The Lute Number

“The Lute Number” was one of five tracks on the Shadows 1964 EP “Rhythm and Greens”. As the title suggests, the song has a Renaissance feel reminiscent of “Greensleeves”. Songwriting credit is shared by all four members of the group.

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Poem

“Poem” first appeared on the 1968 album “Established 1958” which featured Shadows instrumentals as well as tracks with the Shadows backing up Cliff Richard. It was composed by Shadows drummer Brian Bennett.

South of the Border

“South of the Border” was written by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr in 1939 for the film of the same name starring country star Gene Autry. The list of artists who have recorded it is very long.

The Shadows included an instrumental version on their 1962 album “Out of the Shadows”. This is the basis for my arrangement.

Maroc 7

Maroc 7 was a 1967 British thriller film starring Gene Barry, Elsa Martinelli, Leslie Phillips, Denholm Elliott and Cyd Charisse. The screenplay concerns an international jewel thief who hatches a plan to go to Morocco and steal a valuable artifact.

The music for the film was  composed by Paul Ferris, produced by Norrie Paramor and performed by the Shadows. The single of the main theme (with Bombay Duck as the “B-side”) reached #24 on the UK singles chart.

My arrangement is based on the original Shadows recording, but without the orchestral backing. I tried to imagine a setting that might have been performed by just the four members live.

Cantharellis

“Cantharellis” is another original instrumental composition in which I try to combine the feel of 60’s instrumental guitar rock with a somewhat more sophisticated musical and harmonic language than was typical for that genre. With this one I tried to get a feel similar to the early 60’s style of the Shadows.

Green Eyes

“Green Eyes” was written in 1929 i(n Spanish) under the title “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” (“Those Green Eyes”) by with lyrics by Adolfo Utrera and music by Nilo Menéndez.

It has become very popular in Spanish, English and instrumental versions over the years.

I have not been able to find a recording by the Ventures, but the Shadows recorded a version in 1967 on their album “Jigsaw”. However, I really do not consider this the best period for the Shadows…perhaps in 1967 they were struggling a bit given the extremely creative and progressive musical environment at the time. 1967 saw “the summer of love” and the release of “Sergeant Peppers” and “Are You Experienced”, among others. At this time the Shadows were trying to modernize their sound — which did not always result in their best work.

In any event, my version is more like one the Shadows might have released in their earlier days.

Dean’s Theme

“Dean’s Theme” was originally a track on the Shadows 1964 album “The Sound of the Shadows”. Songwriting credit is given to leader Hank Marvin and bassist John Rostill. It also appeared on an EP.

It’s an interesting tune, and while not unheard-of, it is not typical of their style, being in a “smoky jazz” feel. It also appears that the original recording did not involve rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch.

My version is pretty much a straight cover.