The ShadowMusic Web Community

First time I heard that sound live was from a band called Mike Stephens & The Saphires who played in the Barnet area around 1963. I remember (even after all this time!) walking into that Church Hall to the sound of Kon Tiki from Strat, echo and AC30!

Sweet Dreams, Blue Star and Mustang are numbers that never pale. Tales of a Raggy Tramline showcases the drums and rhythm with a great melody and sound from the lead making this number on a par with Walk don't Run.

I like pretty much all of their music up to 1979, notably the early sound and the Marvin/Farrar twin guitar sound in the seventies, and the originals plus the better suited to guitar covers that have a prominent backup guitar thus sound like The Shads thereafter

I can never understand why some feel the need to belittle The Beatles when praising up The Shadows tho'

Well it's true that great though the talent of the Shadows was, it was greatly exceeded by that of the Beatles - but then, so was everybody else's so that's fair.

What I don't think is fair, is the way people go on about the Beatles being the first to write their own material when the Shadows were doing it long before.

Uncle Fiesta wrote:Well it's true that great though the talent of the Shadows was, it was greatly exceeded by that of the Beatles - but then, so was everybody else's so that's fair.

What I don't think is fair, is the way people go on about the Beatles being the first to write their own material when the Shadows were doing it long before.

Got to disagree with that Steve, I would say that the appeal of the Shads was exceeded by the appeal of the Beatles at the time.
Back to the original point it was never the recorded sound that did it for me, it was the performance.... each to their own

Take care

I doubt if there is not a member who back in 1960 when they first heard "Apache"
was not in awe of the sound of it.

Pete

Allclaphands wrote:I doubt if there is not a member who back in 1960 when they first heard "Apache"
was not in awe of the sound of it. Pete

It's difficult to remember the full effect Apache had on myself when I first heard it, but certainly many recordings had a great inspirational effect back in those days and the guitar obviously was a major interest. I can just about remember the effect seeing the red Strat for the first time had on me- it turned into a highly desired object...

One tune i never tire of is probably not well known but it's from the Los Shadows EP, i love the track Three Gallons, Hanks playing is so delicate, the track is a delight to listen to.

Instumentally The Shadows - and quite a number of other groups too ! - had the edge over The Beatles, whom The Shads certainly were a big influence on !

just look at the NME poll winners of those days - Hank regularly took top guitarist spot while Jet took musical personality in 1964, Brian was in the top three drummers ahead of Ringo (won in 1965 by The Hollies drummer Bobby Elliott)

plus it was The Shadows and The Ventures that really established the three guitar front line and 'lead-rhythm-bass-drums' small group format that The Beatles copied

while in writing and publishing their own material (Shadows Music) again The Shads pointed the way for The Beatles - hence them being namechecked on 'Please Please Me' album sleeve by Tony Barrow - and indeed 'Cry For A Shadow' instrumental penned by Lennon-Harrison !

but as major prolific songwriters John and Paul led the way, also their recordings broke new ground of course and in terms of mass popularity The Beatles were in a league of their own BUT The Shadows (Cliff too) 'survived' the advent of The Fab Four and remained vastly popular up to 1968 and thereafter

The Shads had their own 'sound' (as did Beatles and the other classic sixties bands) that makes them unique and they hold a unique place in popular music history

Sadly The Shadows get little mention in some music history articles, some seem to think nothing existed before The Beatles which is wildly incorrect.