Hank's lead guitar sound down through the years..

[bgohara]

I remember reading somewhere in an interview with Hank that he didn't like his lead sound in the mid 60s - that he kind of 'lost his way' - but some of those tunes like 'the Warlord' are among my favourites. I also used to hate 'Stingray' but it has grown on me through time - and there's a fair bit of tonal variation in Hank's sound from around that time if you think of things like 'Place in the Sun', 'Maroc 7' ''Ranka Chank' 'Tomorrow's Cancelled' and even some of the Cliff stuff like 'Blue Turns to Grey' or 'Time in Between'. Then he moved into the late 60s - 'Midnight Cowboy', 'Sacha', 'Sunday for 7 days' 'Goodnight Dick' 'and Throw Down a Line / Joy of Living with Cliff- quite a raucous sound - and then there's the experimental sounds on Rockin with Curly Leads.

Lots of different sounds - all very far removed from the early, so called 'That Sound'....

I know that Hank has gravitated back towards a classic kind of sound (though his sound has evolved through time) - but I do think that nevertheless he has experimented quite a lot with his sound and style down through the years - even through his solo period, which I think had some of the best playing in his career. If you listen to his playing down through the years there are evolving echo sounds, the DeArmond pedal / Burns sound, the Leslie speaker sound, the 'Volume pedal' sound (ie cavatina / argentina / missing), 12 string acoustic, 12 string electric, nylon strung guitars, acoustic (including the excellent guitar player album), the six string bass (stingray / thunderbirds), bouzoukis, and even a lute!

Personally - I think there is actually quite a bit of variety there - and he has shown himself a master at them all. I know that there are those out there that don't see past 1961 - but I think that there are some great sounds (not to mention playing) through both Hank's career with the Shads and also through his solo career.

Does anyone else out there have any favourite sounds beyond the so called 'that sound' that they really like? I know there are a lot of Burns enthusiasts out there certainly...

Bernie

[Twangaway]

Hi Bernie

The last records I liked were The Miracle, and the Sound of the Shadows LP, but have to say I didn't like the sound. The sound was very dry, and Binson sounding. No multitap echoes and after that it all went downhill. Jigsaw was the worst peice of their career history, like when the Beatles did Let it Be be in the studios prior to break up. No atmosphere and a spent band.
Hank was right they lost the spark, and unlike Cliff they didn't look cool with those guitar aerobic poses that Hank and Bruce always did and still being seen with those non boutique VoX amps, when everyone was using Fender Twin Reverbs, and unknown brands. The gimmicky Pantomine Cliff LP's also lost them cred, and same with Thunderbirds tracks. It wasn't until Curly Leads that i saw some positive change that was more inspirational and actually listened to it a lot. It was also better recorded and produced and for me, was better than Sound of the Shadows which was somehwta depressing despite some great tunes such as the Lost City , my favourite or Brazil with that fancy bass playing.

The type of echo used by Hank certainly seemed to reflect the period and style, like throw down a line sound, but distorted menacing duelling style guitar sounds are humorously incompatible with Hank's hallmark grin don't you think ?, and those awful tank tops Hank liked

Still I have to admit being a diehard fan of the ground breaking period 59-61, even Shindig was dry and dull bar one dampened phrase. Theme for Young Lovers, a master piece from Bruce, was undervalued at the time, but Hank treated it as if it was another Wonderful Land, if only Norrie Paramor had been around ? to weave his magic with orchestration, think he was either too old or had passed on. But great tune and a passable Burns sound, but would have loved it on Fenders.

[stratmantd]

Although Let It Be was The Beatles last album release, it wasn't their last album recording. That was Abbey Road. After all their fighting amongst themselves (well, really between John and Paul) they came together (no pun intended) to produce their wonderful swansong.

[Didier]

I remember reading somewhere in an interview with Hank that he didn't like his lead sound in the mid 60s - that he kind of 'lost his way'

I always thought the same. I guess that with the success of the Mersey sound, the Shadows thought they had to evolve, but they never found a better sound than the one they had in the pre Burns era.

Didier

[Twangaway]

At least Hank made an effort to be accepted by the rock type fraternity and all he needed was a dramatic turn in style. Just think what might have been if the Shadows had been the innovators and instigators of Parisienne Walkways. Would that single tune not have cemented their post use of echo career ? Like Albatross did Fleetwood Mac and extended their career like Brian Bennet tried to with " Change of Direction ".

But not many of us move on with the times, and I bet there are many fine examples of 60's guys on the board still sporting quiffs, and at that silver ones but with less volume to it ? So it is understandable the pressure Hank must have felt in the fuzzy world of distorted guitars that has never gone away. Amanda would be the exception as too young to be sporting that beehive look common in the 60's

[des mcneill]

Hi there,
There are so many issues in this thread already! Like Didier I have to agree the later sounds never equalled the earlier ones but that doesn't mean I didn't like some of the later sounds as well. The truth of the matter is that from a point of view of chart success etc. by about '65 nothing bar a miracle(no pun intended) would have brought the Shads back to prominence as they were seen as part of the "establishment" when it was not fashionable to be so. At Pipeline I was delighted to hear the closest thing to That Sound I think I have ever heard,talking live here-am less interested in recorded sound. Hank and the Shads have had an almost unequaled length of career,they could not stand still,they had to experiment and change style and sound,even if not always for the better.
Parisienne Walkways? even if done as Gary Moore did it (hardly likely),for the above reasons I doubt it would have made any difference. Now,a good dose of illegal drugs,bad behaviour,the odd tv thrown from hotel windows, that might have worked. Dry Binson sound? Every week I play bass to a guitarist using a Binson and a "boutique" Vox, if that is a dry sound can I have more please? With reference to the Beatles,Tom is right, Abbey Road was the last album recorded and is one of my favourites albeit I am not really a Beatles fan. To Bernard,must endorse Eric's comments re. Zambesi,- do it again next month?
Des.

[EJK]

With regard to "That sound" it was not only Hank's lead guitar that made it but the whole group of the original members.

Bruce Welch's playing provided a perfect link between the lead guitar and the rhythm section of Tony Meehan and Jet Harris.
Jet and Tony's playing and style contributed greatly to "That sound" which made the band so popular and as time has gone in it could be viewed that perhaps their role in The Shadows has been minimised.

Like any good football team a good blend is required and the original line-up had that by the barrowload!

[bgohara]

With regard to "That sound" it was not only Hank's lead guitar that made it but the whole group of the original members.

Bruce Welch's playing provided a perfect link between the lead guitar and the rhythm section of Tony Meehan and Jet Harris.
Jet and Tony's playing and style contributed greatly to "That sound" which made the band so popular and as time has gone in it could be viewed that perhaps their role in The Shadows has been minimised.

Like any good football team a good blend is required and the original line-up had that by the barrowload!

Eric - I agree with you - and this was not lost on me when I was typing the thread. The Shadows sound is certainly not all about Hank - it is one of those situations where the group is much more than the sum of the parts.

I had Hank's guitar sound down through the years though in mind with this thread - and how far it was removed from the sound he had on Apache / Shane / Frightened City / Man of Mystery / Shadoogie when you compare these to, e.g. Blue Turns to Grey or Warlord or something like Naughty Nippon Nights. I didn't mean to neglect the contributions of others - will pick up on those in future threads.

B.

[des mcneill]

With regard to "That sound" it was not only Hank's lead guitar that made it but the whole group of the original members.

Bruce Welch's playing provided a perfect link between the lead guitar and the rhythm section of Tony Meehan and Jet Harris.
Jet and Tony's playing and style contributed greatly to "That sound" which made the band so popular and as time has gone in it could be viewed that perhaps their role in The Shadows has been minimised.

Like any good football team a good blend is required and the original line-up had that by the barrowload!

Hi Eric,
No arguement on that from me,my prefered lineup has always been the original,as a bass player and Jet fan it could hardly be otherwise. A fair degree of "magic" was lost when Tony and Jet left,but there was still plenty left. My reference to Pipeline did not omitt the rest of the band,the overall sound was superb, I doubt Alan Jones would have been there otherwise, but you had to be impressed by the quality of the lead sound. As regards to minimising Jet and Tony's contribution,- over my dead body!
Des.

[ecca]

Although Let It Be was The Beatles last album release, it wasn't their last album recording. That was Abbey Road. After all their fighting amongst themselves (well, really between John and Paul) they came together (no pun intended) to produce their wonderful swansong.

Bang on !