Guitar album taking advantage of The Shadows name

[d jones]

Hi All

Music! Not who he,She or they are. Not what He, She or they look like. It is what He, She or they sound like! Sam Cooke once stated "Turn your back and listen"

PS If you like what you hear then personally what's wrong with it.

Dave

[dusty fretz]

I must admit to sharing George's penchant for 'alternative listening'. Hell, I even bought the Embassy instrumental cover versions back in the day, which is probably when my weakness started for musical masochism!

Here's just a selection of pseudo-Shadow recordings offered over the years on the highways and by-ways of Britain at appropriately shallow pocket prices:

LP:
Guitars Unlimited - Tribute To The Shadows (Chevron, 1980 UK)

Cassettes:
The Typhoons (aka Fifth Avenue) - Play The Shadows Greatest Hits (Artistry, 1977 UK)
The Typhoons - Hits From The Shadows (Dynamic, 1981 UK)
Unknown Artists - The Hits Of The Shadows (VFM, 1979 UK)

CDs:
The Apaches - Play The Hits Of The Shadows (Tring, 1992 UK)
The Apaches - Play The Music Of The Shadows (Galaxy, 1996 UK)
The Apaches - Play 18 Hits Of The Shadows (Prism, 1997 UK)
The Apaches - Play The Hits Of The Shadows (QED Classics, 1997 UK)
The Apaches - The Shadows Hits (FMCG, 1997 UK)
The Apaches - Hits Of The Shadows (Cosmopolitan, 1999 UK)
The Apaches - Play The Hits Of The Shadows (QED, 1999 UK)
The Apaches - Play Hits Of The Shadows (Pegasus, 2000 UK)
The Apaches - I Can’t Believe It’s Not The Shadows (Pegasus, 2000 UK)
The Apachies - Perform The Best Of The Shadows (Time Music, 2002 UK)
The Delta Guitars - Hits Of The Shadows (Music Digital, 1997 UK)
The Foot Tappers - Play The Hits Of The Shadows (Hallmark, UK)
The Guitar Rockets - Play The Hits Of The Shadows (Master Tone, 1999 Holland)
The Man Of Mystery - Pays Tribute To The Shadows (Dressed To Kill, 1999 UK)
The Man Of Mystery - A Tribute To The Shadows (Music Digital, 2004 UK)
Park Avenue Connection - Foot Tapping (GIB Music, Switzerland)
Shades Of Grey - 20 Years Of The Shadows (Going For A Song, 1998 UK)
The Six Strings - Guitar Plays The Shadows (Elap Music, 1999 Denmark)
The Sombras - The Music Of The Shadows ( DGR, UK)
The Sombras - Shadows Hits (Millennium Gold, UK)
The Unforgettable Music Machine - Plays The Music Of The Shadows (Castle, 1995 UK)

No doubt there are many more (I'm sure George could come up with a few!); none to be taken too seriously or for very much money, but simply good clean fun and an inspiration to us all!

[Curley]

Oh I get it now its all ok to rip off the music of The Shadows

Thats all the main four members of the band ...! and you sell it cheap and sell lots of them,
So Hanks guitar style and their recordings are open to be ripped off by everyone just put your bands name in small letters at the bottom of the CD cover...which is what this thread is about and its all fine.....
No wonder he moved to the other side of the world

[Bob Dore]

That's not how the music business works and never has been. If I record a CD of Apache, Wonderful Land and Atlantis I can sell it legally in the shops provided I pay royalties - To the Jerry Lordan estate not The Shadows.

And what about The Shadows who recorded several tracks previously recorded by other artists? Their record company will have paid royalties to the writers of those tunes. Are they guilty of ripping off the public who bought those records?

Bob.

[Curley]

You are missing the point...!!!!!!.

It is NOT ok to mislead people into believing an album is by the original band and then put the name of the cover or tribute band in small letters at the bottom of the album cover....that is what this thread is about

or is it now a case of read the small print before you buy an album !!

[Martin Page]

That says it all really...you do not even know who these people are?

But it gets worse...

A couple of weeks ago, I bought a 1968 album* by Hugo Montenegro (on CD), and apart from the fact that I know the whistler is the notorious Muzzy Marcellino (he of The High And The Mighty fame), I have no idea of who the other musicians are (except for Montengro's arranging and conducting).

I don't suppose I should have bought it, really.

I'm going to get rid of all my classical and symphonic stuff as well (because I haven't a clue of the identity of anyone on them, except for the conductors - and the composers).

Thanks for the advice.

JN

[Bob Dore]

Jim makes a valid point.

So should I get rid of my copies of those CDs and records containing Wonderful Land, Atlantis, Theme For Young Lovers, Guitar Tango etc?

After all, I have no idea who the members of Norrie Paramor's orchestra were?

Bob.

[Arpeggio]

You are missing the point...!!!!!!. It is NOT ok to mislead people into believing an album is by the original band and then put the name of the cover or tribute band in small letters at the bottom of the album cover....that is what this thread is about....or is it now a case of read the small print before you buy an album !!

Hmmmm.....really (just my personal opinion of course) some of this is preposterous. I simply don't see how anyone could fail to notice that any of these CDs were not by the Shadows. Yes, the Shadows name features prominently - but it's perfectly clear (even if it is in slightly smaller type) that these are cover versions. Over the years I've bought all of them (for the same reasons as George and others) just as I've (like many, many members on this site) bought everything* (* UK) that the Shadows themselves have released (including reissues) during the past 50 years or so. The LPs / CDs mentioned were not bootlegs or illegal issues - but cheap (price - wise) product on budget labels. All labels of this type pay composer royalties via MCPS etc., etc. So, for example....just skimming through a couple of examples (which I haven't played for many years). Claudine Lordan will have benefited from royalties from 7 tracks, Bruce personally from "Theme For Young Lovers" and the Shadows generally from 8 tracks - with the remainder (22) going to various respective composers including a couple to descendants / relatives of Norrie Paramor.

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Shades of Grey Shads.jpg (7.18 KiB) Viewed 6296 times

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Just another personal observation on 'Netiquette'......writing something in huge text does not necessarily mean that they are RIGHT but simply yelling or shouting.

Bests......Rob

[Arpeggio]

However....following on from my previous post...I would say that CDs such as the following (thankfully somewhat uncommon) most definitely are misleading. "The Best Of The Shadows" (Needleseek 98177) is most definitely a bootleg originating from the Ukraine. No royalties paid to anyone. No other text on the cover - so one would assume that the 19 tracks are at least originals by the Shadows. Not so. 8 of the 19 tracks are, in fact, by the Shades of Grey - but nowhere on the CD does it say so. Good as those performances are - they're not the Shadows. But....they're close enough to fool the casual listener. Now, this type of CD - I would agree with Curley 100% about (as I'm sure we all would). Not only a bootleg - but a bootleg that dupes anyone who might buy it out of curiosity by substituting cover versions amongst the originals. Definitely a case of 'Caveat Emptor'.

Rob

UYkrainian Shadows CD.jpg (15.8 KiB) Viewed 6291 times

[Iain Purdon]

I can't see there's a mint to be made by passing yourself off as the Shadows anyway. The people most likely to buy nowadays would know enough about the Shadows to spot the con at once. OK, a few people might buy in error but if it were a serious matter I'm sure Brian Goode would be onto it.