Bands with Most UK No. 1s during The '60s

[Monty]

who is who business wise is always a seperate argument - for example re The Hollies longtime members Terry Sylvester (1969-81) & bassist Bernie Calvert (1966-81) were clearly band members (both were inducted into the USA Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott & original bass player Eric Haydock) - however Sylvester & Calvert were in fact employees of 'The Hollies Limited'

yet both were included in band pics on album sleeves etc

John Farrar clearly was a part of Marvin Welch & Farrar - invited to join without formal audition by Hank & Bruce (was Brian Bennett ever a member ? - he's on 'Second Opinion')

Bruce Welch had dropped out in 1973 (hence 'Marvin and Farrar' ) before Bruce & Brian returned as 'The Shadows' for 'Rockin with Curly Leads' later in 1973 - where John Farrar is in the band album cover pics (unlike say bass player Alan Tarney), John Farrar writes two numbers ('Years Away' & 'Gracie') plus heads off the credits of the joint composed tracks, and clearly is a major featured second guitarist alongside Hank plus as a backup guitarist with Bruce & Hank - Farrar was probably featured on synth' too & was the chief in house arranger during that 1973-76 period. Farrar's included in the cover pics of 'Specs Appeal' & 'Live in Paris' (where he takes lead vocal on 'Marmaduke') and is even credited before Bruce as a guitarist on 'Tasty' (1977) despite not being in the band pic then.

so John Farrar clearly WAS a 'Shadow' member for that seventies period as far as Hank, Bruce, & Brian were concerned, even if it was something of an 'honory' Shadow. (the last 'fourth Shadow' in truth...) - always a featured quartet of 'Shadows' it was after John Farrar departed they thereafter became the trio (see 'String of Hits' LP credits in 1979) ...that depiction alone proves Farrar had indeed been regarded as a 'Shadow' member up to 1976(7).

....as opposed to the various clear 'sidemen' like bass players Alan Tarney, Dave Richmond, Mo Foster, Alan Jones, Mark Griffiths, Paul Westwood etc & various keyboardists like Francis Monkman, Dave Lawson, Cliff Hall etc...(without whom...they would simply have had to have got someone else !)

[alewis41]

who is who business wise is always a seperate argument - for example re The Hollies longtime members Terry Sylvester (1969-81) & bassist Bernie Calvert (1966-81) were clearly band members (both were inducted into the USA Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks, Bobby Elliott & original bass player Eric Haydock) - however Sylvester & Calvert were in fact employees of 'The Hollies Limited'

yet both were included in band pics on album sleeves etc

John Farrar clearly was a part of Marvin Welch & Farrar - invited to join without formal audition by Hank & Bruce (was Brian Bennett ever a member ? - he's on 'Second Opinion')

Bruce Welch had dropped out in 1973 (hence 'Marvin and Farrar' ) before Bruce & Brian returned as 'The Shadows' for 'Rockin with Curly Leads' later in 1973 - where John Farrar is in the band album cover pics (unlike say bass player Alan Tarney), John Farrar writes two numbers ('Years Away' & 'Gracie') plus heads off the credits of the joint composed tracks, and clearly is a major featured second guitarist alongside Hank plus as a backup guitarist with Bruce & Hank - Farrar was probably featured on synth' too & was the chief in house arranger during that 1973-76 period. Farrar's included in the cover pics of 'Specs Appeal' & 'Live in Paris' (where he takes lead vocal on 'Marmaduke') and is even credited before Bruce as a guitarist on 'Tasty' (1977) despite not being in the band pic then.

so John Farrar clearly WAS a 'Shadow' member for that seventies period as far as Hank, Bruce, & Brian were concerned, even if it was something of an 'honory' Shadow. (the last 'fourth Shadow' in truth...) - always a featured quartet of 'Shadows' it was after John Farrar departed they thereafter became the trio (see 'String of Hits' LP credits in 1979) ...that depiction alone proves Farrar had indeed been regarded as a 'Shadow' member up to 1976(7).

....as opposed to the various clear 'sidemen' like bass players Alan Tarney, Dave Richmond, Mo Foster, Alan Jones, Mark Griffiths, Paul Westwood etc & various keyboardists like Francis Monkman, Dave Lawson, Cliff Hall etc...(without whom...they would simply have had to have got someone else !)

I agree with this. For me (as I stated the last time this came up!) the fact that John Farrar appeared on the album covers of that time is hugely significant and is different from all those other guys (excellent as they were).

Andrew

[Iain Purdon]

"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less."

Lewis Carroll, 1872

When they asked the Dodo who had won, he thought long and hard and then said "Everybody has won and all must have prizes."

Lewis Carroll, 1865

So that's settled then

[drakula63]

I guess I saw it as an insult to say The Shadows had a turnover rate that resulted "in excess of a dozen" personnel being in the band during the 1960s. That might give a negative impression, as though there's a reason why so many people came and went. It's either seven or eight people, not twelve or more, and two of those people (Hank and Bruce) were certainly not transitory. I can understand the magazine not differentiating between a hired bass player and one who was officially a member of the band, but most of that activity was in the 1970s, not the 60s. Maybe they are counting people who performed with the band on literally one or two occasions, when someone had the flu or was in hospital, and they're counting that as turnover when it wasn't.

Regards,
Donna

...And let us not forget that a certain Mr Cliff Richard actually played the drums for the Shadows (during Brian Bennett's absence) live at least once. Actually, probably only once! And I have a nice big b&w photo framed and hanging in my kitchen to prove it!!! And to return to the title of this thread, surely if one adds the Shadows number ones to the Cliff AND the shadows number ones it must be more than seven...?