Wednesday 15 July 2020

Apache

Boyfriend material?
I recently watched The Shadows at 60 documentary on the iPlayer and was, yet again, blown away by just how tight they were. Always too good to be someone else's backing band - even Cliff (especially Cliff) - you could see they were destined for bigger (and better) things. Although this bit of footage wasn't in the film (and neither was their cameo in Thunderbirds) it's them playing Apache on British TV in March '61; though not with their regular guitarist. Their stand-in, for what it's worth, went right up in my estimation when I saw this. 

The 1959 Fender Stratocaster you see non-Hank playing is the first Strat to have made its way to these shores from America. Originally finished in Fiesta Red (though Hank Marvin always said it was more Flamingo Pink), this film, for the record, can confirm that it was actually Battleship Grey. It now belongs in the custody of Bruce Welch.

The Shadows - Apache (1961)


11 comments:

  1. Great footage. He doesn't quite get the intricate twiddly bits, but he's not bad. My partner has just said, at the end of the video "what's that man doing there?". God help us!

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    1. I love it! Have you seen the BBC 4 film? It really is very good.

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    2. unfortunately not, Johm, not being a UK resident

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  2. We watched that documentary too, and really enjoyed it. Thought they were all doing fab for their ages too. What did you think of Bruce Welch's bathroom?!

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    1. I think John Peel used to play them: "Two more from Bruce Welch's Bathroom after this from Pere Ubu."

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  3. What a great bit of footage - Was he miming or am I being dense? Cliff bought that guitar for Hank did he not - Exciting times for the guitarists of the day.

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    1. I could be wrong (it has been known), but I think he was playing it; there's a couple of bum notes in there which HJM would never play. But if there's a Shads fan out there who says Cliff mimed it I'll bow to their superior knowledge.

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    2. I suspected so but Cliff certainly looked convincing.

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    3. On the back of your query, Alyson, I put this out to James (a formidable guitarist in his own right - check out his solo from 2:35 on this) and he said "He fudges his way through it, but he's definitely playing." And that's good enough for me.

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  4. Ah thanks - Sorry I misconstrued your last reply. New respect for Cliff.

    A proud dad as well.

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