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It seems whenever anybody covers a Beatles song it's called a 'TRIBUTE' to the Fab Four....

however The Beatles lone Harrison-Lennon composition recorded in Germany, the (for them) rare instrumental was clearly by it's very name a Shadows style number - Paul even does a 'Jet Harris yell' during the piece ...yet I always see this number termed as just being a mere 'PARODY' of The Shadows ! - check wiki or many Beatles fans forums etc

which seems somewhat inaccurate indeed rather unfair - Tony Barrow's sleeve notes to the first 'Please Please Me' UK Parlophone LP by The Beatles quoted Brian Matthew in namechecking The Shadows ! (a quote also used by NEMS to promote 'From Me To You' single in 1963 as well)

and George once said; 'IF we can do as well as Cliff and The Shads...' in an early interview I recall

even Paul years later was doing a 'Hank Marvin' impersonation (very well, notably the grin, pointing his guitar about, and touching the centre of his specs while playing) in his 'Coming Up' promo film BUT by some (Americans mostly but some British writers too) is simply 'assumed' to be doing Buddy Holly - notably in some Beatles books or on Beatles forums !

several Beatles book writers have rather belittled both Cliff and The Shadows - it's worth noting who first featured the lead/rhythm/bass guitar and drums band format The Beatles used as a recording band

If everyone else can pay a 'TRIBUTE' to The Beatles...then why can't 'Cry For A Shadow' be accepted as The Beatles own 'TRIBUTE' to The Shadows...?

I read in a Beatles book that John said he hated The Shadows and wanted to annihilate them chart wise, harsh words that i don't think were true. I'm sure they had mutual respect for each other and would chat if they met up at Abbey Road.

To my ears, it sounds more like a parody than a tribute. I still play it at Shadows clubs though, and it always goes down well.

(Admittedly, most people don't realise it was by the Beatles anyway.)

I don't see it as either, to be honest. The title Cry For A Shadow is an obvious reference but it is otherwise a guitar instrumental that sounds nothing like the Shads. It's pretty Beatle-y I'd say, some of the chords and guitar sounds remind me of other Beatles tracks.

Turning this on its head, I Want You To Want Me, the B side of Atlantis, is the Shadows showing that they too could do vocal harmony as the Mersey bands were doing. But I wouldn't call it either a tribute or a parody, it's just a good pop song. Rhythm'n'Greens, by contrast, was most certainly a parody!

It's well documented that the groups knew each other to a degree. As for John Lennon, he made numerous rather crass remarks in his younger days: best forgotten!

Both the Shadows and the Beatles had/have a sense of humour...and they happened to use it when naming instrumental tunes which they composed..

No big deal...Cry For A Shadow is a great little tune, always liked it...and there's that other neat one (Catswalk) which the Beatles did early in their career..

Keep in mind that when the Beatles wrote Cry for a Shadow, they were still unknown, while the Shadows were already big stars !

Didier