What I wrote at Lib Dem Voice

September 30, 2006

Barrett's Home*

So I've been on a bit of a nostalgia-felch courtesy of YouTube tonight... one of the clips I came across was the first pop video I remember: Shakin' Stevens' 1981 hit, This Ole House.



I cannot tell you with what innocent wide-eyed amazement I watched Shakey jump off a roof and land with cushioned adroitness. To be honest, nothing that's happened to me since has ever quite lived up to that moment, aged four.

His new album, Now Listen, is due out on 23rd October. I may just have to.

Vaguely interesting fact: Shakey was the biggest-selling UK singles artist of the 1980s.

* Kudos to anyone who gets the link.

6 comments:

Peter Black said...

Two links: Shakey real name is Michael Barrett. He was also managed for some time by Paul Barrett, whose wife Lorraine is the Labour AM for Cardiff South and Penarth.

Stephen Tall said...

Peter, I salute your Kudos :-)

Anonymous said...

When I saw the title I thought this was going to be another piece on the new Tory logo!

Liberal Neil said...

This was the first single I ever bought:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP7CDvQULXw

Check out those Flying V guitars!

Will said...

We listened to this on some radio show or other at primary school.

I'm now destined though to forever associate him with the Shirley Bassey/Tom Jones episode of Rock Profile...

Peter Black said...

Lorraine tells me that Shakey's real name is spelt Michael Barratt, whereas his former manager and her husband spells his name Barrett.