Jet's last Shadows EMI sessions

[GoldenStreet]

Do we know the exact date of Jet's departure from the group?

It is well documented that the dispute between Bruce and Jet at the NME Poll Winners concert on 15th April 1962 precipitated the break, but, according to Vic Rust's Shadows Recording Catalogue, Jet was present at the Abbey Road session on 1st May (described as his final session) when two tracks with Cliff were attempted, i.e. I'll Be Waiting (never issued) and Take Special Care (retrospective issue only).

Vic refers to the next session, on 5th May, as Licorice's debut (following his hasty recruitment), which saw the recording of Dancing Shoes and the released version of Summer Holiday (as distinct from the initial, unissued attempt with Jet on 5th April - referred to by Rob). Maybe, this information is inaccurate and differs from the EMI archive sources, but it is something I've always wondered about.

Bill

[JimN]

It is well documented that the dispute between Bruce and Jet at the NME Poll Winners concert on 15th April 1962 precipitated the break, but, according to Vic Rust's Shadows Recording Catalogue, Jet was present at the Abbey Road session on 1st May (described as his final session) when two tracks with Cliff were attempted, i.e. I'll Be Waiting (never issued) and Take Special Care (retrospective
Bill

I wouldn't rule out a Jet appearance at Abbey Road on 5/5/62. It must have taken a lot of legal, managerial and accountancy effort to sunder Jet (the leader) from the rest of the group and perhaps he had to be there because his name was on a contract. But Lic had definitely performed (live) with the group by then and must have played on the session.

[ash]

I think Rust is just repeating the error from previous works. Obviously i don't know for sure, but i'd be very surprised if Jet came back for a session given the circumstances of his departure no matter the politeness in the music press. I get the impression that a few hours if not minutes after the NME show Jet was on his bike either leaving or being told "We don't need you" by Bruce and then leaving. Lic had played with the band for a couple of weeks by May 1st (being recruited before his first live appearance on april 22) so i don't see it as a problem for him to record a couple of simple numbers with the band. He could have learnt them during downtime at the liverpool empire quite easily. He was a good player and it's not like they were gonna cut God Only Knows or Bohemian Rhapsody ! (not yet anyway)

[JimN]

IIRC, Licorice told me that All Day was written with a certain day in mind, the day in question being the one in Athens when the Shadows were filmed wearing traditional Greek dress for the final scene of "Summer Holiday". He said that it took "all day" for the filming to be completed. The Shads stood around for the whole day in those costumes. Lic couldn't remember whether the composition of the tune itself began that day whilst the group were waiting with the bouzoukis (a romantic thought, perhaps, but feasible) or whether the mere memory of the day inspired the tune at a later date.

Hope that doesn't throw too big a spanner in the works...

J

My error (just shows you that copying stuff out manually from window to window isn't always the best way to proceed). According to the Hayes archives, All Day was first attempted on 27 April 1962 (which is after Jet left). But it cannot be right. That's because on Friday 27th April 1962, The Shadows were playing in a week's variety at the Liverpool Empire (along with Jackie Trent, Frank Ifield, Daley & Wayne and others), helped out on rhythm guitar by Checkmate Peter Carter because Bruce was ill. I was there on Tuesday 24th.

So... the much-vaunted EMI studio archive is wrong. Well, it's wrong unless the Shadows (including an ailing Bruce, who was still being replaced the following weekend) drove down to London following the Thursday night Empire show, did some recording and then got back to Liverpool in time for the Friday show.

Let's see... the next recording date for All Day is 17th August, listed as "unissued" (until the 1997 CD "The Shadows At Abbey Road", that is). Then there's another version on 21st November, which is annotated "B-side?". Incidentally, the same session produced an unissued version of Foot Tapper and an untitled tune (which also was presumably never issued).

Does anyone know the approximate date of the filming (in Athens) of the final "Summer Holiday" sequence?

JN

[malcolmc7]

No uncertainty attaches to the B-side All Day. The session sheet examined by Les Woosey and myself at EMI Archives labelled the version recorded on 21 November unequivocally as "B side" (no trace of "?"), exactly as you would expect it to have been, given that Dance On! was recorded that same day. As for the Foot Tapper referred to by Jim, it may well have been the version described by Tony Hoffman in Shadsfax 3 (1996) 29.

[chronikman-ch]

IIRC, Licorice told me that All Day was written with a certain day in mind, the day in question being the one in Athens when the Shadows were filmed wearing traditional Greek dress for the final scene of "Summer Holiday". He said that it took "all day" for the filming to be completed. The Shads stood around for the whole day in those costumes. Lic couldn't remember whether the composition of the tune itself began that day whilst the group were waiting with the bouzoukis (a romantic thought, perhaps, but feasible) or whether the mere memory of the day inspired the tune at a later date.

Hope that doesn't throw too big a spanner in the works...

J

[GrahamH]

Hi all

How's this for a coincidence? I was looking on youtube at some Spotnicks (how DID they play in those spacesuits?!) stuff when, down the right hand side among the "similar items* was a still titled "The Shadows - Guitar Tango 'Early Un-released Version' feat. Jet Harris", and I remembered it was mentioned on this thread

Click on it and there it is -good audio quality with a slideshow of pics mainly from the period when Jet and BB were in the band. It's without the orchestral overdub of course and I found it interesting to compare it with the later single version. Have a look (and listen!).

Graham

[GoldenStreet]

Let's see... the next recording date for All Day is 17th August, listed as "unissued" (until the 1997 CD "The Shadows At Abbey Road", that is)
JN

... and this issued version from that session is take 10!

The 45th anniversary of the release of Summer Holiday:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebri ... -cast.html

Bill

[Iain Purdon]

Let's see... the next recording date for All Day is 17th August, listed as "unissued" (until the 1997 CD "The Shadows At Abbey Road", that is). Then there's another version on 21st November, which is annotated "B-side?"

That account fits the recordings better. The earlier versions are percussive (in A). The later version is much smoother (in Ab) and Bruce, Brian and Lic have all massively improved their parts.

I wonder if the Ab is because it was played in A then slowed down, or because they tuned their instruments down a semitone. or (least likely?) that they played it in Ab?

[GoldenStreet]

Certainly, Lic could only improve on his single note phrases featured on the earlier version. This has the distinct feel of an early tryout, although it is supposedly the tenth take.

Bill