The Shadows Story (my selected pieces)

[GoldenStreet]

Heinz, you have an impressive archive, indeed!

I have always understood, as per NME, that Tony departed the group in the October of 1961, yet, according to Vic Rust's Shadows Recording Catalogue, Tony was present at a recording session on the 18th December, but for the session on the following day Brian Bennett was then in place... maybe Brian was unavailable the previous day!

Bill

[JimN]

There is more than one publication which credits Tony with drums on Shadows (and Cliff Richard) recordings right up to 31st December 1961.

They're wrong.

JN

[Arpeggio]

No one is 100% foolproof and error - free. When Malcolm Campbell, Les Woosey and myself were writing / compiling the Pocket Guide To Shadow Music we initially acted as each other's proof readers and fact / error checkers. That saved us from quite a few mistakes. Pre - publication we 'broadened' to include such respected experts as such as Stuart Duffy, Mo Foster, George Geddes, Ulrich Sasu and Ray Steer. By the end we were probably 99% error - free but the occasional mistake did 'slip through the net'.

So to the "Do You Wanna Dance" conundrum. Tony departed on October 6th, 1961 and (as reported) Brian Bennett stepped in the very next day. Whilst Tony later did return very briefly to help out when Brian was struck down by appendicitis - it most certainly wasn't during 1961. There is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Brian Bennett played drums for both Cliff Richard and the Shadows during late December 1961. But....it clearly states in Peter Lewry's and Nigel Goodall's absolutely brilliant "Cliff Richard: The Complete Recording Sessions 1958 - 1990" (repeated in "Cliff Richard: The Complete Chronicle") that Tony Meehan played drums on December 18th and 19th. Now, I'm sure that Vic Rust consulted these books whilst researching his own recording guides.

The initial error was at EMI - way back in 1961!! Clerical error - pure and simple. The Shadows hadn't recorded with Cliff at Abbey Road since August 11th, 1961 - when the classic line - up was still in situ. Come December 18th (when the Shadows returned to Abbey Road) whoever 'clerked' those sessions (presumably) simply referred to the last list of names on file (viz: August 11th) for the Shadows, simply not realising that Tony had left. I wasn't the first to notice that Vic Rust had unwittingly reproduced the mistake. I know for a fact (through Warren) that it really irks Brian Bennett - as he initially pointed out the mistake well over 20 years ago.

It's not unique. Jet Harris left the Shadows immediately following the NME Poll Winners concert on April 15th, 1962. The Shadows appeared on "Easybeat" that very same day - as the BBC radio programme had been recorded on April 11th. On December 18th (8 months later!!!!) they recorded for "Saturday Club", with Brian Locking. Yet.....the BBC contract for that date requested the services of Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Brian Bennett and......Jet Harris (as leader)!!!! Yes....it transpired that no - one had actually informed the BBC that Jet had left. This caused a bit of a problem because Jet was the only one (as he was over 21) authorised to sign the group's contracts for payments etc. There is some wonderful correspondence on file at the BBC's written archive. The BBC Light Entertainment department really take the Shadows' management to task (over the 'Jet Harris Affair'). Indeed there's a priceless comment with some BBC mandarin bemoaning the woeful lack of communication and stating that it simply wasn't good enough & that the BBC only discovered that 'Mr Harris' was no longer a member of the Shadows because a junior aide happened to read it about it in the NME!!!

Bests.....Rob

[GoldenStreet]

The Meehan produced single by "Glyn Jones" referred to in the article is, of course, by Glyn Johns, subsequently engineer and producer himself for many of the great and good.

http://www.45cat.com/artist/glyn-johns/uk

Bill

[GoldenStreet]

Fascinating stuff, Rob! Presumably, it was manager, Peter Gormley taken to task by the Corporation over the Jet "affair". I know Jet was always described as "leader" of the group, but I often wondered what this role actually entailed. Would the manager not have been responsible for the signing of contracts on behalf of all four?

Bill

[Didier]

Fascinating stuff, Rob! Presumably, it was manager, Peter Gormley taken to task by the Corporation over the Jet "affair". I know Jet was always described as "leader" of the group, but I often wondered what this role actually entailed. Would the manager not have been responsible for the signing of contracts on behalf of all four?

Bill

I remember reading somewhere that it was Jet's father (he was the only one around) who signed the papers for the Shadows before they were 21.

Didier

[Arpeggio]

Didier. Bill.....Cliff's father (before his death) agreed and signed all contracts on Cliff''s behalf (Cliff attaining the age of majority in October, 1961). The Drifters / Shadows had separate contracts. I'm not sure who would have signed on their behalf until Jet reached the age of 21 in July,1960. It could have been Jet's father....I don't know. Although Peter Gormley did indeed manage both Cliff and the Shads, it was Eddie Jarrett (agent) who was 'held responsible' for the poor lack of communication.

Bests....Rob

[chronikman-ch]

A superb series Heinz. Long may it continue to flourish. Many, many thanks and please keep posting.

Rob

Many thanks for your nice words. My collection began in earnest with the acquisition of the book The Story of the Shadows, which I bought at that time in all available formats. The bound book is still in the condition I bought the paperback edition is not the be said. The story of the Shadows were the first book in the English language to try to read and understand. I do not know how many more times I tried it again and again to improve. After my friends and acquaintances who helped me in the English language was a small, mostly in manuscript authored own Day by Day of the Shadows. In my home town in Switzerland, I was greeted both record exchanges as Mr. Shadows and the purchase prices increased from time to time, certainly since I bought everything hung together with the Shadows.
Thanks to the acquaintance of Shadows Fan Club, I met George Geddes, Ian Kershaw, and you know Rob, and many other fans around the world and my collection of data was due to the club magazine in which I became a member.
After 24 years of collecting my own book "366 Days with the Shadows" from 1958 to 1990 was developed with over 800 pages in A4 format and bound.
On 8 April 2001 I handed over a copy to Bruce Welch, one CD-ROM for Brian 'Licorice' Locking and Jet Harris. A great moment.
The attachments shows 1.Maybe the first page of the second book 2. Jet Harris sign of the book for Bruce Welch.(my first book)

In the meantime I still working on my second book with a capacity 1958 to 1968 of maybe 1000/1500 pages.
My English language are not far better since to beginning (most made by dictionary)

once more thanks to all with her nice lines!

Heinz

[chronikman-ch]

...just found
Charity Concert with Hank Marvin 2007
http://www.tccp.com.au/docs/newsletters ... lowres.pdf

hmr

[Chris Lane]

Hi Heinz,
This is great work. Looking forward to more to your story.
Kind regards,
Chris