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Just found some photos from 1979.

This was my complete Shadows collection up to that point... (the photos came free from EMI in those days, if you wrote and asked!)

This was my bedroom door... (photo of Hank from TVTimes, 1978. Photo of the Shads from Look-in, 1977)

And this was our National Panasonic music centre, which I loved!

And this one, my favourite...

From July 1979, me pretending that I can play the guitar. I couldn't then and I can't now. But that guitar was beautiful...

(Don't ask!)

In short, for a multitude of reasons, 1979 was one of the best, most memorable years of my life. What a year.

Great Pics Chris...What converted you to drums ? regards gary

Gary Allen wrote:Great Pics Chris...What converted you to drums ? regards gary

Trying to play guitar was too much like hard work!!! I learnt three chords, with difficulty, struggled for months, then finally gave up. Hitting things seemed a lot easier! And it was!

And this is where it all began. This is the first drum kit (set up wrong! By me!!) that I ever played on. I had lessons for a few months, but was too undisciplined to learn much. But this is where, and when, I got the bug. And, although I do say so myself, my primary inspiration here - as always - was Brian Bennett.

As I say, 1979... what a year!!!

drakula63 wrote:As I say, 1979... what a year!!!

Who was she?

MeBHank wrote:

drakula63 wrote:As I say, 1979... what a year!!!

Who was she?

Funnily enough, that's one of the reasons 1979 was so 'memorable'.

In answer; her name was Virginia - 'Ginny' - someone who I'd known since 1974/75. And, yes, as per usual, I made a HUGE mistake which has haunted me ever since! In the words of a certain Bruce Welch-produced mega hit from that year... 'We Don't Talk Anymore'.


But 1979 was still an amazing year!

About a month after the above photos were taken I discovered, and bought immediately, 'String of Hits'.

Somewhere, I have a photo (possibly, again, from '79) where I am reclining nonchalantly on my bed, strumming my new acoustic guitar. Yes, I saw myself (albeit very briefly) as a bit of a Mr Welch. Sadly, it was not to be and I ended up cutting the guitar strings in frustration with a pair of pliers and putting the now useless piece of wood up in the loft. My brother (that's him in the checked shirt in the final pic) later retrieved it and sold it to one of his friends for 50p.

Ahhh, the memories...

Why did anyone imagine that the kids who bought 'Look-In' would want to read about the Shadows?