IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
Posted on Dec 13 2013 07:28 AM
In honor of Friday the 13th, I thought I'd post a list of 13 Shadows songs that are not very well-known but that I love very much. Maybe some of you will fall in love with some of these tracks, as well.
The Breeze And I - This was the first version of the Ernesto Lecuona classic that I ever heard, and it's still my favorite. It was the b-side to Foot Tapper, from March '63. Hank lathers on the echo, and gives the song some great Strat twang, while their producer Norrie Paramor's arrangement is all swirling strings, evoking a palpable Spanish atmosphere, over the military-style rhythm section. Norrie was really an unrecognized genius, just as important for the Shadows as George Martin was for the Beatles. Those EMI producers/engineers from the day were really brilliant people. When Hank starts the third verse with a high palm-muted note at 2:15, letting the echo ring out, well, I always lose it. Goose-bumps city!
It's Been a Blue Day - a gorgeous ballad, so incredibly warm and luxurious sounding. It was the b-side to Shindig in September of '63. Hank's Strat tone is so full and soft it's almost hard to believe it, and just listen to his phrasing, full of slides, slurs, hammer-ons - a real master lesson in how to make a melody come alive. Norrie once again adds some beautiful strings and even some voices.
Granada - from their '63 Los Shadows EP, featuring four Spanish-themed tracks. Granada is an old classic, sung by many (I have a version with Sinatra in my collection). The Shads give it a real dramatic treatment, starting strong and proud before shifting into the fast, playful waltz section. Once again, Norrie works his magic with swirling strings and trumpets. It's such a gorgeous melody, and combined with this absolutely brilliant arrangement, it's just a gem of a song.
Valencia - another one from the Los Shadows EP, and another classic Spanish song. Played at a sprightly pace, and once again combined with trumpets and busy strings, but Hank's Strat gets plenty room to shine. I don't know how he is able to make an electric guitar sound so Spanish, but he does! Love his palm-muting in the middle, as well, so cool, and the key change towards the end really takes it over the top.
It's a Man's World - the b-side of The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt from May 1964, it's a safe bet that Hank had switched to his Burns guitar by this point. He really shows off its sonic possibilities here, with a beautiful, slightly hollow midrange and big twang on the lower strings. This song is a Shadows original, with a really nice melody and a strong uptempo arrangement. By '64 the rhythm section of Bruce Welch on rhythm guitar, Brian Bennett on drums and the new kid in the band, the absolutely brilliant John Rostill on bass, was really cookin'! Check out Bruce's driving acoustic rhythm guitar in particular - he's strumming vigorously! Finally, if you listen carefully, you can hear Hank adding some counterpoint and harmony with overdubs, something that he'll do a lot more of over the next several years.
Fandango - from their third LP, Dance with the Shadows, released in '64. An original where the Shads go after that Spanish feel once again. Bruce is strumming away like a madman, while Brian and John really give it that syncopated Spanish feel. Hank overdubs bits and pieces of harmony, which really give the song a bigger and more authentic atmosphere.
Temptation - A big-band classic given a Spanish-influenced treatment by the Shadows, this was the closing track of the Dance with the Shadows LP. And wow, what a way to finish things up! Listen to Bruce's driving flamenco-like acoustic rhythm guitar - every bit as good as The Savage! You can also clearly hear one important signature of this period Shadows in the bridge - the highly syncopated ride cymbal, which I love so much! The syncopated ride is a lost art among modern drummers, it seems, but it can add a LOT of movement and drive to a song. Finally, Hanks's tone is again to die for, both warm and biting, depending completely on his touch, in particular his picking. It's a band of master musicians in complete control of the music, which is remarkable since they were only about 24 years old here.
The Miracle - the b-side of Rhythm 'n' Greens from September '64, this is a soaring midtempo piece that sounds like it could be a theme from an old Western movie. Norrie once again lays on the swirling strings as well as a harp, but the real star here is Hank, extracting every bit of emotion out of the stunningly gorgeous melody.
Friends - this only appeared on a very rare EP "Themes From Aladdin And His Wonderful Lamp" in 1965 (until, of course, later compilations, whether on vinyl or CD). Hank was exploring the very early 5-way switch on his Burns Marvin, and lodges it on the middle/neck combo for the whole track, including the many counterpoint/harmony overdubs. You gotta listen to this one on the headphones, and appreciate the remarkable craftsmanship and sheer musicality of his many overdubs, as well as once again the incredible touch and phrasing sense that he had and that remains completely and utterly unique to this day. Oh, and check out the mindblowing jazzy solo starting at 1:15. Damn, I wish I could play like that....
The Lost City - the second track on the Shadows fourth LP, Sound of the Shadows from 1965, probably my favorite LP of theirs, just a masterpiece. The Lost City is a driving track with a powerful tone by Hank. It also features his first recorded use of the DaArmond 610 Volume/Tone pedal, which would become a huge part of his sound for the following ten years (but especially '66-'70). Hank's guitar is mixed quite loudly in the left channel, and you can hear every detail of his phrasing if you listen closely - which I often do.
A Sigh (Un Sospero) - from the Shadows' fifth LP, Shadow Music, from '66, this is an adaptation of Franz Liszt's classical piano piece, and it is so achingly beautiful that I cannot listen to this without tearing up. Norrie lays on the strings, the piano arpeggios and even the choir pretty heavyhandedly, but it totally works, IMHO. Hank also shows why the DeArmond 610 pedal became such an important part of his sound - he uses it with stunning effectiveness, really drawing out the emotion from the piece that would not be possible without it. The tone pedal feature allows him to give the melody a wailing, crying sound that truly ups the emotional aspect. Astounding.
Maroc 7 - a single from '67, and a movie theme. A highly cinematic arrangement with the kitchen sink thrown in - horns, strings, mandolins, bongos, floor-tom overdubs (emulating timpani), heavy throbbing vibrato on Bruce's rhythm guitar, and more! An incredible melody done complete justice by the Shadows' creative playing and arrangement.
Tennessee Waltz - an old track covered by a ton of people (including Les Paul), the Shadows completely transform it into a driving rock number. It appeared on their first LP from '67, Jigsaw. By this point, the Shads' popularity was very much on the vane, they were considered passé and old-fashioned, which was really unfair since the band definitely kept up with the times and changed their sound as the '60s progressed. Here you can hear some of that - check out Bruce's electric rhythm guitar, full of choppy dominant 7 chords, like something right out of the Beatles' Revolver album. And then there is the crazy fuzz effect, which was John Rostill's doing. He had a custom-made fuzz box for his bass which had a 'momentary switch', meaning that the fuzz was only engaged when John stepped on the switch, and as soon as he lifted his foot, it would go back to the clean sound. John learned how to control this effect so he could play fuzz in rhythm with the song, an effect he used on a couple of other Shadows tracks around that time. Other bands had fuzz bass, but NOBODY had something like this! Finally, check out once again Hank's brilliant playing, with all the harmony overdubs, but in particular his super-cool double solo starting at 1:45, where he has two solos going on at the same time, sounding like a rock'n'roll version of New Orleans jazz.
Well, that's enough - sorry to go on for so long, but hopefully some of you will find it interesting. I woke up this morning, and had to get all this out! Just felt inspired, I guess....
Ron-Rhoades
Joined: Aug 19, 2006
Posts: 958
Kekaha, Kauai, Hawaii
Posted on Dec 13 2013 05:00 PM
Mahalo....made my Holidays brighter!! Of course I love the sound of the Burns on "It's A Man's World" and it's one of my favorite Shadows tunes.
It's just amazing to me how much influence Hank Marvin had/has on European guitar players....especially all the fantastic players from Finland whom for some reason I feel a real connection to.
Hope to see you next week sometime too.
ALoha,
-Ron
My favorite Shadows tunes include:
The Honourable Puff-Puff
Equinoxe Part V
Slaughter on 10th Avenue (very different from the Ventures)
Thing Me Jig
The Third Man
Hello Mr. W.A.M.
Diamonds
Grandfather's Clock
Hearing "Thing Me Jig" compelled me to pick it up. If Bach wrote a jig, it might sound like this. Many of these songs are on Youtube, e.g., check out Hank's wild jacket on Thing Me Jig:
In this video of Honourable Puff Puff it appears as if the 2nd guitarist is strumming chords, not playing a duet riff with Hank Marvin. Somebody had to be playing the riff in a duet with Hank. Could it have been an audio loop? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7BdRQdPnDk
apolloben
Joined: Feb 28, 2011
Posts: 17
Rouen, France
Posted on Dec 14 2013 12:35 AM
Thanks a lot for this 13th thread and the details about the tunes !
I don't know how much it is actually known but my big favourite Shadow tune is called "the Warlord".
It can make my brain burst. Same feeling at each little step in this awesome video from '65.
IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
Posted on Dec 14 2013 08:18 AM
guitar wrote:
Ivan, excellent post.
Thanks, Martin! And glad that so many of you enjoyed my selections!
Squid wrote:
My favorite Shadows tunes include:
The Honourable Puff-Puff
Equinoxe Part V
Slaughter on 10th Avenue (very different from the Ventures)
Thing Me Jig
The Third Man
Hello Mr. W.A.M.
Diamonds
Grandfather's Clock
Hearing "Thing Me Jig" compelled me to pick it up. If Bach wrote a jig, it might sound like this. Many of these songs are on Youtube, e.g., check out
I like Thing-Me-Jig quite a bit. It was on Hits Right Up Your Street from '81 (as was their version of the Third Man, which you have listed above), which I think was the last decent Shadows album. It was their last 'organic' one - after that they really got into drum machines and synths, Bruce completely disappeared from the mix, and they almost completely stopped doing originals, it was all just stupid rerecordings of contemporary hits. How far the mighty had fallen.... (Hello Mr. W.A.M. and Equinoxe Part were both from the previous album, 1980's Change of Address, which I think is a superb album! Check out also Mozart Forte from it.)
In this video of Honourable Puff Puff it appears as if the 2nd guitarist is strumming chords, not playing a duet riff with Hank Marvin. Somebody had to be playing the riff in a duet with Hank. Could it have been an audio loop? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7BdRQdPnDk
This video is actually of Little B from the 2004 reunion video, while the music is the live version of Honorable Puff Puff from the 1975 Live In Paris album. Back in '75 they had John Farrar on second lead guitar, and he was an amazing guitarist, that could really match Hank note for note. They were a superb team on two albums, '73's Rockin' With Curly Leads and '75's Specs Appeal. Farrar split in '76 to become the musical manager for Olivia Newton John, which made him a very wealthy man.
IvanP
Joined: Feb 27, 2006
Posts: 10331
southern Michigan
Posted on Dec 14 2013 08:31 AM
apolloben wrote:
Thanks a lot for this 13th thread and the details about the tunes !
I don't know how much it is actually known but my big favourite Shadow tune is called "the Warlord".
It can make my brain burst. Same feeling at each little step in this awesome video from '65.
Yeah, that's a very cool song that's probably also not very well known outside of the rabid Shadows fan circles. The Shadows went harder-edged on that one, I think Hank was even using a fuzz pedal on that one.
If you like that, you might like Bombay Duck and The Flyder and the Spy from the same period ('67), and with also a bit more attitude and harder edge. (Check out those awful-looking prototype Burns/Baldwin guitars, too - no surprise they never went further than this prototype! Oh yeah, and check out the cute dancers.... )
The Lost City! Years ago, I was plowing through dozens of Shadows songs, looking for something to add to our setlist. After hearing the intro and the first few notes of the verse, I knew we had to do that song!
"Going Home" from the Final Tour DVD is another good one. It's from Mark Knopfler's soundtrack to "Local Hero" and it originally featured a saxaphone. Mark Knopfler does his own amazing guitar instrumental version of this song.
hlieboff59
Joined: Jun 27, 2008
Posts: 576
Marlboro, New Jersey
Posted on Dec 14 2013 04:45 PM
thanks Ivan, Haven't heard any of these. They're wonder ful. I just learned a shadows song that I heard on spotify, that I just had to learn called "some are lonely." Beautiful tune by The Shadows.
Farrar split in '76 to become the musical manager for Olivia Newton John, which made him a very wealthy man.
I am enjoying the baker's dozen of Shadows obscurities Ivan. Again, a Shadows/Olivia Newton John connection. I know Bruce Welch was engaged to her in the '60s, now this is positively a trend! I looked up the young '60s Olivia, and holy smoke...how did he end up not marrying this woman? I don't suppose he told you over drinks that time?
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