Drivin' Hard

Drivin' Hard, released in May 1981 on the Polydor label, is the first album by English jazz-funk band Shakatak.

Drivin' Hard
Studio album by Shakatak
Released	29 May 1981[1]
Recorded	Majestic London & Strawberry South
Genre	Jazz-funk, crossover
Length	45:16
Label	Polydor
Producer	Nigel Wright
Shakatak chronology
Drivin' Hard (1981) Night Birds (1982)

Track listing

All tracks written by William "Bill" Sharpe except where indicated.

1. "Livin in the U.K." (Stayton Heyward; Neil Heyward; Bill Sharpe; Wally Badarou) – 5:54
2. "Into the Night" – 4:36
3. "Toot the Shoot" (Roger Odell) – 4:00
4. "Lumiere" 4:14
5. "Late Night Flight" – 3:58
6. "Waves" – 1:38
7. "Steppin' (Live)" – 6:27 *
8. "Covina" – 4:46
9. "You Never Know" – 5:10
10. "Brazilian Dawn" – 6:33

• As of June 2025, the version of Steppin’ used by streaming services is the incorrect, shorter, studio version instead of the Live version.

Personnel

• Bill Sharpe – Bösendorfer grand piano, keyboards ^[2]
• Nigel Wright – Fender Rhodes electric piano, Sennheiser Vocoder, Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, keyboards and synthesizers
• Wally Badarou – Prophet 5 and inspiration
• Keith Winter – Yamaha & Fender guitars with Fender amplification, Ovation acoustic guitars
• Steve Underwood – Fender bass with Fender amplification
• Roger Odell – Sonor drums, Rototoms, synth drums, Zildjian cymbals
• Jill Saward – vocals
• Jackie Rawe – vocals

Formats

• LP: Polydor POLS 1030 [47'08] (May 1981, red label)
• LP: Polydor 2383 635 (1981, Netherlands), extra track A1 "Easier Said Than Done"
• MC: Polydor POLSC 1030 [47'08] (May 1981)
• CD: Polydor 823 017-2 [47'11] (1984, track 7 is in fact the studio version of "Steppin'" [5'50])
• CD: Victor VICP 64131 (2008, Japan), bonus tracks "Feels Like the Right Time" and "Killing Time"