Love Deluxe - Rare Video

[tolo]

Is it just me (probably) - but I have never really liked Bruce's voice as a lead vocal - it always seemed a little thin and a bit....well...weedy...

And on this evidence I don't think that Bono has too much to worry about from a frontman's perspective...

Actually - for myself - Hank was much the better vocalist from a strength, textural, pitch and also intonation perspective... I think 'Lady of the Morning', 'The Day I met Marie', 'London's not too far', 'Tahlia take your time' and even 'Don't Talk' amongst lots of others - a much more distinctive voice...

But as I said - it is probably just me!

[Twilight Ranger]

This is an interesting video. I hadn't heard the song. It's understandable that a pop group occasionally tries something totally different. The tune is very average, though. I don't particularly like this kind of music regardless of who performs it. I can understand why it didn't do well in the charts.

[Monty]

I remember seeing The Shads do this on TV - I think it was The Kenny Everett Show, they started 'in shadow' with guitars as if about to do 'Apache' or F.B.I. etc....then launched into this Bruce singing with his guitar behind his back etc....

I wasn't mad on it to be honest, to me it could really be anyone with nothing that distinctive about it
only my view I know others liked it - I read a piece by one guy years ago who went totally OTT claiming it was the GREATEST thing they ever did (besides no doubt 'What A Lovely Tune' & 'Theme from Eastenders' I bet !)

only joking, it was at least an attempt to do something a bit different (like 'Shades of Rock' & 'Guardian Angel' albums were) so should be seen as such, even if not to everyone's taste.

re singing I think Bruce shone vocally on some numbers - 'Far Away Falling', 'A Thousand Conversations', (M W & F) and 'Don't Throw it All Away' he sang really well and they suited his voice.

[drakula63]

I remember at about that time there was a radio series (either on R1 or R 2) about Cliff. They played Love Deluxe and Cliff enthused about it, saying that it was probably a mistake releasing it under the Shadows' name (due to musical preconceptions, etc), but that if they'd released it under another name it would probably be a 'smash'. He concluded by saying that he hoped they could do with it what he had done with 'Devil Woman'. Sadly, but perhaps inevitably, they didn't.

I have always liked it and think that it was a very accomplished record. Perhaps inspired by Sweet's 'Love is Like Oxygen' from earlier in the year. I played it to a friend a couple of years ago and he thought it might have been The Moody Blues - it's not that dissimilar to the kind of stuff they were doing on the Octave and Long Distance Voyager albums.

Brian's use of Pollard Quad syndrums was notable as there can't have been that many records in 1978 that were using them yet. It was certainly the first time he'd used them on a Shadows record.

Brian is mentioned in association with the drums here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollard_Syndrum


Bruce looked and sounded the part, although I will agree that Hank has a more 'versatile' voice, especially when you listen to the wealth of songs that he's sung on. I think that for romantic ballads and rockers, Bruce's voice was about right. For quirkier songs and those of a slightly sardonic nature, Hank's voice was probably better. If that makes any sense?

I've got a copy of them performing the song live in '78, although I prefer the studio version. Hank does indeed play a Roland (GR 500) on stage, but I can't hear it on the actual record. Adrian Lee toured with Cliff the following year and then joined Toyah and Mike + the Mechanics later. Where is he now, I wonder? Alan Jones, with that Rickenbacker bass - the epitome of cool.

Those were the days...

[drakula63]

I remember seeing The Shads do this on TV - I think it was The Kenny Everett Show, they started 'in shadow' with guitars as if about to do 'Apache' or F.B.I. etc....then launched into this Bruce singing with his guitar behind his back etc....

I've seen the bit of them in silhouette, but not the performance of Love Deluxe (other than the promo vid).

[drakula63]

I wasn't mad on it to be honest, to me it could really be anyone with nothing that distinctive about it
only my view I know others liked it - I read a piece by one guy years ago who went totally OTT claiming it was the GREATEST thing they ever did (besides no doubt 'What A Lovely Tune' & 'Theme from Eastenders' I bet !)

Wasn't me was it?

Wrote a fairly long article about the song for Tony's Hoffman's Shadsfax about 15 years ago?

[Gary Allen]

Its just another example of "style of the day", I cant imagine Let me be the one, or On a night like this, being sung by anyone apart from Bruce. I don't mind comparing it to the other stuff that did better in the charts back then. Fair play to them for doing it.

[Iain Purdon]

Obviously voices are a matter of taste and both Hank and Bruce have their supporters. To me, Bruce has the more consistent voice and I like it better overall. Hank's ranges a lot more, it can be fantastic or, well, not so much: again, purely as I hear it. But put the two together in close harmony and you have a terrific blend: all those early hits with Cliff relied on their superb vocal backing. Add John Farrar to the mix and you have something quite stunning. Not only that, they are all dab hands at the guitar!

[tim.cooper5]

Hi All,
Loved this video, so completely different to what you would expect from The Shadows.
Bruce is really going for it too, also Brian giving it his all, and of course cool Alan.
First time I,ve heard the song for a number of years, still sounds good.

Tim

[Tigerdaisy]

Hmm, they certainly lost their way during those years... The early years with Cliff were the best and most creative IMHO when they were still playing rock and roll stuff. If you listen to the first Cliff LP you can hear the excitement and freshness and especially on the 2nd Cliff Sings LP (although of course Cliff was obviously under the more sobering influence of Norrie Paramour) some of Hank's solos were classically pure brilliance in R & R terms.