Rocky Sharpe

Rocky Sharpe (born Robert Podsiadly, 26 November 1952) is 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 Sharpe, Helen Highwater (real name: Helen Blizard), Johnny Stud (Sharpe's brother Jan Podsiadly) and Eric Rondo (Mike Vernon). An earlier incarnation of the group, Rocky Sharpe and the Razors, included Den Hegarty, Rita Ray and Nigel Trubridge who later formed Darts.

History

In 1978, the group enjoyed its first commercial success with "Rama Lama Ding Dong", a cover version of the Edsels' original hit,[1] which reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] More chart success quickly followed with another single, "Imagination", which reached number 39 in 1979.[2] After this, success was more difficult to find, and Sharpe found greater success in touring than in the charts.

In 1982, Sharpe had another major hit. "Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)", a cover version of Ernie Maresca's 1962 hit, reached the Top 20 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] 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.[2]

Sharpe was forced to retire from the business in the late 1980s after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He lived with his wife Paulina until late 2013, when he became a full-time resident at the Queen Alexandra Hospital Home (QAHH) in Worthing. [3]

Discography

Rocky Sharpe and the Replays

Vinyl LPs

  • RAMA LAMA (1979)
  • ROCK-IT TO MARS (1980)
  • LET'S GO (1981) (same as Shout! Shout!)
  • SHOUT! SHOUT! (1981) (Let's Go re-release)
  • STOP! PLEASE STOP! (1983)
  • COME ON LET'S GO (1981) (compilation)
  • GRANDES ÉXITOS Vol. 1 (1982) (compilation)
  • ROCKY SHARPE COLLECTION (1990) (double) (compilation)

Cassette Tapes

  • RAMA LAMA
  • ROCK-IT TO MARS
  • LET'S GO (same as Shout! Shout!)
  • SHOUT! SHOUT! (Let's Go re-release)
  • STOP! PLEASE STOP!
  • COME ON LET'S GO
  • THE FABULOUS
  • GRANDES ÉXITOS Vol. 1
  • THE GREATEST HITS (2 Tapes)
  • COLLECTION (2 tapes)
  • ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS
  • ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS (& Others)
  • MAX MIX (Rocky Sharpe & The Replays & Others)

7" Singles

  • A Teenager in Love / You've Gone Away* (1980)
  • Clap Your Hands* / Twenty-Four Hours* (1982)
  • Come on Let's Go / Heart (1981)
  • Come on Let's Go / Please Don't Say Goodbye* (1981)
  • Get A Job / She Don't Want Me Now (1981)
  • Heart / Mary Won't You Marry Me* (1982)
  • Heart / Choo-Choo Valentine (1982)
  • Heartaches / Choo-Choo Valentine (1980)
  • I Knew From The Start / Love Will Make You Fail in School (1979)
  • If You Wanna Be Happy / If You Know How To Rock And Roll (You'll Never Be Alone) * (1983)
  • Imagination / Got It Made* (1979)
  • La Bamba (Single version)* / Take My Hand* (1984)
  • Love Will Make You Fail in School / A Girl Like You* (1979)
  • Love Will Make You Fail in School / Oop Doop Doop (parts 1 & 2)
  • Martian Hop / A Fool in Love With You* (1980)
  • Never / A Girl Like You* (1979)
  • Never / Got It Made* (1979)
  • Never / Never (1979)
  • Never / Oop Doop Doop (parts 1 & 2) (1979)
  • Never Be Anyone Else But You / Paradise Lost* (1981)
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Ultimate Remix)* / Imagination (1990)
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Single version)* / When The Chips Are Down* (1978)
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong / I Really Love You (1979)
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong / Oop Doop Doop (1982?)
  • Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) / Come on Let's Go (1982)
  • Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) / Hey! Hey! Good Lookin'* (1982)
  • Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) / Too Much Monkey Business (1982)
  • Stop! Please Stop! / A Little Dab'll Do Ya (1983)
  • You're The One / Choo-Choo Valentine (1980)
  • Rocky Sharpe Collection MEDLEY* / Rocky Sharpe Collection MEDLEY* (1991)
  • The Rocky Sharpe Megamix* / White Christmas* (1990)
  • BONNIE TYLER: My Guns Are Loaded / ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS: Rama Lama Ding Dong* (1979)

Song TITLES with * not released on LP ALBUMS (but all present on different CDs) – “Clap Your Hands” was included on the Mexican LP release of ROCK-IT TO MARS—PICTURE DISCS-- (7")

  • If You Wanna Be Happy / If You Know How To Rock And Roll (You'll Never Be Alone)*
  • Shout! Shout! / Hey! Hey! Good Lookin'*

7" EPs (4 songs)

  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Single version)* * / A Lover's Question / Imagination / Got It Made*
  • White Christmas* / Christmas Tears Will Fall* / Have A Good New Year* / Happy New Year*
  • Rocky Sharpe & The Replays A Capella *
  • ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS: Rama Lama Ding Dong* / Tick Tock // CASABLANCA MOVIE SOUNDTRACK: As Time Goes By / OLIVER ONIONS: Bulldozer—10” Records--
  • Devil Or Angel / Tonight (Could Be The Night) / Fools Fall In Love / Since I Don't Have You (1979)

12" Maxi-Singles

  • Rama Lama Ding Dong / I Really Love You
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Single version)* / Imagination / Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out) / Heart
  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Ultimate Remix) / Rama Lama Ding Dong / Imagination / Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)

CD Singles

  • Rama Lama Ding Dong (Ultimate Remix) * / Rama Lama Ding Dong / Imagination / Shout! Shout! (Knock Yourself Out)
  • The Rocky Sharpe Megamix (Radio) * / The Rocky Sharpe Megamix* / White Christmas

Compact Discs (1990–2013)

  • RAMA LAMA
  • RAMA LAMA (+ Bonus Tracks)
  • ROCK-IT TO MARS (+ Bonus Tracks)
  • SHOUT! SHOUT! (+ Bonus Tracks)
  • STOP! PLEASE STOP!
  • THE FABULOUS ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS
  • ROCKY SHARPE COLLECTION
  • THE GREATEST HITS (2 Discs)
  • ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS [Castle Masters Collection] (16 Tracks)
  • ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS (14 Tracks)
  • LOOKING FOR AN ECHO: THE BEST OF ROCKY SHARPE & THE REPLAYS (2 editions) (feat. several previously unreleased songs)
  • IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY (feat. several previously unreleased songs)

Rocky Sharpe & the Razors (1975)

  • EP (4 tracks) – Drip Drop / What's Your Name / So Hard To Laugh (So Easy To Cry) / That's My Desire (1976)
  • SINGLE (2 tracks) Drip Drop / What's Your Name (1976)
  • CD "So Hard To Laugh" (14 tracks) (1993)

PLUS

+ Solo recordings, Various Artist releases, Backing vocals for other artists, Bootlegs, TV appearances, Test pressings, etc.

References

  1. ↑ "Ace Records". Acerecords.co.uk. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19 ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 494. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  3. ↑ "QAHH receives a rama-lama-ding-dong donation!". Retrieved 13 May 2017.
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