Became one of the first
British female teenage Pop stars when her second single, the Bacharach and David-penned '(There's) Always Something There To Remind Me' (1964), topped the UK chart. Distinguished by her distinctive soprano and mature vocal delivery, which belied her 17 years, the song remained in the charts for 11 weeks. She became as influential for her style, particlarly her preference for going barefoot, as for her string of 60s hits with songwriter/producer
Chris Andrews, but her most famous, 1967 Eurovision winner 'Puppet On A String', was penned by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter. Her biggest hit in the
US was 1965's 'Girl Don't Come'.
When married to fashion designer Jeff Banks, Shaw spent most of the 70s in semi-retirement. However, she was lured back into music by Heaven 17 (guesting on their side project BEF's Music Of Quality And Distinction, 1983) and Shaw-worshipping Smiths groaner Morrissey and hit the UK chart with a revamp of The Smiths' 'Hand In Glove' (1984). After a near-hit with the Lloyd Cole-penned 'Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken?' (1986), Hello Angel (1988) was a veritable festival of fey Indie, with songwriting contributions from The Jesus And Mary Chain and Morrissey, who wrote the single 'Please Help The Cause Against Loneliness'.
But Reviewing The Situation (1991) was overshadowed sales-wise by compilations like Nothing Less Than Brilliant: The Best Of Sandie Shaw (1994). She united with Indie also-rans Cud on a 1993 cover of The Rolling Stones' 'Gimme Shelter'. At the same time she also graduated from university, trained as a counsellor and helped to set up The Arts Clinic in 1997.