The Shadows in South Africa 1961

[cockroach]

Regarding the photo, it appears that Brian Bennett was in the group- IIRC he joined in about October 1961 after Tony left.

However, the red matching Fenders started to be used that year (in the Young Ones film etc) yet Jet is using his older sunburst P Bass in the photo and the amps appear to be AC15s whilst by 1961 they were using AC30s- it also looks like Bruce has the Jazzmaster in the photo...

Am I missing something here?

[Iain Purdon]

I don't know. However, there are plenty of studio photos showing other instruments being used at recording sessions. I don't want to restart the Big Gretsch Debate but we all know it did turn up in the studio while never being sported on stage. Bruce often used acoustics for rhythm recording but electrics on stage. I'm sure Jet will have used what he chose on the day. I do know that Licorice used his own sunburst P-bass on Dance On but always appeared on stage with a bass in the "uniform" colour of the time. John loved his J-bass, and I'm sure it found its way into the studio many times during the Burns era. Likewise with the amps. If both Jet and Paul McCartney used the Abbey Road bass gear when recording, I have no problem with the "wrong" amps being used by Hank, and Bruce when using an electric.

[UlrichS]

Can't see the SA and the amp pic's Didier posted...
Cheers Rob

Me, too.

Ulrich

[AlanMcKillop]

Hanks Gretsch has appeared on stage sitting on a stand and pics prove that, what is not known (to me anyway), did he play it on stage live or was it simply a back up guitar?

[Iain Purdon]

The Google links to those images seem to have broken. The images will need to be reposted, either by posting a new link or, better, finding the image, saving a copy of it and uploading the copy.

[Iain Purdon]

Yes I have seen photos of a Gretsch on a stage guitar stand. By "being sported" I meant actually being played.

I agree, I have no idea whether he ever did but I have seen no photos of him doing so.

[Moderne]

Is this the same Gretsch guitar that Bruce played in the cellar scene (Round and Round and Les Girls) of Summer Holiday?

[cockroach]

Is this the same Gretsch guitar that Bruce played in the cellar scene (Round and Round and Les Girls) of Summer Holiday?

I think Bruce's Gretsch was an orange/red 6120 model, whereas Hank had an early model single cutaway dark walnut colour Gretsch Country Gentleman.

Bruce used his Gretsch in the film and also on some of the live performances on the Cliff Richard TV show around 1960/1...

Not sure if Hank ever used his Gretsch on stage, but it was on stage on a stand, presumably as a spare/backup in a couple of photos I've seen- possibly something like an early '60's NME Poll Concert..

[cockroach]

I don't know. However, there are plenty of studio photos showing other instruments being used at recording sessions. I don't want to restart the Big Gretsch Debate but we all know it did turn up in the studio while never being sported on stage. Bruce often used acoustics for rhythm recording but electrics on stage. I'm sure Jet will have used what he chose on the day. I do know that Licorice used his own sunburst P-bass on Dance On but always appeared on stage with a bass in the "uniform" colour of the time. John loved his J-bass, and I'm sure it found its way into the studio many times during the Burns era. Likewise with the amps. If both Jet and Paul McCartney used the Abbey Road bass gear when recording, I have no problem with the "wrong" amps being used by Hank, and Bruce when using an electric.

I didn't mean to imply anything about amps being 'wrong'..

It's just that in that photo, the amps being used appear to be the earlier 15w models, whereas by that time they were using AC30s on stage, TV, film etc..also Bruce appears to be playing the Jazzmaster, not the red Strat he had by the time of the photo.

I can only assume the picture was taken late in 1961 just after Brian replaced Tony.

[UlrichS]

...
I can only assume the picture was taken late in 1961 just after Brian replaced Tony.

There seems to be a misunderstanding about the drummer on this picture. The origin is from the sheet music of "Quatermasster's Stores" and as you can see the drummer is given as Tony Meehan. As the sheet music has most likely been published near the release of "Apache". If the comment about the photo being taken on the actual session is true this would mean the 17. June 1960.

Quatermassters Stores (GBR).jpg

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Ulrich