Shadows' Vocals

[(admin)]

While the Shadows are best known for their instrumental contribution, some may not know of their outstanding vocal contribution as well.

A great find for me in the early 1970s was the release by Marvin, Welch and Farrar.

Here is a fine example of one of their recordings entitled "Lady Of The Morning."

[(royclough)]

Totally agree about M,W&F they made some fine tracks, but public could not accept them as anything other than The Shadows.

Here though, as The Shadows in 81, is one of their finest vocals IMO of course, by this time of course Farrar had left to make his fortune producing hit albums in the states for Olivia Newton John

Bass guitar here for those interesed is not Jeff Lynne, but Alan Jones. Cliff Hall on keyboards.

Great track and I look forward to further comments

[(royclough)]

After the failure of M,W&F they reverted back in 74 to The Shadows, John Farrar was still with them at this stage and in fact made two instrumental albums with them, well 1.5 to be exact, as the second album Specs Appeal had one side of instrumentals and one side of vocals.

Here's a very rare clip featuring strangly the B side of the comeback single. Taken from Rockin' with Curly leads note Marvin plays a white fender

[(admin)]

Roy: Thanks for Love Deluxe by The Shadows. It is great to see a Rickenbacker bass on the video and perhaps it was used in the studio as well.

This track was composed by Brian Bennett, again he has written another great one.

This video will go down in history as the Shadows Do Disco era.

The vocals are great. The harmonies are well done. Did this song chart at all. I have seen the recording of the 45 associated with 1978 on line.

[(royclough)]

You are correct Peter it was 78 not 81.

No it did not chart

[(kiramdear)]

More vocal work from M,W,&F:

"Music Makes My Day"


"Wish You Were Here"


"Don't Throw It All Away"


"Dance On", featuring Cilla Black (the guys don't sing on this one but it's wonderful)

[(royclough)]

Good clips

Wish you were here just one of the standout tracks on the debut M,W&F album.

Music makes my day was just Marvin & Farrar though one Olivia Newton John is credited with recorder! on actual recording.

Dance On was a big vocal hit for Kath Kirby here in UK who was a far better singer than Cilla Black but achieved nowhere near the fame, she didn't have Epstein.

Don't throw it all away was one of 6 songs performed on TV by Shadows, which the public then voted for their favourite and The Shadows performed that at Eurovision Song Contest in 75, this was when the contest had some credibility unlike now where it is a farce based on political voting.

The Shadows did not win the contest though they came second to a group from Holland called Teach-In who won with a song called Ding a Dong

Here's The Shadows and the Teach In song that won.

Now you tell me which is better

The quip by Bruce Welch of "I knew it" refers to fact he sang wrong line.

[(nick_allen)]

I remember that deal when Bruce sang the wrong line - not that any of the judges would ever have known! What I didn't remember was that Bruce played bass on it... I guess the tracks weren't live for the Eurovision show (can't see any leads), but did Bruce play bass on anything else? Curious minds (at least one) want to know...

[(royclough)]

I suspect they were playing to a backing track Nick, I am certainly not aware that BW played bass on anything.