The Shadows

THE SHADOWS
 
 
The Shadows  are a British instrumental rock group, and Cliff Richard’s backing band, with 69 UK chart singles from the 1950s to the 2000s, 35 credited to the Shadows and 34 to Cliff Richard and the Shadows.  The group, who were in the forefront of the UK beat-group boom, were the first backing band to emerge as stars.  As pioneers of the four-member instrumental format, the band consisted of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar, and drums.  Their range covers pop, rock, surf rock, and ballads with a jazz influence.  Although they lost ground in the late sixties, the band had a second success from the late seventies.  The Shadows are the fourth most successful act in the UK singles chart, behind Elvis Presley, the Beatles, and Cliff Richard.  The Shadows and Cliff Richard & the Shadows each have had four No.1 selling EPs.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

Like Cliff Richardhis backing band the Shadows has a fairly low profile in this country; but they have considerable renown in their own right as an instrumental rock band besides the recordings that they made with Cliff Richard.  The Shadows were the first band to record the well-known “Apache” for instance.  And this instrumental standard has had a major impact elsewhere as well; quoting from Wikipedia:  “A 1973 version [of “Apache”] by the Incredible Bongo Band has been called ‘hip-hop’s national anthem’.  Although this version was not a hit on release, the long percussion break in the middle has been sampled countless times on hip-hop, rap and dance tracks since the 1980’s.”  

 

Before the Beatles came along, Cliff Richard was the leading rock musician in the UK.  Under his real name Harry Webb, he had been the leader of a British rock and roll band called the Drifters (not related at all to the prominent American singing group also called the Drifters); essentially, they were the predecessor band to Cliff Richard and the Shadows.  Before recording their first hit single Move ItHarry Greatorex – known as “Mr. Entertainment” in the UK during this period – prevailed upon Webb to change his name.  The “Cliff” was meant to suggest “rock”, and “Richard” was taken from the 1950’s American rock sensation Little Richard

 

Move It” was an original song by bandmember Ian “Sammy” Samwell and was first released as the “B” side, with the “A” side being a cover of a song by American artist Bobby Helms called “Schoolboy Crush”.  “Move It” went to #2 on the UK charts in 1958 and is widely regarded as the first authentic British rock and roll song.  John Lennon has been quoted as saying (from Wikipedia):  “Before Cliff [Richard] and the Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British music.”  Cliff Richard is the third top-selling singles artist in British history, behind only the Beatles and Elvis Presley

 
(November 2014)
 
*       *       *
 
Items:    The Shadows 
 
Last edited: March 22, 2021