Alan Shacklock

Alan Albert Shacklock (born 20 June 1950) is an English musician, composer, arranger and recording producer, who lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee. His 1972 song "The Mexican" as performed by Babe Ruth is considered influential in the early development of b-boying and hip-hop culture.

Life and career Alan Shacklock was born in London and began playing guitar as a child. His first band was The Juniors, which included the Rolling Stones' guitarist Mick Taylor and Jethro Tull bassist John Glascock. He then joined Chris Farlowe's Thunderbirds. Shacklock later completed classical guitar and lute studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating with a master's degree in music.

Well-noted for never being seen without a hat, in 1969 Shacklock played in a band called the Gods, and in 1971 formed the band Babe Ruth. He worked as the group's songwriter and producer from 1971 to 1975, and then left to work as a solo songwriter and record producer. He has received four Grammy Award nominations, and has produced a number of silver, gold and platinum recordings for artists, including Mike Oldfield, Bonnie Tyler, Jeff Beck (of the Yardbirds), Meat Loaf, the Alarm, the Look, Roger Daltrey (of the Who), JoBoxers and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. The scores were performed by the London Symphony and Royal Philharmonic Orchestras, and premiered at the Royal Festival Hall in London. In 1994, Shacklock also composed the original score for the FIFA World Cup. With Sir George Martin, he was a founder of the British Record Producers Guild.

Awards Shacklock received EMI's Songwriter of the Year Award for the number one Christian hit "The True Believers", released in 1995 by Christian artist Phil Keaggy.