The ShadowMusic Web Community

You are respectfully invited to join in a ShadowMusic Community salute to John Henry Rostill (16 June 1942 - 26 November 1973). If you are so inclined, please post a photo or YouTube video of John and/or share a few words about him. Originality in your selection of the photo or video is not important -- the beauty is in the symbolism and the gesture. This will be like all of of us holding up a lit candle in John's memory. Perhaps if this thread grows enough, maybe someone from John's family will see it and they will know how we feel about John. RIP John.

Your fan,
Donna

Being a bass guitarist myself, I rate John as one of my influences, just like Jet, Brian Locking and Alan Jones, John Paul Jones and John Entwistle amongst others. Just like his predecessors in The Shadows, John had a very unique style of playing. I think he was the first of The Shadows' bass guitarists to play without a plectrum. Some recordings feature some pretty funky bass playing. So, here's my tribute to John!

[img]john-rostill-3.jpg[/img]

Hi

I know I say this every year but John was simply just one of the nicest people you could wish to meet and a great musician and songwriter.

RIP John

Regards

Stuart

The three Shads bassists of their 60s heyday were described by Shadows members along these lines. Jet was driving and adventurous. Lic was steady and reliable. John was both. Brian said John's timing was so good that it freed him up to experiment on the drums without worrying about having to keep the beat.

John was also a fine composer both with the other Shadows and by himself. His widow Margaret said she would like him to be remembered for his songs.

As a bass player, John was a pioneer. He developed different sounds and playing styles, would play double stops and chords, and had a syncopation that was quite new to the music of his time.

"The best one we had", said Brian Bennett.

It took him a while to develop confidence and panache on stage, although it was very much to come. Here he is in a very early concert. He doesn't quite know the steps yet, and indeed never enjoyed doing them, but this marks the beginnings of a long successful partnership.



To hear him as he was at the same time, just listen to The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt and concentrate on the bass part. It is stunningly good, excellent accompaniment and with twiddles in all the right places only.

I very much like his playing on the whole of the "Rhythm & Greens" EP, "Scotch On The Socks" and the title track of the "Jigsaw" album, to name but a few.

For me, the best years were those we now call the Burns Era thus John was part of my favourite line up in the Shads. Here's a song written by Brian Bennett that, according to Youtube, is dedicated to John. It's called Farewell To A Friend.

RIP John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwA_Vzg5WXI

Geoff

I have a deep appreciation for the fact that John could both be a "serious" performer (ie Nivram) but he could also keep pace and look equally at home with Hank and Bruce in some of their zanier moments, like these two videos - Chelsea Boot and Bombay Duck.




And in terms of John being remembered as a great songwriter, when I was looking on YouTube for Olivia Newton-John's release of two of John's songs, I was impressed to see that The King - Elvis Presley - had also performed these songs.

Yes, John was an impressive influence on Shads. He changed the mood of them since Fingle Bunt or Dance with The Shadows from the very beginning. Is Burns era best than the other ones? I don't know but I like it.

Question. When on the dark ages, they were labelled as Hank Marvin & The Shadows. Who were on the line-up? Brian, Paul Ferris, John?

Hi. They only did a few gigs as Hank Marvin and The Shadows. The line up was Brian, Alan Hawkshaw and either Paul Ferris, for two weeks or John. They weren't called that until John wasn't with them and the Fiesta in Sheffield billed them as that when John was back for his final appearance.

Regards

Stuart

Thanks Stuart.

Miquel