Wednesday 18th January, 1961...

[JimN]

Not, perhaps, a date to immediately conjure up any particular image...

But let me tell you, I was ten years old (just) and the family was living at the Liverpool pub my parents kept, right in the city centre. And half a mile away (or less), The Shadows played that evening at the Cavern Club, a venue which had not long switched from a trad jazz menu to beat and R&B.

The appearance (a memorable one for Jet, apparently) does get a mention in the Mike Read Shadows biography, but not the exact date (or even the year). But here it is, faithfully recorded in the book "The Best Of Cellars - The Story Of The Cavern Club" (Phil Thompson, Tempus Publishing, UK 2007, ISBN 978-0-7524-4202-0), which I found lying around at my brother-in-law's house here in the 'Pool, to which we have returned for tonight's Echo Arena peformance. The book has a wonderful appendix with a full list of everyone ever officially booked to play at that legendary basement, as well as many photographs of the period and personal accounts from those involved (though none from the Shads).

Isn't it funny how these little snippets of information surface from time to time?

JN

[chronikman-ch]

...found in my Collection
The Shadows Support: The Remo Four and The Jaywalkers
"We appeared with the Shadows during their only Cavern appearance, first playing the lunchtime session. I felt eyes watching me from the dressing room and when I turned round Tony Meehan, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch were all in the little hole watching us and we were playing a Shadows number. I shouted to the rest of the lads, 'Look who's watching us!'
"In the evening we were also on with the Shadows. When Jet Harris came in he was absolutely gone. Someone said he'd been on the sherbet, but he was drunk, there was no doubt about it. Hank Marvin agreed that the Remo Four were better than the Shadows that night. He said, "We had a bass player that fell off the stage, so there were only three of us playing.' But he admitted we were the better group which, coming from Hank Marvin, was really nice for us..
http://triumphpc.com/mersey-beat/a-z/remo-four.shtml

[RalphG]

Hi Jim

Is the Cavern book still available?

Also wondering about the author as The Swinging Blue Jeans have a drummer called Phil Thompson. One and the same?

[UlrichS]

Hi Ralph,

I ordered my copy two days ago here
http://www.play.com/HOME/HOME/6-/Search ... ch&cur=257
They ship fast and cheap UK releases to Germany, there are probably other (and cheaper) suppliers in the UK.

Ulrich

[RalphG]

Many thanks for that Ulrich. Sounds a good read.

[Mikey]

I've gotta get that book!

[RayL]

The story of the Cavern Club gig is also in Bruce's autobiography. I won't reproduce the whole piece (it takes up half a page) but for those with the hardback, it's on P.141.

Ray L