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Shanks & Bigfoot | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Doolally |
| Origin | United Kingdom |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1998–2001 |
| Labels | Jive |
| Past members |
|
Shanks & Bigfoot were a British duo ofUK garageproducers Steven Meade and Danny Langsman, known principally for their single "Sweet like Chocolate", which topped theUK Singles Chart in 1999. They were originally known asDoolally, recording the pirate anthem "Straight from the Heart" under this name in 1998. Upon its first release, "Straight from the Heart" peaked at number twenty on the UK chart. It was subsequently re-released in 1999 on the back of their chart success with "Sweet Like Chocolate", and reached number nine on the chart.
The single "Sweet Like Chocolate" was a success even before commercial release, receiving months of club play before debuting at number one on theUK Singles Chart, where it remained for two weeks. Much to the surprise of the duo, the song became one of the most popular singles of the late 1990s. The single went on to become Britain's eighth-biggest selling single of 1999.
"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 bySharon Woolf, who also sung "Straight from the Heart" for them the year before.
The video for "Sweet Like Chocolate" was computer-animated and popular at the time. It featured a girl walking along in an area where almost everything is made ofchocolate. The video was created byVisualisation Services Ltd (Darren Lee) and was nominated for aBRIT and aMOBO in 1999, but failed to win on either occasion.
At the annualMOBO Awards in 1999, Shanks & Bigfoot received three nominations and won one, for Best British Dance Act, beating outFatboy Slim,Armand van Helden andPhats & Small. Additionally, they were nominated for twoIvor Novello Awards and two BRITs. A bidding war for Shanks & Bigfoot soon resulted, with the duo eventually signing toZomba Records. They were also in hot demand as songwriters, withBritney Spears asking them to write for her, as well asBeyoncé andDestiny's Child reporting in the now-defunctMinistry magazine, that they loved the record and had taken copies of "Sweet Like Chocolate" back to the US where it was never released. However, it would later show up in a compilation album that was released Stateside by Epic in 2001.[1]
In late 1999, the duo remixedJamiroquai's song "Canned Heat" as a B-side for their "King for a Day" single.
In 2000, they released their debut and only albumSwings 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 No. 12. English soul singerTerri Walker, an unknown at the time, provided vocals for all of the album except for "Sweet Like Chocolate". In the same year, they also mixed aMinistry of Sound compilation entitledAyia Napa – The Album.
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [2] | UK Dance | AUS [3] | BEL (FL) [4] | GER [5] | IRE [6] | NL [7] | NZ [8] | SWE [9] | SWI [10] | ||||
| "Straight from the Heart"(as Doolally) | 1998 | 20 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | |
| The EP | 1998 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sweet Like Chocolate" | 1999 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 42 | 22 | 9 | 24 | 9 | 25 | 32 | Swings and Roundabouts | |
| "Straight from the Heart"(re-release) | 9 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album singles | ||
| "Watch This Space"(as Doolally) | 2000 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Sing-A-Long" | 2000 | 12 | 1 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Swings and Roundabouts | |
| "Trust in Me" | 2001 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||
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| International | |
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| National | |
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