Rocky Sharpe
Encyclopedia
Rocky Sharpe is the pseudonym
of an English
rock
/pop
singer who, with Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, first found fame in the late 1970s. The usual line-up of the group was Rocky (real name Robert Podsiadly), Helen Highwater (real name Helen Blizard), Johnny Stud (Rocky's brother Jan) and Eric Rondo (Mike Vernon
). An earlier incarnation of the group, Rocky Sharpe and the Razors, contained Den Hegarty
and Rita Ray who later formed Darts
.
It was in 1978 that the group enjoyed their first commercial success with "Rama Lama Ding Dong", covered
from The Edsels
original hit
,Ace Records website which reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
. More chart
success quickly followed with another single
, "Imagination", which reached number 39 in 1979. But after this, success was more difficult to find, and Sharpe was to find greater success on the touring circuit than in the best-sellers charts.
It was not until 1982 that Sharpe would find himself with another major hit. "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" proved to be a success with music fans
and reached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Although he never had another hit as big again, Sharpe retained a fan following and his music remained widely available. The group's last chart single was "If You Wanna Be Happy
", which reached UK chart position 46 in 1983.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
singer who, with Rocky Sharpe and the Replays, first found fame in the late 1970s. The usual line-up of the group was Rocky (real name Robert Podsiadly), Helen Highwater (real name Helen Blizard), Johnny Stud (Rocky's brother Jan) and Eric Rondo (Mike Vernon
Mike Vernon (producer)
Mike Vernon is an English record producer. He produced albums for British blues artists and groups during the late 1960s, working with the Bluesbreakers, David Bowie, Duster Bennett, Savoy Brown, Chicken Shack, Eric Clapton, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, Danny Kirwan, John Mayall, Christine McVie and...
). An earlier incarnation of the group, Rocky Sharpe and the Razors, contained Den Hegarty
Den Hegarty
Den Hegarty is a rock and roll, doo-wop and a cappella singer.-Biography:At an early age Hegarty moved to Brighton, England...
and Rita Ray who later formed Darts
Darts (band)
Darts were a nine-piece British doo-wop revival band that achieved chart success in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The popular London-based band had a number of UK top 20 hits including three successive Number twos with revivals of early U.S...
.
It was in 1978 that the group enjoyed their first commercial success with "Rama Lama Ding Dong", covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
from The Edsels
The Edsels
The Edsels were an American doo-wop group active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. The name of the group was originally The Essos, after the oil company, but was changed to match the then-new Ford automobile, the Edsel. The Edsels recorded over 25 songs and had multiple performances on Dick...
original hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
,Ace Records website which reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. More chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
success quickly followed with another single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "Imagination", which reached number 39 in 1979. But after this, success was more difficult to find, and Sharpe was to find greater success on the touring circuit than in the best-sellers charts.
It was not until 1982 that Sharpe would find himself with another major hit. "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)" proved to be a success with music fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
and reached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart. Although he never had another hit as big again, Sharpe retained a fan following and his music remained widely available. The group's last chart single was "If You Wanna Be Happy
If You Wanna Be Happy
"If You Wanna Be Happy" is a song recorded by Jimmy Soul, written by Frank Guida. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on May 18, 1963, as well as the R&B singles chart. The song is based on the calypso "Ugly Woman" by Roaring Lion. It was issued on Guida's S.P.Q.R. label and distributed by...
", which reached UK chart position 46 in 1983.