The Shakin' Pyramids | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Glasgow, Scotland |
Genres | Rockabilly Rock and Roll |
Years active | 1980–1983 |
Labels | Cuba Libre (Virgin Records) Scotti Brothers Records Raucous Records |
Past members | Davie Duncan James G. Creighton "Railroad" Ken McLellan |
The Shakin' Pyramids (also known as Shakin' Pyramids) were a Scottish rockabilly band formed in Glasgow in 1980. The band consisted of Davie Duncan (vocals, harmonica, percussion) James G. Creighton (acoustic and electric guitar, vocals) and "Railroad" Ken McLellan (acoustic guitar, vocals).
During the band's recording career from 1980–1983, they released two studio albums, four singles, and three extended plays—the last of which was recorded with the British musician Lonnie Donegan. Although the Shakin' Pyramids did not enjoy any major chart successes, their output was well-received by critics and has been described as having helped define the rockabilly revival of the early 1980s.
Creighton and Duncan died from strokes in 2021 and 2024, respectively.
The Shakin' Pyramids formed in Glasgow in 1980, and began busking around the city. The band travelled internationally and were ultimately spotted playing outside a Virgin Megastore in London, which led to a deal with Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. [1] [2]
The Shakin' Pyramids' first song for Cuba Libre, "Reeferbilly Boogie", was recorded in 1980 on a four-track recorder at the Hellfire club in Glasgow, and was named "Single of the Week" by NME . [3] [4] Also that year the band played the Loch Lomond Festival, alongside the Jam, Stiff Little Fingers and the Tourists. [3]
The group's first EP, entitled Take a Trip, was released the following year. The title track appeared on their debut album, entitled Skin 'Em Up (1981), which received 5/5 stars from Rolling Stone . [5] AllMusic, who also praised the record, described it as having "helped define the short-lived rockabilly revival of the early '80s." [6] The album was promoted by a single, "Tennessee Rock 'n 'Roll", which was also the title of an EP featuring single B-side "Alright Alnight" and two new tracks. Later in 1981, the band released a third and final EP in collaboration with musician Lonnie Donegan, [7] who is described by the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums as "Britain's most successful and influential recording artist before the Beatles." [8]
The band's second and final studio album, Celts and Cobras (1982) – on the cover of which they were billed as "Shakin' Pyramids" – was more diverse in its style but was seen as a departure from the group's original, immediate sound. [9] [10] Trouser Press declared that "The band still rocks, but they'd better figure out where they're going." [7] "Pharaoh's Chant" was released as the album's first single, followed by "Just A Memory". The group ultimately disbanded in 1983, midway through a Canadian tour. [4]
The Shakin' Pyramids played to audiences worldwide and made a number of television appearances during their short career. [11] Ken Smith of The Herald described the band's oeuvre as being composed of "critically-acclaimed but modestly-selling records". [1]
The Shakin' Pyramids (1983), a compilation album, was released shortly after the group's disbandment by Rock 'n Roll Records, a Scotti Brothers Records subsidiary. A live set recorded at the Kelvingrove Free Music Festival in Glasgow in May 1981 was released as Reeferbilly Blowout by Raucous Records in 2001. [4] [11]
In the mid 1980s Creighton played with the Fighting Fifty-First. [2] In the 1990s he provided musicianship for the River Detectives and served as frontman of the Buicks. [2] [12] Creighton released two solo albums on Raucous during the 2010s; his third and final album was released via his own website in 2018. [13] Creighton died from a stroke on 17 February 2021, aged 62. [2]
Duncan and McLellan performed as the Véloniños with guitarist Laurie Cuffe and bassist Hugh Jamieson. [14] Duncan died from a stroke in early June 2024, aged 65. [15]
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan was a British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician, referred to as the "King of Skiffle", who influenced 1960s British pop and rock musicians. Born in Scotland and brought up in England, Donegan began his career in the British trad jazz revival but transitioned to skiffle in the mid-1950s, rising to prominence with a hit recording of the American folk song "Rock Island Line" which helped spur the broader UK skiffle movement.
Stray Cats are an American rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist and vocalist Brian Setzer, double bassist Lee Rocker, and drummer Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia, Canada, and the U.S. including "Stray Cat Strut", "(She's) Sexy + 17", "Look at That Cadillac", "I Won't Stand in Your Way", "Bring It Back Again", and "Rock This Town", which the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has listed as one of the songs that shaped rock and roll.
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The Polecats are an English rockabilly band formed at the end of the 1970s.
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Jonathan "Rocky" Burnette is an American singer and musician and the son to the rockabilly and pop singer Johnny Burnette. Rocky is best known for his 1980 hit single "Tired of Toein' the Line" which he co-wrote with Ron Coleman, who formerly wrote, recorded and performed with The Brothers Grim and The Everly Brothers.
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Michael Richard Gee was a rock and roll guitarist who played alongside some of the most prominent Welsh musicians of the last forty years.
Skin 'Em Up is the debut album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group the Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1981 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. It reached no. 48 on the UK Albums Chart, and yielded a single in "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll". The band released three EPs during 1981, two of which were led by tracks from the album: Take a Trip and Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll. The album has been described as an important release in the early 1980s rockabilly revival.
Celts and Cobras is the second and final studio album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group the Shakin' Pyramids, released in 1982 by Cuba Libre, a subsidiary of Virgin Records. "Just a Memory" and "Pharaoh's Chant" were released as singles from the album. It features a more diverse instrumental palette than the band's debut album, Skin 'Em Up (1981), but was seen as a departure from the group's original, immediate sound.
Reeferbilly Blowout is a live album from the Scottish neo-rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids. It was recorded on 24 May 1981 at the Kelvingrove Free Music Festival in Glasgow.
The Shakin' Pyramids is a compilation album from the Scottish Neo-Rockabilly group The Shakin' Pyramids, released shortly after the group's disbandment in 1983 by Rock 'n Roll Records, a Scotti Brothers Records subsidiary. The album features ten tracks: five from their 1981 debut album, Skin 'Em Up, and five from their second and final album, Celts and Cobras, released in 1982. Although normally billed as a trio, live and session bassist Dave Rivett joins the band on the album cover.
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