The ShadowMusic Web Community

Iain Purdon wrote:There is an overdub on Dakota. Does the card index reveal when and where that was done?

I don't recall seeing the index card for Dakota (I've only seen a few of them, including the infamous Schnoedecon, which pencilled note I read as Schmoedown).

On Ivo's instrumentation page, Shazam! is listed as August 4th, 1963 in Blackpool - which seems more likely as Geronimo/Shazam! was a November 1963 single. November 1st 1963 at Abbey Road was apparently the occasion when Bruce left the session, leaving Hank to play rhythm guitar on TFYL and Do You Remember?

Moderne wrote:On Ivo's instrumentation page, Shazam! is listed as August 4th, 1963 in Blackpool - which seems more likely as Geronimo/Shazam! was a November 1963 single. November 1st 1963 at Abbey Road was apparently the occasion when Bruce left the session, leaving Hank to play rhythm guitar on TFYL and Do You Remember?

Yes, I've got the recording date for "Shazam" from Malcolm Campbell's book "A Pocket Guide To Shadow Music". The sound is very similar to "Blue Shadows" and "This Hammer", which were also both recorded on August the 4th, 1963.

JimN wrote:Shindig was recorded on 1st September 1963, which was a Sunday. It is not listed as a Jubilee Hall track and sounds as though it has overdubs, not easy with the two-track equipment in use there. It was released in September, so it is possible that this was just a remix or similar and that it may well have been recorded some months earlier (which was more like the usual gap between recording and release).

According to Malcolm's book, "Shindig" was recorded on August 9th, 1963, so also in Blackpool. Maybe some remixing was done on September 1st.

The "Holiday Carnival" programme by Cliff & The Shadows opened the New ABC Theatre in Blackpool which replaced the 1962 demolished Hippodrome Cinema.
The season ran from Friday, 31. May until Saturday, 21. September 1963 with two shows each day (18.15 and 20.45) but no shows on Sundays.

As place for the recordings in question usually the Jubilee Theatre is cited, which was part of the Co-op Emporium (demolished in 1988).
Am I right in presuming that there were no 'proper' recording possibilities at the ABC Theatre? They must have been available at the Jubilee Theatre as the BBC radio broadcasted several programmes from there (Morecambe & Wise, Blackpool Night).

The 4. August and 1. September 1963 were both Sundays, so there were no performances in Blackpool on these days and it is thinkable that they were in London for the recordings on these two days.

Just my thoughts.

Ulrich

I notice mention of Blue Shadows among the tracks from the Blackpool sessions...

I always loved that tune ...before I heard it by the Shads, I first heard it being played by a local group here in Oz around late '64/early '65..

The group's lead guitarist was Kevin Peek...

I agree that Blue Shadows is a great number although I feel the 12 bar rhythm section break needs something extra. In recent years in Shads clubs Licorice has played it on harmonica backed by a club band. This allows interplay between harmonica and lead guitar, leading to a fuller arrangement.
That said, the original version on DWTS is as tight as a drum and can’t be faulted as a performance.

Here's one of many examples of what I mean

Iain Purdon wrote:Here's one of many examples of what I mean

Thanks for that Ian, great clip.

Brian Locking did a version of "Blue Shadows" on his 2005 solo album "Returning Home", which features Brian Bennett on drums. He doesn't play bass guitar on this version, but plays the main melody on harmonica in unison with the lead guitar. It's quite a nice variation of The Shadows' version. However, to me The Shadows' original version is still the best.