The Shadows

Hank B. Marvin - lead guitar (born Brian Rankin, 28th October 1941, Newcastle)

Bruce Welch - rhythm guitar (born 2nd November 1941, Bognor Regis, Sussex)

Jet Harris - bass guitar (born Terence Harris, 6th July 1939)

Tony Meehan - drums (born 2nd March 1942, London)

The Shadows were far and away Britain's most popular group before the advent of the Beatles. As the backing group for Cliff Richard and in their own right they had already had nearly thrity Top 20 records when "Love Me Do" was released in 1962. At the height of their success the Shadows spawned hundreds of imiators but had no serious rivals. The Shadows were one of the few acts from the ealy 60's to survive the impact of the beat groups.

The group was formed in 1958 as The Drfters, and they made their first recordings the following year for EMI's Columbia label, but it was not until they changed their name to avoid confusion with a popular American vocal group that they had their first major success, "Apache".

"Apache" (1960) initiated a five-year run of Top Twenty successes and tour after tour for the group, with No. 1 hits like "Kon Tiki" (1961), "Wonderful Land" and "Dance On" (both 1962) and "Foot Tapper" (1963). The Shadows survived Merseybeat with the greatest of ease - they had a No.1, a No. 2 and two other Top Ten singles in 1963, plus a No. 5 and three other Top Twenty singles in 1964. Not only did they survive initial changes of musical fashion, they also weathered personnel changes and seemed to come out of the re-shuffles with a stronger line-up each time.

First to leave was drummer Tony Meehan, his replacement being Brian Bennett (born 9th February 1940, London). Next to go was Jet Harris, who left in March 1962. His moody looks and distinctive bass playing had been crucial elements in the group's success. His place was taken by Brian "Licorice" Locking who had previously played with Bennett in Vince Taylor & The Playboys.

Jet Harris made a few solo singles for Decca in 1962, continuing to pull strong melody lines from his six-string Fender bass. The most successful of these was "Man With The Golden Arm", which reached No. 12 in August of that year. Greater success came when Jet teamed up with Meehan. Meehan had gone to Decca as a producer, their three 1963 singles - "Diamonds", "Scarlett O'Hara" and "Applejack" - charted at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 4 respectively, with Harris's bass the prominent instrument. The partnership was finished in September '63 when Harris was badly hurt in a car crash.

Towards the end of 1963 John Rostill (born 16th June 1942, Birmingham, died 26th November 1973) replaced Locking, and the Shadows continued with the Marvin/Welch/Bennett/Rostill line-up until they officially disbanded in October 1969. (They would re-form in 1972).

Singles 1963-66

Mar '63	Foot Tapper/The Breeze And I	Columbia DB 4984	UK#1
Jun '63	Atlantis/I Want You To Want Me	Columbia DB 7047	UK#2
Sept '63	Shindig/It's Been A Blue Day	Columbia DB 7106	UK#6
Dec '63	Geronimo/Shazam	Columbia DB 7163	UK#11
Mar '64	Theme For Young Lovers/This Hammer	Columbia DB 7231	UK#12
May '64	The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt/It's A Man's World	Columbia DB 7261	UK#5
Sept '64	Rhythm And Greens/The Miracle	Columbia DB 7342	UK#22
Dec '64	Gene With The Light Brown Lamp/Little Princess	Columbia DB 7416	UK#17
Feb '65	Mary Anne/Chu-Chi	Columbia DB 7476	UK#17
June '65	Stingray/Alice In Sunderland	Columbia DB 7588	UK#19
Aug '65	Don't Make My Baby Blue/My Grandfather's Clock	Columbia DB 7650	UK#10
Dec '65	War Lord/Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur	Columbia DB 7769	UK#18
Mar '66	I Met A Girl/Late Night Set	Columbia DB 7853	UK#22
July '66	A Place In The Sun/Will You Be There	Columbia DB 7952	UK#24
Oct '66	The Dreams I Dream/Scotch On The Socks	Columbia DB 8034	UK#42

E.P.'s 1963-66

Nov '64	Rhythm And Greens - Rhythm And Greens/Ranka Chank/Main Theme/Drum Number/Lute Number Columbia
Jan '65	Dance With The Shadows - Fandango/Blue Shadows/Lonely Bull/That's The Way It Goes Columbia
May '65	Dance With The Shadows Vol. 2 - Tonight/Big B/French Dressing/High And Mighty Columbia
Feb '66	Sound Of The Shadows Vol. 2 - Blue Sky, Blue Sea, Blue Me/Bossa Roo/Santa Ana/Cotton Pickin' Columbia
Jul '66	Sound Of The Shadows Vol. 3 - Breakthru/National Provincial Samba/Five Hundred Miles/Dean's Theme/Let It Be Me Columbia
Sep '66	Those Talented Shadows - A Place In The Sun/I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur/War Lord/My Grandfather's Clock Columbia

L.P.s 1963-66

Jul '65	Sound Of The Shadows - Little Bitty Tear/Five Hundred Miles/Let It Be Me/Brazil/Lost City/Blue Sky, Blue Sea, Blue Me/Bossa Roo/Cotton Pickin'/Deep Purple/Santa Ana/Windjammer/Dean's Theme/Breakthru/National Provincial Samba Columbia
May '66	Shadow Music - I Only Want To Be With You/Fourth Street/Magic Doll/Stay Around/Maid Marion's Theme/Benno-San/Don't Stop Now/In The Past/Fly Me To The Moon/Now That You're Gone/One Way To Love/Sigh/Razzmatazz/March To Drina Columbia

Jet Harris & Tony Meehen Singles

Jan '63	Diamonds/Footstomp	Decca F 11563	UK#1
Apr '63	Scarlett O'Hara/Doing The Hully Gully	Decca F 11644	UK#2
Sep '63	Applejack/The Tall Texan	Decca F 11710	UK#4

The Tony Meehan Combo

Jan '64

Song Of Mexico/Kings Go Fifth

Decca F 11801

UK#39

Selected Re-issues

1998

The Very Best Of The Shadows - Apache/Man Of Mystery/F.B.I./Frightened City/Kon-Tiki/The Savage/Wonderful Land/Guitar Tango/Dance On/Footapper/Atlantis/Shindig/Geronimo/Theme For Young Lovers/The Rise And Fall Of Flingel Bunt/Genie With The Light Brown Lamp/Mary Anne/Stingray/Don't Make My Baby Blue/Warlord

The EP Collection - Perfidia/36-24-36/All Day/My Grandfather's Clock/Lady Penelope/Zero 'X' Theme/Thunderbirds Theme/Finders Keepers-My Way-Paella-Fiesta/Mustang/(Theme From) Shane/(Theme From) Giant/Shotgun/Las Tres Carabelas (Three Galleons)/Adios Muchachos (Pablo The Dreamer)/Valencia/Granada/Tonight/Fandango/Little Princess/Gonzales/Jet Black (live)/Driftin' (live)

The EP Collection Vol.2 - Omoide No Nagisa/Gin Iro No Michi/Londonderry Air/Kimi To Itsumademo/Theme From The Boys/The Boys/Foot Tapper/Round And Round/Les Girls/Friends/Shazam/Guitar Boogie/Sleepwalk/F.B.I./Bongo Blues/Ranka Chank/The Flyder And The Spy/Autumn/Chinchilla/Walkin'

The EP Collection Vol. 3 - Quartermaster's Stores/It's Been A Blue Day/I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur/Sweet Dreams/Driftin'/Don't Be A Fool (With Love)/Be-Bop-A-Lula/Late Night Set/1861/Spring Is Nearly Here/Back Home/Some Are Lonely/Alice In Wonderland/Blue Star/Jet Black/Feelin' Fine/Saturday Dance/Perfidia/Chu-Chi/Find Me A Golden Street/Bongo Blues