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Set looks well - and thanks Ivo highlighting those couple of interesting facts. I had a quick flick through Mike Read’s essay and he seems to have mostly spoken to Hank for recollections. There are some quotes from Brian Bennett and also Dick Plant but doesn’t seem to be anything from Bruce.

I think it’s a really nice box set, well presented and 11 albums for £50 can’t be bad - the signed pic is a great bonus. So if you were unsure whether to buy, i’d say go ahead, you won’t regret it (just move quickly before the last few remaining signed sets sell out..)

Fenderman wrote:I would have preferred something like a CD of studio outtakes as surely there's enough completed unreleased material in the vaults?
Or perhaps a CD of BBC radio recordings, this was mooted a few years ago but so far nothing has came of it.

Yes the BBC stuff is dogged by rights issues. A lot of the material has emerged under the radar though.

As to out-takes, I'd be surprised if they exist. Recording by that time was not done with all the performers present. BB and the professional rhythm section would lay down the basic track. All the other bits would be added separately at different times in different places. Bruce and Hank might not meet the other guys, or each other. Also, a bum note would be replaced by a drop-in, either at the time or in post-production. The process leads to much better product, but you do lose energy. Shame eh?

Before I fork out £50+ I've checked the track listings on Leo's Den and Amazon against my Polydor cds and I can't seem to find Fender Bender ('b' side of Equinox Part V) on this set as featured on The Shadows Collection Pickwick PWKS 559.
Is anything else missing?

Keith Bateman wrote:Before I fork out £50+ I've checked the track listings on Leo's Den and Amazon against my Polydor cds and I can't seem to find Fender Bender ('b' side of Equinox Part V) on this set as featured on The Shadows Collection Pickwick PWKS 559.
Is anything else missing?

Yes, "Shadoogie '83" is also missing. Although it has not been recorded and released in the period 1980 to 1990, I think "Life Story" is also a track which belongs to the Polydor/PolyGram/Universal catalogue of recordings. Other tracks which could have been added as bonus tracks are the edited single version of "Equinoxe (Part V)", the edited promo single version of "Going Home" and the edited promo version of "Life Story". The last Shadows studio recording to date is "The Appointment", which was included on Brian Bennett's splendid solo album "Shadowing John Barry". Does Roll Over Records own the copyright for this recording?

Iain Purdon wrote:

Fenderman wrote:I would have preferred something like a CD of studio outtakes as surely there's enough completed unreleased material in the vaults?
Or perhaps a CD of BBC radio recordings, this was mooted a few years ago but so far nothing has came of it.

Yes the BBC stuff is dogged by rights issues. A lot of the material has emerged under the radar though.

As to out-takes, I'd be surprised if they exist. Recording by that time was not done with all the performers present. BB and the professional rhythm section would lay down the basic track. All the other bits would be added separately at different times in different places. Bruce and Hank might not meet the other guys, or each other. Also, a bum note would be replaced by a drop-in, either at the time or in post-production. The process leads to much better product, but you do lose energy. Shame eh?

I've heard the vaults do contain some unreleased tracks, someone on this site confirmed this and some are in a completed state but are unlikely to see the light of day.

With re. unreleased tracks...

It's funny, isn't it? Every other artist or band under the sun almost shoves previously unreleased tracks and demo recordings down your throat - I almost laugh every time I see a CD with a sticker on it that says 'New, expanded edition', which normally means that an album that had 12 songs upon release, is now spread over five CDs and a DVD! For some reason, the Shads haven't bought into this, which is either a good or bad thing, depending upon how you look at it. Completists want it all - or as much as possible - but sometimes unreleased stuff should remain just that.

With re. the new box set...

A shame about Fender Bender. A great tune, the b-side of Equinoxe pt. 5, which SHOULD have been on there. How did it slip through the net? Why can't these people just get in touch with one of the 'famous' Shadows fans and show them the track list and ask them if there's anything missing? As the Shads themselves have often said, "you lot know more about us than we do" (paraphrased) and so surely it makes sense? I'll buy it if it comes down in price.

drakula63 wrote:With re. the new box set...

A shame about Fender Bender. A great tune, the b-side of Equinoxe pt. 5, which SHOULD have been on there. How did it slip through the net? Why can't these people just get in touch with one of the 'famous' Shadows fans and show them the track list and ask them if there's anything missing? As the Shads themselves have often said, "you lot know more about us than we do" (paraphrased) and so surely it makes sense? I'll buy it if it comes down in price.

I don't think it is a mistake, but rather a way of marketing. Maybe in the future, another release will be issued containing material from the Polydor years, which has largely been included on the new box set, but with "Fender Bender" or "Shadoogie '83" included, so fans will have to pay twice for most tracks just to have all tracks. In any case, for "Fender Bender" I can always go back to the original single, the New Zealand "More Rarities" LP, "The Shadows Collecion" CD or the "Shadstrax" CD.

In the credits listing for the album "Hits Right Up Your Street" in the box set, it says the location of recording is Abbey Road Studios, but the original album sleeve lists Honeyhill Studios. Which one is correct?

iefje wrote:In the credits listing for the album "Hits Right Up Your Street" in the box set, it says the location of recording is Abbey Road Studios, but the original album sleeve lists Honeyhill Studios. Which one is correct?

At this time (1981) the Shadows were not anymore recording for EMI but for Polydor, so it couldn't be Abbey Road, it was Honeyhill Sudios.

Didier

To be really picky, they were actually recording for Roll Over Records and leasing the tracks to Polydor. That deal was for Europe, but the albums in Australasia went out on EMI - which made the first ROR album a misnomer there.

And wasn't Change of Address recorded at Abbey Road? And later of course the free 'live' album. They just hired the studio as did Sky who were on Ariola, for example.

George