Longest serving Bass Player

[bassboogie]

If you include fantasy bass players it's me. I've played bass with the Shads ever since they released Jet Black first using a valve radio as an amp. Now I have a Jamvox and can remove the bass parts I still play bass with them, most days.............Oh dear I don't think anyone has noticed........but dream on.

Luigi

[JohnBassist]

If you include fantasy bass players it's me. I've played bass with the Shads ever since they released Jet Black first using a valve radio as an amp. Now I have a Jamvox and can remove the bass parts I still play bass with them, most days.............Oh dear I don't think anyone has noticed........but dream on.

Luigi

[Apache1]

Thanks Jim, for your list of players and dates, I somehow thought John Rostill would be the longest serving Bass Player,
but according to your list Mark Griffiths started with the Shads in 1987 to present date, so I would imagine that he would be the longest
serving Bass Player, as if the Shadows made an apperance between 1987 and 2010 and any future apperances I would think Mark would be there.
So in my book the longest serving Bassist is Mark Griffiths.
Thank you Jim for your list of players and dates, it has settled a long ongoing argument, (and I am sorry to say I was wrong)
John

[Iain Purdon]

How do you define service?

From 1959-1969 the group was a full-time professional commitment for all its members: being in The Shadows was their job. In those terms, John Rostill was there longer than Jet Harris and Licorice Locking together. The group then disbanded.

Everything done since was less structured. It is true that, from first gig to last, Mark Griffiths covers the biggest time span. However, the Shadows were not an ongoing enterprise between those activities, whether they were recording sessions, TV slots or stage shows, either one-off or taken on tour. If you measure it by the number of such activities, I suspect Alan Jones probably did more of them than Mark, but I'd be surprised if either totted up to as many as John did as a full-timer.

[George Geddes]

Jet was a member of the Shadows, but as far as I know every subsequent bassist was employed by The Shadows (HBM + BW snd later BB) though in the case of Lic and John that was a full-time job. I am sure Hank Bruce and Brian would readily acknowledge the contribution all of the bassists have made over the yesrs, in the studio and on stage. Great players all and decent guys to boot.

George

[Monty]

re the official credits - with the (uncredited) exception of 'Shades of Rock' studio album they were a 'four piece' band from Jet Harris days up until John Farrar left in 1976, thereafter a core trio of Hank, Bruce and Brian....accompanied by 'sidemen'

therefore despite the sterling longtime service of Alan Jones, Mark Griffiths, Paul Westwood, Alan Tarney, Dave Richmond, Mo Foster,etc...and a few others too, they all would appear along with keyboardist Cliff Hall, and synth' player Dave Lawson etc to be 'sidemen' playing with the core Shads trio of Marvin-Welch-Bennett (& Farrar in Alan Tarney, Dave Richmond & Mo Foster case) - tho' we of course would regard them all as being 'Shads'

as 'official' actual Shadows members (even if employed by the band) the bass players were only Jet Harris, Brian Locking, and John Rostill (while Alan Hawkshaw was an 'official member' Shadows keyboardist over 1968-70)

Thus the late Great John Rostill was the longest 'official' band member Shadows bass player from late 1963 up to 1968


- after the 1968 break up the all important bass guitarist role was never again an 'official' part of the core band - various bass players featured on 'Shades of Rock' in 1970 (Herbie Flowers was one I think) tho' the sleeve bore no credits

when they reformed as The Shadows in 1973 John Farrar was 'the fourth man' in the core band but while an official Shadows member he was of course guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist (tho' he probably played some bass too) & arranger, while from that point on the bass player was then credited as a 'sideman' (Alan Tarney on RWCL) and became a figure who was not included in group photos on albums etc

and that's official ! lol

[drakula63]

I would agree that in terms of continual service, it would have to be JOHN ROSTILL with ALAN JONES coming in in first place for the 'side men'!

You could probably extend John Rostill's time in the band to 1969 as they were still together for TV and some live work.

[JimN]

You could probably extend John Rostill's time in the band to 1969 as they were still together for TV and some live work.

I did extend it to 1969 - to 31st December 1969, in fact.

What on Earth caused the resurrection of this six-year old thread?

I can tell you one thing - I don't remember posting any of my contribution above (#2).

Not in the slightest!

I'm starting to develop more respect for people who can't remember whether a 1961 record was made with an Ajax snare or a Gretsch...

[iefje]

Wasn't Jet Harris already in the band in November 1958? He appeared on a couple of recordings by Cliff Richard & The Drifters, recorded in November of that year. John Rostill already recorded with Cliff Richard & The Shadows on the 23rd of November 1963 on the tracks "I'm The Lonely One" and "Watch What You Do With My Baby" and with The Shadows on the 27th on "Razzmataz". I forgot to mention that aside from the 1986 Spring tour, Mark Griffiths also played with The Shadows during their 1987 Spring tour down under. Then later in the year, Alan Jones again took over for the fifteen new tracks on the album "Simply...Shadows" and the 1987 Autumn tour. In April 1988, he suffered a car accident, but managed to record for the last time with The Shadows in early 1989 on the "Steppin' To The Shadows" album. There is a picture of Hank with Cliff Hall and Alan Jones in the background, which was I think taken after Alan's accident, so I assume he must have played a few live dates in 1989, but it was probably too much and Mark Griffiths took over from Alan.

[kipper]

I didn't notice it was first started in 2011. I would also like to know why it started up again just like that. just out of curiosity. peter