NEW CD FROM HANK

[MikeAB]

Time we gave Hank a break re covers maybe? He's still recording at pushing 73 - not something we'd have thought possible in 1960!?

[petercreasey]

Interesting that folks on here don't approve of "covers" when most spend quite a lot of time playing Shadows " covers".
I reckon that someone making top ten albums so many years after "hitting the hights" in his teens should be applauded, not only for being able to produce an album which will no doubt be another hit but for even bothering knowing that the best of his fans will think that he should have done something else!!
Keep 'em comming Mr M, some peoples' "covers" are others " vehicles with which to display one's talent"

[Twang46]

Who's Dan?

Oh Dear..........severe typo, of course it should read Ben

Dick.

[Twang46]

It seems like I've touched a "raw nerve" here.

To answer a few points

People like me play "covers" because I haven't been able to write anything worthwhile yet, I'm just an amateur, but as a pro musician with over 50 years experience I would have hoped for better from Hank.
However as I said I will be happy to hear a really great album that makes me go & buy it and I will happily post an apology here for doubting Hank if it is a good album.

The difference between covers & new interpretations should be obvious I would have thought. If you leave out the vocals from a song & play the "vocals" with a guitar using your own studio & musicians that's a cover to me. If you rework the tune, different arrangement/tempo/add parts, that is an interpretation (to me anyway)

As for the age thing, Duane Eddy brought out an album of new songs a couple of years ago called "Road Trip" recorded in Sheffield with Richard Hawley & his band at over 70 yrs age (there's a django type tune on that album as well, don't know if there's any significance behind that though). It sold well throughout Europe as well as the USA & Asia & to me proved the point that new music is always better than "covers".

The Chet Atkins comments, I did not post the phrase "worthless covers" & I can't see the connection between Chet's albums & Hanks solo work. I know who was/is the better guitarist but that's for another day as they say.

I know this is a HBM forum but that should not prevent anybody from voicing an opinion (in a reasonable way) it has surprised me that my post seems to be seen as somehow derogatory to beliefs held by some of the members here.

I stand by my original post. it was not intended to be contentious but it seems I'm in the minority again.

Dick.

[JimN]

Interesting that folks on here don't approve of "covers" when most spend quite a lot of time playing Shadows " covers".

That's more than a bit disingenuous!

The term "covers" has acquired several different meanings over the past few decades. Originally, it only meant a record made and issued quickly in order to cash in on the success of an extant hit, whether it was a slavish copy or not.

It did not simply mean a recording of a piece of music which, as it happened, had already been recorded by someone else.

By "covers", I feel that most Shads fans mean Shadows recordings of various chart hits - 80s/90s/00s pop tripe - with limited melody, minimal harmonic development and as close to nil utility as an instrumental as is possible.

You know... the sort of thing that formed the majority of the tracks on "Simply Shadows" and "Steppin' To The Shadows". Diana Ross, The Bee Gees, that sort of thing. Attractive enough in the original versions to their natural audience ("for those who like that sort of thing, it the sort of thing they like") but unrelated to guitar instrumental music and bland and boring when used as one.

I'd happily listen to a Shadows "cover" version of Hit And Miss, or The Spartans, or Rinky Dink, etc, and would not regard it as a "cover" in the way that Walk Of Life was a cover.

[petercreasey]

Interesting that folks on here don't approve of "covers" when most spend quite a lot of time playing Shadows " covers".

That's more than a bit disingenuous!

The term "covers" has acquired several different meanings over the past few decades. Originally, it only meant a record made and issued quickly in order to cash in on the success of an extant hit, whether it was a slavish copy or not.

It did not simply mean a recording of a piece of music which, as it happened, had already been recorded by someone else.

By "covers", I feel that most Shads fans mean Shadows recordings of various chart hits - 80s/90s/00s pop tripe - with limited melody, minimal harmonic development and as close to nil utility as an instrumental as is possible.


You know... the sort of thing that formed the majority of the tracks on "Simply Shadows" and "Steppin' To The Shadows". Diana Ross, The Bee Gees, that sort of thing. Attractive enough in the original versions to their natural audience ("for those who like that sort of thing, it the sort of thing they like") but unrelated to guitar instrumental music and bland and boring when used as one.
I'd happily listen to a Shadows "cover" version of Hit And Miss, or The Spartans, or Rinky Dink, etc, and would not regard it as a "cover" in the way that Walk Of Life was a cover.

Oh come off it Jim, a cover is a performance or recording of music previously recorded by someone else, you can't call something a cover just because you don't like it and it's not a cover if you do. It seems that the description "cover" is used in a derogitory manner. Music is music and open to interpretation and arrangement and there can't be anything wrong with playing "other people's music" can there? If there is then there would be no proms, no Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, no brass bands oh and no Shadows version of" Sleepwalk"

[MikeAB]

Or Apache, Man of Mystery, Frightened City etc

[Stratgirl]

We heard it is all based on Summer. Summer time etc with at least one new song composed by Hank.

[Stratpicker]

Info from Amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00J ... d_i=468294

1. A Taste Of Honey
2. Sealed With A Kiss
3. California Girls
4. I Only Have Eyes For You
5. I Can See Clearly Now
6. Summertime Blues
7. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
8. Summertime
9. Good Day Sunshine
10. Message In A Bottle
11. Summer Guitar
12. Summer Of '42
13. What A Day For A Daydream
14. Waterloo Sunset

The man who defined the sound of a generation releases his 15th solo album. Eponymously entitled ‘HANK’ the album features newly recorded interpretations of some of Hank’s favourite summer-themed music, along with one new original recording ‘Summer Guitar.’ It’s Marvin’s first new album release since his 2007 UK top-ten hit ‘Guitar Man’ and consists of 14 tracks, 9 of which are arranged by Hank and his son Ben. The album also features some backing vocals from Hank’s daughter Tahlia. “These are tunes which all have some kind of connection with summer,” explains Hank. “The titles I’ve chosen are all very recognisable, which is important for this style of album. But also they’re vehicles which enable me to be creative and still approach them in a way that people will know that it’s me playing.” Hank Marvin is one of the most influential guitar players of all time and has enjoyed a long and successful career, He regularly features high on the list of polls that determine the greatest guitarists of all time and his unique sound and subsequent influence on popular music cannot be underestimated.

There you go, Zoe.
Plenty there to enjoy, I think.
Cheers
Ian

[HarryEndfield]

Just joined have followed the Shads since the very early days and I mean very early sadly ....
Anyway I was a sent a Hank alert about the new CD.
It was recorded in Oz with Ben and the gypsy band member Nunzio Mondia but it is NOT gypsy it's a collection of covers to coincide with the 60th anniversary of his first playing of a Strat and the CD has a summer theme including Waterloo Sunset,California Girls,A Taste of Honey,Daydream alongside some standards like Gershwin's Summertime and a new Marvin composition Summer Guitar.

HarryEndfield :