File:Shadows1.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
Key facts
- Origin
- London, England
- Genres
- Rock and roll instrumental rock surf rock country
- Years active
- 1958–1968, 1969–1970, 1973–1990, 2004–2005, 2008–2010, 2015 (one-off reunion: 2020)
- Labels
- Columbia (EMI) Polydor Universal
- Spinoffs
- Marvin, Welch & Farrar
- Past members
- Ken Pavey Norman Mitham Terry Smart Ian Samwell Hank Marvin Bruce Welch Jet Harris Tony Meehan Brian Bennett Brian Locking John Rostill Alan Hawkshaw John Farrar Alan Tarney Alan Jones Cliff Hall Mark Griffiths Warren Bennett
via Wikipedia infobox
~28 min read
Encyclopedic overview
The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard from 1958 to 1968, and have joined him for several reunion tours.
The Shadows had 69 UK chart singles from the 1950s to the 2000s, 35 as the Shadows and 34 as Cliff Richard and the Shadows, ranging from pop, rock, surf rock and ballads with a jazz influence. The group, who were in the forefront of the UK beat-group boom, were the first backing band to emerge as stars.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “The Shadows” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.