Short Sharp Shocked which was released in 1988 on the Mercury label was the second album by Texan singer songwriter Karen Michelle Johnston and the one which shot her to prominence in the UK under her nom de plume Michelle Shocked.
Anchorage was the big hit single but I have always had a preference for Memories of East Texas. I purchased the vinyl album when it came out and on the back of that I picked up her DIY debut The Texas Campfire Tapes. Many years later I picked up a CD of her 3rd Captain Swing and the CD of Short Sharp Shocked for 50p from a charity shop in St Andrews.
I saw her at Glasgow's Barrowland when she was promoting her 4th album Arkansas Traveler in 1992. I also saw her in Sheffield around that time when visiting friends.
After that she faded into relative obscurity with her last album being released in 2009
The iconic album cover is from a photograph of Shocked being detained during a protest at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco.
She faded into obscurity after a massive homophobic rant during a gig in 2013. Of course, after initially defending what she said as "the reality", she apologised once she realised the damage that was done to her career, insisting that her words were "misinterpreted". Yes, of course they were...
ReplyDeletehttps://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/singer-michelle-shocked-stuns-fans-anti-gay-rant-flna1C8948457
I don't think I knew that Robster. I saw her supporting Billy Bragg in Liverpool, late 88 or 89. She was very good if I recall correctly.
ReplyDeleteI'd completely forgotten about Michelle Shocked although I had heard about the anti-gay rant from 10 years back. I've got that 2nd album, which, if my memory is to be trusted, I liked. Might fish it out again and give it a listen. The tracks you played were OK
ReplyDeleteMemories of East Texas just OK??
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