Wonderful Land

[JimN]

This is all very interesting. Is the version with the tomtom on the net? If someone will post a link to the video or sound file, I will appreciate it.
Regards,
Andy

Mono 1962 mono version (with both overdubs):

Mock-stereo version from 1971 is the same as that, but reprocessed for a "stereo effect".

Stereo version 1990 (no tom tom overdub):

Original undubbed stereo version (group only, no orch, no tom-tom):

1990 stereo version with tom-tom extracted from a mono version and mixed in (roughly):

That figure on the tom-tom was a Tony Meehan trademark. He also used it on The Young Ones and Lessons In Love as well as other tracks.

The question which arises is that given the timing for the overdubs, plus the fact that the drum was the last overdub, is it Tony or Brian B playing it?

[abstamaria]

Maybe it was again Cliff Richard, Jim. Kidding.

Ian, many thanks. Before Jim posted, I looked for the Shadows' Greatest Hits on the web and found what seems to the whole album on YouTube. I listened to Wonderful Land, and there was the tom-tom. The effect of that part of the melody on you encourages us to add a tom-tom when we cover the piece.

To be honest, I never noticed the tom-tom before.

Jim, many,, many thanks. What you posted was precisely the comparisons I was looking for. I shared those with my bandmates and told them we may be the only four people in the country who know that there should be a tom-tom in the mix.

I wonder now what percussion instrument was used. Maybe the Chinese drum was still in the closet in Studio 2. (they called it a tam-tam.) I am kidding, but we will try to find a suitable instrument.

Andy