Cliff's dream...

[iefje]

who knows ? - Universal are concentrating on retrospective hits compilations as they will sell best, but it's perfectly possible that such a seventies compilation might be put together ('Listen To The Shadows' was one such some years ago on EMI, and we've had themed compilations such as; 'Shadows Vocals' etc)

Also an all Acoustic compilation of instrumentals and vocal tracks would be interesting too, something like;

1) Guitar Tango
2) The Bandit*
3) Atlantis (Acoustic TV show version)
4) Me Oh My*
5) Genie With The Light Brown Lamp (Acoustic mono version)
6) A Little Bitty Tear*
7) My Grandfather's Clock
8) Five Hundred Miles*
9) Chelsea Boot
10) Autumn
11) Let Me Take You There*
12) A Thing Of Beauty
13) That uptempo Japanese track that begins with 'O' (!!) - (on Shads EP Collection)
14) The Day I Met Marie*
15) Alentejo
16) Poem
17) Maggie's Samba
18) Classical Gas

*vocal tracks

Not sure if I have missed any out (??) and I think these are all 'Acoustic' numbers - it would make an interesting compilation highlighting their guitar pickin' skills

"Bony Moronie" from "Shades Of Rock"? This one features Hank on an acoustic 12-string guitar.

[iefje]

To be fair to Frank, the name Farrah is probably more commonly associated with the late lamented Farrah Fawcett-Majors and I can well imagine that this spelling tends to come to mind quicker than Farrar - especially if you are not a particular fan of his.

I have always wondered about the gatefold photo that can be seen inside the RWCL album. It ALMOST looks as if they have left a gap between Brian and John Farrar, to 'suggest' John Rostill's absence. OK, I'm probably looking far too deeply into it, but it has always nagged at me. There are, of course, other shots from that photo session that are posed differently.

By the way, I've written an article about RWCL for 'Pipeline' magazine.

I think John Rostill was still alive when this picture was taken. Didn't he have other commitments when the "Rockin' With Curly Leads" album was recorded in March and May, 1973?

[drakula63]

There already is a compilation of The Shadows' 70s material:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Collection-Sha ... DWZC3BF3V5

Simon

True and very good it is too. I have a feeling that I reviewed it somewhere... no, just remembered, I wrote a piece for Malcolm Campbell's site, which used this album as its basis. I hope I pointed out the irony that the cover features a 1960s/1980s type Strat as opposed the type they were using in the 70s (with regards colour, pick ups etc...)

[drakula63]

In reply to Monty's question, Chris's piece on the Rockin' With Curly Leads album will be in the Winter 2016 edition of Pipeline (#103).

I'd also recommend Listen To The Shadows as a very useful compilation of '70s tracks.

Thanks Alan. Having not read it since I sent it to you, I have completely forgotten what I wrote! So I shall be looking forward to reading it as much - perhaps even more than?! - as everyone else!

'Listen to the Shadows' was, wait for it, the VERY FIRST CD that I ever bought! Sadly, it was stolen in a burglary circa 1992-96. I have since bought a replacement copy off ebay...
I have often wondered whether it was, in fact, the same one as was stolen!!!

[drakula63]

To be fair to Frank, the name Farrah is probably more commonly associated with the late lamented Farrah Fawcett-Majors and I can well imagine that this spelling tends to come to mind quicker than Farrar - especially if you are not a particular fan of his.

I have always wondered about the gatefold photo that can be seen inside the RWCL album. It ALMOST looks as if they have left a gap between Brian and John Farrar, to 'suggest' John Rostill's absence. OK, I'm probably looking far too deeply into it, but it has always nagged at me. There are, of course, other shots from that photo session that are posed differently.

By the way, I've written an article about RWCL for 'Pipeline' magazine.

I think John Rostill was still alive when this picture was taken. Didn't he have other commitments when the "Rockin' With Curly Leads" album was recorded in March and May, 1973?

Yes. John died the day before my 10th birthday - November 24th, 1973.

He was touring the US with Tom Jones as member of his backing group (which I imagine were still called The Squires). I imagine that, had this not been the case, he may well have been on RWCL and may well have re-joined the band at some point. I always got the impression that they were leaving the door open for him - hence the (in my mind at least) space left in the photo, to suggest that the band was not quite complete.

[Monty]

I read somewhere that both Hank and Bruce confirmed that John Rostill WOULD have been invited to rejoin them in the reformed Shadows, but JR was contracted to Tom Jones backing group - had JR lived I'm sure when available they would have welcomed him back - he was such a great bass player and a really strong songwriter and composer - and he already knew how to do the 'Shadows Walk' !

we do know that JR and Bruce were still on good terms when we sadly lost John


the 'Marvin-Farrar-Welch-Rostill-Bennett' five piece Shads line up would have been fantastic I'm sure, but sadly we'll never know what they might have achieved...

The 70's Shads were to an extent something of a 'part-time' outfit tho', as all had other commitments, mainly producing other artists, with being invited to do the Eurovision song thing an unexpected diversion - hence those vocals being added to the 'Specs Appeal' album - and I seem to recall 'Live in Paris' being originally viewed as their swansong effort (JF obviously was planning to relocate to the USA to produce 'Livvy' etc)....

....but then the TV advertised '20 Golden Greats' being such a massive success changed their minds for them

Brian (I think it was) felt 'Tasty' was unsuccessful saying something like;
'we'd just been apart for too long...' (had they ? - 1975 to 1977 ?)

I thought 'Tasty' was an excellent album, mixing the more complex last instrumentals cut with JF and more 'leaner' rockier tracks plus a few that sounded very traditional Shads like 'Return To The Alamo' (Norrie's swansong with them)

I MUCH preferred 'Tasty' to the stream of Polydor covers of mostly later 70's and 80's poppy musak hits often over featuring keyboards that followed....

[Uncle Fiesta]

I thought 'Tasty' was an excellent album, mixing the more complex last instrumentals cut with JF and more 'leaner' rockier tracks plus a few that sounded very traditional Shads like 'Return To The Alamo' (Norrie's swansong with them)

I MUCH preferred 'Tasty' to the stream of Polydor covers of mostly later 70's and 80's poppy musak hits often over featuring keyboards that followed....

Me too! I wouldn't cross the road to hear a band playing covers so I'm certainly not going to buy whole albums full of them!

[iefje]

To be fair to Frank, the name Farrah is probably more commonly associated with the late lamented Farrah Fawcett-Majors and I can well imagine that this spelling tends to come to mind quicker than Farrar - especially if you are not a particular fan of his.

I have always wondered about the gatefold photo that can be seen inside the RWCL album. It ALMOST looks as if they have left a gap between Brian and John Farrar, to 'suggest' John Rostill's absence. OK, I'm probably looking far too deeply into it, but it has always nagged at me. There are, of course, other shots from that photo session that are posed differently.

By the way, I've written an article about RWCL for 'Pipeline' magazine.

I think John Rostill was still alive when this picture was taken. Didn't he have other commitments when the "Rockin' With Curly Leads" album was recorded in March and May, 1973?

Yes. John died the day before my 10th birthday - November 24th, 1973.

He was touring the US with Tom Jones as member of his backing group (which I imagine were still called The Squires). I imagine that, had this not been the case, he may well have been on RWCL and may well have re-joined the band at some point. I always got the impression that they were leaving the door open for him - hence the (in my mind at least) space left in the photo, to suggest that the band was not quite complete.

According to Bruce's autobiography, John died in the early hours of November 26th, 1973. Bruce was with John in the evening of the 25th to write songs and the two agreed to meet each other again the next morning to continue, which never happened...

[Monty]

JR should always be remembered for the creative talented musician and songwriter/composer he was, and such a 'backbone' of the band and key figure in The Shadows stroy

one thing that really annoys me now is how when old band photos with former Shads such as particulatly Liquorice, JR and JF get 'edited' down to just include Hank, Bruce, and Brian...!

would you cut John Lennon or George Harrison out of Beatles photos or say Brian Jones , Mick Taylor, and Bill Wyman out of old Rolling Stones pics...?

[Fenderman]

JR was a superb bass player and composer. His bass playing on his tracks on Sounds of the Shadows is excellent (especially Bossa Roo and Dean's Theme).