Shake for the Sheik
Encyclopedia
"Shake for the Sheik" is a song by English
pop-rock
band The Escape Club
, from their 1988 album Wild Wild West
. Written by the band members and produced by Chris Kimsey
, the song was released as the album's second single and reached number 28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
chart in January 1989.
singles chart at number 81 in December.
The song spent five weeks in the Top 40 section of the chart, peaking at number 28 in January 1989. The single remained on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks. "Shake for the Sheik" reached number 24 on the Singles Sales
chart and number 28 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
The song also reached number 46 on the New Zealand Singles Chart
.
Lead vocalist
Trevor Steel said the song "was going down well, especially since we considered ourselves a live band. The humor of the title was a little lost on the U.S. audience, since Americans pronounce Sheik differently than we in the UK do."
12" Vinyl (U.S., Canada)
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...
pop-rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band The Escape Club
The Escape Club
The Escape Club began in 1983 as an English pop rock band based in London. The band was composed of former Mad Shadows members' lead singer/rhythm guitarist Trevor Steel and guitarist John Holliday, along with former Expressos members bassist Johnnie Christo and drummer Milan Zekavica...
, from their 1988 album Wild Wild West
Wild Wild West (album)
Wild Wild West is the second album by rock band The Escape Club, released in 1988. It includes their most well-known song, "Wild, Wild West."-Track listing:# "Wild, Wild West" # "Jealousy" # "Shake for the Sheik"...
. Written by the band members and produced by Chris Kimsey
Chris Kimsey
Christopher Kenneth Kimsey is a record producer, mixer and musician most famous for having co-produced The Rolling Stones' Undercover and Steel Wheels albums...
, the song was released as the album's second single and reached number 28 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in January 1989.
Release and reception
"Shake for the Sheik", the follow-up to the U.S. number one hit "Wild, Wild West", was released as a single in November 1988. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart at number 81 in December.
The song spent five weeks in the Top 40 section of the chart, peaking at number 28 in January 1989. The single remained on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks. "Shake for the Sheik" reached number 24 on the Singles Sales
Hot 100 Singles Sales
The Hot Singles Sales chart is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It measures sales of commercial singles and is one of three component charts, along with the Hot 100 Airplay and the Hot Digital Songs, that determine the chart positions of singles on the...
chart and number 28 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart.
The song also reached number 46 on the New Zealand Singles Chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
.
Lead vocalist
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
Trevor Steel said the song "was going down well, especially since we considered ourselves a live band. The humor of the title was a little lost on the U.S. audience, since Americans pronounce Sheik differently than we in the UK do."
Track listing
7" Vinyl (U.S.)- "Shake for the Sheik" – 3:40
- "Working for the Fatman" – 3:00
12" Vinyl (U.S., Canada)
- "Shake for the Sheik" (Dance version) – 7:22
- "Shake for the Sheik" (Single edit) – 3:45
- "Shake for the Sheik" (Dub mix) – 6:17
- "Working for the Fatman" – 3:00
Chart performance
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 28 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
46 |