Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Shacklock.
Hi Alan, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
This is fairly broadsynopsis of my career date
Alan Shacklock
Small introduction I started playing guitar when I was 10 years old formed a band in high high school school in England called the juniors. The juniors included members who later became famous with the Rolling Stones and Jethro Tull..The juniors were signed to EMI records record label at the time to the Beatles. I went onto various different groups one notably was Chris Farlowe and at age 17 I replaced guitar icon Albert Lee in that particular group.
NB. The below is written in the second person as a brief discography and biography
British by birth and dual citizen with the US, with over 60 years in the music industry, Shacklock has worked successfully as a record producer, recording engineer, arranger, songwriter, artist and educator. As a record producer he has worked with a wide variety of artists and music industry icons including: Dexy’s Midnight Runners; Meatloaf; Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber; Roger Daltrey (The Who);Jeff Beck; Mike Oldfield / Bonnie Tyler; Chesney Hawkes; The Alarm ; JoBoxers; R.Kelly; Sugar Ray; Mark Anthony &Thalia; Prodigy; Pete Rock; Grand Master Flash; The Cult; Dennis DeYoung (Styx); The Roots / Tom Morello / GZA (Wu Tang Clan) Phil Keaggy; Newsboys more. Working specifically at Abbey Road Studios London,UK and the world’s top recording studios. He is founder member Artist, Producer, Composer of ‘Babe Ruth’ (Harvest Records, EMI) Shacklock’s composition “The Mexican” by Babe Ruth band is hailed as the inspiration and one of the four pillars of Hip-Hop. JID 2026 was Grammy nominated for rap album of the year including Shacklock’s composition “ the Mexican“. 2023, Golden Globe winner for the classical album of the year with Carmine Miranda cello and Robert Marler Piano. Shacklock as producer.
With Shacklock as record producer / composer for soundtracks, motion picture and TV his music productions include:”The Pickup” starring Eddie Murphy on Amazon, “Big Little Lies” HBO, featuring Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon; ”Quicksilver” starring His Kevin Bacon, Lawrence Fishburn; Doc Hollywood” starring Micheal J. Fox, Woody Harrelson; ”40 Year Old Virgin” starring Steve Carrel; ”Buddy’sSong” starring Roger Daltrey and Chesney Hawkes; “Source Code” starring Jake Gyllenhaal; Sam Rockwell’s “Moon”. With Shacklock as music director / performer, live & in-studio include he has worked with members of: Led Zeppelin; The Rolling Stones; Brand X / Phil Collins; The Who; Jethro Tull; Toto; Chicago; Pretenders; Sir Paul McCartney (The Beatles); John Mayer; Queen; The Police; Black Sabbath; ELO; Uriah Heep; Bad Company; Aerosmith; Peter Frampton; Iggy Pop; ZZ Top; Roxy Music; Eric Clapton; Peter Gabriel; Sting; ELP; Quincy Jones; Leon Russell; Big Country and The Beach Boys.
Shacklock’s Accolades include : 3x Grammy nominee, BMI ‘Icon’, multiple platinum-gold status album award winner, BAFTA nominee. Golden Globe & Emmy winner. His guitar solo on “The Mexican “(live) with Babe Ruth is hailed in the New Musical Express publication as one of ”50 Greatest Guitar Solos”. His record production of Chesney Hawkes’ single “The One and Only” recorded at Abbey Road Studios was included in the Guinness book of records as the youngest artist to hold the UK Music week #1 spot for 5 consecutive weeks EMI, CMP #1 Award for artist Phil Keaggy “True Believers” Shacklock writer / producer. Writer of Sugar ray “Fly”
Making Shacklock a BMI “ Icon” with over 5 million airings.
Shacklock’s Affiliations include: Founder member an executive committee M.P.G. (Music Producers Guild), with the late Sir George Martin, Chairman, Alan Parsons; Tony Visconti; Hugh Padgham; Gus Dudgeon; Ken Scott. (founder member and board executive). Graduate of the Royal Colleges of Music, London UK, (Alumni), AES- Audio Engineering Society (member), B.M.I. Broadcast Music Inc – (Icon ), N.A.R.A.S (voting member). IBMA – International Bluegrass Music Association. (voting member).
Posts:
Belmont University, CEMB- AET-Lecturer and CEMB hiring committee , (retired)
Program chair for SAE (school of audio engineering)
REAL-TV (advisory board director).
Degrees:
ARCM, (associate of the Royal college of music UK, LRAM,(licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music UK.
🇬🇧 please visit; alanshacklock.com website
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The music industry is never a smooth road, but I took some advice from
British Prime MinisterWinston Churchill’s quote and I quote “a pessimist will see the difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist will see the opportunity in every difficulty.. the ultimate in life is when you make your hobby your job and it happened to me. A lot of it is luck or Providence whichever one is your preference.. and a lot is hard work and learning your craft to the enth degree. One has to remain a student and I always maintained if you don’t know where you’ve been and you don’t know where you’re going.. so history is knowledge knowledge is powerand information that has to be navigated.
As a record Producer
My philosophy is it’s 90% people / 10% technology. To say I have mastered my craft would be an overstatement as you never really stop in music and recording.. being a record producer is being a people person and teamwork making the dream work. It’s never really one person that created success unless you’re Stevie Wonder lol. One has to keep coming back and showing up is the most important part of this particular industry..
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Please read the first biographical information.
I guess my speciality is performing and recording music in general from classical musicto the Beatles to the present day.
I have specialized and all aspects of music from the performing to the conducting to the arranging and the recording side
You have to love what you do and I love what I do, what sets me apart is the ability to “ listen” and make facilitate others dreams to reality.
A dream is just a dream when you dream alone when you dream together it’s a real reality!
In higher education, it is a privilege to have set forth many young careers and seeing their success is my gain.
What matters most to you?
My wife, my family I love them all.
To have a family who loves you is the greatest gift!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alanshacklock.com
