Burns Era and Lineup Question

[dave robinson]

Hi

After John joined Tom Jones in 1970, the Shadows did two separate weeks in cabaret at Batley, in April and Wythenshawe, Manchester. They also appeared with that line up- Hank, Brian, Alan and Paul at the NME Poll Winners Concert in May of that year. For the first week at Batley, Paul used John's Burns but it was so 'knackered' that he didn't use it after that. The Bass was not retained by John and belonged to the band.

Regards

Stuart

I'm confused - who is Paul ?

[Iain Purdon]

That would be Paul 'Maroc 7' Ferris, I think.

[iefje]

I think John's bass passed first to John Farrar and then to Hank. Barry Gibson had it on display at Shadowmania at the time he was selling his replicas so he may know where it is now.

But what would John Farrar have to do with John Rostill's bass guitar? I think he was/is able to play bass guitar, but he didn't play bass for Marvin, Welch & Farrar and later on The Shadows. At the time, that particular duty was fulfilled by Dave Richmond and Alan Tarney, after which Alan Jones came along in 1977.

[Iain Purdon]

I know John F didn't play bass for them. Nor did Hank. I am just recalling what I believe was the sequence of people who had the instrument. I don't know why though!

Cheers - I

[Fenderman]

That would be Paul 'Maroc 7' Ferris, I think.

Paul Ferris played with the Shadows?

[StuartD]

He certainly did but only for two weeks!! oh and a day!!

Stuart

[StuartD]

I think John's bass passed first to John Farrar and then to Hank. Barry Gibson had it on display at Shadowmania at the time he was selling his replicas so he may know where it is now.

But what would John Farrar have to do with John Rostill's bass guitar? I think he was/is able to play bass guitar, but he didn't play bass for Marvin, Welch & Farrar and later on The Shadows. At the time, that particular duty was fulfilled by Dave Richmond and Alan Tarney, after which Alan Jones came along in 1977.

Hi

What you have to remember is that it was never 'John's' bass. In the same was as Jet's Precision was passed to Licorice and then his Precision to John, the Burns was retained by the band when John joined Tom Jones. That why Paul Ferris had it. John Rostill told me in December 1969 that the bass was 'knackered' and he wouldn't be able to use it again until it was fixed - there was only one pickup - the neck- working. He never used it again. On New Year Eve 1969 when the Shadows played the TOTP special - with Bruce and Tony - John, although he was only miming, used the Jazz, That's in Jim's post as is the fact the in January 1970 they featured on the Cliff Richard Show with Alan Hawkshaw and again John used the Jazz as he did in June 1970 in his last appearance with the group at the opening week of the Sheffield Fiesta. Paul had used it for the week at Batley in March/April 1970 and he told at the gig that it was knackered and he had to 'wedge' the switch to make it work. He didn't use it again after that week because he went to London to buy a Precision and called in at the Shadows Office in Saville Row and was told that 'there is one behind the cabinet'!! And what was there turned out to be white Precision that Licorice had used when he stood in for John at the Talk of the Town- as Jim said.

Sometime in the early 1970's I was lucky enough to be invited to tea at John Farrar's house in Potters Bar. He showed me his Music Room and there hanging on the wall was the White Bass. Hank had given him to use on the demos he was recording and he had it refurbished with some different Burns Pickups. Ron Roka did the job and that's when the wiring was changed to get different sounds. When John Farrar got it, it was just a knackered bog standard Shadows bass albeit the original one.

When John left for America it passed to Hank - there is a picture in one of the Shadows Tour Programmes for the last 70's with all Hank's guitars on stands and it is on that pic with the non original pickups. Chris Jarvis told me he had called in to see Barry Gibson and was amazed and delighted to be shown it. Barry told him that Hank had given it to him and that he had put the original style pickups on it as well as replacing the Baldwin badge with a Burns one.

I hope this clears the matter up but there is a conundrum that has always puzzled me: Was John Rostill's Jazz Bass resprayed white and decorated with a tortoiseshell pick guard for 'The Shadows look' or was it originally that colour!! Answers please!!

Regards

Stu

[Moderne]

He (Paul Ferris) also did quite a bit of writing with Hank, from Joy of Living (Cliff & Hank) in 1970 to Leila and 99 Days (on Hank's All Alone with Friends LP) in 1983.

Clive

[iefje]

This clearifies quite a lot! Thanks all of you guys for the information!

[donna plasky]

I would like to also say thank you very much. I learned so much from reading this thread. I am so very fond of the Burns era of The Shadows. Hard for me to know whether it's the unique sound of the guitars or whether it's the band line-up...some of both, I think, and in particular the contributions from John Rostill.

Below is a video I've been watching. Bits and pieces of it have been posted on YouTube before, but someone has recently uploaded the whole 40-minute clip. The very last song features Hank playing Sleepwalk on a Burns. I am used to seeing him play Sleepwalk on a Strat, but not on a Burns.

Thanks again to Jim, Stuart, and everybody who shared information and experience.

Kind regards,
Donna