Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 1, 2026

Shakermaker

"Shakermaker" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. Written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, the song was first released on 20 June 1994, by Creation Records, as the second single from their debut studio album Definitely Maybe (1994). The single peaked at number eleven in the UK. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2013, having previously been their only single of the 1990s not to be certified in the UK. As of 2021, it remains the only single from the band's first two albums not to reach at least platinum status in the UK.

Last revised
Jun 1, 2026
Read time
≈ 6 min
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Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
"Shakermaker"
Single by Oasis
from the album Definitely Maybe
B-side
  • "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?"
  • "Alive" (8-track demo)
  • "Bring It On Down" (live)
Released20 June 1994 (1994-06-20)1
Recorded
  • October 19932
  • 14 April 19943
StudioOut of the Blue (Manchester, England)
Genre
Length5:08
LabelCreation
SongwriterNoel Gallagher
Producers
  • Oasis
  • Mark Coyle
  • Owen Morris
Oasis singles chronology
"Supersonic"
(1994) 		"Shakermaker"
(1994) 		"Live Forever"
(1994)
Definitely Maybe track listing
11 tracks
  1. "Rock 'n' Roll Star"
  2. "Shakermaker"
  3. "Live Forever"
  4. "Up in the Sky"
  5. "Columbia"
  6. "Supersonic"
  7. "Bring It on Down"
  8. "Cigarettes & Alcohol"
  9. "Digsy's Dinner"
  10. "Slide Away"
  11. "Married with Children"
Music video
"Shakermaker" on YouTube

"Shakermaker" is a song by the English rock band Oasis. Written by lead guitarist Noel Gallagher, the song was first released on 20 June 1994, by Creation Records, as the second single from their debut studio album Definitely Maybe (1994). The single peaked at number eleven in the UK. It was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry in 2013, having previously been their only single of the 1990s not to be certified in the UK. As of 2021, it remains the only single from the band's first two albums not to reach at least platinum status in the UK.

Background

Noel Gallagher states that the lyrics are taken from the world around him. For example, a Shaker Maker was a popular toy in the 1970s; the character of "Mr Soft" was taken from a Trebor Soft Mints commercial, which featured Cockney Rebel's song "Mr. Soft"; "Mr. Clean" is a song by the Jam, one of Gallagher's favourite bands; Mr Benn is a British children's cartoon; and the entire last verse – "Mr Sifter sold me songs / When I was just 16 / Now he stops at traffic lights / But only when they're green" – was written in a taxi on the way to the recording studio to record the song. Apparently, Liam Gallagher was pestering Noel to finish the song just as the taxi stopped at the traffic lights outside "Sifters" (a record shop on Fog Lane, Didsbury, Manchester), named after people 'sifting' through records and run by Peter Howard since 1977.5 Noel, who used to frequent the store to buy old records before Oasis started releasing albums, penned the lyric and it became part of the song.6

"Shakermaker" illustrates Noel's habit of borrowing from the past: the chords are a simple twelve-bar blues progression (albeit with the V (F♯) raised to a flat-VII (A)). The melody for the verse was originally taken from "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" by Roger Cook, Roger Greenaway, Bill Backer and Billy Davis. An Oasis tribute band called No Way Sis released a cover version of "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" in the style of "Shakermaker", emphasising the similarity between the two songs. This cover reached No. 27 on the UK singles chart in December 1996.7 Oasis were sued over this similarity and were forced to change their composition.8

B-sides

The song was released with three B-sides: "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" (first appearing on the Live Recordings demo tape), sung by Noel Gallagher, which is instrumentally similar to "Married with Children" from Definitely Maybe and features nostalgic lyrics and two-part backing vocals by Liam; "Alive", a rough demo of an early rocker, and a live version of "Bring It on Down".

Music video

The music video was primarily filmed in Didsbury, South Manchester. The majority of the video focuses on the band in a Ginnel situated behind the then-address of Bonehead on Stratford Road, West Didsbury - the same house wherein the Definitely Maybe album artwork was photographed. 9

The video also features the band playing football on one of the nearby fields, some have speculated that this is Fog Lane Park, where others have stated it maybe Millgate Fields, just off of Ford Lane. There is however no reliable source for either case.

Liam and Noel are both shown entering Sifter's Records on Fog Lane, Burnage.10 The album Liam shows to the camera is Paul McCartney and Wings's album Red Rose Speedway. The music video garnered 5 million views on YouTube.11

Jimmy Keddie is seen for a brief moment smoking a pipe behind Liam Gallagher, at the 3:17 mark.12

Live performances

The song has been performed at two of Oasis’ appearances at the Glastonbury Festival, one in 199413 and the second in 1995, at which Robbie Williams met briefly on stage with Liam Gallagher during the guitar solo.14

Personnel

Oasis

Additional personnel

Track listings

  • CD CRESCD 182
  1. "Shakermaker" – 5:08
  2. "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" – 2:41
  3. "Alive" (8-track demo) – 3:56
  4. "Bring It on Down" (live) – 4:17
  • 7" CRE 182
  1. "Shakermaker" – 5:08
  2. "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" – 2:41
  • 12" CRE 182T
  1. "Shakermaker" – 5:08
  2. "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" – 2:41
  3. "Alive" (8-track demo) – 3:56
  • Cassette CRECS 182
  1. "Shakermaker" – 5:08
  2. "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" – 2:41
  • CD maxi-single HES 661377 2
  1. "Shakermaker" – 5:11
  2. "D'Yer Wanna Be a Spaceman?" – 2:41
  3. "Alive" (8 Track Demo) – 3:57
  4. "Bring It On Down" (Live) – 4:18
  5. "I Will Believe" (Live) – 3:48
  6. "Cloudburst" – 5:19

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)20 Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

References

  1. "Single Releases" (PDF). Music Week. 18 June 1994. p. 25. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  2. "Oasis: Unreleased Demos / Out of the Blue Studios, Manchester / October 1993". oasis-live.net. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  3. "Image". oasis-timeline.com. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  4. Partridge, Kenneth (29 August 2014). "Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe' at 20: Classic Track-by-Track Album Review". Billboard. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  5. Bourne, Dianne (14 October 2014). "Mr Sifter stars in Liam Gallagher's new Pretty Green fashion shoot". Manchester Evening News.
  6. George, Thomas (27 May 2024). "The iconic south Manchester shop that inspired Noel and Liam Gallagher". Manchester Evening News.
  7. "NO WAY SIS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
  8. Mundy, Chris (2 May 1996). "Ruling Asses: Oasis Have Conquered America, and They Won't Shut Up About It". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  9. https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/oasis/10-key-manchester-places-music-history-liam-noel-gallagher/
  10. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/im-like-pig-s-here-29232379.amp
  11. "Oasis – Shakermaker". 17 January 2014. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 17 April 2019 – via YouTube.
  12. Elis James and John Robins BBC Radio 5 Live Podcast, #282 - Oldroyd Sorbet, #Biceps and A Macchichatiato
  13. "Oasis: 1994 Glastonbury Festival / Somerset, UK / June 26, 1994 | the Oasis Gigography | oasis-live.net". www.oasis-live.net. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  14. Hogan, Michael (3 July 2025). "From sweary Brit Awards chaos to uniting a mourning city: TV's top 12 Oasis moments". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 3 May 2026.
  15. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11, no. 28. 9 July 1994. p. 17. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 29/5/1994 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  17. "Oasis Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  18. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 23 July 1994. p. 26. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  19. "1994 – Singles". Hit Music. 7 January 1995. p. 31.
  20. "British single certifications – Oasis – Shakermaker". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 24 May 2024. Select singles in the Formats field. Type Shakermaker Oasis in the "Search:" field.
External links