Timeline

Sandie Shaw. The original Brit Girl. Chiselled cheekbones,sophisticated pop operas, independent girl about town. Otherworldliness, impossible glamour, voice of an angel. Barefaced and Shaw-footed. First number one single at 17 years old. Two more under her belt by the time she was 20. A bevy of hits in UK, Europe, USSR, Canada, North and South America, Japan, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. First to perform behind the Iron Curtain, last to perform in Iran. Loved everywhere by the young at heart.

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1964

  
  At 16, Sandie Shaw was "discovered" by singer, Adam Faith at a concert in which they both performed. Worked as a photographic fashion model to fill in time. At 17, she began her career as an international singing and recording star. Had her first world-wide No1, "Always Something There To Remind Me". By the end of the decade she'd notched up over twenty Top Forty hits - including more number ones than any other female British artist - and captured the global imagination of an entire generation. This material, all self-produced, perfectly distils the essence of that generation.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1965

  
  Started to record in French, German, Italian and Spanish. Has another world-wide No1, "Long Live Love".

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1966

  Is now the face and voice of the Swinging Sixties everywhere: the epitome of how her generation want to look, sound and be. Engages on a triumphant cross generational, cross cultural exchange around Europe and the world; touring, promoting and absorbing cultural influences

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1967

  Continues performing and recording, collecting accolades and awards, creating waves of excitement wherever she goes. Absorbing other cultural influences and exchanging her own unique and contemporary view of the world. Has an unprecedented runaway win of Europe's Eurovision Song Contest (when it was still an achievement worth having!) with Puppet On A String which gave her another worldwide No 1.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1967

  Sandie becomes the first British artist to perform behind the Iron Curtain. Filmed in Czechoslovakia and broadcast throughout the USSR to millions of new fans and opening the door to British pop culture.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1968

  Is now the face and voice of the Swinging Sixties everywhere: the epitome of how her generation want to look, sound and be.Sandie designs and models her own collection of clothes and shoes for the Sandie Shaw label. Marries fashion designer Jeff Banks.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1968

  Conceives ground-breaking 6 part TV series for BBC, "The Sandie Shaw Supplement"â„¢. Still current in film connoisseurs' collections and dreams.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1969

  Finishes the decade with a surprising, some say her best

  album of the Sixties, "Reviewing the Situation" which continues

  to fascinate music cognoscenti for its unusual track list and

  style:

  
  

  1. Reviewing The Situation | 2. Lay Lady Lay | 3. Mama 

  Roux | 4.Sun In My Eyes | 5. Walking The Dog | 6. Love

  Me Do | 7. Oh Gosh | 8. Your Time is Gonna Come | 9. 

  Coconut Grove | 10. Sympathy For The Devil

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1970

  Having become a hugely wealthy self- made woman in the space of just six years decides to take time out to have a baby. Her pregnancy is documented by first of its kind, monthly, feature length progress reports in national tabloids.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1971

  
  Had a daughter, Grace, ends business relationship with Eve Taylor and semi-retired from public life.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1972-1977

  A  five year sabbatical where away from the public eye she enters a period of intense creative output. All the more stunning as it is achieved in a time of  immense personal turmoil in her marriage.
  
  

  1972

  Sets up Tatham Music, a song publishing company and a music house for musicians, writers, and a record session booking agency based in central London. Begins honing her song writing skills with Herbie Flowers and Roger Cook from Blue Mink.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1973-4

  Writes the book for a fantasy musical and then composes the accompanying music with Roger and Herbie. Embarks on a collaborative partnership with the acclaimed Russian artist and designer Erte, creating the characters for the musical.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1974

  Continues her love of writing and painting kids books.
  

  
  

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1975-6

  Tries her hand at acting in the theatre in the role of Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet. Successfully attempts a much more difficult and demanding role as Jeanne D'Arc in Bernard Shaw's St. Joan. Buys house in Ireland. Continues to work on her musical production and opens discussions about a film of the musical with Italian director, Fellini.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1977

  
  

  The previous years' constant stress of her husband's financial mismanagement of his own business, and his loss of her personal money finally take their toll. A sudden illness where she nearly dies is followed by physical and emotional collapse.
  
  

  1978

  
  

  Start of lifelong commitment to Buddhism. Has 
  subsequently taught and introduced hundreds of 
  people to the faith. Go to Barefoot Buddha page Lives with her daughter Grace in London.

  

• 1979-80

  1979-80
  

  Starts writing again putting songs together that will become the album, Choose Lifeâ„¢. Does waitressing to pay the bills and goes back on the road happily doing sad third rate gigs to fund recording.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1981

  
  Releases her version of "Anyone Who Had A Heart" as part of B.E.F's album, Music of Quality and Distinction.
  
  Chrissie Hynde invites her to join The Pretenders on stage.
  
  
  

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1982

  Pays off her first husband's final bank debts and divorces him. Then marries British Film pioneer Nik Powell, co-founder of the Virgin Group and Chairman of European Film Academy with whom she has two children, Amie and Jack.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1983 - 1985

  Out of the blue Morrissey and Johnny Marr from the seminal Eighties band, The Smiths, write Sandie a fan letter. They tell her she has been influential and inspirational in their work and ask if she would please consider working with them. This resulted in a most genuine cross generational collaboration that took everyone by surprise and brought Sandie once more to the forefront of people’s imagination. They performed barefoot together on stage in the UK and Europe and recorded heartrending interpretations of songs like Hand In Glove, I Don’t Owe You Anything, and Jeane. The single Hand In Glove sold more than 20,000 units in 3 days of release. Just like the Sixties!

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1986-7

  
  Sell-out live shows, and more chart success with
  singles "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" and "Frederick".
  
  Concerts, campaigns and fundraises for AIDS related causes and becomes Ambassador for Women Aid of UN.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1988

  
  Release of the mostly self-penned album "Hello
  Angel", acclaimed as one of the year's finest. Sandie is reinvented as a Renaissance Woman for the 80's and becomes the definitive cult heroine for a new
  generation of fans.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1991

  
  Published best-selling autobiographical book entitled The World At My Feet. Buy the book

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  1992

  
  Studied for three years, at Oxford and London
  University. Moves to Oxfordshire.
  
  

  1994

   Qualified as a Psychotherapist.
  
  

  1995

  Divorces Nik who remains her very dear friend.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  
  

  1997

  Founded the Arts Clinic, providing creative
  development and psychological healthcare to the
  entertainment and media industries.
  
  

  1998

  Invited to join the Royal Society of Musicians as an Honorary Professor of Music.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2000

  
  Initiated a marketing strategy to review her entire
  recording career for a re-launch. Commenced a legal battle to establish ownership of her complete record catalogue.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  
  

  2001

  Launched the www.sandieshaw.com website enabling her to re-connect with her original fan base. Found swathes of new fans particularly in the States. Started compiling tracks for a new album from collaborations with top contemporary acts.
  Begins writing her monthly journals

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2002

  Succeeds in retrieving all rights to her record catalogue. Now for the first time her collective work comes together to meet new technology in a co-ordinated, artist promoted marketing campaign. Branches out into creative artist mentoring. Buys land in the West Indies and marries Tony, her present husband, there in the New Year, gaining two stepchildren Anouska and Toby; that makes 5 kids! 

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2003

  
  Licenses her recording catalogue worldwide to EMI. Kicks off with two brand new CD releases in French and Italian entitled "Pourvu Que Ca Dure" and "La Cantata Scalza".   Starts to spend more time in her Moulin in France, sharpening up her French. Continues to run the Arts Clinic, developing executive coaching and mentoring.
  
  Husband, Tony passes his pilot's test and they buy first plane, a Rallye, to fly around UK

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2004

  
  Continues releasing digitally re-mastered tracks from the Sandie Shaw catalogue on EMI - with German and Spanish CD, "Weiderhopf Im Mai" and Marionettas En La Cuerda.
  
  In October releases the biggie 4CD Box set, "Nothing Comes Easy", accompanied by a flurry of low-key media interviews. Quickly followed by "Reviewing The Situation", and "Hello Angel" - all with bonus previously unreleased tracks.
  
  Begins to take a serious interest in wine.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2005

  Becomes a grandmother to Ella Sophia. Takes on a more executive role in Arts Clinic and Women's Clinic.Further releases on EMI were "The Very Best of Sandie Shaw", "Puppet On A String" and 2 double album CD's "Sandie and Me", and also "The Sandie Shaw Supplement" with "Love Me Please Love Me" all accompanied by more unreleased tracks.
  

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2006

  
  Tries her hand at DJing for Radio 2 and Newsreading for ITV News.
  
  Second Grandaughter Dilys- Mae, born to daughter Grace.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  
  

  2007

  
  Celebrates her 60th birthday on February 26th and the 40th anniversary of her Eurovision win in spring.
  
  Finally concedes to cosmetic surgery on her feet! She explained, " I am very grateful that the gods designed me rather attractively from the top down. However, when they got to my ankles they must have gone on a tea break."

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2008

  Continues to campaign for recording artist copyright term extention throughout Europe. Concentrates more on Buddhist activities in SGI-UK. Celebrates 30 years of Buddhist practice with friends Under The Walnut Tree. First grandson, Jacob is born.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2009

  
  Another granddaughter, Forest, is born. That makes 4 grandchildren, 3 girls and a boy. Joins the Board of  the newly formed Featured Artist Coalition, campaigning against internet piracy, lobbying for the creative rights of recording artists and the encouragement of new internet business models for the Digital Age. Upgrades and redesigns website with
  Bluw Creative.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2010 - 2015  An incredibly busy 5 years in which Sandie multi tasked: running the Arts Clinic, campaigning for artists in Featured Artists Coalition, inspiring young women and emerging artists, supporting her old school pupils as Patron of Alumni, interspersed with live dates, touring, TV promotion and three new record releases

  2010

  Asked by Lord March to curate and perform in an all women show at Goodwood covering men’s songs from a female perspective at the inaugural Vintage Festival. Her first live performance in 25 years; Sandie was introduced onto the stage by Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture , Media, Sport and Digital Industries 

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2010

  Approached by the producers of the award winning film, ‘Made In Dagenham’ to sing the theme tune written by David Arnold and Billy Bragg. The film tells the story of the notorious women Ford factory workers strike for equal pay in 1968. With Barbara Castle’s intervention this led to the Equal Pay Act. As a former Ford worker and Dagenham girl this was a perfect match for Sandie.

  Sandie is delighted to become Patron of the alumni at her old school, Robert Clack in Dagenham, a leading light in State school alumni and in inspirational teaching led by its headmaster, Sir Paul Grant, knighted for services to education.
  

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2011 - 2012

  Coaxed by Jools Holland to join him and his band, The Rhythm and Blues Orchestra on a year long tour. Sandie had rave reviews everywhere she performed and wowed every audience. The older members were reminded by and the younger members were introduced to her greatness as an artist.

  
  

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2012

  Sandie, now Executive Chair, alongside her Co Chairs Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and Ed O’Brien of Radiohead, devotes her time exclusively to building the membership, reputation and influence of The Featured Artist Coalition.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2013

  Sandie receives an honorary doctorate for services to music and entertainment over 50 years from Essex University.

  Her FAC campaigning takes her to conferences all over UK and Europe: including Brussels where she speaks at the EU Parliament on behalf of recording artists, and Westminster where she gave evidence to the Select Committee of Culture, Media and Sport on behalf of recording artists which caused quite a stir in the music industry as no artist had ever spoken out before.

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2013 - 2014

  She manages to sneak in a few guest recording, singing “Just Walk In My Shoes” for “Music Of Quality and Distinction Vol 3”, followed up by live promotional stage appearances.

  Neil Davidge, Massive Attack’s highly acclaimed  producer, invites her to sing and make a video for the album, Riot Pictures. 

  

• Sandie Shaw timeline

  2015

  At long last, the FAC, steered and driven by Sandie achieves its aim of forming The International Artist Organisation with its 6 founder-members: UK, France, Spain, Germany, Norway and Belgium. The IAO is the first ever international collaboration between national organisations, who,  inspired by FAC’s example, are representing the rights and interests of recording artists across Europe and beyond. This is a unique achievement.

  The IAO has now been invited to play a major part representing recording artists’ interests in EU Digital Copyright reform.