The Epic Masters is a box set compilation comprising ten remastered albums by Shakin' Stevens. Released on 16 November 2009, the set contains nine albums originally released by Epic Records between 1980 and 1990, plus an exclusive CD of 12" extended mixes. The set was also made available as a download through iTunes.
Background Although one of the most popular acts of the 1980s, Shakin' Stevens' major period of success came just before the emergence of the compact disc as a major format. Three of Stevens' albums, This Ole House (1981), Shaky (1981) and Give Me Your Heart Tonight (1982), had made the top 3 of the UK charts during 1981 and 1982 and, as a result, his 1983 release The Bop Won't Stop was one of the earliest of Epic's albums to be transferred to the CD format. However, despite producing three Top 5 hit singles, the album itself stalled at number 21 in the charts. In response to this relative failure, Epic ignored Shaky's next two album releases (one of which was his Greatest Hits album).
By the time of Stevens' next release - 1987's Let's Boogie - compact disc had become the dominant music format and, indeed, all of Stevens' subsequent studio albums were released on CD. However, the rise of the CD happened to coincide with a decline in the Welsh rocker's popularity and, apart from a few hits compilations and a very limited release of This Ole House (1981) in the early 1990s, many of Shaky's most popular recordings were to be denied a digital release for many years.
In 2003, Epic's parent company Sony BMG released a compromise three CD box set entitled Hits And More which contained most of the hits plus various selected album tracks. However, a resurgence in Stevens' popularity which began with him winning the 2005 ITV show Hit Me Baby One More Time resulted in the hits album The Collection reaching number 4 in the UK album charts. With Shaky's appearance at the 2008 Glastonbury Festival helping to confirm his popularity among those old enough to remember him the first time around, Sony finally relented and authorised, for the first time, the release of all of Shakin' Stevens' original albums on compact disc.
Marketed as a 30th anniversary celebration of Shaky's first hit single "Hot Dog", The Epic Masters contains 147 digitally remastered tracks (apparently overseen by Stevens himself) spread across ten compact discs. The set includes all of the albums Stevens recorded for Epic with the exception of the Merry Christmas Everyone album (which had already been available on a remastered CD since 2005) and represents the first appearance on compact disc in their entirety of the albums Take One! (1980), Shaky (1981), Give Me Your Heart Tonight and Lipstick, Powder and Paint. Each album is boosted by the addition of non-album b-sides and are housed in slip cases which reproduce the original vinyl releases. The package is completed by a bonus CD of selected 12" mixes plus a fully annotated booklet.
Apart from the Merry Christmas Everyone album, The Epic Masters contains virtually everything Shakin' Stevens released on Epic. Among the few omissions are the original single versions of "Hot Dog", "Blue Christmas" and the number one hit "Merry Christmas Everyone" (all previously available on several compilations). Also missing are most of the live recordings available on the B-sides of various singles. Of the extended mixes not included on The 12" CD, the most glaring omission would be the "Megamixofhits" compilation included on the "Teardrops" 12" which formed the basis of the "Hits Keep Coming" live medley from Let's Boogie. Finally, the digital remasters retained the noticeably different mixes of the number one hits "This Ole House", "Green Door" and "Oh Julie" which were included on the 2005 compilation The Collection.
Remastering
It has been noted on Steve Hoffman's forum that several fans who have bought this set have been very disappointed in the remastering, as all the albums contain brickwall limiting. Results on the online dynamic range database range from DR1 to DR2, with many of the songs constantly clipping. Some fans hoped that Sony could redo this set again without the obnoxiously loud mastering, but consensus is that this will not happen.
Track listing
Disc 1
Take One! (1980) Erroneously dated in the box set as being released in October 1979, Take One! was not in fact released until February 1980, after the "Hot Dog" single had become Shaky's first UK hit single. Produced by Mike Hurst, the album contained a host of experienced session men, including lead guitarist Albert Lee, pianist Geraint Watkins, steel guitarist B.J. Cole and bassist and arranger Stuart Colman. In April 1982 the album was re-released under the new title of Hot Dog with "That's All Right" and "Ah, Poor Little Baby" being replaced by "You and I Were Meant to Be" and "Make It Right Tonight" respectively. The Epic Masters CD also contains Stevens' first three non-album singles recorded for Epic in 1978 and 1979. This is the first release on CD of the Take One! album.
"Lovestruck" (Ernie Barton) "Hot Dog" (Buck Owens, Denny Dedmon) "Is a Bluebird Blue?" (Dan Penn) "That's All Right" (Gerald Nelson, Fred Burch) "Without a Love" (Jimmy & Ronnie Isle) "Shame Shame Shame" (Ruby Fisher, Ken Hopkins) "Shotgun Boogie" (Tennessee Ernie Ford) "I Got Burned" (Ral Donner) "I Guess I Was a Fool" (Buddy Holly) "Ah, Poor Little Baby" (Rex Koury, Falk) "Little Pigeon" (Ray Whitt) "Do What You Did" (Thurston Harris) Bonus Tracks "Apron Strings" (George David Weiss, Aaron Schroeder) (B-side of "Hot Dog") "Treat Her Right" (Roy Head, Jean Kurtz) (Single) "I Don't Want No Other Baby" (Dickie Bishop, Bob Watson) (B-side of "Treat Her Right" and "Spooky") "Endless Sleep" (Jody Reynolds/Dolores Nance) (Single) "Fire" (Bruce Springsteen) (B-side of "Endless Sleep") "Spooky" (Buddy Buie, James Cobb, Harry Middlebrooks, Mike Shapiro) (Single)
Disc 2
This Ole House (1981) The first of the hugely successful trio of Stuart Colman produced albums, This Ole House was originally released under the title of Marie Marie on 17 October 1980. However, the album initially failed to make the charts but was re-issued and re-titled on 27 March 1981 after the success of the "This Ole House" single and Stevens was rewarded with a number 2 position on the album charts. "This Ole House" replaced the song "Two Hearts Two Kisses" (listed on the Marie Marie album by simply "Two Hearts" at the time) from the original album which is now reinstated as a bonus track on The Epic Masters CD. The album retained most of the same musicians from the Take One! (1980) album, with the addition of ace Welsh guitarist (and ex-member of Shaky's previous backing group the Sunsets) Mickey Gee.
"Hey Mae" (Rusty & Doug Kershaw) "Baby If We Touch" (Shakin' Stevens) "Marie, Marie" (Dave Alvin) "Lonely Blue Boy" (Ben Weisman, Fred Wise) "Make It Right Tonight" (Shakin' Stevens) "Move" (Peter Green, C. McNabb Jr.) "Slippin' and Slidin'" (Richard Penniman, Eddie Bocage, Al (not Albert) Collins, James Smith) "Shooting Gallery" (Brian Hodgson, Tony Colton) "Revenue Man" (Donny Young) "Make Me Know You're Mine" (Aaron Schroeder, David Hill) "This Ole House" (Stuart Hamblen) "Nobody" (Wayne Carson Thompson) Bonus Track "Two Hearts Two Kisses" (Henry Stone, Otis Williams) From "Marie Marie" LP
Disc 3
Shaky (1981) Originally released on 4 September 1981 at the peak of Stevens' popularity, Shaky was his first (and to date only) number 1 album. Alongside three top 10 singles (the UK number 1 "Green Door", "You Drive Me Crazy" and "It's Raining") the album also contained five of Stevens' own compositions. When the album was released in Australia (with a slightly different track listing) it was re-titled Green Door and even received a CD release in the early 1990s. However, The Epic Masters marks the album's first release on CD in its original form. The bonus track "You and I Were Meant to Be" was also included on the Hot Dog album released in 1982.
"Mona Lisa" (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) "You Drive Me Crazy" (Ronnie Harwood) "I'm Knockin'" (Shakin' Stevens) "It's Raining" (Naomi Neville) "Don't She Look Good" (Joey Spampinato) "Green Door" (Bob Davie, Marvin Moore) "Don't Bug Me Baby" (Luallen, Bragg) "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (Don Gibson) "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" (Fred E. Ahlert, Joe Young) "This Time" (Chips Moman) "Baby You're a Child" (Shakin' Stevens) "Don't Turn Your Back" (Shakin' Stevens) "Let Me Show You How" (Shakin' Stevens) "I'm Lookin'" (Shakin' Stevens) Bonus Track "You and I Were Meant to Be" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "It's Raining")
Disc 4
Give Me Your Heart Tonight (1982) The last of the Stuart Colman produced albums, 1982's Give Me Your Heart Tonight was Shaky's third top 3 album in two years. As well as the self-composed number 1 single "Oh Julie", the album also contained another three top 20 hits. Midway through the sessions, Stevens created a new studio band with the addition of The Rumour Brass, a four piece horn section, and only guitarist Roger McKew remaining from the previous three albums. Like the Shaky album, Give Me Your Heart Tonight was issued on compact disc with an altered track listing in Australia in the early 1990s. The Epic Masters however, gives the album its first CD release in its original form.
"Josephine" (Shakin' Stevens) "Give Me Your Heart Tonight" (Billy Livsey) "Sapphire" (Jack Hammer) "Oh Julie" (Shakin' Stevens) "I'll Be Satisfied" (Berry Gordy Jr., Tyran Carlo) "Vanessa" (Billy Swan, Dennis Linde) "Boppity Bop" (Shakin' Stevens) "Don't Tell Me We're Through" (Shakin' Stevens) "Shirley" (John Fred, Tommy Bryan) "You Never Talked About Me" (Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman) "Too Too Much" (Stuart Leathwood, Gary Sulsh) "(Yeah) You're Evil" (Shakin' Stevens) "Que Sera, Sera" (Jay Livingston, Ray Evans) Bonus Tracks
"I'm for You" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "Shirley") "Thinkin' of You" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "Give Me Your Heart Tonight") "Don't Be Late (Miss Kate)" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "I'll Be Satisfied") "Lawdy Miss Clawdy (live)" (Lloyd Price) (from "Shakin' Stevens Special Edition EP")
Disc 5
The Bop Won't Stop (1983) Produced mainly by Christopher Neil, The Bop Won't Stop signalled a move towards a more contemporary pop sound, highlighted by the top 3 single "Cry Just a Little Bit". Despite producing three other top 20 singles (two reaching the top 5), the album itself did not perform as well on the charts as Stevens' previous three albums. Nevertheless, The Bop Won't Stop became Shaky's first compact disc release in 1984. Among the bonus tracks included on The Epic Masters are "Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night" which was released as a Europe-only single in 1983, and "A Letter To You", a top 10 single released ahead of 1984's Greatest Hits compilation.
"The Bop Won't Stop" (Steve Tatler) "Why Do You Treat Me This Way?" (Shakin' Stevens) "Diddle I" (Hogberg, Lawton) "Don't Be Two Faced" (Tom Bee) "Livin' Lovin' Wreck" (Otis Blackwell) "A Rockin' Good Way (To Mess Around and Fall in Love)" (Brook Benton, Clyde Otis, Luchi DeJesus) Duet with Bonnie Tyler "Brand New Man" (Mickey Gee) "Cry Just a Little Bit" (Bob Heatlie) "As Long As" (Steve Markwick, S. Stevens) "A Love Worth Waiting For" (Gary Sulsh, Stuart Leathwood) "Love Me Tonight" (Shakin' Stevens) "It's Late" (Dorsey Burnette) Bonus Tracks
"It's Good for You (Baby)" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "It's Late") "Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night" (Stephen Schlaks, Robert Glazer) (B-side of "Cry Just a Little Bit" 12") "A Letter to You " (Dennis Linde) (Single) "Come Back and Love Me" (Shakin' Stevens) (B-side of "A Letter to You")
Disc 6
Lipstick, Powder and Paint (1985)