Stranger on the Shore

“Stranger on the Shore” is an instrumental written and first performed by Acker Bilk on the clarinet. It was subsequently used as the theme tune of a BBC TV drama serial for young people, Stranger on the Shore. It was first released in 1961 in the UK where it reached number 2 on the singles charts, and then in the US, making it to the top of charts.

In my arrangement I tried to imagine how the Shadows might have performed it. As it turns out, there is a live recording of the song by the Shadows in Paris from 1962. I was not aware of this when I made my recording. However, the Shadows version features then bassist Brian Locking playing the melody on harmonica. My version is all guitar.

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