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As a variation of David Martin's great topical thread on favourite-to-hear live Shads numbers, any thoughts on favourite or interesting riffs/lead work by Hank on Cliff's hits.

I'll go out on a probable limb for "Don't Talk To Me", "Throw Down A Line" and "I Could Easily Fall (In Love With You)"

One record - the LP "The Young Ones" - has four stunning examples.

First, there's the title track, which, especially in its undubbed orchestra-less form, has all the feel and swagger of the Shads' own early hits. That's the original line-up playing, as on the three recordings mentioned below.

Then there's Got A Funny Feeling, with that superb guitar solo (I mean the original 1961 version, as released on the LP and as the B-side of When The Girl In Your Arms...).

And Lessons In Love; no solo as such, but the most exquisite fills with that same guitar sound again, offset perfectly by the acoustic rhythm guitar.

Lastly, there's the return of the "Red Indian" sound for the guitar solo on We Say Yeah. This year's tour makes good use of that intro riff as well.

There are many other great Cliff/Shadows tracks, but you won't beat those four.

JN

I just love the melodic sound of the guitar in La mare.

Ian

Hello,

I don't remember a Cliff song called " La Mare " - what's the English title of that song ?

I love Hank's solo in " Do you want to dance ? "

Peter K

Hi Peter,
Ian undoubtedly means "La Mer" ("The Sea") - popularised, I believe, in France by Charles Trenet. Cliff / Shads cut a few French derived tracks (incl "Boum", "J'Attendrai" etc) in the mid 60s. Lovely stuff.

Rob

Hi Ian,

thanks. Yes, I know those french recordings. In Germany they were released on an LP called " Cliff International "
which I bought in 1964.
They are also featured on another Cliff album released in Belgium and featuring some other French recordings
of Cliff ( the French versions of "Congratulations" and "Power To All Our Friends" ).
Charles Trenet indeed wrote and performed " La Mer " himself, too.

Regards
Peter K

Bobby Darin also made a hit with that song in 1960 in the US called "Beyond the Sea" . . .

for a totally different sound, I really like 'I'm the Lonely One' (the original - which I think sounds like a 12 string), Don't talk to him and on the beach.
I also really like the re-recorded versions of on the beach, and I'm the lonely one - though I think that Hank's guitar sound is better on the original of 'Don't Talk to Him' than on the re-recording

Bernie

Ralph

I would also agree re 'I Could Easily Fall' and 'Throw Down a Line' - love Hank's guitar sound on that one (from around the time of his first solo album in 1969?).

Bernie

Yes I did mean La mer. Sorry:

When you just sit and listen to the backing in those early ballads, you really hear the warm tones from Hanks Guitar.
lovely stuff.

Ian