My love for Shads music

[Syd62]

After hearing that this would be the last Shadowmania I felt quiet sad that this would be the last time we'd be seeing a truly magnificent show piece, but yes this was always going to happen at some point.  This has led me to finally putting down this lengthy story so I hope you bear with me, I know it goes on a bit but the Shads have always and always will be my all time number one group and been a big part of my life so I would just like to share with you how I got into The Shadows. 
Born in the early sixties I was too young to know anything about The Shadows but always liked sixties music due to my older brothers and sisters growing up at in this era. In the very early seventies a cousin of ours brought over the Shadows Greatest Hits for my eldest brother to listen to, I listened in and that was that I was absolutely in heaven the sound was something special  I was 8 years old at the time. Over the next couple of years my brother bought several of the Shadows albums (They were no longer together as a group at this time) and I would listen to these a often I could which wasn't as much as I wanted to unless I was of sick from school. When I started primary school all my friends were into the glam rock  thing I was into The Shadows nobody had heard of them. Then I got the chance to see them with Cliff at the London Palladium, at the  Thank you Very Much Concert due the success of this The Shadows did a one off show at The Palladium I took my brother because I did not have any one else to go with it was absolutely fantastic, from that moment on The Shadows popularity started to grow again much to my enjoyment. They started to tour again but they never seemed to publicise it enough but tickets always used to sell quickly but I was always lucky to get to see them, by this time I was making the pilgrimage on my own something I did at least a dozen times, my idols. I always remember when I was in my secondary school the Shadows had their 20 Golden Greats out, because it was at number one for several weeks my friend brought in his radio in on several occasions so I could listen to one of the tracks being played and he didn't even like the Shads. A true friend. My love for The Shadows music and the sound they managed to create was something special  as soon as I heard it I knew that was the kind of music I wanted to listen to and have done ever since. It is so refreshing to see young groups playing the music I have always loved, being played with so much maturity, and yes it is true that The Shadows have influenced more groups famous or not though they haven't really had the credit they deserve. Shadowmania has been a such breath of fresh air for me, I was on cloud nine when I first heard that there was going to be a all day Shadowfest WOW seeing talented groups playing the music that I love gave me goose bumps hearing tracks that I never thought I'd hear being played live. Thankyou Bruce for making a young half centurion man very happy. Hope this hasn't  been too boring for all of you but I just wanted to tell my Shadows Life story. 

Ps. I have also been to The Pipeline Convention 19 times so yes instrumental music must be my first love of music, and In my opinion I think Justin  has the old Shads  sound to a T.

[Steve Parish]

Lovely story Syd...

I'd love to come up with a similar story, depicting my own journey along the path that it is all things Shads; how my love and passion for their music began... how it began to manifest and how it continues to manifest... but it would be far too lengthy.
I'll say this, though, if there was no Shadows, musically, there would be no me.
I'm a thirty year old (gradually and happily growing younger) drummer... drumming wise, Brian is God to me.
Tony is another God.
As is Steve Gadd.
And Buddy Rich.
Steve Smith is a God of something or the other in my book too.
Gene Krupa is very much a God in my book.
Joe Morello.
Louis Bellson.
Ginger Baker.
Al Jackson.
Stewart Copeland.
Keith Moon.
John Bonham.
Actually, there are many drumming 'Gods' in my book Shads fans.
If you are clever, really clever, you learn off all these guys initially... learn, imitate, play and copy... then eventually mould it all into your very own playing style. Soon, you play and sound like yourself. Sometimes it could go as far as, maybe, coming up with your own songs?
Ssshhh... it's a secret....

p.s. isn't it about time we drummers have 'backing tracks' to play along to so we can do gigs, in our own right, solo, by ourselves?!

[dave robinson]

p.s. isn't it about time we drummers have 'backing tracks' to play along to so we can do gigs, in our own right, solo, by ourselves?!
[/quote]

I've had three CDs out for the last ten years with the hits of The Shadows minus drums - plenty have had them Steve, where were you ?

[Steve Parish]

Banbury.

[donna plasky]

Does anybody have any ideas on something we can do for Bruce -- something we can give him, not so much a gift like a gold watch, but something personal? A thank you from all of us fans. We've still got a month left before Shadowmania. Can we write him a song, or a poem, or put together a speech, a presentation, anything at all?

At the moment, I do not have any worthwhile ideas, just a lot of passing thoughts. I just found this video from last year's Shadowmania, one that I had somehow overlooked. Many of you were there, and many others of you have already seen this video. But I've posted it below for anybody who hasn't seen it.

Syd, I hope I didn't ruin your original (and very beautiful) post by tacking on this one from me.

I have tears in my eyes right now. Here's the video. It's called "The Best Is Yet To Come."

Kind regards,
Donna

[ecca]

Yes, we can give him Al Bakewell, that should keep him amused.

[alanbakewell]

Yes, we can give him Al Bakewell, that should keep him amused.

Only if I can take my Springers and a goodly supply of Pasties.

Barney Isle of Wight 2009.png (160.16 KiB) Viewed 4637 times

[neil2726]

A big cob from the Hankies?

[Hank2k]

Does anybody have any ideas on something we can do for Bruce -- something we can give him, not so much a gift like a gold watch, but something personal? A thank you from all of us fans. We've still got a month left before Shadowmania. Can we write him a song, or a poem, or put together a speech, a presentation, anything at all?

At the moment, I do not have any worthwhile ideas, just a lot of passing thoughts. I just found this video from last year's Shadowmania, one that I had somehow overlooked. Many of you were there, and many others of you have already seen this video. But I've posted it below for anybody who hasn't seen it.

Syd, I hope I didn't ruin your original (and very beautiful) post by tacking on this one from me.

I have tears in my eyes right now. Here's the video. It's called "The Best Is Yet To Come."

Kind regards,
Donna

This was my highlight of the night, beautiful song