Norman David "Shel" Shapiro (born 16 August 1943, Stanmore, Middlesex) began performing in London, England, as a guitarist and singer with rock and roll band Rob Storm & the Whispers.

After a spell playing in Gene Vincent's backing band during a tour of Great Britain in 1959, Shapiro decided to form his own band, The Shel Carson Combo, with guitarist Vic Briggs (14 February 1945, Twickenham, Middlesex – 25 June 2021), drummer Mike Shepstone (born 29 March 1943, Weymouth, Dorset), and bassist Bobby Posner (born 6 May 1945, Edgware, Middlesex).

Briggs left the combo, preferring to stay in England, and was replaced by Johnny Charlton (born 3 April 1945, Walthamstow, London).

[1][2] In June 1963, they broke their ties with Hicks and were signed up by Teddy Reno, the manager and husband of Italian pop singer Rita Pavone.

In 1965, their version of Jackie DeShannon's "When You Walk in the Room" ("C'è una strana espressione nei tuoi occhi"), reached no.

The B-side of "Che colpa abbiamo noi" was a song that Shapiro co-wrote with Italian lyricist Mogol, "Piangi con me" ("Cry with Me" in English).

The band also toured and appeared regularly on Italian TV shows and in several editions of the annual Sanremo Music Festival.

The group also ventured into psychedelic rock in 1968 with "Il vento" (written by Mogol and Lucio Battisti), also recorded in English as "When the Wind Arises", with lyrics by Mike Shepstone.