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Archangel Foster Group: Members Posts: 215 Joined: Oct. 2000 Posted: Oct. 30 2000, 22:10 Well, where's the discussion about the Shadows? Do they kick ass, or what? Back to top

Archangel Foster Group: Members Posts: 215 Joined: Oct. 2000 Posted: Oct. 31 2000, 16:52 All right, this doesn't really seem to get started, so I'll throw in some points for discussion. 'Four Winds', from 6:14 onward (after the Sitar & Tabla bit), is a pure tribute to The Shadows (although still in Mike style of course). It begins with the slapped tremoloed guitar which is so characteristic a feature of many Shadows songs. I know Mike has used this sound on a few other occasions, but I can't seem to remember exactly where. Does anyone know? Then, of course, there's 'Wonderful Land'. I discovered that this is a Shadows tune only when I was on holiday in Ireland, driving through the Kerry hills, which is indeed a wonderful land! I was hitchhiking with a couple of guys from Austria who had already picked up an American hippie (now that really was a hippie) and the stereo played his tape of 60's music, when suddenly there came the sounds of 'Wonderful Land'! And, guess what, JUST at that point one of the Austrian guys turned it off!!! But anyway, the original, believe it or not, is (IMHO) every bit as good as Mike's version. And they've got loads of other killer tracks, too. I recommend a disc which bears the stupid name 'The Gold Collection' but contains, with a few exception, only tracks that, I guess, people who like 'Wonderful Land' will like. So, isn't there anybody out there who has an opinion about The Shadows? Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Oct. 31 2000, 19:06 I guess if I felt like arguing, I could say that bit of The Four Winds, being 'West', was really inspired by American musicians like Duane Eddy and The Ventures (which it could be) But no, The Shads were a big influence on Mike in his early days, I believe, as they were on many guitarists who were starting around the time that he did. Mike, like Mark Knopfler, bought himself a red Fender Stratocaster guitar. I guess he might be a big Dire Straits fan, but I think it's more likely that, Like Mark, he was attracted to that guitar because it somehow reminded him of Hank Marvin (shadows' guitarist, for those who don't know, who was famous for playing a red Fender Strat). He bought that later on, but still... That twangy type of sound turns up on 'The Lake' from Discovery as well as 'Mastermind' from The Millennium Bell (although that's also a James Bond theme influence there), and probably in a few other places. As for what I think of The Shadows, well...I saw hank Marvin play once (alongside a whole load of other artists, some great some not...) and most of the tunes he played were stuck in my head for weeks. Annoyingly catchy stuff, I suppose Back to top

TimHighfield Group: Members Posts: 543 Joined: Oct. 2000 Posted: Nov. 01 2000, 03:13 Of course the Shadows were for a period of time the back-up group for a certain singer named Cliff, but I'm not going into that. I heard Mike's version of Wonderful land first on the Complete Mike Oldfield, and then came across the Shadows' version on a CD of number ones from the 60s. I have to agree with Archangel Foster here, in that the original is every bit as good as the cover. It is an instrumental track, not really what I was expecting from a 60s group, and it is very good. -Tim- Back to top

Archangel Foster Group: Members Posts: 215 Joined: Oct. 2000 Posted: Nov. 01 2000, 13:34 You mentioning the Shadows being the backing band for Cliff Richard strikes a note in me. Didn't we have that somewhere else as well, the same artist releasing both instrumentals and pop songs with guest singers? Back to top

Korgscrew Group: Super Admins Posts: 3511 Joined: Dec. 1999 Posted: Nov. 01 2000, 19:31 Yes, but I can't possibly think where... Back to top

Bonsignore Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: Nov. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 17:55 Tend to agree with your discription, Archangel...they do kick arse, no doubt about it, but on the other hand they were a pain in the arse for those who were fed up with the dum-de-dum-de-dum-guitar-extravaganza...listen up, mates, as the shadows were the real deviants of yore and possesed a subtle air of intimidation...splendid songs, decent music or, for all the teenyboppers round here: All killer,no filler! (no offence meant, though! The aforementioned "Gold collection" is embarrassing...should be sold in the supermarkets   Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 18:21 I see with pleasure that you are already going about your task of wringing some anarchic mayhem over this sometimes all-too-tidy place. (ha! )  Right on! As for the twangy sound, I've since realized it also appears in Crises (the track). And probably in some other tunes.   Back to top

Bonsignore Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: Nov. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 18:44 Yep...BTW, I'm trying to figure out what to post about Phil "All of my life" Collins...any suggestions? Back to top

Bonsignore Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: Nov. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 18:50 Don't want to slag him, because he's a damn good....ehm wait for it...drummer, but he deserves to be mentioned because of his fine and flawless pop tunes and the "You're fired"- phrase...did you purchase your "Phil Collins watch, BTW...?"   Back to top

Holger Group: Members Posts: 1506 Joined: Feb. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 19:08 Quote (Bonsignore @ Nov. 16 2003, 18:50) he's a damn good....ehm wait for it...drummer Those are almost exactly Mike's words when asked about Phil Collins!   Back to top

Bonsignore Group: Members Posts: 66 Joined: Nov. 2003 Posted: Nov. 16 2003, 19:22 Nowadays people seem to forget that he once was an excellent drummer...and still is! To accuse him for all the lovely tunes he's written would be ridiculus, but he's out of favor with me because of the watch- that's insipid!   Back to top

qjamesfloyd Group: Members Posts: 1357 Joined: April 2001 Posted: Nov. 17 2003, 11:19 Hank Marvin and the Shadows are great in my book,if you love Mike,then you have to praise any group that made as many instrumentals as Hank and the Shadows,he is without doubt an influence on Mike and Mark Knopfler,they have both said so in interviews,of course Mike did his own homage with his version of Wonderful Land,and Hank also did an instrumental version of the aptly named Moonlight Shadow,which has a very cool solo.Indeed Mike has also said that Hank Marvin is the only guitar player he would loved to meet,although they have met since he said that. Back to top

David Mar Group: Members Posts: 457 Joined: Oct. 2001 Posted: Nov. 28 2003, 05:24 Mike plays like Hank on The Lake on the album 'Discovery', for a few seconds! Back to top

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