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Although FRANCIS MONKMAN has the distinction of being the first keyboard player associated with the Shadows rennaissance line-up, JOHN FIDDY did play a few gigs with the previous John Farrar/Alan Tarney line-up in 1975.

Does anyone have any photos or recordings of him on stage with the band...???

HI

John Fiddy was before Francis Monkman. He definitely played with the band at the Lakeside Inn before they did Eurovision. He was not on Live at the Paris Olympia though as they decided to revert to a five piece without keyboards.

Stuart

JF played keyboards for The Shads' re-union gig at Fairfield Halls in Croydon. I spoke to hin before and after the gig, and he was a very nice chap. Met Duane Eddy & Peter Gormley that night too. It was some night!
Love to all. Mart.

I caught that gig too Martin, didn't know Duane was there though!

Alan

Seems like there were lots of us there that night! That was the first concert I ever went to- a truly magical evening, seeing the Shads for the very first time. I thought I was very daring, going into Croydon town centre at night on the bus at the tender age of 15!

Thanks everyone - especially Phil for the picture!

Come to think of it, I have only ever seen ONE photo of Francis with the Shadows in 1977 - and that was in, I think, a Shadows special edition of New Gandy Dancer (very small and not easy to see!!). I wonder how John's keyboard parts compare with the parts that we became familiar with thanks to Cliff Hall during the 1980s. I also wonder why they didn't use him (JF) on the Paris Olympia concerts (was he busy or could they only get the five of them on the ferry?)

drakula63 wrote:Thanks everyone - especially Phil for the picture!

Come to think of it, I have only ever seen ONE photo of Francis with the Shadows in 1977 - and that was in, I think, a Shadows special edition of New Gandy Dancer (very small and not easy to see!!). I wonder how John's keyboard parts compare with the parts that we became familiar with thanks to Cliff Hall during the 1980s. I also wonder why they didn't use him (JF) on the Paris Olympia concerts (was he busy or could they only get the five of them on the ferry?)

HI

John told me they had decided to just use the guitars. They didn't use him at Southport and the other gigs before Paris as well

Stu