50 years ago this month

[Fenderman]

This was quite an important month for the Shads, this was the month that John Rostill joined and was also the same month Bruce Welch was considering leaving the group, which would have left only one original member left in five years.
I may be wrong but didn't they start filming Wonderful Life with Cliff around this time?

[JimN]

This was quite an important month for the Shads, this was the month that John Rostill joined and was also the same month Bruce Welch was considering leaving the group, which would have left only one original member left in five years.

The news item to the effect that Bruce was leaving definitely came first. There was no mention of Licorice leaving at that time.

The "Bruce is leaving" news was even incorporated into the sleeve notes of the Shadows EP "Shindig With The Shadows" (SEG 8286), as though it had happened.

Licorice's decision came later, and the news was combined with reassurances to the effect that Bruce was not now leaving after all. The news of John Rostill's recruitment followed soon after, but it can't be true to say (as has been claimed several times) that John's agreement to act as Bruce's guitar tech was what swayed Bruce in his decision to stay; he had already decided to stay even before Licorice's announcement.

I bet you Heinz Rolli has a full file of the relevant NME and MM clippings...

[Paul Childs]

Wasn't Bruce's last appearance supposed to have been on Sunday Night At The London Paladium? I remember seeing it at the time and it was mentioned there on the program with Bruce Forsyth who said ''You'll have to find another Bruce or you will be three shadows and one bit of sunlight.''
Bruce Forsyth also had an acoustic afterwards and did Bo Diddley with them on the show.
The film of this probably doesn't exist?

[GoldenStreet]

"Licorice’s decision to leave the Shadows made headline news, above the Beatles, in October 1963..."

Quote from this site...

http://granthammatters.co.uk/locking-brian-1940/

Bill

[strongbow]

Yes, rehearsals and recording for Wonderful Life took place in November 1963, and location shooting -- in the Canary Islands -- started at the beginning of December.

[Fenderman]

From what i read, John Rostill's first job for the Shads was as a actor in 'Wonderful Life' (although they did a rough version of Razzmatazz the week he joined) but the weather in the Canaries was terrible, there is a few photos of the group out there in Rob Bradford's John Rostill book.
Any updates on that book by the way?

[Tone]

I remember reading a quote in the NME when it was announced that Bruce was leaving. It ran something like, "By a narrow Marvin they'll be mere Shadows of their former selves." I thought at the time that it was pretty good but I can't remember for certain who said it. Was it Jimmy Tarbuck?

Anyone?

Cheers.

Tony

[JimN]

I remember reading a quote in the NME when it was announced that Bruce was leaving. It ran something like, "By a narrow Marvin they'll be mere Shadows of their former selves." I thought at the time that it was pretty good but I can't remember for certain who said it. Was it Jimmy Tarbuck?
Anyone?
Cheers.
Tony

Unlikely.

In late 1963, Jimmy Tarbuck was still a Liverpool club comedian. he didn't get his big London Palladium break until 1964 and no-one would have been interested in his views before that.

[JimN]

I can remember a contemporary telephone interview with George Harrison printed in the New Musical Express. The interviewer went through various topics, then wrote "I broke the news to George of Bruce Welch leaving The Shadows".

George was quoted as having replied something very like:

"Gee... that IS news. It leaves only one original Shadow - Hank Marvin - doesn't it?".

It was the "Gee" that struck me as a palpable Americanism and simply not in use in the UK except in American films, books and TV.

Of course, I didn't know that George had just come back from the first (private) Beatle visit to the USA where he visited his sister and bought a Rickenbacker guitar...

[GoldenStreet]

From Pop Weekly, 19th October 1963...

PW.JPG

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Bill