Shakin' Stevens still has a rock and roll heart

But it was the likes of chart-toppers Green Door and This Ole House the following year that put him firmly into the national consciousness and he went on to dominate the charts for the next few years.

Shaky promised a show featuring a mix of material from the new albums he's releasing this autumn and classics like Green Door, a song he didn't perform live for years.

He said: "We do it in a different way. I sing it differently, and we have a double bass, mandolin. snare drum and piano on there, so it's a change from the version people are familiar with. People are surprised by it, but they seem to like it. It's a cool song.

"EMI sent me the composer's script for the song with the original words on it. It wasn't always going to be a green door, at one time it was yellow, then brown and then green."

A quick peek at YouTube - for those too young to recall Shaky's numerous appearances on Top of the Pops - reveal him to have been a nifty mover back in the day. He's toned things down a bit now, as you do at 63.

He said: "There's not so much dancing on stage now. When I was in [my first band] the Sunsets we were really wild. When we went to a venue we'd check out the rafters and chandeliers and then be swinging from them later on.

"You have to change as you go along and we do things a different way now. It's not like Top of the Pops, but you won't be disappointed."

Shaky ruled out taking his dancing shoes onto a certain hit BBC show.

"I was asked to do Strictly a couple of years back," he said.

"I said no because I don't want to go on reality shows. I was even asked to go into the jungle, but it just doesn't appeal. I'd much rather watch, it's much more fun."

Shaky suffered a heart attack last year and it's made him take stock of his priorities.

He said: "I've been doing things with the British Heart Foundation to raise awareness. So many people don't know how to do things like CPR so I really want to help raise awareness of the work the BHF do.

"The heart attack was a scare but I'm fine now. It's one of those things. I was doing some gardening and carried some heavy bags, which is something you can't do at my age."

Happily restored to full fitness Shaky is looking forward to the Indigo2 show.

He said: "I played there in 2008 and had a great time. It's got a great atmosphere. I'm playing with a 10 piece band, and we'll be doing a whole load of hits and a lot of stuff from the new album.

"We're at the Indigo2 on November 13 and it'll be unlucky for those who don't come."

Shakin' Stevens. Indigo 2. November 13. £32.25. indigo2.co.uk.