordered here.
You can stream and download ‘Wild At Heart’ here.
‘Fire In The Blood’ commemorates Shakin’ Stevens’ career, one the greatest hitmakers in UK chart history, who’s been a star on the national and international scene for over 40 years. This November BMG will release the incredible 19 disc anthology bookpack, ‘Fire In The Blood’, with the awesome overview adding to his immense body of studio work with rare treasures, and live treats. Additionally, the release will be complemented by ‘Singled Out’. The 3 CD edition is the first to ever include all his singles, while the 26 tracks on the 2 LP format was curated by Shaky himself, with his liner notes providing revealing and personal insights into the background of his key songs. Additionally the packaging will include a card which will enable fans to download all 54 tracks from the 3 CD version. The brand new single, ‘Wild At Heart (Neros Single Version)’, makes its debut on the two formats. ‘Singled Out’ will also be available digitally.
Released just in time for Christmas, ‘Singled Out’ includes many sought after rarities, such as ‘Never’, as well as his signature best sellers, ‘This Ole House’, ‘Green Door’, ‘Oh Julie’, ‘You Drive Me Crazy’, ‘A Rockin’ Good Way’, and of course, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’.
Other feel-good hits include ‘Marie, Marie’, and ‘Turning Away’, together with later gems such as Shaky’s collaboration with Queen’s Roger Taylor, ‘Radio’, ‘Now Listen’, and the radio hit ‘Last Man Alive.’
As Shaky says, ‘Singled Out’ is also a compendium demonstrating how his creative scope expanded with the passing years, culminating in the huge praise for 2016’s exceptional, Americana-flavoured ‘Echoes Of Our Times’ album. He notes of ‘Singled Out’:
“The double aspect of the physical release – on CD and vinyl – includes every single that I’ve ever released. It truly displays the breadth of my musical styles and the changes in my music over the years, from raw rock’n’roll to rock and country blues, Cajun, Americana and everything in between.”
‘Singled Out’ also stands as a superb appetiser for the spectacular ‘Fire In The Blood’ bookpack, which Stevens describes as “the biggest project of my career.” ‘Fire In The Blood’ is the biggest and most complete collection of Shaky’s recordings ever undertaken – a celebration of the achievements of an enduring artist whose chart statistics, however phenomenal, tell only part of his story. He says proudly:
“Working on the compilation of the tracks, with the varied styles of my music, collating the images, and other aspects of the release, has brought back many precious memories: hard times, good times, and everything in between.”
“Nothing came easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he concludes. “I hope that everyone enjoys ‘Fire In The Blood’ as much as we have while working on the project. The fire still burns – and always will.”
‘Fire In The Blood’ full contents and tracklisting available HERE.
Watch the video for ‘I Need You Now’ below:
