Happy Birthday- ?

[captainhaddock]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66vFZTo0QRA
Spotted this on you-tube today, it's such poor quality but can anyone shed any light on it?

[George Geddes]

As it says, it's an extract from a French tv special called 'Macadam' in the 80s. There are better quality videos around.

George

[Pierre TEODORI]

This was in 1984 . In 1983 Hank Marvin did this TV show and sang two songs from his album "All Alone With Friends". I met him as I took part of this show with other musicians, and we were with him as a : "miming backing group" D when he sang his songs (but, nevertheless we played in real)

Pierre

[Didier]

It's an extract of a 1 hour TV film for the "Macadam" show produced by France 3 Lyon TV, which was aired on the France 3 National TV network on June 15th 1984. The title was "Radio Flamand Rose" (Radio Pink Floyd). This is a story about a local FM radio in the Camargue region of France. The radio launch a contest whose prize is a week end with the winner's preferred artist.
The winner is a girl named Anne-Marie who of course chooses the Shadows, the next friday they arrive...

I have a DVD made from a VHS recording, the techincal video and audio quality are very poor, but it's a very funny document, although it didn't won any prize for the best screenplay !

I translated a Jean-Pierre Danel's interview about this film, and proposed to post it here, but as it raised no interest, I didn't do it.
viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3249&p=22579&hilit=macadam#p22579

Didier

[captainhaddock]

un grand merci mes amis ! ( Pardon my French, it's not just rusty it has serious corrosion problems !)

[Didier]

I translated a Jean-Pierre Danel's interview about this film, and proposed to post it here, but as it raised no interest, I didn't do it.

Still not the slightest interest for this interview which explains why an how this film with the Shadows was made !
I'll keep my translation for better times...

Didier

[captainhaddock]

Bonjour Didier,
I,for one am always very interested to read anything that involves The Shadows. It would be great if you could spare the time to post your translation.
Thank-you in advance?
Philip.

[Didier]

Bonjour Didier,
I,for one am always very interested to read anything that involves The Shadows. It would be great if you could spare the time to post your translation.
Thank-you in advance?
Philip.

Here it is :

Jean-Pierre Danel's interview for Guitar & Drums :

"I have been lucky enough to meet the Shadows several times, first during the eighties. In february 79, I was totally fascinated when listening to their first 10" album (from 1961) which was offered to me by a friend of my sister. I started imitating them at home and in school with a toy, the with a more realistic guitar, although still almost a toy, that I abused for hours, until I couls find the first notes of "Shadoogie" or "Nivram". I went around all the records shops and flea market in Paris, and I bought all the vinyls I could find from my idols.

In March 1980, the first unexpected opportunity to meet them occured. My father, Pascal Danel, had just ended two weeks of concerts at the Olympia, when the manager, Jean-Louis Boris, knowing my passion for the Shadows, told us with pleasure that they would be there a few weeks later...
Walking through Paris, I had the shock to discover posters of the Shadows, next to my fathers' ones stuck on fences... I still couldn't believe it until this afternoon when we attended a short sound check ("let me be the one", "Riders in the sky") and when JM Boris took us to meet them in their changing room.

Two hours of absolute dream for me ! Photos, signing my sixty vinyls (unfortunatly lost since then). Programs and singles offered by Brian Good their manager.
Then came a really remarquable concert, which left me with great memories. Perfection, emotion, looseness... Really, and now looking back at it with a more professional attitude, it was among the best I have ever seen.

After the show, we went back backstage we made our friend Laurent Voulzy meet Hank (Being an ardent suporter, Laurent was delighted). He was stunned when Marvin left the Olympia taking with him my father's new live album, recorded in the same venue a few weeks earlier !
In december of the same year, we met again the Shadows in their changing room at the Mogador theater in Paris, and we were extremy warmly welcomed after the concert, and this too remains a formidable memory.
After several contacts through mail and phone, my father, who then had turned TV producer, invited Hank for the shooting of the "Macadam" show in June 1983, he played two tracks from his current album ("Invisible man" and "The hawk and the dove"). Voulzy specially came from Paris to see Hank during the shooting which took place in the Ardèche region. We also made Pierre Teodori, one of my father's guitarist, meet Hank. He wrote two tunes for the Shadows during the eighties.

Brian Goode and Hank seemed delighted by the show, the atmosphere on the shooting location, the region and its gourmet restaurants... It's most likely because of this good feeling that they convinced all of the Shadows to come in spring 84 for a special number of "Macadam" dedicated to them (thet hadn't come in France for a TV show for years).
To the great surprise of the TV network, which knew that we were all supporters and that we knew them, we received a telex from Roll Over Records, their label at Polydor : "For you we will come at no charge...". Classy...
Back from a long tour in Australia, they arrived early april on the shooting location in Camargue. Hank, the one we knew best, still warm, so were Brian Goode, Bruce and Brian, all delighted, but yet a little anxious about what the shooting would be (mixing music and comedy), Alan Jones the bassist really cool, and Cliff hall who came the next day, with his well known humour....

Accompanied by their roadie, the Shadows seemed a litte tired by over 80 concerts, not mentionning the jet lag. above all they were coming from sunshine, and didn't expect such a freezing weather in the south of France... My mother had the tough task to explain them the rather unusual concept of the show.
In the end they liked it, and played all the parts and jokes of the show with great professionalism an enthusiasm. The even backed my father, which wasn't really planned, on a tune evocating the sixties and the Shadows themselves... (as he says, he is the only one with Cliff).

The Shadows' french wasn't very good, and Hank, Bruce and Brian laughed a lot when trying to find back some school memories about it...
Hank only remembered a particular sentence : "The horse needs food"...! Which wasn't really useful ! But he used it as a comment to nearly all indications from the director or ourselves. He says it during the show.
To avoid problems with our language, their most current reaction was to answer "No problem !", which became a key word during the shooting.
Bruce, always the first ready at 7am, hooked to buttered bread and tea, Hank non stopping kid's jokes and unbeatable at table foot-ball, Brian very gentleman, Cliff and Alan enjoying late drinks... The 5 days shooting were a deligt for us all, and particularly for me.

Hank signed my Strat ; I was granted a litlle playing, testing their guitars and greetings which were miraculous the 15 years old kid I was. More photos, videos, signing, gifts, souvenirs (I preciously keep the guitar belt signed Bruce Welch Shadows)
Emotion was real when they left, and the Shadows seemed sad to leave this atmosphere and they invited us to visit them in England.
For many reasons I coudn't come for the tour with Cliff Richard which followed. But in spring 1986, when Cliff and Hank were still #1 with their new version of "Living Doll", and when the Shadows released with great success their "Moonlight Shadows", we came to attend three concerts in Windsor. They let me video record a full show from the control room. Then again I came back with a strong impression and many memories; Brian showing us photos of his studio, Bruce photos of concert with Mark Knopfler or Hank talking about his coming departure for Australia...

Later in 89 I nearly went to record in Brian's studio, but our schedules didn't match because the Shadows were touring in Australia.
I saw again Hank in concert at the Olympia in april 2000, Bruce and Cliff Hall in october the same year at the french fan club meeting, then in 2005 I attended one of their their Final Tour concert in Paris, before having the luck to record with Hank in end 2006 for "Guitar Connection 2" to be released in spring 2007.

I still admire as much their talent and career, and particularly impressed by their live shows, and also their work as producers, particularly those of Bruce for the formidable Cliff's albums in the seventies, which are among the best I know in his kind, and a reference for many people in this business.
Throughout their own way and their many experiences, the Shadows remain the most beautiful musical emotion in my life...

Translation (c) Didier Parot

[George Geddes]

Thanks Didier - well worth reading!

George

[captainhaddock]

Many thanks for all the hard work, Didier, a fascinating read.