Are they playing FBI?

[JimN]

Interesting stuff. The URL leads to a site containing the following:

Finnjenka is related to a traditional Finnish party dance, the basis of a dance craze originating in Finland in the mid-60s

If that is the case, then "Finnjenka Dance" will not have been the title as early as 1960, when the tune was offered to the Shadows. Indeed, the March Of The... title was well-remembered by Jet, who recalled the episode more than once.

Lorna Music was certainly connected with the Paramor extended family - it published The Shadows' Quatermasster's Stores under the byline: "Trad - arr: Bill Shepherd". Bill Shepherd, never heard of again as far as I know, may well have been Norrie's brother Alan.

However, why would "Mintz" have been willing to cede the composer credit to noted jazz drummer Tony Carr? That's an odd aspect of the story.

Tony Carr was fairly well-known: http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-carr-mn0000463469

JN

[GoldenStreet]

"Bill Shepherd" (not to be confused, seemingly, with an American conductor/trombonist of that name) has always been something of a mystery, as far as I can see.

From the early 60's, numerous singles, EPs and an album were issued on Pye/Nixa, Hallmark, etc. as Bill Shepherd and his Orchestra, Bill Shepherd Chorus/Singers (usually accompanying EMI artists, e.g. Eddie Calvert) and various other group attributions but, as I've never succeeded in discovering anything about him at all, the name could well be a pseudonym... perhaps for Norrie himself, although would such recordings have been issued on non-EMI labels??

http://www.45cat.com/artist/bill-shepherd

Bill

[Arpeggio]

Isn't it just fabulous (well, i think it is) how some of our threads lead into such fascinating 'trivia'. Something as innocuous as "March Of The Mods" leading us into murky musical backwaters in an attempt to find out more. Yes....the more one thinks about it...Bill Shepherd (lots of recordings....very little info). Plus.....Norrie was very keen on "Q Stores" because one of his brothers had established the publishing rights. As we all know - the composer (OK arranger) royalties for 'A' & 'B' sides were very lucrative if a record became a big hit. So....'Bill Shepherd' made a pile of money on the back of "Apache". Curioser and curioser.....

Rob

[GoldenStreet]

Isn't it just fabulous (well, i think it is) how some of our threads lead into such fascinating 'trivia'.

Bill

[Arpeggio]

Could this solve the mystery? http://www.discogs.com/artist/Bill+Shep ... ll+Shepard

Rob

[GoldenStreet]

That'll be him, Rob, definitely. Shepard is one of those infuriating names with so many variations of spelling!

Cheers,

Bill

[geoff1711]

For me March of the Mods conjours up memories of lines of sweaty "Campers" Friday night at Pontins back in the late 60's and early 70's, last few numbers by the showband before The Last Watz were always Zorba's Dance, March of the Mods, and of course The Hockey Cockey, then as I said The Last Waltz, after that it was "Goodnight Campers see you again next year except all those lucky enough to be returning for Finals Weekend, have a safe journey home"

Blimey I can almost smell the Bacardi and Coke, Lager and Lime, Youth Dew perfume and Brut aftershave!

Goff

[geoff1711]

er that should have been Geoff, I must get this keyboard sorted, anybody know why you have to hit the W & E harder to make them register?

[malcolmc7]

Bill Shepherd: it's worth noting that Shepherd, whose 60s associations took in not only The Bee Gees (their George Martin, in effect) but also Joe Meek, was already an established figure in the music world of the late 50s, playing a decisive role as producer and arranger in the film Idol On Parade which set Anthony Newley on the road to great things.

Shepherd gets a reasonable write-up in AllMusic, though the song list is lamentably scrappy:

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-she ... 0001254379

Malcolm C.

[GoldenStreet]

Thanks, Malcolm, that's about the only biog I've seen at all!

The 45cat site does include a more detailed listing of Shepherd releases:-

http://www.45cat.com/45_search.php?sq=B ... HERD&sm=ar

Bill