The Shadows At The BBC - A Few Thoughts

[MikeAB]

I'm almost a total non expert but I simply don't buy that it's all down to the studio - apart from all the comments above I think for some reason the Shads did not try very hard to get exactly the 'right' live sound - possibly they did not realise the importance of the small differences themselves in those early days. Indeed there is plenty of evidence of that attitude even in some of the later years when the live sound was simply awful at times.

Also it would suggest no one could get 'the sound' outside the studio. But step forward Mr Pryce-Jones who certainly does not only play in Abbey road studios.

[MartcasterJunior]

But "the sound" isn't a thing. Apart from the fact it's completely subjective, it's clearly a product of many variables - the guitar, the amps, the studio ambience, the engineer and - most importantly (IMHO) - the person playing. I can listen to late-period Burns tracks and early 60s Fender ones and you still know it's Hank. In the early days there probably wasn't even much of a concept of "that sound" - they were a jobbing band, so they set their amps up and played, took the money and went to the next gig. It's true that the BBC (and other broadcasters) paid little attention to the quality of the final result - the main thing was to capture the performance as quickly as possible.

One thing I'd be willing to bet - there's been more attention paid to "that sound" since 1990 than there ever was for the 30+ years before that.

[Pinner Fan]

Can someone please post here where this item is available ... or failing that please email me privately ??

Many thanks ................



UPDATE - ONE HOUR LATER !!

Many thanks for all the replies and I have now managed to obtain a copy - but I now understand there are no more left .............

[Jiggerz]

Can someone please post here where this item is available ... or failing that please email me privately ??

Many thanks ................

I don't think it's available anymore, the gentleman who was supplying it has now exhausted his stock and doesn't intend to restock. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Frank.

[ash]

Been listening to this set the last couple of days and thoroughly enjoyed it although the 70s tracks suffer from dreadful sounding metronomic dull bass playing in my opinion. I will certainly be buying the rollercoaster set when it comes out and would hope that everything John has will be included regardless of sound quality issues.
This is the first time i've bought (what is technically) a Shads bootleg in fact i've never even seen one before. Such items for the Beatles,kinks,stones,yardbirds,hendrix etc are pretty much readily available in fact the only pre Beatles boot i've seen is the fabulous Johnny Kidd bbc sessions cd. Do you have any of those sessions John ? Any chance of a proper legal release ?
I'd love to hear the unedited paris 1961 gig or copenhagen 1961 as well. In fact any live performances by the early line up. Ok the sound quality might not be Abbey Road studios but the drive and excitement generated by the band in this period is great to hear. I cannot see the sense in all this stuff being left on a shelf gathering dust when there is still an audience for it. Same goes for the bands surviving studio sessions (especially from the Jet era). They can't damage their reputation now. I sincerely hope more of this kind of thing comes to light, legally or otherwise.

Lastly, i don't think that Apache on cd2 credited to easy beat is a bbc session. Easy beat was generally recorded before a live audience. Every session i have heard (mainly Beatles) from easy beat is full of screams ! Judging from Cliff's intro could this be from a radio luxembourg session ?
Anyway i'm off to listen to The Beatles Unsurpassed Broadcasts volumes 1 to 10 followed by The Hollies BBC sessions volumes 1 and 2 now. The BBC bug has bitten. Thanks to everyone who taped these at home and passed them on for future generations.

[MikeAB]

When we recognise 'it's Hank' there's no doubt it's his style that identifies him (even 'acoustically') along with 'the' sound which of course is not always the same. However I think it is not subjective when all us fans' ears can sometimes prick up and easily all agree that someone has 'nailed it'. That means there can be a universal and objective opinion where there is absolutely no question or disagreement amongst listeners.

When that happens the player is in fact probably playing live but sounding like the records, and therefore maybe more like Hank than modern Hank 'live' ever does - my point was though that neither Abbey Road nor any other studio features in that achievement - Justin Daish and Colin P-J are the perfect examples. As Bruce said of the Shadowers 'I thought someone had put a Shadows record on'!

[Arpeggio]

Hi Ash,
Easybeat was broadcast on Sunday mornings between 10.30am and 11.30am. Agreed - some tracks were recorded in front of a live studio audience - but the show itself never went out live - being pre - recorded on the previous Wednesday each week. So....there was always plenty of opportunity for editing as the producer saw fit. The recording time for the pre - broadcast show was 90 minutes - edited down to 60 minutes. Certainly the Shadows did perform "Apache" on Easybeat (6 / 8 / 1961) as well as "Stand Up And Say That" & "The Frightened City" - sadly no tapes of the latter two from that date have ever surfaced. Cliff also played "Apache" (lead) on a 1960s TV show of his. Hank was not impressed before Cliff quipped "Aw, Hank, don't be mad at me..." (as a link to the next song!). However - you may well be correct as Cliff wasn't on Easybeat (6 / 8 / 1961). If it is a BBC recording then the only possibility (viz: the Shadows backing Cliff & also playing "Apache" during their own slot) would have been Saturday Club (6 / 8 / 1960) or Saturday Club (1 / 10 / 60). But....it is possible of course, as you say, that the 'Cliff' radio version of "Apache" may be erroneously misattributed & may indeed be from a Radio Luxembourg programme. Can anyone else on ShadowMusic confirm this or not?

Rob

[ash]

Hi Rob
I found this on The Shadows on radio luxembourg website
"Cliff, in his usual chirpy manner, talks of Bruce’s aching feet/wrists and goes on to state that, since Bruce has aching wrists then he, Cliff (as ‘yours truly’) is playing rhythm guitar on this recording"
spot on about the easy beat recording dates Rob i should have been clearer and said it was recorded in front of an audience for broadcast unlike Saturday Club.
Good example being The Fabs sunday 23rd june 1963 easy beat appearance recorded wednesday the 19th june and what a great show that was. Lucky we weren't counting on the bbc to archive that one.
BTW Rob do you know the dates of Cliffs 2 appearances on Funny side up in 1959 ? I've had no luck locating your Cliff/Shads BBC sessions shadsfax articles as yet and i'm trying to compile a complete concert/radio/tv listing for the Jet Harris era.

[Arpeggio]

Hi Rob
I found this on The Shadows on Radio Luxembourg website: "Cliff, in his usual chirpy manner, talks of Bruce’s aching feet/wrists and goes on to state that, since Bruce has aching wrists then he, Cliff (as ‘yours truly’) is playing rhythm guitar on this recording". Spot on about the easy beat recording dates Rob i should have been clearer and said it was recorded in front of an audience for broadcast unlike Saturday Club. Good example being The Fabs sunday 23rd june 1963 easy beat appearance recorded wednesday the 19th june and what a great show that was. Lucky we weren't counting on the bbc to archive that one.
BTW Rob do you know the dates of Cliffs 2 appearances on Funny side up in 1959 ? I've had no luck locating your Cliff/Shads BBC sessions shadsfax articles as yet and i'm trying to compile a complete concert/radio/tv listing for the Jet Harris era. Ash

Many thanks Ash. Your researches obviously prove that the version of "Apache" is definitely from Radio Luxembourg. We will all have to amend our records accordingly! Here's the Funny Side Up info: 1) 4 / 8 / 1959 - "Apron Strings" & "Living Doll" 2) 8 / 9 / 1959 "Down The Line" & "Living Doll".

Bests.....Rob

[ash]

Thanks Rob