"The Young Ones" featuring Licorice

[Derek Mowbray]

Bruce did play a variety of guitars from 1958 on television until 1961 when the all Fender line up came to be,it looks like a Gretch he was playing on the 1961 clip. Cliff decided to lose weight after being called " That chubby Cliff Richard " by "Minnie Caldwell" on Coronation Street so by late 1962 he was a lot slimmer.

[JimN]

The Gretsch-wielding clip dates from a broadcast on 31st December 1960 (perhaps it was played out after midnight GMT!). Bruce bought himself a Gretsch because Eddy Cochran had played one, and also (he has said) because Hank had bought one. He used it occasionally; for instance, it is the Gretsch in the club scene in "Summer Holiday" as well as that 1960/61 TV clip.

Leaving aside any cheaper guitars he was seen playing in the early days, Bruce was seen with at least the following professional quality electric guitars at varying times before the adoption of the Burns instruments:

(a) the UK-made Grimshaw SS (white semi-acoustic) used on the "Cliff" LP
(b) the American-built Vega Electrovox (the instrument he uses in "Expresso Bongo")
(c) Fender Jazzmaster in sunburst (many 1960/61 photographs)
(d) Gretsch 6120 in orange with dual Filtertron pickups (see above)
(e) Fender Telecaster in blonde (some 1961 photographs - he is reported as using it at the Paris Olympia in late 1961)
(f) Fender Stratocaster in sunburst (eg, rear of sleeve for "Me And My Shadows" LP [1960]) - later explained to have belonged to Chas McDevitt who allowed its use as an onstage spare
(g) Fender Stratocaster in red (the classic all-red line-up)
(h) Fender Stratocaster in white (1963, shading into 1964).

He was also seen with a natural finish Gibson J30 (or similar) model, as well as the sunburst J200 (and maybe a blonde one too).

JN

[donna plasky]

The Gretsch-wielding clip ...
JN

Funny!

But seriously, thank you very much for that info, Jim. I copied the text and saved it on my computer; this is better than any book I could have ever bought. Thank you.

-Donna

Licorice.jpg (6.19 KiB) Viewed 5755 times

[Didier]

(e) Fender Telecaster in blonde (some 1961 photographs - he is reported as using it at the Paris Olympia in late 1961)

I confirm. I was there and saw it with my own eyes !
It can also be seen on a few videos.

Didier

[Martin Page]

The Gretsch-wielding clip dates from a broadcast on 31st December 1960 (perhaps it was played out after midnight GMT!). Bruce bought himself a Gretsch because Eddy Cochran had played one, and also (he has said) because Hank had bought one. He used it occasionally; for instance, it is the Gretsch in the club scene in "Summer Holiday" as well as that 1960/61 TV clip.

Leaving aside any cheaper guitars he was seen playing in the early days, Bruce was seen with at least the following professional quality electric guitars at varying times before the adoption of the Burns instruments:

(a) the UK-made Grimshaw SS (white semi-acoustic) used on the "Cliff" LP
(b) the American-built Vega Electrovox (the instrument he uses in "Expresso Bongo")
(c) Fender Jazzmaster in sunburst (many 1960/61 photographs)
(d) Gretsch 6120 in orange with dual Filtertron pickups (see above)
(e) Fender Telecaster in blonde (some 1961 photographs - he is reported as using it at the Paris Olympia in late 1961)
(f) Fender Stratocaster in sunburst (eg, rear of sleeve for "Me And My Shadows" LP [1960]) - later explained to have belonged to Chas McDevitt who allowed its use as an onstage spare
(g) Fender Stratocaster in red (the classic all-red line-up)
(h) Fender Stratocaster in white (1963, shading into 1964).

He was also seen with a natural finish Gibson J30 (or similar) model, as well as the sunburst J200 (and maybe a blonde one too).

JN

...and the tapered head guitar used on at least two occasions, see here: http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=8436 (post #6).

Martin.

[cockroach]

JIm,

As I have mentioned on another thread, Bruce also used an acoustic Martin with an inbuilt DeArmond pickup (D18E?) on stage in the early'60's at least, if not on record..

I would guess that the 'Clifton' he is pictured with could have been one of those typical 1950's average to reasonable quality generic archtop f hole acoustics with a simple built in or add-on neck mounted single coil pickup and basic volume and tone controls , possibly European made (with a British dealer/importers/distributor's or wholesaler's Anglicised brand name) or even an obscure British made guitar.

[Billyboygretsch]

I saw Cliff Richard and the Shadows ( may have still been the Drifters) at finsbury Park Empire i think 1960, my big sister took me. I am sure Bruce was playing a Jazzmaster as that is the guitar I wanted rather than a Strat. I believe the Gretsch Bruce is playing is a Gretsch 6120 with Filtertrons similar to Duane Eddy except he used Dynasonic around that time. Interesting that on the first album cover Bruce was holding a Telecaster

[Billyboygretsch]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZBolCgKSpk
Guitar Tango featuring Jet Harris on You Tube before LL recorded it never knew that. Can anyone identify the guitars being used in the old shot think Hanks was Antoria

[cockroach]

Bill

Hank's is an Antoria (made by Teisco Japan) Bruce's is a Grimshaw SS (British) and Jet's bass is a Framus Star model (also often branded as Besson in theh UK)

[Iain Purdon]

Interesting that this earlier version has found its way into the light. It seems that they hadn't quite got the connection right between main theme and middle section. Otherwise it's a similar performance in many ways.