String of Hits 2

[iefje]

Just arrived from ebay. I already had String of Hits on CD, but have never had Another String... on CD before. Buying these together was a pretty good deal. Interesting how, for the CD, they padded it out with loads of old hits to fill up the disc! Strangely enough, I no longer have the original LP version that I bought in 1980... so that's next on the list!

Did you already have the original 1987 EMI CD release of "String Of Hits" or the 1991 MFP CD release of that album? The one on the picture is the 1991 MFP CD release.

[iefje]

Interestingly, in 2013, EMI Records released a double CD containing both "String Of Hits" and the 1987 expanded "Another String Of Hots Hits And More" albums: https://www.discogs.com/release/5416367-The-Shadows-String-Of-HitsAnother-String-Of-Hot-Hits-And-More

[drakula63]

Just arrived from ebay. I already had String of Hits on CD, but have never had Another String... on CD before. Buying these together was a pretty good deal. Interesting how, for the CD, they padded it out with loads of old hits to fill up the disc! Strangely enough, I no longer have the original LP version that I bought in 1980... so that's next on the list!

Did you already have the original 1987 EMI CD release of "String Of Hits" or the 1991 MFP CD release of that album? The one on the picture is the 1991 MFP CD release.

Both my String of Hits CDs have the 1991 copyright date on the disc. The CD of Another String of Hot Hits has the date 1987 on the disc. I'm not too bothered about buying each and every different edition, but I suspect that if I get bored I might just go looking for the ones I haven't got! I note that the MFP CD of ASOHH has a slightly different band name logo (which doesn't look as good), whereas the original LP just copied the logo exactly from String of Hits, but changed the colouring. It also seems to be arranged a bit differently between EMI and MFP cassette releases. Blimey... and Bruce used to call us 'trainspotters'... can't see why!


Yeah, I remember that double CD.

[howarddobson]

Didn't they write Song for Duke - so they probably liked the idea of a song they'd earn more royalties from.

I'm sure I read a lot of Change of Address was recorded before they left EMI so if that was the case it could well have been released as Another String of Hits.

[drakula63]

Didn't they write Song for Duke - so they probably liked the idea of a song they'd earn more royalties from.

I'm sure I read a lot of Change of Address was recorded before they left EMI so if that was the case it could well have been released as Another String of Hits.

There are quite a few 'covers' on Change of Address, although maybe not enough to legitimately make the album (if it had included them) another SoH. Personally, I was always surprised that they didn't release Temptation as a single, as it had similarities to Riders in the Sky in terms of style and form, etc... The recording dates for Change of Address must be known to someone here.

I agree that, had it have been an all-new album, then ASOHH would probably have included the eight 'covers' that appear on COA - and probably a couple more. So maybe ten covers and two originals by the Shads.

According to Wikipedia... Recorded Late 1979 and 11 to 15 February 1980

So did they go straight into the studio after the UK tour of '79? And what did they record in four days in February? Certainly the result was a covers heavy album and this still suggests to me that it could have been released as Another String of Hits if things had turned out differently.

[drakula63]

I am intrigued and not a little surprised to discover that, apparently, the bulk of 'Change of Address' was recorded in late 1979. This is something I hadn't heard before and had never expected. So what does this do to my theory...?

I have always suspected that the success of 'String of Hits' must have had a direct influence on what was recorded and released next. My theory was that it was the album hitting Number 1 (Feb 1980) that did it. However, since we KNOW the Shads were in the studio in November '79 and since SOH got to number 9 in October, then it seems just as likely (more likely in fact) that it was this top ten position that probably convinced them that another 'String of Hits' album was what was needed. So, nine covers - including Black is Black which was probably already in the can - would have been perfect and a couple of original tracks too. So, EMI would/could have had the material quite early on for an all-new covers album.

I'll have to assume that when contractual discussions broke down and the Shads walked away, they took the new recordings with them, apart from Black is Black which had been part of the 'String of Hits' sessions and Rusk which was probably already destined for the b-side of the overdubbed Riders in the Sky single.

So... what that leaves us with is an album of (mostly) covers, that was eventually released by Polydor as 'Change of Address'. Obviously this wouldn't have been the original title. So we're back to 'Another String of Hot Hits'.

[iefje]

According to Wikipedia... Recorded Late 1979 and 11 to 15 February 1980

The backing tracks for the 12 tracks of "Change Of Address" and also the non-album B-side "Fender Bender" were recorded in late 1979 and maybe very early 1980 at Abbey Road Studios with Hank overdubbing his lead guitar parts between February 11th and 15th, 1980 at his Radlett studio.

Also recorded during this period were "Rusk" and the additional work for the single version of "Riders In The Sky". "Rusk" was recorded on November 12th, 1979 and the additional work for "Riders In The Sky" (two electric rhythm guitar parts by Bruce and syndrum parts by Brian) was recorded on November 29th, 1979 on top of the album version, which was recorded during June and July, 1979.

For full instrumentation details, see my instrumentation features: http://www.malcolmcampbell.me.uk/instrumentation-update2/

[drakula63]

...so the album that became 'Change of Address' was recorded long before they left EMI and went to Polydor. Interesting. Had never suspected that. To be recording a new album that far in advance must surely be unusual - for the Shads anyway. So it MUST have been the success of 'String of Hits' that kicked all this into gear so quickly. Interesting that the Shads used Abbey Road but hung on to the tapes.

I do still think it's possible that 'Another String of Hot Hits' could originally have been planned as the big new album of 1980.

Original EMI cassette v MFP cassette.

[Iain Purdon]

The company Rollover Records, which owns the later Shadows recordings, was set up in late 1979. This fits with the recording dates quoted and supports the proposition that this material was (a) the Shadows’ main project at the time and (b) intended to be leased by Rollover to EMI. Whatever may or may not have been EMI’s aspirations, they didn’t want the material on that basis, so the contract renewal failed and Polydor did a deal instead.

Given that EMI knew the Shadows were recording these tracks in their studios, it is hard to imagine they did not intend to use them, or at least some, on the next album, whatever title they gave it.

[drakula63]

Something else has just occurred to me...

From the front of the 1979 UK tour programme, it's clear that at the time of going to print, the artwork for String of Hits wasn't ready, since there was no mention of the album in the programme and the cover photo was the guitars against the Vox amp pic (which was very good). They did, however, get an A5 flyer printed and slipped them into the programmes at the last minute. So what? I hear you cry. Well, this illustrates how long it can take to get designs sorted out and finalised and stuff printed. Therefore, it seems reasonable to assume that they wouldn't want this to happen again, thus they got the artwork sorted out as soon as possible. That is a guess, but based on such evidence as there is.

Yes, it's clear that the recordings they made at Abbey Road in late '79 were originally intended for release in 1980 by EMI. EMI must have been confident that the Shadows would agree to their terms regarding the upcoming contract renewal and, conversely, the Shads must have been confident that EMI would agree to their terms. A shame that things didn't work out. I can now certainly see (or imagine) many or most of the tracks on Change of Address fitting into a String of Hits style album. And, again, it seems incredible to me that they were in the studio as late as July '79 and then back in again by October or November. Looking at the rec. dates that exist, this was highly unusual for the Shadows during the 1970s.

I guess we'll never know for sure what the title of the album might have been if it had been released by EMI... but I bet it wouldn't have been 'Change of Address'.