The Rokes
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1963 in Italy |
| Founder | Norman David "Shel" Shapiro, Vic Briggs, Mike Shepstone, Bobby Posner |
| Defunct | 1970 |
| Headquarters | Italy |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
The Rokes were a pop rock ensemble established in Italy in 1963 by British expatriates. Their prominent tracks include "Piangi con me," the original version of "Let's Live for Today," which became a hit in the United States after being covered by The Grass Roots; as well as "Che colpa abbiamo noi," an Italian adaptation of Bob Lind's "Cheryl's Going Home."
History
Norman David "Shel" Shapiro (born 16 August 1943 in Stanmore, Middlesex) started his music career in London, performing as a guitarist and vocalist with Rob Storm & the Whispers. In 1959, after touring with the backing band of Gene Vincent, Shapiro founded The Shel Carson Combo alongside guitarist Vic Briggs (14 February 1945 – 25 June 2021), drummer Mike Shepstone (born 29 March 1943), and bassist Bobby Posner (born 6 May 1945).
The group performed rhythm and blues across London clubs and American military bases throughout southern England, later expanding their tours to northern England and Scotland. In January 1963, they relocated to West Germany to undertake residencies at Hamburg's Top Ten Club and Hanover's Top Ten Club. When invited to tour Italy as Colin Hicks' backing band, Briggs departed and was succeeded by Johnny Charlton (born 3 April 1945). During their Italian tour with Hicks, the band increasingly incorporated original compositions into their performances.
In June 1963, after separating from Hicks, they signed with Teddy Reno, the manager of Italian pop star Rita Pavone. Performing alongside Pavone as The Shel Carson Combo, they secured a deal with ARC Records and adopted the name The Rokes. Their initial single—a rendition of Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll"—did not achieve commercial success; however, they gained a residency at Rome’s Piper Club and featured in Italian television advertisements for Algida ice cream. Their subsequent releases consisted of English-accented Italian-language versions of American and British hits; notably, their 1965 cover of Jackie DeShannon’s "When You Walk in the Room" ("C'è una strana espressione nei tuoi occhi") climbed to number eleven on the Italian charts, followed by "Grazie a te," an adaptation of The Hollies’ "I'm Alive."
By 1966, The Rokes had become Italy’s second most favored beat group, trailing only behind another popular act. Their successes included versions like Bob Lind’s "Cheryl’s Going Home" ("Che colpa abbiamo noi") and "Remember The Rain" ("E la pioggia che va"). The flip side of "Che colpa abbiamo noi," titled "Piangi con me," co-written by Shapiro and lyricist Mogol, was later re-recorded in English as "Let's Live for Today" with lyrics by Michael Julien. This version sold over one million copies globally and earned a gold record. Although it was released concurrently in the UK alongside a rendition by The Living Daylights, it was American producers P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri who propelled the song to widespread recognition through The Grass Roots.
Between 1965 and 1968, The Rokes produced four albums while maintaining significant visibility on Italian television and participating annually in the Sanremo Music Festival. In 1968, they ventured into psychedelic rock with "Il vento," composed by Mogol and Lucio Battisti, which was also recorded in English under the title "When the Wind Arises." Additionally, they covered The Equals’ UK chart hit "Baby, Come Back" as "Non c'è pace per me." Despite these efforts, limited promotional support from RCA/ARC restricted their international breakthrough. Confronted with evolving musical tastes and diminishing record sales, the band ultimately dissolved in 1970 after achieving over five million record sales.
Subsequent endeavors
Shapiro maintained his career in music composition and live performances, producing seven albums and venturing into acting under the direction of filmmakers such as Mario Monicelli and Marco Risi. In 1977, he launched his own record label based in Milan. In 2018, he partnered with Maurizio Vandelli, former lead singer of Equipe 84 and once a rival, to produce a collaborative album. Johnny Charlton established Galleria Charlton, an art exhibition space in Rome, and currently practices as a visual artist. Bobby Posner returned to England where he invested in pubs around London before moving to Hastings to purchase music venues; he remains active as a performer within rock, reggae, and blues bands. Mike Shepstone created the duo 'Shepstone and Dibbens', toured alongside AC/DC, and composed songs for other musicians. Attempts to reunite the band for an Italian tour in 2000 were unsuccessful due to Shapiro and Charlton declining participation; consequently, Posner and Shepstone formed The Rokes M&B (Mike and Bobby), performing consistently across Italy since then. In 2013, Posner relocated permanently to Italy, settling in Novi Ligure (AL) with his fiancée Paola Salvadeo.
Albums
- 1965 – The Rokes (ARC, SA 4)
- 1966 – The Rokes vol. 2 (ARC, SA 8)
- 1966 – Che mondo strano (ARC, SA 15)
- 1968 – The Rokes (ARC, ALPS 11006)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| IT | ||
| "Shake and Rattle" b/w "Quando eri con me" |
1964 | — |
| "Un'anima pura" b/w "She Asks of You" |
1965 | — |
| "C'è una strana espressione nei tuoi occhi" b/w "Ci vedremo domani" |
— | |
| "Grazie a te" b/w "La mia città" |
1966 | 12 |
| "Ascolta nel vento" b/w "Il primo sintomo" |
— | |
| "Che colpa abbiamo noi" b/w "Piangi con me" |
3 | |
| "È la pioggia che va" b/w "Finché c'è musica mi tengo su" |
1 | |
| "Bisogna saper perdere" b/w "Non far finta di no" |
1967 | 4 |
| "Eccola di nuovo" b/w "Ricordo quando ero bambino" |
— 8 | |
| "Let's Live for Today" b/w "Ride On" |
— | |
| "Cercate di abbracciare tutto il mondo come noi" b/w "Regency Sue" |
12 | |
| "Hold My Hand" b/w "Regency Sue" |
— | |
| "Le opere di Bartolomeo" b/w "Siamo sotto il sole" |
1968 | 15 |
| "Lascia l'ultimo ballo per me" b/w "Io vivrò senza te" |
16 | |
| "The Works of Bartholomew" b/w "When the Wind Rises" |
— | |
| "Qui non c'è nessuno" b/w "La luna è bianca, la notte è nera" |
— | |
| "Baby Come Back" b/w "Hello, come stai" |
— | |
| "Ma che freddo fa" b/w "Per te, per me" |
1969 | — |
| "28 giugno" b/w "Mary" |
23 | |
| "Ombre blu" b/w "Sempre giorno" |
— |
External links
- Official website of The Rokes (archived content from original link)
- Comprehensive discography of The Rokes
- Official webpage of Shel Shapiro
- Official art site of Johnny Charlton
- The Rokes on MySpace
- The Rokes website maintained by Bobby Posner
- The Rokes official site managed by Mike Shepstone and Bobby Posner
- YouTube channel of The Rokes Fans Club Italy