The Sixties Didn't Start Until 1962!

[Iain Purdon]

Whatever you say about the Shadows, they did not drive the culture of the time like the Beatles did. And to a comment in the very first message in this thread - The Beatles were one of the first bands to write their own material.

Speaking as a diehard Shadows fan, I agree.

[UlrichS]

I wouldn't have been able to say how many songs The Shadows played, but I can confirm that they did not include Apache. The group was featuring Licorice Locking in his first live appearances with The Shadows, and Peter Carter on rhythm guitar that week. They started with Midnight and and featured FBI and Wonderful Land. Additionally, they played Little B (complete with the Latin American percussion bit) and Stand Up And Say That with Hank playing a white-painted grand piano. I can't recall any vocals.

On Friday, 27. April, the songlist was:
Shazam – Shadoogie – Stand Up And Say That (Hank played piono and Peter Carter the guitar solo) – Wonderful Land – Midnight – Little ‘B’ – F.B.I

It was the second concert for Licorice at the Liverpool Empire (23. - 28. April). He already played in Blackpool (22. April), where Bruce collapsed on stage, thus the replacement by Peter Carter for this week.

Ulrich

[Iain Purdon]

Interesting to be reminded of that aerial photo including Hank apparently leapfrogging Jet's head. It must predate this well-known Beatles photo by a year or more.

Twist and Shout.jpeg (4.94 KiB) Viewed 9157 times

[stratmantd]

Is Ulrich's poster advertising a gig by "The Fabulous Shadows"? Questions must be asked in the house.

[Tone]

The "aerial" photo posted by Ulrich and referred to by Iain is interesting because the same picture (or pictures because I think they are four separate shots) appears on the cover of the 3rd Album of Guitar Favourites sheet music which I still have. However, on that album picture Jet has been replaced by Licorice. On closer inspection and comparison of the two photos it's pretty clear that the same photo of Jet has been used and his head has been replaced by Lic's, using whatever the equivalent was of Photoshop in those days.

The picture always makes me smile because it looks as if Jet/Lic's bass is doing something painful to Hank's umentionables!

Chheers.

Tony

[JimN]

Hi, Tone.

The 'Shadows Music' sheet music album "3rd Album of Guitar Favourites" does feature a genuine photo of Licorice Locking - it's from the same Edgar Brind photo-shoot which also produced the cover shot for the UK EP "Wonderful Land Of The Shadows". Every detail in both pictures shouts out the connection. It's definitely not Jet with a cut'n'paste Licorice Locking face! Could you be thinking of one of the other albums (the 1st or the 2nd, perhaps)?

Incidentally, the famous "Shadows Music" 'silhouette' logo (first used on the UK EP "Spotlight On The Shadows") was amended over the years to refelect changing personnel. It was airbrushed to swap Jet's image for a taller "Rostill" figure and the facial outline on Tony Meehan's silhouette was redrawn to more nearly resemble BB.

3rd Album of Guitar Favourites:

http://www.cliff-shadowsmeeting.nl/cms/Uploads/Media%20%203rd%20album%20guitar%20favourites.jpg

Wonderful Land Of The Shadows (same photo session):

http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/gallery/image_page.php?album_id=20&image_id=545

JN

[Tone]

Hi Jim

Even more interesting! I agree that the photo in your link to the "3rd album...." is certainly of Lic but it's a completely different picture from the one on my copy. I've looked at it again and it's definitely the same as the one Ulrich posted, with Lic's head pasted on to Jet's body.

I guess that the publishers changed the picture at some stage, probably when the album was reprinted?

Cheers.

Tony

[bgohara]

And didn't Brian Epstein take the Beatles to see The Shadows to see how it was done !!

Bob T

This often quoted as an example of the Epstein management style, and may even have been in Brian's "A Cellarful Of Noise" autobiography.

But I am starting to doubt it. I don't think it can be true unless one or more parallel facts about the Beatles have been reported wrongly.

Fact No 1: Brian Epstein and The Beatles commenced their association in September 1961.

Fact No 2: By October 1962, they had a record out on Parlophone and were making local TV appearances in the north of England - significantly, dressed in the smart suits which Epstein had urged them to adopt, apparently taking them to see the Shadows at the Liverpool Empire. Cliff Richard (who surely would have been mentioned had he been there) is never mentioned.

Fact No 3: The Shadows appeared as a headline act at the Empire only once between September 1961 and October 1962, and that was in the week (Mon - Fri) commencing Monday 23rd April (Shakespeare's Birthday).

Fact No 4: The Beatles were playing a seven week residency at the Star Club, Hamburg, between 11th April and 31st May 1962, with only one night off (which was not spent back in Liverpool). So they couildn't have gone to see The Shadows in their only headline appearance in Liverpool over the relevant period.

This is a great disappointment to me. I and my younger brother were at the Empire Theatre on Tuesday 24th April. Early on, he looked up at a theatre box and said he thought that The Shadows were watching the other acts from it. Certainly, there was a group of young men in that box, one wearing glasses. They stayed there while The Shadows performed, blowing the original theory out of the water. But in later years, the Beatles watching The Shadows at The Empire became such a powerful image that I talked myself into believing that it must have happened on that last Tuesday in April 1962...

JN

Jim - soon after George Harrison died - there was a tribute concert put on in the Liverpool Empire (this was before the 'star studded' Albert Hall tribute, which was organised by Eric Clapton). I distinctly remember a tv clip of Paul McCartney turning up at the end and making a speech which was shown on the news (probably GMTV the next day) - in which he said something along the lines of 'this theatre holds many memories for me. I remember coming to see Cliff & the Shadows here'.

Bernard

[captainhaddock]

...

In those years (1960 - 1963) Cliff and the Shadows were already established 'show biz' artists. They were doing long runs in pantomime, making family-viewing movies and the early 'rawness' of their music was already toned down as they became part of the musical mainstream.

So the programme's use of The Beatles as a metaphor for the beginning of 'the sixties' wasn't so far off the mark after all.

Ray

Agreed. Whatever you say about the Shadows, they did not drive the culture of the time like the Beatles did. And to a comment in the very first message in this thread - The Beatles were one of the first bands to write their own material.

The Shadows may not have driven the culture of the time like the Beatles did, but just look how inspirational The Shadows have been and still are today. You only have to look at you-tube today to see the truth of this statement, the number of guitarists who have a go at emulating the band is staggering.