The Shadows

History

Beginnings

Composed originally of Hank Marvin (born on October 28th, 1941), Bruce Welch (born on November 2nd, 1941), Tony Meehan (replaced in 1961 by Brian Bennett) and of Jet Harris, Shadows is the first European rock group. Their low formation 2 guitars//battery can seem obvious today, so much it influenced thousands of groups, but it was new at the time. They are also the first in Europe to use guitars Fender and low electric, rather than a double bass.

They begin with the college, under the names of Railroaders then of Drifters, and become the group and the type-setters of Cliff Richard, which becomes quickly in their company the largest high-speed motorboat of the United Kingdom, accumulating the hits without stopping during 5 decades. They remain today the artist having sold the most discs in England (250 million), and their career can be compared in France with that of Johnny Hallyday.

Marvin and Welch are without any doubt the duet of guitarists the most advanced rock'n'roll of Europe in the Sixties. Marvin will become the European first “guitar hero”, and will have a considerable and still perceptible influence nowadays, generating followers of which some became famous (Brian May, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Chris Rea, Mike Oldfield, to quote only some of them…).

Initially exclusively associated with Cliff Richard, Shadows start a career solo crowned with success as from 1959, while continuing to record and compose with Cliff regularly until 1968, then intermittently.

After about fifteen enormous tubes in its company and some discs in solo, their individual “Apache”, N°1 in the whole world in 1960, upset a generation and will generate thousands of vocations. The sound created by Shadows then poses the bases of all the future pop music and becomes a reference.

Success

Since 1958, the hits follow one another in the whole world: instrumental “Apache” (N°1), “Kon Tiki” (N°1), “Wonderful Land” (N°1 and larger sale of the Sixties in the United Kingdom, in front of all the individual ones of Beatles), “Dance One” (N°1), “Foot To type” (N°1), and the Signal 10 “Atlantis” (N°2), “FBI”, “Man off Mystery”, “The Stranger”, “Guitar Tango”, “The Small channel and Fall off Flingel Bunt”, “Shindig”, “The Frightened City”, “The Savage”, “Geronimo”, “Topic for Young Lovers”, etc, like various hits vocal (“Don' T Make my Baby Blue”, Signal 10 in 1965 for example, or “The Dreams I dream” and “I Put has Girl”).

They are also an enormous success with their discs in company of Cliff Richard, with an incredible succession of more than 30 hits which all are of Signal 10 and became standards: “Living room Fraud” (N°1), “I Coils You” (N°1), “Please Don' T Tease” (N°1), “The Young Ones” (N°1), “Bachelor Boy” (N°1), “Travellin Light” (N°1), “Summer Holiday” (N°1), “C You Wanna Dance” (N°2), “I Could Easilly Fall in Coils with You” (N°2), and “Willie and the Hand Jive” (N°2), “Gee Wizz it' S You”, “Move It” (N°2), “Lucky Lips”, “Nine Times out off Ten”, “Don' T Talk to Him”, “has Girl Like You”, “It' L Be Me”, “It' S All in the Game”, “One the Beach”, “In The Country”, “Visions”, “Voice in the Wilderness”, “Constantly”, etc

Their albums “Dance with The Shadows” (1961) and “Out off The Shadows” (1962) are also N°1, like several albums in company of Cliff Richard (“Me and my Shadows” for example). Several of their EPs (individual with 4 titles) are also classified N°1 (Shadoogie, Nivram, Sleepwalk, Shazam, Little “B”, Perfidia, Mustang and some others are standards), and they are the only artists of all times to be N°1 the same week in the charts of individual, of EPs and the albums.

Shadows are also with the poster with Cliff of several films between 1959 and 1964 (Expresso Bongo, The Young Ones, Summer Holiday, Wonderful Life, Finders Keepers) which beat the records of the boxoffice (in front of James Bond!), then several mimes and musical comedies with success resounding in London during second half of the 60 ' S (Thunderbirds, Alladin and his Wonderful Lamp).

They are the most known group and most influential of all period 1958/1963, and will be the largest salesmen of discs in the world, in front of Elvis Presley, in 1962 and 1963. Their success in the USA east in spite of enough mitigated, and some hits and various passages to the famous ED Sullivan Show, their career American will not take off durably. Asia, and Japan in particular, on the other hand accommodates them with open arms.

After almost five years of reign without division on the British and European scene, Shadows see a progressive brake application to their career with the explosive arrival of the Beatles.

Successes into individual are gradually a little less notable, although they still obtain several Signal 10 until 1968 (very famous Top 5 “The Rise and Fall off Flingel Bunt” and N°1 “The Next Time” with Cliff, and some Signal 20 instrumental and vocal like “Genius with the Light Brown Lamp”, “The Warlord”, “Morocco 7”, “have Place in the Sun”, “The Next Time I See Mary Ann”, “Stingay”, “Don' T Forget to Catch Me”, “Rythm and Greens”, etc). Their albums all will be on the other hand of Signal 10 and still of very large sales in the 60 ' S, and their rounds always make full house, even if after 1968 they do not have a hit into individual during a time.

They continue in spite of that, only and in company of Cliff Richard, to align their albums in the charts until in 1970 and they also compose several hits of Cliff in solo (the Signal 10 “The Day I Puts Mary” for example).

So in France their success was rather short, they left an important trace, influencing many musicians.

The first separation and the return to success

In 1969, the first album solo of Hank Marvin is a success, and its individual “Sacha” is N°1 in Australia. The group separates for some time, and Marvin signs two Signal 10 in duet with Cliff Richard in 1970. Then Marvin and Welch form a vocal trio with John Farrar, an Australian guitarist who will also compose for Olivia Newton-John, the partner of Bruce Welch, which made it begin and several N°1 in the USA and in the United Kingdom produced composed to him. One owes him in particular the world tubes of Grease (world N°1 “You' Re the One that I Want” in duet with John Travolta) and Xanadu.

The first album of Marvin, Welch & Farrar, unanimously greeted by the critic (and voted 2nd better British album after “St Pepper” of Beatles), is a hit, without however succeeding in making forget the repertory of Shadows.

The group returns in 1973 with an album very rock'n'roll, “Rockin' with curly leads”, while having integrated Farrar into Shadows.

1975 bring a new great popular success, initially with the vocal tube “Let me Be the One” in 1975 qu ' they interpret with the Eurovision (very with the mode at the time and which then has just revealed Abba), where they finish seconds, then with the album “Specs Appeal”, which is also a hit. New rounds follow, as well as an album live with the Olympia of Paris.

In 1976, their compilation “20 Greats Goldens delicious” is N°1 (better sale of the year in the United Kingdom, with more than one million albums) and is the first disc to be the subject of a televised publicity. A new album follows into 77, “Tasty”, then “Thank You Very Much” (live with Cliff) is a Signal 5 in 1978 and one énième gold disc. Marvin also leaves a new album solo.

The album “String off Hits” is N°1 in 1979 (more than one million specimens to the the United Kingdom). The individual ones are not in remainder, with several tubes classified in Signal 10, like their very appreciated resumption of “Don' T Cry For Me Argentina” (N°5), and Signal 10 “Topic for the Deer Hunter” and “Riders in the Sky” in 1980. Some other individual will be classified in the charts during the years 1980, and Marvin will take down N°1 with Cliff Richard in 1986 like some hits in solo.

In 1980, they leave EMI and found their label at Polydor. All their albums of the Eighties will be disc of gold or platinum in the United Kingdom and classified well in the charts (between 80 and 84: “Another Sting off Hot Hits”, “off Changes Address”, “Hits Right Up Your Street”, “Life in the Jungle”, “XXV”, and “Guardian Angel”). The double “Silver Album”, only sold by correspondence in 1983, exceeds the 500.000 specimens. The vidéos are very well also classified.

On its side, Marvin leaves “Words and Music” in 1982, which contains the individual hit “Don' T Talk”. The album “All Alone With Friends” will follow in 1983.

In 1984, the group makes a triumphal round with Cliff Richard, in more the big rooms of the country. The video is a new great success. After a station-wagon in 1985, the album “Moonlight Shadows” is a return successful in Signal 5, followed by “Simply Shadows” into 87, also classified to him in Signal 5 and disc of platinum, and the albums “Stepping to The Shadows” and “At to their very Best”, both classified in Signal 10.

In 1989, they are found for two concerts become mythical at the stage of Wembley. They also take part in 1990 in a giant concert in Knebworth, in company of Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton and Tears for Fears.

Shadows receive also several awards and their multiple international rounds make full house.

The group separates at the end of 1990, after “Reflection”, an album classified again in Signal 5, leaving Hank Marvin with a career solo made of 8 albums which all are them also of the hits, and of invariably crammed international rounds.

The Fifties at the years 1990 it will not be less than 71 individual of Shadows which will have been classified in the charts (by cumulating 45 T with and without Cliff), including 12 N°1, + 6 hits for Marvin in solo, N°1, and several tens of classified albums.

After separation

Ten compilations of Shadows and Hank Marvin, since their separation, reached the charts in the United Kingdom and in various countries (the last one was classified N°7 in 2004 in the United Kingdom and was certified gold disc). All the albums solos of Marvin published in years 1990/2000 are platinum or gold discs, and the last whole published at spring 2002 was classified in Signal 10 in the United Kingdom and several countries.

Shadows again met for a long triumphal round in big rooms in concert in the United Kingdom in 2004, then in the rest of Europe in 2005, which was the subject of an album live and a DVD with success.

Rewards and recognitions

Who imagines on the continent of Europe, which Shadows passed more time in the British charts than Madonna and 5 times more than U 2, qu ' they have 2 times more hits that Beatles (but less N°1) and that they are with Cliff Richard and Elvis Presley the only artists to have spent 6 decades to be illustrated in the best record sales?

Shadows were decorated by the queen with the United Kingdom, just like Cliff Richard - from now on Sir Cliff - which was the first singer of the history to being made Chevalier. The group received many awards, of which several Ivor Novello Awards (the equivalent of the French Victoires of the Music) in 1978 and 1983, Silver Clef Aaward in 1978, Mojo Award in 2005, etc

Hank Marvin, from now on legendary, is regarded as an exceptional guitarist and very melody, having creates an immediately identifiable style which will inspire many large guitarists. In France, one counts among their fans of the artists like Laurent Voulzy, Jean Michel Jarre, Indo-China or Jean-Pierre Danel. Marvin also recorded in duet with Paul McCartney on her album “Back to the Egg”, like for two individual, one with Brian May, the other with Mark Knopfler. He played in addition on some titles with McCartney in company of David Gilmour and Pete Townshend, and with Steve Hackett or Olivia Newton-John, and was on scene the guest of Jean Michel Jarre, at the time of the gigantic concert of Docklands in London in 1989. In 1980, Paul McCartney is disguised in Hank Marvin in the clip of world sound hit “Coming Up”, and Marvin was the guest To say Straits on the scene of Wembley in 1985. Mark Knopfler will join Shadows on scene during their round in 1986.

In March 2007 will leave a new duet on the standard jazzy Shadows “Nivram”, recorded by Hank Marvin and Jean-Pierre Danel, for the album of this last, “Guitar Connection 2”.

Bruce Welch, famous rhythmic guitarist for his rigor and its precision, was elected in September 2000 “rhythmic Guitarist of the century” by the British magazine Guitarist . It carries out also a very prolific career of type-setter and producer (several N°1 in the USA and the United Kingdom, with but also out of Shadows, for its ex-wife Olivia Newton-John (several N°1 in the USA and in the United Kingdom) and for Cliff Richard, with several albums and of very many hits, of which world N°1 “We Don' T Talk Anymore”, sold with more than 5 million individual in Europe and in the USA.)

Jet Harris remains an icon for the musicians of the whole world (he was the first bass player used a electric Basse and either a Contrebasse in Europe), and was replaced by Brian Locking called still " Licorice" then by John Rostill, bass player and type-setter with success (several hits world), accidentally deceased in 1973. Alan Tarney then replaces bass player within Shadows, before producing in its turn with a world success Cliff Richard then the group Have-ha (several N°1 in the United Kingdom and in the USA. Will come then Alan J. Jones, then Mark Griffiths which ensured the rounds since 1994, including the " Final Turn ".

Quite as mythical from now on are the beaters Tony Meehan (accidentally deceased in 2005), then his substitute as from 1961, Brian Bennett, major influence musicians such as Phil Collins or Stewart Copeland, of Police, famous like one of the largest beaters the pop one/rock'n'roll. Some of its most famous solos are studied since years in the schools of jazz-rock'n'roll. Bennett is also a famous type-setter of film musics, rewarded by 6 Ivor Novello Awards. It recorded in 2006 a new version of “Move It”, the first hit of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, in company of Cliff and Brian May (of Queen), and occurred together in Wembley in October. The individual one was classified N°2 of the British charts in December 2006.

The British group MUSE take again regularly “Man Of Mystery” during their concerts since June 2007.

Selective discography

Starting from “British Hit Individual & Albums, 17th Edition” (except for “Life Story”)

Albums

1960 : The Shadows (the U.K. #1)
1962: Out off The Shadows (the U.K. #1)
1963: Greatest Hits (the U.K. #2)
1964: Dance With The Shadows (the U.K. #2)
1965: The Sound off The Shadows (the U.K. #4)
1965: More Hits
1965 : Greatest Hits volume 2
1965: Hurrah for the shadows
1966 : Shadow Music (the U.K. #5)
1966: More Hits
1967 : From Hank, Bruce, Brian and John
1967: Jigsaw (the U.K. #8)
1968: Established “58 (the U.K. #30)
1970: Shades off Rock'n'roll (the U.K. #30)
1974: Rockin” With Curly Leads (the U.K. #45)
1975: Specs Appeal more (the U.K. #30)
1975: Live At the Paris Olympia
1976: rarities
1977 : Tasty
1977 : More Tasty
1977 : 20 Goldens delicious Greats (the U.K. #1)
1978: Thank You Very Much (the U.K. #5)
1979: String off Hits (the U.K. #1)
1980: Another String off not Hits and more (the U.K. #16)
1980: Exchange off Address (the U.K. #17)
1980: Rock'n'roll One With The Shadows
1981: Hits Right Up Your Street (the U.K. #15)
1982: Life In The Jungle/Live At Abbey Road (the U.K. #24)
1983: XXV (THE U.K. #34)
1984: 20 Original Greats
1984: Guardian Angel (the U.K. #98)
1986: Moonlight Shadow (the U.K. #6)
1986: Rock'n'roll One With The Shadows
1987: Simply Shadows (the U.K. #11)
1989: Steppin' To The Shadows (the U.K. #11)
1989: At Their Very Best (the U.K. #12)
1989: Diamond
1990 : Reflection (the U.K. #5)
1991: Topics and Dreams (the U.K. #21)
1993: Shadows In The Night - 16 Classic Tracks (the U.K. #22)
1994: The Best off Hank Marvin and The Shadows (the U.K. #19)
1997: Play Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice (the U.K. #41)
1997: Very Best off Hank Marvin and The Shadows - The First 40 Years (the U.K. #56)
1998: 50 Goldens delicious Greats (the U.K. #35)
2004: Life Story (the U.K. #7)
2006: Greatest Hits Live

+ 26 albums classified with Cliff Richard (19 Signal 10 including three N°1)

Individual

1960 : Apache (N°1)
1960: Man off Mystery/The Stranger
1961: FBI
1961: The Frightened City
1961 : Kon Tiki (N°1)
1961: The Savage
1962 : Wonderful Land (N°1)
1962: Guitar Tango
1962: Dance One (N°1)
1963: Foot To type (N°1)
1963: Atlantis
1963 : Shindig
1963 : Geronimo
1964 : Topic For Young Lovers
1964: The Small channel and Fall off Flingel Bunt
1964: Rhythm And Greens
1964 : Genius With The Light Brown Lamp
1965: Mary Anne
1965: Stingray
1965 : Don' T Make My Baby Blue
1965: The War Lord
1966: I Puts has Girl
1966: has Place In The Sun
1966: The Dreams I Dream
1967: Morocco 7
1975: Let Me Be The One
1978: Don' T Cry For Me Argentina
1979: Topic From “The Deer Hunter” (Cavatina)
1980: Riders In The Sky
1980: Equinoxe Leaves V
1981: The Third Man

This list contains collaborations with Cliff Richard (31 hits, including 7 N°1), neither the recordings solo, nor those under the name of Marvin Welch & Farrar. Moreover, only the recordings classified in the hit parades are listed.

External bonds

the official site of Shadows
http://www.cliffrichard-theshadows.com/ Official Fan-Club French
http://groups.msn.com/TheShadowsFrance/ Discussion forum Shadows Cliff Richard in French language

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