Bill Sharpe interview
For this interview special, it’s with a bonafide music legend: Bill Sharpe.
Bill Sharpe is a classically trained pianist and jazz rock musician, who once worked alongside John Peel at the BBC and Trevor Horn in an early band. In 1980, he co-founded the band Shakatak, who scored many big hits around the world with their brand of post-disco jazz-funk.
In 1985, he teamed up with Gary Numan on what was meant to be a one-off single, but later turned into several songs, and a whole album - with 1989’s Automatic. He is a prolific songwriter and musician, who has collaborated with many other stars over the years, and is still performing with Shakatak today.
In the episode, Bill discusses:
- How he came to work with Gary Numan and their writing processes
- The unreleased demos he made with Gary after Automatic - could they ever be released?
- How Shakatak came about
- His friendship with John Peel
Clips used:
- Shakatak - Steppin'
- Shakatak - Easier Said than Done (TOTP)
- Sharpe & Numan - Change Your Mind
- Sharpe & Numan - New Thing from London Town
- Sharpe & Numan - No More Lies
- Shakatak - Nightbirds (TOTP)
Please get in touch on YouTube, X, Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, or email at numanpodcast@gmail.com.
Tom interviews Bill Sharpe, a member of the iconic band Shakatak, delving into his illustrious career and his unique collaboration with Gary Numan. The discussion highlights how their partnership began almost by chance when Sharpe was working on a solo album and reached out to Numan, leading to the creation of the hit "Change Your Mind." Sharpe reflects on his classical training and early influences in music, detailing the evolution of Shakatak and their rise to fame with hits like "Easier Said Than Done." The conversation reveals the challenges faced in the music industry, including the ups and downs of record label support, and the lasting impact of their work together. Listeners gain insight into Sharpe's passion for music, the dynamics of collaboration, and the joy of performing live, demonstrating that the spirit of creativity remains vibrant even after decades in the industry.
Takeaways:
- Bill Sharp discusses his classical music background and journey into jazz and funk.
- The formation of Shakatak was influenced by diverse musical experiences and collaborations.
- Bill shares the serendipitous collaboration with Gary Numan that led to successful tracks.
- The creative process behind 'Change Your Mind' involved innovative studio techniques and remixing.
- Sharp reflects on the band's global success and their enduring appeal in the music industry.
- He expresses disappointment over the lack of promotion for the album they created together.
Transcript
Electric Friends, a Gary Newman podcast celebrating.
Bill Sharp:The tracks by a musical pioneer.
Host:Hello and welcome to a new episode of Electricity Friends.
Host:Agara Newman Podcast with me, Tom, and I've got another interview special for you this time and it's with a bonafide music legend.
Host: Horne in an early band and in: Host: And in: Host:He is a prolific songwriter and musician who has collaborated with many other stars over the years and is still performing with Shack Attack today.
Host:And so I'm very excited to welcome Bill Sharp.
Host:So enjoy this interview and I'll speak to you at the end.
Interviewer:So firstly, yeah, Bill Sharp, thanks so much for being a guest on electric friends.
Bill Sharp:That's a pleasure.
Interviewer:So we'll obviously speak about your time working with Gary Neumann in a bit, but it'd be great to go back to the very start and just how you first found a love for music.
Interviewer:So I think it's right that you had a classical background, is that right?
Bill Sharp:Yeah.
Bill Sharp:I started learning the piano when I was seven.
Bill Sharp:I had my first piano teacher was a lady called Doris Wragg, a very scary lady, and if you got a scale wrong, she used to whack you on the knuckles with a ruler sideways.
Bill Sharp:So that wasn't a great thing for your hands, really.
Bill Sharp:So that I got through all of that and it's sort of learning all the early pieces, going through all the grades.
Bill Sharp:And there's a point where you get to about grade five when you actually start enjoying playing because you can actually play good stuff.
Bill Sharp:And people say, I'll go and play as a piano.
Bill Sharp:So I started doing that and then slowly sort of really got a little better at the piano and then music.
Bill Sharp:I mean, my family was, they weren't professional musicians, but they all loved jazz and pop, all sorts of music, really.
Bill Sharp:So I was always aware of what was going on, you know, in my sort of early years, early sixties, mid sixties, a Beatles fan and stoners, all that kind of stuff.
Bill Sharp:And then.
Bill Sharp:But then went down the classical route, went to school and then went to university, studied music at Birmingham University, almost always playing in bands.
Bill Sharp:I kind of always wanted to be in a band, really.
Bill Sharp:I went through the whole thing of, like, getting a music degree and all, which, you know, it's all parents, like a lot of parents, so, you know, get good background, get good education and then, you know, and then go play in a band.
Interviewer:In quite a few bands.
Interviewer:Weren't you at the beginning?
Interviewer:Is that right?
Interviewer:I think one of them was tracks.
Bill Sharp:Yes, yes.
Bill Sharp:I mean, I played in lots of school bands and then I left and I played.
Bill Sharp:I got a job with the BBC for five or six years, is a studio manager or posh name for a sound engineer.
Bill Sharp:And while I was doing that, I was still playing in bands.
Bill Sharp:And then I got invited by our shack Tank drummer, Roger.
Bill Sharp:Roger O'Dell.
Bill Sharp:He started a band in Bishop Storford, where I was born, and he said, do you want to come and join the band?
Bill Sharp:So we were playing sort of jazz, rock stuff by Chicago, John McLaughlin, all kinds of weather, all kinds of stuff like that.
Bill Sharp:And I enjoyed.
Bill Sharp:I sort of got into all that kind of music, really.
Bill Sharp:In the mid seventies.
Bill Sharp:Our bass player was a guy called Trevor Horne, who went on to become pretty well known producer.
Bill Sharp:And that was kind of the start of the whole slightly.
Bill Sharp: d seventies, which led to, in: Interviewer:Yeah.
Interviewer:So I was going to ask, like, how were shack Attack founded?
Interviewer:Like, how did that band sort of come about and what was, like the big inspirations that you all took and decided this is the route we wanted to go down?
Bill Sharp:Well, Roger, myself and Keith Winter, who was our guitarist, the three of us were in tracks.
Bill Sharp:And so I started writing music for tracks, sort of some pretty.
Bill Sharp:Pretty weird, crazy music.
Bill Sharp:I think my most bizarre track was a song called Downwind from Cerberus, which was we played, we did a little reunion gig a year or so ago and we pulled out that song and it's just, I can't remember what the hell I was thinking writing that, but it's kind of fun, fun to do.
Bill Sharp:So I started writing stuff and then I'd had a few tunes that Roger was playing in a band with Trevor horn.
Bill Sharp:Actually, they played in the old days, in the seventies.
Bill Sharp:People of my age will remember mecca clubs, places before kind of discos where they'd have bands playing chart hits.
Bill Sharp:So you wouldn't necessarily have a dj, you'd have a live band, which was great, you know, it was good fun in those days.
Bill Sharp:Anyway, so Trevor and Roger were the rhythm section in that band and the guy who ended up being shack attack producer, Nigel was the MD keyboard player in the band.
Bill Sharp:He'd heard some of my songs and said to Roger, I've got this idea, maybe to start a band kind of playing instrumental jazz, funk stuff, because we all listened to the crusaders and Stevie Wonder, all kinds of different kinds of music, particularly coming over from the states.
Bill Sharp:So we met and I had a couple of tunes and he said, well, can you.
Bill Sharp:There was a song at the time by a guy called Rodney Franklin called in the Groove, which is a piano led instrumental.
Bill Sharp:He said, maybe write a couple of tunes in that sort of vein.
Bill Sharp:So I.
Bill Sharp:I wrote a couple of tunes, one which was called step in, which was the first shack attack single.
Bill Sharp:That's kind of how it all came about.
Bill Sharp:We hadn't been touring or playing or anything like that, really.
Bill Sharp:It was a bunch of people who got together to make a few, I say, not demos, recordings, and see what happened.
Bill Sharp:And we got a little bit of interest.
Bill Sharp:We did a few gigs and we got signed to Polydool.
Bill Sharp:So it was one of those fortunate things, different people coming to a gig, different times, the brit funk things all happening in the early eighties, so it's good timing.
Interviewer:Well, Jacques Taylor scored many massive hits, particularly, you know, night birds and down the street.
Interviewer:And what was it about, like, your music, do you think, that resonated with so many people in that era?
Interviewer:Because that era of music, there's so much stuff going on, so it was great to see Shakatak break through and around the world as well.
Bill Sharp: years, we toured around from: Bill Sharp:I mean, the most bizarre venues, I mean, I remember one was the star bar in Huddersfield, which had mould dripping water on the ceiling, you know, this sort of classic rock and roll story, you know, the places you play, probably none of them exist anymore, but it was great fun.
Bill Sharp:I mean, you know, when you start off, it's not necessarily easy, there's a lot of traveling, you're in the back of a transit van, whatever, so.
Bill Sharp:But it was, you know, when you're that age, I mean, we were a little bit older, in our mid to late twenties, but it was still great fun, we had real laugh, not sure if anything was going to happen, but we built up a.
Bill Sharp:Like you do in those days, we built up a following, so people started coming to the gigs.
Bill Sharp:We released another single, then another single.
Bill Sharp: didn't release an album till: Bill Sharp:And the record company kind of stuck with us, as they used to do.
Bill Sharp:And, yeah, so it was mainly instrumental music, which was surprising to see it getting the chance.
Bill Sharp:And then in 81, end of.
Bill Sharp:Middle of.
Bill Sharp:End of 81, we did this.
Bill Sharp:I'd written this tune called easier said than done, and we decided to use the girls on the chorus thing, so sort of piano and the chorus thing.
Bill Sharp:And I think people, if you have, you know, like in pop music, you know, people like a hook, as you used to be called, and easy said than done had the vocal chorus.
Bill Sharp:And I think the blend of the instrumental music with a vocal kind of worked in a sort of commercial level and suddenly, you know, we were on top of the pubs and off we went.
Bill Sharp: op of the Pops was, you know,: Bill Sharp:So if you're on top of the pops, unless you're really bad.
Bill Sharp:Although there were some really bad people that picked up the pulse, but, you know, you were off and running, really.
Interviewer:But now let's take a look at a record just underneath that top 40.
Interviewer:The band a Shaq attack.
Interviewer:It's jazz funk at its best, with a track called easier said than done.
Background Singer:Take your love away it's easier said than done and shout out anyone can have my love around.
Interviewer:And particularly in Japan and America as well, they really, really dug into it, didn't they?
Interviewer:I think, yeah, Japan.
Bill Sharp: I mean, Japan was: Bill Sharp:We first went there.
Bill Sharp:We still go to Japan, pretty much.
Bill Sharp:We've been there a lot.
Bill Sharp:And it broke into Europe.
Bill Sharp:It kind of broke into all over the world, actually.
Bill Sharp:And, I mean, years ago, we played in maybe early to mid nineties, we did a lot of countries in the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and so we were amazed how many people were listening to our music in the cold war, because of time.
Bill Sharp:When we used to go to West Berlin, you'd have to go through the corridor to get to West Berlin.
Bill Sharp:So it was a very different world then.
Bill Sharp:And I had a mail recently from a lady promoter in Georgia, in Tbilisi, saying, we'd love you to come back here.
Bill Sharp: You know, like: Bill Sharp:Certain countries, like, we haven't really done a lot in France and other countries, but other countries we've done really well.
Bill Sharp:So the different bands, certain territories, and it's hard to know why specifically love your music and so you suddenly arrive somewhere like South Africa.
Bill Sharp:We've toured there quite a few times after apartheid finished, and they love our music out there.
Bill Sharp:So we get to travel the world, different places.
Bill Sharp:And it's lovely hearing people's stories, you know, about how they heard the music and how they are.
Bill Sharp:And I always like to sort of talk to people after the show because it's great to hear people's stories.
Bill Sharp:So.
Bill Sharp:Yeah, so, I mean, it's been a fantastic 40 years plus, definitely.
Interviewer: ht of shack attack success in: Interviewer:So on paper, you'd say that Shack Attack's music was quite different to Gary's early synth pop stuff.
Interviewer:But by the mid eighties, you know, he had started experimenting with funk and pop as well.
Interviewer:So.
Interviewer:But those who don't know, like how did that collaboration first come about?
Interviewer:And were you already like, a fan of his work?
Bill Sharp:Well, obviously I was very aware of Gary because he had massive hits.
Bill Sharp:I mean, cars and Arkansas Electric and other songs were huge.
Bill Sharp:It was hard not to know who he was.
Bill Sharp: s asked to do a solo album in: Bill Sharp:And I thought I had some songs that I've written.
Bill Sharp:I fancy trying sort of a sort of mix of styles, really, just because I kind of always listened to different kinds of music.
Bill Sharp:And so I went into the studio called Rock City in the Shepperton Film Studios, which was.
Bill Sharp:Which Gary owned.
Bill Sharp:And so this chuckled Nick Smith, who worked on a few of Gary's albums.
Bill Sharp:His dad was a guy called Norman Smith who was very famous, having worked on some of the early Beatles records.
Bill Sharp:So that sort of sound engineering came through the family.
Bill Sharp:So Nick, having worked with Shaktak, I said, would you want to work on this album?
Bill Sharp:He said, great.
Bill Sharp:And so it was just really the two of us.
Bill Sharp:And we went into the studio and discussed about what we were going to do.
Bill Sharp:And I played all these songs.
Bill Sharp:I had a few kind of slightly sort of electro ish songs.
Bill Sharp:I had a song I'd written called New Thing from London town and changed your mind.
Bill Sharp:I kind of had an idea for it.
Bill Sharp:So we went and started working on that song.
Bill Sharp:And as we worked on it, we kind of created this introduction which we thought, well, that sounds pretty good.
Bill Sharp:That was just a really weird thing.
Bill Sharp:Nick was messing around with the sound desk and we just had time just to sort of muck around, really, with sounds.
Bill Sharp:And originally I was planning to sing the song myself.
Bill Sharp:So I wanted to have a go at singing.
Bill Sharp:I'm not a great singer.
Bill Sharp:And so we've kind of virtually finished the track and thought, well, this is really good.
Bill Sharp:So I started singing it and he just pressed the button.
Bill Sharp:He went, not really.
Bill Sharp:And we both knew that it wasn't from it.
Bill Sharp:What are we going to do?
Bill Sharp:We've got this great track, they've got the tune.
Bill Sharp:And he said, well, why don't we send the cassette of the backing track and the melody?
Bill Sharp:So I was going la, la, la on it, send it to Gary and see if he would fancy singing it.
Bill Sharp:So Nick said, sent the tape to Gary's dad, Tony, and he got it to Gary.
Bill Sharp:Gary heard it and came back and said, yeah, he'd loved it her.
Bill Sharp:Then, of course, he, knowing the studio, came in and we listened through to it and he went and started singing there.
Bill Sharp:And as he used to say to Nick, because Nick had worked on his vocals, because obviously he knew the exact sound, the effects to put on his voice.
Bill Sharp:And we started singing it.
Bill Sharp:We looked at each other and we thought, my God, this is amazing.
Bill Sharp:It just worked.
Bill Sharp:I mean, it was pure chance.
Bill Sharp:I mean, it might have been completely wrong.
Bill Sharp:As soon as he started singing it, we were like, this is really cool.
Bill Sharp:So.
Bill Sharp:And he did it probably in two or three takes.
Bill Sharp:I mean, there was no messing around.
Bill Sharp:He obviously sat and listened to it, had a few ideas of how he was going to sing it, so he did that.
Bill Sharp:And then a couple of girls we were working with on the album came in and also sang the chorus with Gary.
Bill Sharp:And we sat and listened to the record.
Bill Sharp:We actually sent it up to Polydore and they came down the next day and said, this is a hit record.
Interviewer:Great.
Bill Sharp:From doing an album, really.
Bill Sharp:I got, you know, all sorts of mixture of stuff.
Bill Sharp:It was just kind of a nice thing to do.
Bill Sharp:And suddenly it looked like we might have a hit record and I hadn't.
Bill Sharp:Yeah, totally random.
Bill Sharp:But that's how it came about.
Background Singer:If you aren't talking to this time, it's your decision.
Background Singer:We're into something new.
Background Singer:I know what I'm thinking.
Background Singer:So any more can see time that I was thinking of not else but me change of mind no, never getting change of mind.
Interviewer:Was a really underrated, I think, eighties, you know, pop jam.
Interviewer:And it's great to hear Gary, you know, do something a little bit different.
Interviewer:And I suppose it was an interesting experience for him to kind of come in, not having done the writing of it, and just to.
Interviewer:Yeah.
Interviewer:So it must have been a different kind of experience for him as well.
Bill Sharp:Yeah, no, I mean, it was.
Bill Sharp:It was very different for him.
Bill Sharp:Because it was literally done.
Bill Sharp:I mean, it was great, obviously, that he'd worked with Nick.
Bill Sharp:So because I didn't know him, we hadn't met, so it was nice to have that connection.
Bill Sharp:So he felt comfortable.
Bill Sharp:And then as soon as we started working on it, you know, we were having a laugh and messing around, and he just.
Bill Sharp:He absolutely nailed it.
Bill Sharp:And then we all.
Bill Sharp:Gary was sort of quietish in those days, and he sort of made a few comments, but I think deep down, he realized it was.
Bill Sharp:It was not his typical style.
Bill Sharp:And then what we also did, which really made a difference as well, because we created the song.
Bill Sharp:But then the record company said, we need to get a remix of it.
Bill Sharp:So there's an american guy called Wally Brill who was.
Bill Sharp:He worked with lots of different artists, and he took the track into another studio, and I remixed it and kind of just added stuff to it.
Bill Sharp:He kind of tightened up the sound.
Bill Sharp:I think our version was good that Wally actually kind of turned it into a hit record by changing the drum sounds and tightening the track up, putting these bass drum fills just before the chorus.
Bill Sharp:So he definitely added something to it.
Bill Sharp:And then when he'd finished with it, that was, you know, that was.
Bill Sharp:We thought, this is great.
Bill Sharp:And then off we went.
Bill Sharp:So Polydor got right behind the track and, you know, we go on top of the pops and, you know, I think they felt it could be a top ten record because it was, you know, I mean, I have to say, when I listen back to it sometimes, I think it still sounds.
Bill Sharp:Sounds like a really good production.
Bill Sharp:There's lots of interesting ideas on it because we were just having a lot of fun doing it.
Bill Sharp:So I think it maybe would have been nice if it had done better.
Bill Sharp:But even so, you know, it still did well, and it traveled around the world, and I still get really nice comments from people.
Bill Sharp:And, I mean, if I do listen back to.
Bill Sharp:I hear on the radio occasionally, and I think, well, it still sounds good.
Bill Sharp:You know, it's a good kind of dance record.
Interviewer:And what I found interesting was that Gary was still using his berserker style image as well, with the white and blue makeup.
Interviewer:So what did you think of that at the time?
Interviewer:Was it just like, I'll just let him do what you'd like to do.
Bill Sharp:And, oh, yeah, you know, when we.
Bill Sharp:When we do top of the pops and other.
Bill Sharp:Other video, when we did the video for change of mind, actually, Gary would just travel with his mum, Beryl, because Beryl used to do his makeup.
Bill Sharp:It was kind of a good, because the little sort of strap line was.
Bill Sharp:A lot of the papers were saying, you know, the odd couple, which the.
Bill Sharp:I was like, you know, with the.
Bill Sharp:In those days, I think, you know, I.
Bill Sharp:We all were into sort of, you know, in the old sunbed and stuff like that.
Bill Sharp:So I sort of slightly have a little bit of a suntany kind of thing.
Bill Sharp:The old hair, not quite a mullet.
Bill Sharp:And Gary was like this blue and white makeup.
Bill Sharp:So we looked so different.
Bill Sharp:But maybe in a way, you know, that kind of worked.
Bill Sharp:It was a good promotional little thing to do.
Bill Sharp:I thought it was great.
Bill Sharp:And I remember doing the video, which is.
Bill Sharp:It was such a simple idea, but it worked really well.
Bill Sharp:So I think we ended up with a great track.
Bill Sharp:And also, I really liked the way the video was done.
Bill Sharp:Very simple.
Bill Sharp:And the way he was sort of circling around his circle of lights.
Bill Sharp:And I was sort of sitting playing, doing the computer and doing.
Bill Sharp:Which looks really dated these days.
Bill Sharp:It was an old Mac computer, but it was cutting edge edge technology at the time.
Bill Sharp:And so it worked really well, sort of contrasting the two of us.
Bill Sharp:And so, yeah, I was really pleased the way we'd all finished up.
Interviewer:Well and was.
Interviewer:It was thought of is gonna be a one off or.
Interviewer:Because obviously led to a new from London town doing that version of that song with him as well.
Interviewer:So was it a case of.
Interviewer:That was really good.
Interviewer:Let's do some more.
Bill Sharp:Well, I thought it was a one off for the album.
Bill Sharp:And then he's a guy.
Bill Sharp:He had a record company called Newman Record.
Bill Sharp:And I got a phone call and they said, would you fancy doing another record, Polydor?
Bill Sharp:I think at the time they weren't so keen to do another single, which I thought was really odd because they just had a top 20 record.
Bill Sharp:So I think it's maybe because the famous people was the album it was on.
Bill Sharp:I mean, it did okay, but it didn't set the world aligned.
Bill Sharp:So perhaps that's why they didn't think about doing another song, because we hadn't planned to do any more.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, so I went in the studio with Gary.
Bill Sharp:We did a new thing from London town again, which was.
Bill Sharp:We kind of did.
Bill Sharp:I had the thoughts in my head about sound.
Bill Sharp:Gary kind of walked in.
Bill Sharp:The whole process was really that Nick and I would do the backing track and I had the tune and the lyrics.
Bill Sharp:It was all done, really.
Bill Sharp:So he kind of came in and sang it.
Bill Sharp:It was a bit harder and a bit sort of less dancy, say, than change your mind.
Bill Sharp:And so we did a little video for that as well.
Bill Sharp:And that, because it was on Numa records, I guess they didn't have the budget to push it.
Bill Sharp:So I can't remember how it did in the charts, but it kind of started the process of, well, let's maybe do a few other tracks together.
Bill Sharp:And I think maybe by doing that, that led to when I talked to Polydor again and we discussed it, and they.
Bill Sharp:They eventually said, well, maybe it might be a nice idea to do an album.
Background Singer:Plastic hand in hand with light a great mist the still, the night sliding throat the color of light has gone along the straight or rendezvous with marching fate and everything from London town.
Bill Sharp:So then we had, in the late eighties, we had the opportunity to do the album together, which was great.
Bill Sharp:So I sat in the studio where I lived at the time for a week or two, locked myself away.
Bill Sharp:I kind of came up with all these tunes, banking tracks, and up till then, the first two or three tracks, gary hadn't written any lyrics.
Bill Sharp:So we decided on the rest of the album that he'd do all the lyrics for the album.
Bill Sharp:So I would send him my ideas for the songs and the la la la ing, and then he would just write the lyrics.
Bill Sharp:So it worked quite well.
Bill Sharp:So we didn't actually write together at all.
Bill Sharp:It was done independently.
Bill Sharp:And when we did the album, we recorded all the backing tracks.
Bill Sharp:And Gary came in for a few days and sang the vocal over the backing track.
Bill Sharp:So I know he, looking back on it, he'll think, well, I wasn't really involved in the album so much because Nick and I were just doing all the.
Bill Sharp:All the recording.
Bill Sharp:But I guess, you know, that was the process that worked for us.
Bill Sharp:And he seemed cool with it at the time.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, that was the.
Bill Sharp:That was the sort of process of putting that whole thing together.
Background Singer:Now you cry, you like to have my company but I'm not gonna call you again I'm not gonna pick up the phone no, I'm not going through it again you're not gonna leave me alone.
Interviewer:I'm reading his autobiography.
Interviewer:He was very complimentary of working with you, but also the album as a whole.
Interviewer:But he was very disappointed with maybe the record label's lack of promotion for it.
Interviewer:I just wondered if.
Interviewer:Was that.
Interviewer:Was that a feeling you shared as well?
Bill Sharp:Yeah, I thought that they really pushed the boat out and changed your mind, you know, and the result was the way it was when it came to pushing the album.
Bill Sharp:We'd released a song called Diamond Automatic, which it did.
Bill Sharp:Did okay, but it didn't sort of chart as well as Polidor had hoped.
Bill Sharp:When it didn't chart as well as they hoped, then they stopped pushing the album.
Bill Sharp:It was a shame, really, because, you know, the album, they spent a lot of money on doing the COVID I mean, cover, we went into an old.
Bill Sharp:I can't remember, it was like an old.
Bill Sharp:Not warehouse.
Bill Sharp:It's the wrong word.
Bill Sharp:Like, almost like aliens.
Bill Sharp:Those sort of big sort of places where you expect to see sort of loads of aliens in.
Bill Sharp:Not coffins, but you know what I mean?
Bill Sharp:It's an old sort of water tower kind of thing to do, the photo session.
Bill Sharp:So it was a really, really imaginative cover.
Bill Sharp:You know, they spent a lot of money putting that all together, and then when it didn't sort of do the single didn't do as well as they'd hoped, then they just didn't really get behind the album.
Bill Sharp:That's when I think we were both really disappointed.
Bill Sharp:We both.
Bill Sharp:I remember chatting to her about it, saying, we were actually really pissed off, to be honest, because we put a lot of time and effort into promoting it, pushing it, and then it was like, oh, well, you know, there you go.
Bill Sharp:So, obviously the album came out, but it didn't do as well as we hoped because, I mean, it had four top 40 songs on it.
Bill Sharp:So you think, well, that's pretty.
Bill Sharp:That's enough to really push the album.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, so, yeah, we were both disappointed, for sure.
Interviewer:And was it true that you had thought about potentially doing a second album at one stage, but then for whatever reason, that fell through?
Bill Sharp:Yeah, we actually.
Bill Sharp:We did a couple more songs together.
Bill Sharp:I had a few ideas, and he.
Bill Sharp:That's when, actually, weirdly enough, after the album came and went, and I'd had two or three ideas and he came over to my house.
Bill Sharp:We didn't live too far from each other in those days, and we actually kind of started writing together, which was quite nice, really.
Bill Sharp:So I'd have an idea.
Bill Sharp:He'd say, we'll try this and try that.
Bill Sharp:And then I think I was away touring a fair bit, and then he was busy doing stuff.
Bill Sharp:And so we did, I think, maybe two or three songs, and then it just seemed to peter out a bit, really, because we had other commitments, and then we never got the momentum again to get back to doing it.
Bill Sharp:And I think probably he thought, well, that start.
Bill Sharp:I've done that.
Bill Sharp:And I know that Gary's fans, they have very divided opinions about people he works with, because obviously he's collaborated with a few different people.
Bill Sharp:So I know that for a lot of people the sharp and human thing was they probably didn't like it, which is perfectly fair.
Bill Sharp:But I've also had some really nice comments from people saying that they really enjoyed it as well.
Bill Sharp:I think for the sharpened human thing, for maybe his real fans, is probably a bit of marmite.
Bill Sharp:It's a bit you love it or you hate it kind of thing, but that's what music's about, really.
Bill Sharp:But generally I have no one come up to me and say, punch me, how dare you, Harry?
Bill Sharp:And all that sort of stuff.
Bill Sharp:Most people have been really kind of.
Interviewer:Which is not so you have a couple of songs there that could.
Interviewer:That could still exist in some.
Bill Sharp:There are two or three songs that exist.
Bill Sharp:I mean, he's singing on a few demo y things that they'll probably never see the light today because, I mean, now he sees, obviously he's in a great place touring and his whole show is very, very different from the kind of stuff that we might ever do together again.
Bill Sharp:So I can't.
Bill Sharp:I mean, we stay in touch a little bit because obviously he's living in America now, but I can't see us ever working together again because he's in a very different place and, you know, and doing really well.
Bill Sharp:Maybe if he wasn't doing so well, he might sell film.
Bill Sharp:But I'm really pleased that he's doing great touring and obviously from all the fans and people I know, some people contact me and they say, you know, they went to see the show and he looks like he's putting on a really good show.
Bill Sharp:Band sounds great and his profile is really great.
Bill Sharp:So.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, I can't see us doing anything again together, but I'm just.
Bill Sharp:I'm really pleased what we did together.
Bill Sharp:And I, you know, when I listen back to some of the stuff, I think, well, you know, it wasn't.
Bill Sharp:It was a lovely thing to do.
Bill Sharp:We've got some great memories from that time and, you know, it's.
Bill Sharp:It's a part of my history, part of his history.
Bill Sharp:And.
Bill Sharp:And particularly change your mind, I think, is the one song I do feel, I think still stands the test of time.
Bill Sharp:I think it sounds like when I hear it on the radio, I think that's a nice production, definitely.
Interviewer:Well, you've been pretty, very prolific during your career, obviously lots of solo albums, you work with Gary and lots of other collaborations and obviously everything with Shack attack.
Interviewer:So is it fair to say that you essentially just love the process of making and performing music and that's never gone away yeah.
Bill Sharp:Oh, yeah.
Bill Sharp:I mean, I loved, you know, the Shacktac thing is we're like a family and we.
Bill Sharp:That's our number one priority.
Bill Sharp:Or even I was working with Gary, you know, I think the band thought, my God, he's going to leave and go off and they're going to be like the eurythmics or something like that.
Bill Sharp:But that was never the plan.
Bill Sharp:You know, Gary obviously had his thing.
Bill Sharp:I had the Shacktac thing, so it was never in my brain to do that.
Bill Sharp:Shacktac's always been the main thing.
Bill Sharp:But when we have a bit of downtime and I just enjoy the process, you say.
Bill Sharp:And I've always liked all different styles of music.
Bill Sharp:I mean, before Shacktac, I was playing guitar in, like, rock band.
Bill Sharp:So, like, I.
Bill Sharp:All styles of different music.
Bill Sharp:And so when I've, you know, quite often, I meet people at various things.
Bill Sharp:And so, like, I met fast Eddie Clark.
Bill Sharp:He was in motorhead.
Bill Sharp:And we just sat together and we go on really well.
Bill Sharp:And he said, you fancy doing an album?
Bill Sharp:So I said, yeah, great, let's do that.
Bill Sharp:So it comes about, I worked with Jarl Wobble at bass Player Hill, and we met.
Bill Sharp:We played a bit together.
Bill Sharp:So that's he making an album.
Bill Sharp:So I kind of thought when it's different people and different styles, I really enjoyed that process.
Bill Sharp:And working with those guys was completely different to Shakti.
Bill Sharp:I mean, Eddie was.
Bill Sharp:He was, you know, it was.
Bill Sharp:He was a lovely guy.
Bill Sharp:Could be a bit up and down.
Bill Sharp:Took a long time to finish that album.
Bill Sharp:But I'm so pleased we.
Bill Sharp:That particular album, we did that it was a blues album because he loved playing blues because it's the last thing he ever did, sadly, before he passed away and yar wobble.
Bill Sharp:And then, of course, I do more jazz stuff, american guy called Don Bruce.
Bill Sharp:And we've made a few albums together.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, so I'm always up, you know, if I was out, you know, a party or quite often, you know, you meet people and somebody said, oh, bill, fancy making an album?
Bill Sharp:Yeah, let's do an album.
Bill Sharp:So I'm always up for trying different things, and whereas the shack, that thing is the.
Bill Sharp:It's still the number one thing.
Bill Sharp:And same say for all of us, you know, I mean, we all go off and do solo projects, and I think that's really healthy.
Interviewer:Absolutely.
Interviewer:Well, I've got a couple of questions from listeners as well.
Interviewer:So just from Ariel Melton, she just asked, I love Shack attack, as well as sharp and Newman.
Interviewer:My burning question is, will shack Attack tour the us sun ish.
Interviewer:Would love to see them live.
Bill Sharp:Well, yeah, we would love to tour America, actually.
Bill Sharp:It's a weird thing.
Bill Sharp:We never actually played in America.
Bill Sharp:We nearly have.
Bill Sharp:A few times.
Bill Sharp:Back in the nineties, we had a couple of albums that did well in the contemporary jazz charts.
Bill Sharp:We were going to go out and play in the States, but for some reason it didn't work out.
Bill Sharp:Whether it's to do with visas or the financial side of things.
Bill Sharp:I mean, I've worked on recording in the States.
Bill Sharp:I've done albums there.
Bill Sharp:I played with different musicians out there.
Bill Sharp:So I performed in the States, but never a shack attack.
Bill Sharp:So we'd love to go out and play.
Bill Sharp:I mean, I think it becomes more difficult.
Bill Sharp:I know that touring and traveling in the States can be quite expensive, but I've always liked the idea of maybe like a one off show, maybe in LA or New York, something like that.
Bill Sharp:Always sounds pretty cool, saying, yeah, we're just going to play in LA.
Bill Sharp:So hopefully, I would say one of our ambitions is to get out playing America.
Bill Sharp:So hopefully we will sometime.
Interviewer:Awesome.
Interviewer:Fingers crossed.
Interviewer:And Richard Vereko asked, did he ever fancy a sharp and human tour?
Interviewer:Was that ever even on the cars.
Host:Potentially, at the time, no.
Bill Sharp:We never talked about.
Bill Sharp:I did go.
Bill Sharp:I went to see Gary when he played at Hammersmith, actually, when the singer was doing quite well.
Bill Sharp:And then I thought, well, would we perform that track together?
Bill Sharp:And then I think we both.
Bill Sharp:It's kind of a difficult track.
Bill Sharp:There's so much stuff on the track.
Bill Sharp:I mean, of course, now it wouldn't be difficult to put it all together.
Bill Sharp:But then, you know, the introduction itself, I guess we could have copied it onto tape, but to put the song together would have been challenging.
Bill Sharp:But no, I mean, we never.
Bill Sharp:I doubt we'll ever play together live.
Bill Sharp:So, I mean, never say never.
Bill Sharp:You never know.
Interviewer:Let's get it started now.
Bill Sharp:But I don't think it would probably fit into his show.
Bill Sharp:Listening to the sort of stuff he's doing these days, I can't see him turning around suddenly saying, and now change your mind.
Interviewer:I'd love a dark working of it.
Interviewer:That'd be great, maybe.
Bill Sharp:Yeah.
Interviewer:And Richard James asked what synths were used on change of mind.
Interviewer:Any details of the production process?
Interviewer:For example, was the Fairlight CMI used for this one?
Bill Sharp:No, no, it was.
Bill Sharp:It was very simple, actually.
Bill Sharp:The.
Bill Sharp:The only keyboards I used on it were, let me think, it was a profit five, which I used to do the bass, the bass synth, because it was all play I mean, there was no sequencing until it was all played live by hand and so I had to spend hours obviously getting the timing right there was obviously there was a drum machine I can't remember I don't know what drum machine we used actually some kind of simmons, I think and a DX seven or the introduction that's all DX seven and a real piano on the chorus that change your mind?
Bill Sharp:There's a piano thing so that was real piano so it's just.
Bill Sharp:Yeah, it's just DX seven prophet and an old Bosendorp piano and a drum.
Interviewer:Machine great and just finally Simon asks I know that Bill worked with John Peel at the BBC in the early eighties does he have any interesting peel anecdotes he'd be able to share.
Bill Sharp:With all these?
Bill Sharp:There's always so many stories you can't tell yeah, but the peel.
Bill Sharp:I guess one of the nice things about repeal working with him was that when we.
Bill Sharp:I was still working at the BBC when.
Bill Sharp:When we.
Bill Sharp:I think maybe the one of the first appearances we did on Top of the pops I still had a day job it was a strange thing but that's the way it was at the time and so I was doing a show they used to pre record top of the pops on a Wednesday to show on a Thursday John liked to pre record his Thursday show on a Wednesday morning so he'd go home and have a long weekend so we recorded his show in the morning and it so happened that he'd been invited back it was the first time that he'd been asked to go back and compare top of the pulps since he.
Bill Sharp:I think he did it in the sixties, I think and it's coincided that we were on it as well so we finished recording his show a broadcasting house and then we went.
Bill Sharp:Went down to television center to do Top of the pops which was kind of fun and then when he decided for some reason when we recorded it he started this little catchphrase thing and he said here's my mate Bill sharp yet another awful shirt and they weren't great shirts but I thought it was really nice so every time we were on top of the pop together he always used to say my mate Bill Sharpe and so it was kind of a nice.
Bill Sharp:It was a nice thing for him to do because to be honest, I mean, Shacketta was not his kind of music and he did once play easiest said than done he played it on his show because it was my birthday at the end of the show but normally it would not be his sort of music, because he'd be playing the undertones and all kinds of sort of like indie punk pop.
Bill Sharp:So we developed a friendship in spite of the fact probably he didn't really like the music.
Bill Sharp:But you know what?
Bill Sharp:We worked together and that was fun, really.
Bill Sharp:So he was.
Bill Sharp:He's a great guy and he went way too young, actually, 65, so.
Bill Sharp:But we had some good times together, too.
Bill Sharp:Still at number one, that's the Gombe dance.
Bill Sharp:Next week's top of the box will be introduced by Simon Bates.
Background Singer:We're going to play out tonight with Shaq Attack.
Bill Sharp:The fella in the dreadful shirt is my mate Bill Sharp.
Bill Sharp:Good night.
Interviewer:Finally.
Interviewer:When can.
Interviewer:What's coming up next?
Interviewer:When can fans potentially see or hear from you next in the workplace?
Bill Sharp:Well, yeah, with Shack attack, we kind of never stopped touring.
Bill Sharp:We do like, we had a big.
Bill Sharp:We had a big european tour three or four weeks in the spring.
Bill Sharp:So that's like a proper tour and we'll be doing that probably next autumn.
Bill Sharp:But around the UK we just have regular gigs that we do.
Bill Sharp:And so in the beginning of August, where we do every year, we do six nights at the Pizza Express in Soho, which is a smallish 120 seat venue.
Bill Sharp:But it's great because we just do like a residency there.
Bill Sharp:So we tend to do nine or ten nights, then we do some more in the winter.
Bill Sharp:So that's kind of a nice thing to.
Bill Sharp:Nice thing to do.
Bill Sharp:And then if people want to check on www.shacktac.com, you can see where we're playing.
Bill Sharp:And we had a new album that came out last year, but we just signed a deal with the record company in Japan to do another three albums.
Bill Sharp:So.
Bill Sharp:So which is great because we still actually do make, you know, like, gary's still recording new music.
Bill Sharp:We still make new music because we like to go, you know, people want to hear all the old hits, but it's also nice to throw in a few new tunes as well.
Bill Sharp:So.
Bill Sharp:Yeah, and it's still the original lineup, which is amazing.
Bill Sharp:I mean, I jokingly say it, gigs now.
Bill Sharp:It's amazing because we're all still alive.
Bill Sharp:We're a little bit older now, but, yeah, so it's.
Bill Sharp:There aren't many bands from that era that still have the original lineup.
Bill Sharp:I can think of you too.
Bill Sharp:There probably are loads of other bands I can't think of.
Bill Sharp:But it's.
Bill Sharp:It's nice that the Shackatak family is still together, recording and touring.
Bill Sharp:So if you, you know, come see us, come say hi, we don't do meet and greet.
Bill Sharp:We don't charge the people to come and see us say hello, which I know is a very popular thing these days.
Bill Sharp:So, yeah, so we're very lucky.
Bill Sharp:You know, we're all a little bit older, and I'm sure Gary would say the same thing.
Bill Sharp:You know, we're all very grateful that people still come and see us because live music has become so much more important now.
Bill Sharp:Because in terms of recording music, unless you're Taylor Swift or Ed Sheeran, you don't make near the same sort of money you used to be able to make back when we were having hit records.
Bill Sharp:So the live, live music has become a much more important part for any young band or any band's source of income because it's really hard to make money from recording these days.
Interviewer:Absolutely.
Interviewer:Well, that all sounds really exciting.
Interviewer:So thanks so much for your time today, Bill.
Interviewer:It's been awesome having you on electric friends.
Interviewer:Thank you.
Bill Sharp:Pleasure.
Host:Well, that was Bill Sharp, a truly gifted musician and a really lovely man.
Host:It was so good speaking to him at lengthen, and I look forward to hearing what comes next.
Host:And who knows?
Host:Maybe we can convince him and Gary to team up on those unreleased tracks one day.
Interviewer:So that's it for this episode.
Host:I'll be back with another installment next time, and I'll soon be uploading the video version of this interview on my YouTube channel, so it may well already be there by the time you listen to this.
Host:You can follow me at Newman podcast on Facebook, x, Instagram, and TikTok.
Host:And you can also email me@newmanpodcastmail.com dot.
Host:So please get in touch for anything at all, including your numenoid stories of how you discovered Gary Neiman and what he and his music has meant to you.
Host:And I'll read out the best ones in future episodes.
Host:So thanks for listening and I'll see you next time.
Background Singer:And change your mind give up what you can't defend change the moment nothing ever stays the same.
Bill Sharp:Electric friends, a Gary Newman podcast celebrating the tracks by a musical pioneer.
Bill Sharp:Pioneer.
