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I saw The Shadows live on stage several times during the 1960s.

Those occasions were (all in Liverpool): 1962 (at the Empire Theatre on their own in variety), 1964 (at the Odeon cinema), 1965 (Empire) and 1969 (Empire) - the latter three on tour with Cliff Richard.

It was only during the 1969 tour (with Alan Hawkshaw) that they played Nivram, which up until then, I regarded - reasonably - as being a mere filler track on their first album and of no particular significance. Perhaps they thought it wouldn't go down well in Liverpool.

JimN wrote: Nivram, which up until then, I regarded - reasonably - as being a mere filler track on their first album and of no particular significance.

Reasonably? a mere filler?

Ah, Jim, while you were buying the album in 1961, I could only afford the EP, and I was really taken with Nivram from the start. To begin with, there's Bruce playing twin lead along with Hank. As Cliff says in the notes on the EP, "I think the most pleasing are the instrumental harmony pieces from Bruce and Hank" - and he's not wrong.
Then there's a bass guitar solo from Jet. How many bass guitar solos had there been on pop records before then? None. That was a first, and it was a solo that had been composed on as well as for a bass guitar, complete with that cheeky quote from the Sailors' Hornpipe at the end. Any Shadows band who plays Nivram expects the bass to play that solo note for note.

That was no filler.
Ray

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It's definitely a sitting down-type number, except for the solo bass section!

During Foot Tapper in particular, Hank practically fades away, but Bruce's sound is superb, even almost acoustic-like throughout.

Bill

I saw the Shadows at the Paris Olympia in 1964, they had the Burns guitars, but Hank used hardly any echo, and the sound wasn't as good as when I saw them at the same place in 1961.

Didier

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RayL wrote:Any Shadows band who plays Nivram expects the bass to play that solo note for note.Ray

Hmm. Jet didn't on the Kingston album, and had changed it further by the time Shadowmania came along! Licorice did it his way, including snatches of current hits. John brought his own approach, featuring sounds he had pioneered on the Burns bass and melodies of his own. Fast forward to the Final Tour where Griff played a different solo each night. It is "un morceau de jazz" after all

PS - I always play my own solo. Not so much improv, more error!

The original bass solo by Jet is excellent but he also varied it over the years
i particualy like the Alan Jones Version from the thank you very much LP 1978 (i Think) live at the palladium
i have played in shads bands and played both versions, its just a great arrangement for bass players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyXGOMmvKQ

For me, the two best versions of the Nivram bass solo are from the two Alans, Tarney and Jones, from 1975 and 1978 respectively. And when I say best, I really mean the ones that I enjoy listening to the most. I've always believed that it was a very popular number from the word go and definitely integral to their first album.