Soon after the war he became a full-time musician, and adopted a punishing life-style later adopted by rock bands. He would play Inverness one night, London the next night and still drive the van back to bed in Dundee. He took his trademark bald head, Buddy Holly spectacles and full kilted regalia, Scottish reels, jigs and strathspeys to Australia, New Zealand and North America, including Carnegie Hall in New York. Now on the EMI/ Parlophone label, he released one single per month in the mid 1950s, including his only top 20 hit in the UK Singles Chart – "The Bluebell Polka" (1955). It was produced by George Martin. He was awarded an MBE in 1962. This period is remembered affectionately by Richard Thompson, who played Shand tunes on his "Henry the Human Fly" and "Strict Tempo!" albums. Thompson's Scottish father had been a keen Shand collector. In 1991, Thompson paid tribute to Shand with an original song, "Don't Sit on My Jimmy Shands", from his 1991 album "Rumor and Sigh".