1989 and all that...

[iefje]

I understand the history as follows:

- Alan Jones toured with The Shadows until after the January, February and March, 1985 tour 'down under'.
- He then went on to work for the musical "Time".
- Meanwhile, the twelve new tracks on The Shadows' "Moonlight Shadows" album were recorded around February/March, 1986 with Paul Westwood on bass guitar.
- The Spring 1986 UK tour and the Spring 1987 'down under' tour were done with Mark Griffiths on bass guitar.
- In late 1986, the track "The Themes From Eastenders & Howard's Way" was recorded with Mark Griffiths on bass guitar for single release in December, 1986 and later inclusion on the "Simply...Shadows" album.
- In June/July ,1987, the fifteen new tracks for the "Simply...Shadows" album were recorded with Alan Jones back on bass guitar.
- The Autumn 1987 UK tour was done with Alan Jones on bass guitar.
- In April, 1988, Alan Jones suffered the car accident.
- No further Shadows activities in 1988.
- The "Steppin' To The Shadows" album was recorded between January and March, 1989 with Alan Jones on bass guitar.
- The Spring 1989 UK tour was done with Mark Griffiths on bass guitar, of which the recordings for the 1989 "At Their Very Best Live" VHS video and laser disc and the 2001 album "Live At The Liverpool Empire" were made on May 31st, 1989.
- Sometime during 1989, The Shadows (with Mark Griffiths) recorded the studio album "At Their Very Best".

[howarddobson]

I remember in an interview it being said Hank didn't want to work in 1991 so I presume they had years off from time to time.

At Their Very Best must have been a relatively simple album to record - as they were so used to the tracks and how they were arranged. So an easy win!

It makes me wonder if they were desperate to get them recorded if they felt that it was the best way to put out their own celebratory compilations such as for the 30th. The same as the Reunited album, rerecording hits with the mature sound for the 50th anniversary.

I suppose for many people the compilations of the early to mid 90s would have given the impression that the Shads were still together - as things like Themes and Dreams (the only Polydor album on Apple Music by the way) may have seemed like brand new recordings to some.

Who do we pester about getting the Polydor albums on Apple Music?

BTW I'd quite like to see a Number Ones album of Cliff and the Shadows - even if they used the rerecordings I think it would be a great album.

[drakula63]

Lefje, thanks. Yeah, that's more or less as I understood it or had worked it out. Alan appeared on TV with the Shads late '87 playing the theme from Pulaski on a variety show from the London Palladium, so obviously he was back with them at that point. I'm sure that would have been the way things continued had it not been for the accident. I'll have to assume that things were put back a bit and that it was probably originally intended for an album to come out late '88. Seems to make sense. Alan Jones was an integral and long-standing member of the group by then and it makes sense that they would want to wait to see how things turned out.

As I say, 1989 was a great year for the Shads; two albums, a tour and a couple of nights with Cliff at Wembley Stadium! I was at the first night and it was something never to be forgotten.

A Cliff Number 1 album - CL1FF ?? - would be a great idea, as long as it included worldwide number ones. Similarly, the Shadows had a few number ones in other countries (The Deer Hunter was number one in the Netherlands) and I wonder if the EPs could count towards these too?

[Iain Purdon]

According to my understanding, Alan Jones played for the Steppin’ sessions. He came back to do it after recovering from his car accident. However, Mark Griffiths was already in the fold by this time, as mentioned above, and was booked for all the sessions that followed Steppin’.

It should be understood that, ever since the death of John Rostill, the Shadows gigged or recorded exclusively with freelance bassists. Whatever preferences there may or may not have been, nobody had ownership of the bass slot. At different times, Dave Richmond, Alan Tarney, Alan Jones, George Ford, Paul Westwood and Mark Griffiths all played for the Shadows. All were paid by the appearance. None was an actual member of the group.

[drakula63]

According to my understanding, Alan Jones played for the Steppin’ sessions. He came back to do it after recovering from his car accident. However, Mark Griffiths was already in the fold by this time, as mentioned above, and was booked for all the sessions that followed Steppin’.

It should be understood that, ever since the death of John Rostill, the Shadows gigged or recorded exclusively with freelance bassists. Whatever preferences there may or may not have been, nobody had ownership of the bass slot. At different times, Dave Richmond, Alan Tarney, Alan Jones, George Ford, Paul Westwood and Mark Griffiths all played for the Shadows. All were paid by the appearance. None was an actual member of the group.

True to a point, but by 1988 Alan had been there fairly consistently for ten years and if someone works well within a group and knows the ropes then it makes sense to keep the line-up stable. To my ears, Jones' style and sound was a huge part of the Shads by the time of his departure. I find it hard to believe that they would replace him unless it was unavoidable. Both he and Cliff Hall were certainly as good as being permanent members by '88.

[Iain Purdon]

I stand by what I said. None of them, no matter how long serving, was a member of the group - or, to put it in business terms, an employee of the company. The Shadows were HM, BW and BB. That’s it. The Shadows earned the money and paid the fees of this who stood on stage with them or took part in their recording sessions. All the profit went to the business, the additional players got none of it.

As Hank would say, we’d like to thank a couple of people who are helping us on stage tonight, without whom ….. we’d have had to get somebody else. Says it all.

[RayL]

What about Mo?

[drakula63]

I wasn't actually disputing the terms of their employment. I was saying that musically Alan was an integral part of the group by 1988 and his bass sound and style had become synonymous with the Shads sound of the 80s.

Agreed no bass player ever truly 'replaced' John Rostill, but Alan Jones was there, fairly consistently, for a decade, so he came pretty close.

Had events not changed things so dramatically, I suspect that Alan Jones would have stayed with the Shads for recording and touring until the split. As did Cliff Hall. The other bass players mentioned seemed, to me anyway, to be filling in for Alan during his absence and he always returned to the fold.

Again, the main purpose of this thread was really to cogitate on the possible reasons for there being no Shads album in 1988 and two in 1989.

[Iain Purdon]

What about Mo?

Yep, him too!

[drakula63]

Listening to Alan's bass playing on albums such as Change of Address and Guardian Angel - and Live at Abbey Road - reinforces my belief that he was certainly in the Top Three Shadows bass players for me. They were all in Division One... but Alan's fluid and melodic playing was always a joy to hear. I will admit, as we're speaking of 1989, that I was somewhat disappointed by the Liverpool Empire gig when I first saw it on video (must have been late '89 at a guess). Alan always added that little extra to both gigs and recordings. Just off the top of my head, listen to the bass on Arty's Party. In my opinion, Jonesy was in the same league and on the same level as Herbie Flowers... and that's not easy to say. I remember seeing Alan, sitting next to Kevin Peek, in the house band on Get It Together in the late 70s.