When was the first time you saw The Shads?

[Gary Allen]

The Savage clip in The Young Ones has to be a defining moment for most.

[abstamaria]

Jim, thank you for that information. I didn't know that, especially the dates. I always though the shift was from Fiesta Red to Burns. That also provides support to the position that "Atlantis" was recorded on a Strat. As usual, you are a wonderful resource.

Donna, thanks for that YouTube link. I hadn't seen that. I notice Hank lifts his fretting fingers for the "gallop," not just relying on the mute to chop the sound. Was that the first time a keyboard was used with "Apache"?

In the early 60s, our only sightings of the Ventures (popular here) and the Shadows were on album covers. I knew the Shadows pieces, of course, but first saw them in the Cliff Richard films -Wonderful Land, Summer Holiday. I was not to see them perform again until decades later, but always on a screen. I have never seen them live. We all started out as Ventures fans here, and the casual teenage listener then at this time would probably relate to their pieces more than the Shadows'. But the guitarists, the guys with bands eventually gravitated toward the Shadows.

Andy
In warm Manila

[cockroach]

I only saw them live for the first time in the 80's, but I saw them on TV on Oh Boy (I think) when they were the Drifters with Cliff, as I remember Hank used the Antoria..

[JimN]

What a fantastic picture (let down only by the slightly shabby backdrop of a theatre dressing room)!

JN

[abstamaria]

The headstock of that guitar seems very highly figured. If so, not your standard Strat, it seems.

Andy

[JimN]

The headstock of that guitar seems very highly figured. If so, not your standard Strat, it seems.

Andy

I'm sure that the Shad's red Strats were part of an ordinary shipment to Jennings from Fender, though I agree that it's possible that JMI staff will have selected the nicest ones out of the bunch (several times over, because they had more than one set).

JN

[roninnes]

Going back to Stuart's comment about Tony walking on stage half way through a gig, I quote from The Shadows by Themselves:

"There we were on stage, feeling like right nits trying to cope without a drummer, when an enormous roar went up from the audience. We looked round, and there was Tony strolling on stage in his street clothes."

From that you have to conclude nobody replaced Tony.

Ron

[Paulps]

March 1965 at the London Paladium in Alladdin.

Me as well!

[captainhaddock]

I was never lucky enough to see The Shadows live. However in 1974 I saw Hank+John Farrar live at Norwich Theatre Royal.
It was not a full scale concert, it was a kind of Variety show that included Pat Carol, a singer who just happened to be John Farrar's wife and also a former singing partner of Olivia Newton John. Also on the bill was a comedian called Brian Marshall and Labi Sifre the singer.
My first sight of The Shadows was in "Finders Keepers" and this is the clip that I remember best
http://youtu.be/_t1JAVgR_6w
Like many others on this forum, The Savage, from "The Young Ones" confirmed my love of the band shortly afterwards.

[Martin Page]

What a fantastic picture (let down only by the slightly shabby backdrop of a theatre dressing room)!

JN

Taken at the Derby Gaumont in 1961 I believe.

Martin.