Sandra Ann Goodrich MBE (born 26 February 1947), better known by her stage name Sandie Shaw, is a retired English pop singer. She was one of the most successful British female artists of the 1960s, achieving three UK number one singles with “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” (1964), “Long Live Love” (1965), and “Puppet on a String” (1967). With the latter, Shaw made history as the first British artist to win the Eurovision Song Contest. In 1984, she made a return to the UK Top 40 after a 15-year hiatus with her cover of the Smiths’ song “Hand in Glove”. Shaw officially retired from the music industry in 2013.
Early Life and Career
Born in Dagenham, Essex, England, Shaw grew up in the area and attended Robert Clack Technical School in Becontree Heath. After finishing school, she worked at the Ford Dagenham factory and did some part-time modeling. Her singing career began after she placed second in a local talent contest, which led to an opportunity to perform at a charity concert in London. It was there that singer Adam Faith noticed her talent and introduced her to his manager, Eve Taylor. In 1964, Taylor helped Shaw secure a recording contract with Pye Records and gave her the stage name “Sandie Shaw”.
Shaw’s first single, “As Long as You’re Happy Baby,” written by Chris Andrews, failed to chart. However, her next release, a version of “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” by Bacharach and David, became a major hit, reaching number one on the UK Singles Chart in autumn 1964. The song also reached number 52 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in early 1965.
Her follow-up single, “I’d Be Far Better Off Without You,” was overshadowed by its B-side, “Girl Don’t Come,” also written by Andrews. The latter reached number three in the UK and became Shaw’s biggest hit in the United States, peaking at number 42. Further UK hits followed, including “I’ll Stop at Nothing,” “Long Live Love” (which became her second UK number one in 1965), and “Message Understood.”
While Shaw co-produced many of her singles, she was not officially credited, with production typically attributed to Taylor, Andrews, and arranger Ken Woodman. An interesting note in Shaw’s career is that “It’s Not Unusual” by Les Reed and Gordon Mills was originally intended for her, but after hearing Tom Jones’ powerful rendition of the demo, Shaw urged Jones to release it instead, leading to his breakthrough success.
Sandie Shaw became a familiar face on popular British TV shows of the 1960s, such as Top of the Pops, Ready Steady Go!, and Thank Your Lucky Stars. Known for epitomizing the “Swinging Sixties,” her signature barefoot performances endeared her to the public. To boost her European appeal, Shaw recorded many of her hit singles in Italian, French, German, and Spanish. She also released several albums during the 1960s, including Sandie (1965), Me (1965), Puppet on a String (1967), Love Me, Please Love Me (1967), The Sandie Shaw Supplement (1968), and Reviewing the Situation (1969), which featured a mix of original songs by Chris Andrews and covers of popular tracks from other artists.
By 1967, Shaw’s record sales began to decline, and her management encouraged a shift toward cabaret performances. That same year, she was invited by the BBC to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Although she feared that participating might damage her credibility, Shaw performed five potential entries on The Rolf Harris Show. The public selected “Puppet on a String” by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, a song Shaw was not fond of. Despite her reservations, the song won the Eurovision contest by a wide margin, making her the first British artist to win the competition and securing her third UK No. 1 single—a record for a female artist at the time.
“Puppet on a String” became a major international hit, particularly in Germany, where it was the top-selling single of the year. It sold over four million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling Eurovision-winning song to date and possibly the highest-selling single by a British female artist. However, Shaw’s Eurovision victory nearly didn’t happen, as the BBC considered dropping her due to her involvement in a divorce case where she had been named as “the other woman.”
In 1968, Shaw launched her own fashion brand, selling clothing, shoes, and jewelry. She also hosted her own TV show, The Sandie Shaw Supplement, and released an accompanying album. That same year, she was set to make her film debut in Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, but left the production before filming began. Shaw’s last UK Top 10 hit came in 1969 with “Monsieur Dupont,” a song originally performed by German singer Manuela.
Toward the end of 1969, Shaw released the single “Heaven Knows I’m Missing Him Now,” which later inspired a song by The Smiths. She also produced her own album, Reviewing the Situation, featuring covers of tracks by artists like Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. Notably, she became the first artist to cover a song by Led Zeppelin. Shaw concluded the decade by performing her hits “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me” and the German version of “Puppet on a String” (“Wiedehopf Im Mai”) on the BBC’s Pop Go The Sixties on 31 December 1969.
