So how did you finish up playing this music again?

[flingelbunt]

Incredibly, 'Apache' passed me by!!... I was only 12 at the time, but a couple of years later, 'Atlantis' grabbed hold of my ear drums, sent me into a spiral of 'must do that' edness (?) and all my paper round money went on a 7 guinea Eko acoustic, whose intonation was out by the 7th fret! One cheap pickup and a mates Grundig tape recorder later, and we were 'The Shadows', appearing nightly in my mates dining room in Luton!
As my playing improved, (I was the first guitarist in our clique to play the chords to 'The War Lord'), I went on to join a Birmingham club band doing the usual working men club scene. I eventually formed my own trio, and eventually became resident band at the Mayfair Suite in Birmingham, part of the Mecca group, and backed acts like Danny Williams, The Bachelors, Don Estelle & Windsor Davies to name just a few.
I moved on to play with what I consider to be some of the finest musos in the Midlands, and formed a group called 'Pastiche'. We were a dinner/dance band, playing jazz, strict tempo, current pop hits etc., but I always did a Shadows feature in our set- usually, 'Memory' from Cats, 'Walk don't Run' etc. During our time together we worked with Ruby Murray, Jess Conrad , Wee Willie Harris (his 'dots' were interesting- 2 sheets of A4 paper with the chords written above the words!), and comedians Stan Boardman and Bernard Manning (a gentle giant off-stage!).
My love of the Shads never diminished, and I found out by accident that there was to be a 60th birthday party for Jet Harris in Bristol, which brought me back into contact with the Shadows scene! I met Dave Martin there, who told me about 'Shadowmania', went on to run the South Wales Shadows Club, formed 'Bungleflint', a Shads tribute band, and I'm once again high on my musical first love! Almost 50 years on, and it's almost impossible to believe that I'm off to see the Shads in a couple of weeks with that singer bloke of theirs....Riff Pilchard??
My book will be out soon.....

Keep the strings to the front guys!!

Maurice
Lord Flingel of Buntshire

[Bluesnote]

I started playing when I was thirteen with a massively expensive(2quid) acoustic thing that resembled a guitar and was almost impossible to play. I got stuck into it and got an electric just over a year later(Hofner something) which looked kinda like a strat and was red of course.
My pal from school and I managed to sneak into the room in the local youth club that had a band who practiced their Shadows set a couple of nights a week. They eventually got fed up chasing us and eventually let us stay to watch them. And for that I am eternally grateful.
They opened up my eyes to the world of the Shadows. However probably like most of you here, I moved on to the many other styles of music that the sixties and seventies provided for us and never did Shadows music again til recently.
I'd been unable to play due to a nerve damage issue for a couple of years, and when I finally did come back, decided to try out some of the Shads stuff I found that was still in my memory banks much to my surprise after all these years. I'd found a couple of sites with Shadows backing tracks and this really kicked me back into playing seriously again. Then I discovered The Shadows websites in the last month or so and now I cant think of anything else but music at the moment.
I thought I'd just play for my own amusement in the house and be happy with that, now I'm wondering if it would be possible to actually go out and do it in some pubs or restaurants by myself with the backing tracks. I dont know if I'd get away with playing Shadows music nowadays or just get ejected from the premises. Dont know if the younger ones would want to listen to that kind of music now.
I'm probably just kidding myself but I'm really enjoying my music once again and long may it continue.

[David Martin]

Wonderful stuff... keep it coming...

[scotocaster]

Hi David, don't know how to really reply to this, as i bought a guitar in 56' and have been playing it ever since. When the Shadows brought out Apache i like everyone else was awe struck at the tune and sound. I have been been playing that type of music ever since. You and the guys have done a great job on the new site. And i would personally like to thank you for all the years of memories and happiness through meeting new friends worldwide via your music site. Have a great day. Scott

[noelford]

Well, I almost started writing my life story buy I'll save that for another time and give you the important parts.

My first band was an instrumental group and, even when we added a singer, we still played lots of instrumentals. Later, after we turned pro, the instrumentals were mostly left behind.

In the second half of the sixties, we split up and, after messing about in various job, my career as a freelance cartoonist took off, and I stopped playing altogether, even for myself. (How could I have done that?!)

In the eighties, an old friend, who was playing in a dinner-dance band with a hotel residency, asked me to join them, which I did (part-time). Because of the range of music required, we did get to play a few instrumental, but the only Shads number I played was the more recent Humbucker. Eventually, pressure of my cartooning work forced me to stop playing again. (That's twice. Unforgivable!)

Then, in 2004, I received a phone call from my old rhythm guitarist who I hadn't heard from for nearly forty years, which resulted in a band reunion and our playing two charity gigs, to a wonderful crowd of our old local fans, raising around £3000 in ticket sales and extras. We played a few gigs after that but the logistics were impossible with us all living so far apart, but this time I didn't stop playing. Believe it or not, it was only a few years ago that I discovered the existence of commercial backing tracks and using these, plus some I produced myself, I set about learning a Shadows repertoire. (I had been so influenced by Shadows music right at the beginning, even though I didn't get to play it very much).

Now, here's the best part. I play by ear, so everything I played had to be learned that way, but I must have had all of that music locked away in my head because it all came back to me as if I'd been playing it all of my life. Even the numbers I had NEVER played before seemed to come easily and naturally. And that, I think, sums up Shadows Music – it's simply so memorable.

These days my instrumental repertoire is up to around 110 numbers, many of which are Shadows music with many of the others in a similar melodic vein. My guitar collection has grown, mostly vintage models, but including a couple of new ones – the superb Burns Apache and an absolutely gorgeous (looking and sounding) Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilt Strat.

And one thing is for certain – I will definitely NOT be giving up playing again!

[Old Wild Men]

Great thread, David. Some fascinating posts. Those of you who joined bands back in the 50's, 60's or 70's would be very welcome at my website...

http://oldwildmen.smugmug.com

Join David Martin, Keith Bateman, Martin Page, Bob Gregory, John Parkes, Ian Plant, Pat Seaman, Jim Tidmarsh and other board members in sharing those photos and stories from the early days of rock and roll!

[noelford]

I thought I'd just play for my own amusement in the house and be happy with that, now I'm wondering if it would be possible to actually go out and do it in some pubs or restaurants by myself with the backing tracks. I dont know if I'd get away with playing Shadows music nowadays or just get ejected from the premises. Dont know if the younger ones would want to listen to that kind of music now.

I've thought about this many times and it's something I'd love to do. Does anyone on this forum actually do this?

[David Martin]

Just another plug for the Old Wild Men site... it led me meet my old bass player colleague after 40 years... a wonderful treat. Get over there and have a look...

[bec]

Have been attempting to play for 50 years. Started playing guitar in 1958 on a very high action acoustic of unknown heritage. This was modified by my father with a small microphone being located within the body of the guitar.Via a jack oulet the signal from this hybrid was fed into a "dad" made amplier which had four KT66 output valves (very loud). I progressed on to a Hofner Colorama guitar, which I still have, using a series of Selmer amplifiers through Selmer Echo 200 unit (which I also still have). With school friends we formed the first line up of the McCoys and did our best to entertain folk around the Beds Bucks & Herts region . For more info see http://www.MaxiTronicmusic.co.uk

[JimTidmarsh]

Again ????? I've never stopped playing it!!

Started in 1962-ish with Bert Weedon's Play In A Day and during stints with schoolboy groups, duos and solo spots have always played at least a couple of Shads numbers. Even managed to include them when I played in The Mayflower Ceilidh Band for barn dances (OK, it was during the food interval as background music, but it still counts).

Sometimes this sort of music was seen as uncool or unfashionable, but the audiences (well, mine anyway) could always 'name that tune'.