Shanks & Bigfoot

Shanks & Bigfoot were a British duo of dance music/UK garage producers Steven Meade & Danny Langsman, best known for their hit single "Sweet Like Chocolate". They were originally known as Doolally, recording the pirate anthem "Straight from the Heart" under this name in 1998. It was the first 2-step garage record to break the UK national charts, peaking at #20. It was subsequently re-released in 2000 on the back of their chart success with "Sweet Like Chocolate" and reached #9.

uccess

The single "Sweet Like Chocolate" was a hit even before commercial release, receiving months of club play before debuting at #1 and remaining there for two weeks. Much to the surprise of the duo, the song had charmed over the UK, becoming one of the most popular singles of the late 1990s. Many journalists commented on the song's unavoidable presence on the streets of London, and it became the first single in UK history to top the dance, national, independent and R&B charts simultaneously. The single was the 8th biggest seller of 1999 in the UK. It remains the biggest record the UK Garage scene produced.

"We think it must have captured people's imaginations somehow", said Shanks in an interview. "I don't think you ever think 'this is a big record' when you make one... it was something that just happened." Vocals on the track were sung by [http://www.sharonwoolf.com/ Sharon Woolf] , who also sung "Straight from the Heart" for them the year before.

Sweet Like Chocolate" was originally released in a limited brown vinyl pressing of 1,000 copies, and demand quickly exceeded supply. The shortage of copies and delayed promo mailouts saw copies changing hands for as much as £80 each. The BBC reported that several girls threatened a London DJ at knife-point when they requested "Sweet Like Chocolate" and he was unable to play it.

The video for "Sweet Like Chocolate" was computer-animated and hugely popular at the time. It featured a girl walking along in an area where almost everything is made of chocolate . The video was created by Visualisation Services Ltd (Darren Lee) [http://www.vsl3d.com] and was nominated for a Brit and a MOBO in 1999 but failed to win on either occasion.

Aftermath

At the annual MOBO Awards in 1999, Shanks & Bigfoot received three nominations and won one, for Best British Dance Act - beating out Fatboy Slim, Armand van Helden and Phats & Small. Additionally, they were nominated for two Ivor Novello awards and two BRITs. A bidding war for Shanks & Bigfoot soon resulted, with the duo eventually signing to Zomba Records. They were also in hot demand as songwriters, with Britney Spears asking them to write for her as well as Beyonce and Destiny's Child reporting in the now-defunct Ministry magazine that they loved the record and had taken copies of "Sweet Like Chocolate" back to the US where it was never released. In 2000 they released their debut and only album "Swings and Roundabouts" along with the follow up single to "Sweet Like Chocolate", "Sing-A-Long" which failed to match the commercial success of "Sweet Like Chocolate", peaking at #12. UK soul singer Terri Walker, an unknown at the time, provided vocals for all of the album except for "Sweet Like Chocolate". That year they also remixed Jamiroquai's "Canned Heat" as a B-side for their "King for a Day" single, and mixed a Ministry of Sound compilation entitled "Ayia Napa - The Album" which surprised many with its unusual mix of influences and strong, underground credentials.

Like Artful Dodger who burst onto the scene the year after them, Shanks & Bigfoot were regarded as outsiders by a garage scene that was unable to replicate the catchy hooks and melodies which accounted for their phenomenal success. For many, the era was the Golden Age of UK Garage with songs, front and centre of the productions. Without the songs, the genre attracted fewer female fans and the music became moodier, less musical and, consequently, less marketable. It also picked up a reputation for violence which hampered the career of chart-toppers So Solid Crew.

Discography

Albums

*"Swings and Roundabouts" (2000)
*"Ayia Napa - The Album" (compilation) (2000)

ingles

*"Straight from the Heart" (as Doolally) (1998) #20 UK re-released (1999) #9 UK
*"Sweet Like Chocolate" (1999) #1 UK (2 weeks), #9 Australia
*"Sing-A-Long" (2000) #12 UK

Remixes

*"R.U. Ready" (Shanks & Bigfoot Mix) - Sharon Woolf (1999):released on promo 12"
*"Will You Wait For Me (Doolally Vocal Mix + Shanks & Bigfoot Dub)" - Kavana (1999)
*"Boost Dem (Doolally Mix)" - Kitachi (1999)
*"Canned Heat (Shanks & Bigfoot Extended Master Mix)" - Jamiroquai (2000):released on "King for a Day" single

External links

* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/Shanks+%26+Bigfoot Shanks & Bigfoot discography] at Discogs.
* [http://www.sharonwoolf.com/ Sharon Woolf official website]
* [http://www.terriwalker.com/ Terri Walker official website]