by Robert Wilkinson
Today we begin the birthday tributes to Scorpio musicians by giving a huge shout out to one of the most influential guitarists of the past 50 years, the legendary Hank Marvin of the Shadows.
If you don't know who the Shadows were, they were a British group that set the standard, along with the Ventures, Link Wray, and Dick Dale, for the entire instrumental music boom of the early 60s. This was a time when such groups as the Tornados, Chantays, Marketts, Surfaris, the Champs, Johnny and the Hurricanes, and Duane Eddy, along with the "Big Three" already mentioned, did instrumental versions of the hits of the era as well as their own original compositions, weaving a tapestry of guitar heavy melodies that impacted music ever since.
The Shadows did the original "Apache," along with all the other great instrumental songs of the era, including "Telstar," "Wipeout," "Ghost Riders in the Sky," and too many other gear fab tunes to count. Hank Marvin was/is the lead guitarist, and so for your remembrance and enjoyment, here are the Shadows!
Apache was No 1 for The Shadows in 1960 for six weeks. Here's a very early clip of The Shadows doing the classic "Apache."
Here’s a two parter. From 1961, the Shadows on “Crackerjack” performing “The Frightened City,” “FBI,” and “Dance On.” The second part of the clip features the Shadows with Cliff Richard at the 1964 NME concert doing “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On”
From April 1962, the Rudi Carell Show on Dutch TV. "Wonderful Land."
From 1964, "Sleepwalk '64
Also from 1964, this one gets clipped after about 2 minutes, but it's great footage! "Apache"
From 1965, the Shads performing "The War Lord."
From 1979, "Cavatina."
The Shadows live in 1981 on a programme called 'Razzamataz' doing the famous "Telstar."
This is an amazing performance, and given Hank's smooth as silk playing, you can hear where Mark Knopfler got the inspiration for his particular guitar style! If you don't play one other video today, check this one out!!! For your enjoyment, the stunningly beautiful rocker written by Mike Oldfield (remember "Tubular Bells") performed in 1986 by Hank Marvin and the Shadows, "Moonlight shadows."
From The Shadows on The Pebble Mill Show in 1986, another great version of "Moonlight Shadow."
I found a great performance by Mike Oldfield of this beautiful tune live in London in 1998! Here's the man who wrote this magnificent piece, accompanied by stunning vocals by Pepsi Demacque, doing "Moonlight Shadow."
From an earlier era, an acoustic take live in 1985 by Mike Oldfield with vocals by Maggie Reilly of "Moonlight Shadow."
Back to the Shadows! I found an entire 53 minute set of a live stage performance in Liverpool (Liverpool Empire) England in 1989. It’s an awesome set list, so check it out! The Shadows 30th Anniversary Concert
Here are a couple from the same 1989 show if you don’t have the time to see the entire show. Here are the Shadows doing "Shadoogie." and "Dance On."
The Shads live in Cardiff on the Final Tour 2004! Here are Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch & Brian Bennet doing "Geronimo."
Here are some real gems! Besides being hit makers on their own, The Shadows were also the backup band for Cliff Richard, one of the most popular performers in England in the late 50s and early 60s. This set the sound for pop music in the UK at the time, and was a huge influence on three young skiffle players by the names of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison.
In 1958, "Move It" broke rock and roll wide open in the UK, and opened the door for 10,000 guitarists to give it a try! For your enjoyment, from March 1960, Cliff Richard and the Shadows doing their 1958 #1 hit "Move It" (Check out those scandalously sexy moves! It was 1960 Great Britain, you know.;-))
From 1961, Cliff Richard & The Shadows doing "Gee whiz it's you"
From the same era, "Nine Times Out of Ten." (Hank’s lead break really smokes!)
From 1962, Cliff Richard and the Shadows doing “Do You Want To Dance”
In Paris, here are a couple of good ones! "The lonely one" and "I got a woman."
From 1963, Cliff Richard and the Shadows doing "What I'd Say."
From 1965, Cliff and the Shads doing “Lucky Lips”
From 1962, Cliff and the Shads live doing "The Young Ones."
In a real mind bender, here they are again 46 years later doing the same tune! From 2008 at the Royal Variety Show in the Palladium, Cliff Richard and the Shadows live doing "The Young Ones," "Willie and the Hand Jive," and "Move It."
The following are all studio versions set to still pictures of the Shadows doing some of the greatest hits of the day. Here they are doing the great Ventures hit "Walk Don't Run."
From 1963, "Atlantis"
Here's the studio version of the classic "Perfidia."
Another slowed down studio version of "Perfidia."
From Hank's Guitar Player tour & from Hank's Marvin at The Movie's, Hank doing the legendary Ennio Morricone composition, "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly."
From Cliff Richard's Countdown to the Millenium concert in 2000, here's the Master Guitarist doing the great "Apache."
From 1998, Hank and his son Ben doing the Shadows’ 1961 hit “The Savage”
Hank and his son Ben in 2004 doing "Sleepwalk."
In a fitting close to this birthday tribute, here are two English guitar legends doing what they do best! For your enjoyment, a 1985 live performance by Dire Straits and Hank Marvin doing "Going Home."
Mister Hank Marvin, many thanks for setting the standard so long ago, and inspiring so many great British and American guitarists! May you rock on!!
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And now, a non-musical birthday tribute to one of the greatest doctors ever to look into a microscope! The amazing Dr. Jonas Salk saved the world from polio, and changed the lives of millions of people forever.
What's remarkable is that he refused to patent his polio vaccine, because “his sole focus had been to develop a safe and effective vaccine as rapidly as possible, with no interest in personal profit. When he was asked in a televised interview who owned the patent to the vaccine, Salk replied: ‘There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?’”
He died about 7 years ago while on another major quest trying to find a cure for HIV, and to the end of his life pushed the boundaries of science, life, healing, and meta-biology. We should all be so relentless in pursuing things for the greater good of humanity! Thanks for everything, Jonas. You were one of the best of all time.
You can find out more about this remarkable man for the ages by checking out Wikipedia on Jonas Salk.
© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson
I met him at a gypsy guitar festival in Paris a few years back and what did i say to him.....my MOTHER loved you!!! cringe)))
Posted by: Marie | October 28, 2012 at 04:50 AM
Hi Marie - I'm sure he smiled. A lot of grandmothers loved the Shadows, too!!
Posted by: Robert | October 28, 2012 at 07:12 AM