The Shadows Story (my selected pieces)

[Iain Purdon]

Yes indeed! Good too to have seen the 1963 Shads lineup of which there is so little footage. Come on ABC, what were you thinking?

[ash]

If that's the 1963 Pollwinners' Concert (and it certainly could never be a later one with the Springfields on the bill), the inclusion of the Beatles is marginally mystifying, since they can have had only one hit by the time of the decision to book them.

But Gerry & the Pacemakers? They'd only just had their first record release by April 1963. Perhaps this was an example of the famous Epstein technique: "You can have The Beatles if you also book..."...?

I think the inclusion of The Beatles was a wise executive decision even if it was completely at odds with the Poll-winners title. Looking at the music press from this era it's clear that they are rising stars and i imagine this is why they were included. When Cliff appeared at the January 11 1959 nme pollwinners concert it was because he was voted best new singer in early October 1958 before the release of his second record. I know this was as the result of a vote but it was on the strength of one single and a couple of tv appearances. He hadn't undertaken his first tour or even performed any concert dates since Butlins to my knowledge. He hadn't made his radio debut either.( On the other hand doesn't this emphasise the impact he had on the public at the time.)
NME booked the Beatles on the strength of several radio/tv appearances, numerous concerts/tours, their recent singles (please please me/from me to you) and month-old LP and as they played Twist and Shout and Long Tall Sally (in addition to their 2 recent singles) i'm sure they more than justified their inclusion. Cliff's set apparently featured Summer Holiday and Bachelor Boy. The Shadows should have dumped him in 1961 .
I can't justify Gerry and The Pacemakers (!) or their inclusion on the bill. I suspect you're right about Epstein's technique Jim. Let us not forget he is also guilty of Cilla Black, a heinous crime if ever there was one.
Anyway, I wonder if there was any interaction between Jet and Tony and Cliff and The Shads at this event. Although they were cordial in the press i get the impression Jet and Tony were a bit "miffed" at the way things turned out. It's a shame the whole show wasn't filmed. That's a top line-up for the time.

[Arpeggio]

Hi Ash,
A nicely considered post and yet another good read in yet another 'FAB' thread. I don't think that Jet & Tony were at all 'miffed' during that time. Tony was branching out into arranging / sessions / production & Jet's solo career had been going well. The Jet & Tony partnership must have been the 'icing on the cake'. They were both earning substantially more money than they had been in the Shadows & had the satisfaction of knocking the Shads off the No.1 spot with "Diamonds". It's well - known now that Bruce dearly wished that Jerry Lordan had given "Diamonds" & "Scarlett O'Hara" to the Shads & not Jet & Tony. Looking back many, many years later - they both acknowledged that it was their own respective personal behaviour / problems at the time which obliged them to leave. Tony never had any regrets & nor did Jet (in the main) - save for the fact that he would've loved to have made just a cameo appearance during either the Shadows' final tour or the Cliff / Shadows' final tour - but, as we all know - it was not to be. Deep down - he never realistically expected to take part in a full - blown tour. But....back to 1963.....Jet & Tony must have been cock - a - hoop at the time.

Rob

PS: Thanks Heinz - for the clipping about the 100 Club. It's solved one mystery I've pondered over for nearly 30 years. The clipping mentioned that the Outlaws were also on the bill. In 1998 (at a Joe Meek event in London) I overheard Bruce Welch & Bill Kuy laughing and joking at the bar. They were laughing about the time when they nearly "....smashed each other up!" (they had to be separated by friends / minders). "Do you remember what started it?", said Bill Kuy..." I asked you what you thought of our latest single"......"Yeah..that's right", recalled Bruce, "and I said it was OK....but that you were just trying to copy the F****** Shadows". "I disagreed", said Bill" & thought 'cocky...effing bastard'....Come On then..!!!". The thing was that Bill Kuy was known to be both fearless and pugilistic + Bruce was heavily built and had laid out his brutal step - father when he (Bruce) was only 15. Maybe a good job that they were separated!!! 30 years on they were just alughing about how hot - tempered they'd both been as teenagers!!!!

[ash]

I'm not as up on my Shads history as yourself Rob. My impression re Jet and Tony is partly informed by interviews i've read where they said they left and Bruce says they were fired ! It certainly was going well for Jet and Tony at this time.

[Arpeggio]

No problems Ash. The great thing about this site is the enormous amount of information gradually 'amassed' over many, many, many years (by lots of people). I've been very lucky to have been able to talk to Hank, Bruce, Brian, Jet & Tony at considerable length.....over (on and off) a long period of time. Plus (again....over a very long timescale) I've met & chatted to Brian Locking, Alan Jones, Cliff Hall, Malcolm Addey, Peter Vince, Jerry Lordan, Peter Gormley etc., etc. You build up a picture.....

Tony did want to branch out into arranging / production etc & apparently began to feel 'stifled' by his 'narrow' role in the Shadows. The stories of him turning up late - for shows, never mind rehearsals are all true!!! As is the fact that he lost his temper on one occasion and 'Did A Suarez' on one of Hank's fingers. Thus....matters came to a head....I'm not sure whether or not Tony 'jumped' before he was pushed. Nearly 40 yrs after the event (looking back)...Tony admitted that he was planning to quit by December, 1961 anyway - but that events simply overtook him. As I say, he had no regrets whatsoever. In later years Jet admitted that he was drinking heavily and getting into potential fights in pubs, clubs etc. The Shadows genuinely did try to get help for Jet with his alcohol problems....but things weren't the same in 1962 as, say, 2012. Shortly before he passed away he told me that he didn't blame Cliff, nor Hank, nor even Bruce for his problems back then. Again, Bruce did give Jet a final ultimatum on April 15th, 1962...basically...sober up PDQ...or be sacked. We know now that Jet had seen 'the writing on the wall' and he had been secretly in cahoots with both Tony and Jack Good. So....after a few more beers in the bar....he stormed out never to return.

Bests....Rob

[Iain Purdon]

Bruce's book "Rock'n'Roll - I Gave You The Best Years of My Life" describes 1963 thus;

At the height of Beatlemania in 1963 and in the face of such strong opposition, Cliff Richard and the Shadows had an incredible year and we spent much of the time at the very top of the charts (he lists 5 Shads hits and 5 more with Cliff). At the same time our two former colleagues Jet Harris and Tony Meehan joined forces to make their own assault upon the charts (he lists 3 of their hits). We were among friends. It was a spectacular year all round.

In hindsight, that sounds pretty amicable.

[Arpeggio]

Agreed Iain.....Bruce was writing over 25 yrs after the event. 1963 was a massive year for Cliff / Shads...so he could afford to be magnaminous.

Rob

[chronikman-ch]

PS: Thanks Heinz - for the clipping about the 100 Club. It's solved one mystery I've pondered over for nearly 30 years. The clipping mentioned that the Outlaws were also on the bill. In 1998 (at a Joe Meek event in London) I overheard Bruce Welch & Bill Kuy laughing and joking at the bar. They were laughing about the time when they nearly "....smashed each other up!" (they had to be separated by friends / minders). "Do you remember what started it?", said Bill Kuy..." I asked you what you thought of our latest single"......"Yeah..that's right", recalled Bruce, "and I said it was OK....but that you were just trying to copy the F****** Shadows". "I disagreed", said Bill" & thought 'cocky...effing bastard'....Come On then..!!!". The thing was that Bill Kuy was known to be both fearless and pugilistic + Bruce was heavily built and had laid out his brutal step - father when he (Bruce) was only 15. Maybe a good job that they were separated!!! 30 years on they were just alughing about how hot - tempered they'd both been as teenagers!!!!

Thanks to all who participate in intensity as my posts. For me, unfortunately, it is only possible with a translation program. One day I hope the story from those contributions and worked as a book with the title appear? "The Shadows in the eyes of their fans"
PS: The only book that I have in the hands more than anything by The Shadows, "The UK-German translator"
hmr

[chronikman-ch]

Giants Of Rock & Roll Calling Card The Shadows
Question: Is there more of The Shadows

[UlrichS]

Heinz,
I could find two more phonecards in the web:

Phone Card 3.jpg

Phone Card 2.jpg

If my memory does not fail at all, there were sets of phonecards (from China?) available which formed a picture if placed together. Unfortunately I could not find pictures of them.

Best wishes,

Ulrich