The Shadows At Sixty

[Vincent]

.

[Didier]

Some good news at last.

Just read on Cliff's facebook page that the Shads documentary is to be screened on BBC4 on Friday 1st May.

Does anyone know if it will be available on online the net outside of UK ?

[JimN]

Some good news at last.

Just read on Cliff's facebook page that the Shads documentary is to be screened on BBC4 on Friday 1st May.

Does anyone know if it will be available on online the net outside of UK ?

Most unlikely, I'd have thought.

[jim w]

Pinched this from another site from my friend Paul Rumbol


Just to let you know BBC4's Shadows documentary, which includes footage of their first TV appearance on 'Oh Boy!' will be aired on 1st May.
Also featured will be Jack Good's promotional film of 'Apache' recorded in London's Park Lane in September 1960.

The BBC apparently asked production company Spun Gold if there were any groups left 'that hadn't been done?' The BBC were unenthusiastic about The Shadows but reluctantly agreed to its commission if it was made on a shoestring budget...which it was and completed in just 6 months!
I offered them the 'Oh Boy! clips to liven up a documentary which would otherwise be padded with the same old BBC and Studio Canal footage everyone had seen time and time before.


"THE SHADOWS AT SIXTY"
Friday 1st May 2020 at 21:30

"A look back at the incredible success of The Shadows as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. Starting from where they began as The Drifters to then becoming the backing band for Cliff Richard and enjoying huge success in their own right, the programme celebrates The Shadows’ achievements across a time of constant change within the social, cultural and musical landscape.

The Shadows were at the forefront of the UK beat boom generation and the first backing group to emerge as big stars in their own right. Using unseen archive, personal testimony and interviews with the band, along with those they influenced, including Brian May, David Gilmour, Pete Townshend, The Shadows at Sixty is not just a trip down memory lane, but an in-depth, often emotional story of a group’s journey through six decades."

[JimN]

I knew Paul Rumbol would be involved in finding the unseen "Oh Boy!" footage.

Some years ago, he managed to find Cliff & The Drifters performing Mean Streak on ABC TV's "Oh Boy!" after I had remembered that the clip was still in existence as late as 1966 when it was included in a retrospective made that year by the company, celebrating their 10th anniversary since coming on air in early '56.

Paul found the anniversary programme ("The ABC Of ABC") filed away at the BFI. But that was Mean Streak... any other song or tune is another kettle of fish...

[drakula63]

The BBC apparently asked production company Spun Gold if there were any groups left 'that hadn't been done?' The BBC were unenthusiastic about The Shadows but reluctantly agreed to its commission if it was made on a shoestring budget...which it was and completed in just 6 months!


"

A shame that the BBC take this approach to the Shads. Not altogether surprising though. Still, at least it got made.

[russ]

The BBC were unenthusiastic Why? Plenty of material to make an interesting and longer programme. Wonder what they are going to miss out. Will they show the recently rediscovered "Top of The Pops" clip of "The Dreams I Dream" which I don't think many people have ever seen(unless you went to the BFI event). There have been several of these music biographies on BBC4, and a lot of the artists haven't had as many hits or success. At one time only Cliff and Elvis were in front of them on the all time singles hit list, can't understand what they have against The Shads, perhaps they don't fit in with their diversity agenda? Didn't do to badly for the Beeb when they sold those"at the BBC" CD's

[Derek Mowbray]

It will be nice to see The Shadows ,Drifters then singing Feelin Fine in 1959. and The Dreams I Dream ,saw both of those then Hank played piano while singing if I remember right.

[drakula63]

Playing Davil's Advocate, I can well imagine that the BBC were 'unenthusiastic about the Shadows' because they knew that theirs was not going to be a story of sex, drugs and smashing up hotel rooms. Also, it wouldn't sell in America. What it would be, however, would be a story of rock n' roll pioneers, generally good behaviour, musical perfection and huge success and influence around the world (apart from America!), in the days before the Beatles. To some degree this goes against the popular belief, often pushed by the Beeb, that pop music didn't exist before the Beatles invented it. That, I suspect, is the reasoning behind their alleged reluctance. Also, possibly , their close link to a certain singer who has cost the Beeb a lot of money.

I'll admit that I find it very odd that the BBC would go to an independent production company and ask them which bands 'hadn't been done yet'. By this, I am assuming that they meant which bands had not had documentaries about them made by and shown by the BBC. A little odd, don't you think? Shouldn't they themselves know? It would be like someone going to a complete stranger and saying "Excuse me... how many children do I have?" The reply... "If you don't know, how should I?"

Anyway, it's been made. It'll be on BBC FOUR one week from today and hopefully it will finally (FINALLY!) give the Shadows the exposure and recognition and acknowledgement that they deserve - in terms of a TV documentary. And, yes, I shall probably be watching it at both 9.30 pm and then 1.30 in the morning!

[bgohara]

I'm not going to build it up too much. I'm looking forward to it - but it's an hour long show - hopefully there will be some elements which will make it worthwhile - but I'm not expecting history to be rewritten!