Defining Moment

[Pedro]

When/what was the defining moment that made you rush out and buy a guitar? Was it 'Apache'?
Although 'Apache' had a lot to do with me being alerted th The Shadows' as a 12 year old in 1960 It has to be the picture The Young Ones when The Shadows performed 'The Savage'. That was it! I even bent one of my mothers knitting needles under the tail of my acoustic guitar to substitute a tremolo.

[JimTidmarsh]

As far as I can remember (it was 1962-ish!), it was seeing the likes of Bert Weedon and Joe Brown on the TV. I was certainly not aware of The Shads until a few months later when I started my record collection.

[Martin Page]

As far as I can remember (it was 1962-ish!), it was seeing the likes of Bert Weedon and Joe Brown on the TV. I was certainly not aware of The Shads until a few months later when I started my record collection.

Yep, 1962 for me also - I was playing in a group the following year. The Shads helped and of course Bert Weedon's 'Play In A Day'.

Martin.

[dave robinson]

I too used to see Bert Weedon and Joe Brown on TV but they did nothing for me regarding my yearning for a guitar. I used to listen to radio alot and the guitar sounds on the American records was interesting asnd I had heard and liked The Shadows without knowing who or what they were, but it wasn't until I actually saw The Shadows playing FBI on 'Crackerjack' that I put my name down for an electric guitar, though I went through the process of learning to play a few things on the acoustic guitar before I got my hands on a Vox Duotone. That ' Crackerjack' performance was a defining moment for me because I had been badly injured playing football and was sidelined from following my intended career as a pro at Sheffield Wednesday, but the guitar totally captured me and I dropped the idea of wanting to be a pro footballer and threw myself into learning the guitar, which wasn't a bad move as I have had a good living from it to this day.

[StuartD]

HI

I think for me it was the Young Ones and the Savage. I had seen the Sahds before that - at Leeds Empire on the night Tony was late- but i think for many the Young Ones will have been the first time we really saw those shiny shot silk suits, the red Feners, Jet's 'blond' hair and that walk captured on a larger than life screen. We are all of that age where we remember what it was like back then - no colour TV, so you couldn't really tell what 'Red' strats looked like unless you went to the local music store to peer through the window!! There were very few colour pics around either. I well rememebr going into Vallances in Leeds. It was a record store and they had an import LP, Meeting with the Shadows, and it had the 'awesome' red Fenders on the front. It was a much beter cover than the Shads first album, just for the guitars!! I couldn't afford it but me and little crowd i ran around with used to go and look at it every Saturday. We used to move around and hide it in the Opera section so it would still be there the next week!! It didn't sell for months!!!

Regards

Stuart

[Pedro]

Following my previous, I can recall this 'Savage' effect resulting in me frequently visiting a guitar showroom in Liscard (Wallasey) by the name 'Strothers'. There, on display would be a Stratocaster (£162 and 10 shillings) and amongst the amps etc was a Meazzi Factotem, the control panel looked like something out of a space ship. I have forgotten the price of the Meazzi.
I settled for a Japanese Tiesco and had to purchase an additional Fenton Weill Tremolo unit. I just had to have a tremelo. As for amps, a Watkins Scout and Watkins Copycat.
We even had a local band call the Undertakers who were doing OK. Saxaphone and all.

[Mike Honey]

It was the intro to Lonnie Donegans 'Cumberland Gap'. then Bert and Hank!

Mike

[siesta beach]

Couldn't agree more Mike! I would say that Lonnie Donegan was the guy that started the guitar craze in this country - Rock Island Line was played to death on my record player and I would be playing along on my £2 acoutic guitar. Then the skiffle craze
took off!

[George Geddes]

Buying the Frightened City single in 1961...

George

[JimN]

Duane Eddy and Because They're Young.

The 45 was in the record collection of my parents' pub in Liverpool. I sometimes used to sneak down to the bar in the late afternoon to play the records (quietly). Another in the collection was The Shadows' Apache.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GH8yNCB58s

JN