The Shadows Apache at 60 - perhaps the greatest guitar instrumental of all time - a look at how it started

The Shadows in 1960 - their album covers were
great news for Fender guitar sales

In 1960, The Shadows recorded 'Apache', an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan; 
a tune that would change musical history and laid the foundation for 1960's music.

Hank B. Marvin of the Shadows with his new 1959 Stratocaster

Turn on a radio in 1960 and the music likely to be coming out would likely be from Cliff  Richard featuring his backing band The Shadows or from the Shadows own recordings.

Thanks to Cliff Richard's stratospheric rise to fame in 1959, he remained at the forefront of British popular music through the next decade and beyond.  

As the Shadows first hit single 'Apache' celebrates its 60th birthday in 2020, lets look back at how that started, why it endures and why Cliff Richard's generosity helped shape popular music in the 1960's.

By unintended consequence, it helped launch the careers of artists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Pete Townshend, Mark Knopfler, not to mention encouraging many thousands of amateur guitarists since, to develop their enjoyment of the guitar and pursue it as a lifelong hobby.

Cliff Richard and the Shadows on the Oh Boy television show in 1959

Hank Marvin plays the new Stratocaster on an early public outing

Mention the tune Apache and the version most people will associate with a performer will be the Shadows. Drop the needle to the vinyl and the distinctive Bongo drums played by Cliff Richard heralds an echo laden guitar intro devised by Hank Marvin, that instantly introduced the world to what would become Hank's signature sound.

Cliff in the famous pink jacket with Hank's original Stratocaster

Jerry Lordan was on a tour package with Cliff and The Shadows, when he played the tune to Hank and Shadows bassist Jet Harris. The rest of the group heard it and decided to record it at their scheduled session after the tour.

Bad news for them that Bert Weedon had already got this tune in the can for an LP of his that was as yet unreleased. Cliff Richard had been pushing Norrie Paramor his Producer to give the Shadows a single record slot, Apache was agreed as their contribution to the single but Norrie wanted a new arrangement of Quartermaster's stores as the A side. 

The Shadows Apache EP cover -

with later guitars, not used on the recording!

Norrie was insistent on 'Stores' being the A side, it was musically a weaker track, only saved from mediocrity and repetition by Hank's solo and accompanying fills. So, like the case of Cliff's Move it in 1958 where Schoolgirl crush was slated for the A side, Norrie took the test copy of the record home and played it to his daughters, Apache was the clear winner.

History was repeating itself. When Jack Good heard Move it he was blown away, the other side of the platter did nothing for him. Play the Apache single to day and flip over to Quartermaster's stores and you'll hear an immediate and obvious difference.

On the Expresso Bongo film - the film outing for the 59 Stratocaster

a great pity that this film was shot in monochrome!

When Apache became the A side of the disc, the rest was history. For a while after, bands often ditched their lead singer and went instrumental. The Fentones for example rested Shane Fenton (Later to be come Alvin Stardust) whilst they recorded two tracks The Breeze and I and the Mexican. 

Suddenly, Hank Marvin was the guitarist to follow for the technique and sound. He had a unique sound and style. Apache was the single that launched a thousand bands. Hank Marvin had true guitar genius, he did then and he still does.

Cliff Richard's ATV show featured the Shadows heavily

Most British people had only seen a picture of Buddy Holly's Fender Stratocaster on a record cover or perhaps on a clip from the Ed Sulllivan show on the television. 

When he and the Crickets played in England at the Elephant and Castle in 1958, a few saw the actual Stratocaster in the flesh at the shows. Hank was the first to own one in the UK.

This clever EP cover design removed Cliff Richard in the foreground

Due to a post-war trade embargo, Cliff Richard had to send for Hank's Fender Stratocaster as a personal import. The one that the Shadows chose was the top specification, Fiesta Red painted body, gold hardware and with a birdseye maple neck. 

At 120 guineas, it was not cheap, that was about 10 weeks wages for an ordinary worker! Probably £4000 in today's money in comparison.

Cliff Richard impersonating Hank Marvin, playing Apache 

on the original guitar through a Vox AC15 - from Cliff's ATV show 1960

Hank's guitar was a revelation. But it was only a part of the story. For those interested, the guitar was a Fender Stratocaster, no 34346. The Stratocaster had a 'contour' body that was cut on a bandsaw with reliefs cut away on the front and back so the player could 'mould' with the guitar. The 1954 design was futuristic and even looks great decades later. I don't think it has been bettered.

The design was a sensation, but was also relatively simple to produce. Against the hollow bodied Gretsch 6120 which came a year later in 1955, the Stratocaster looked modern. The Gretsch looked old-fashioned.

With three single coil pickups, tone controls and a vibrato system (erroneously called a Tremolo by Fender), the Stratocaster guitar was functional and modern. The slim C shape neck introduced in October 1958 was easy to play, an improvement over the 56-58 V shape neck.

A Fender Custom shop 1959 Stratocaster built under the supervision of Greg Fessler - essentially this is a reproduction of Hank's original Stratocaster, with a few modern lifts such as 5 way pickup switch, flatter neck and wider frets. I just had to have one.

The beautiful Birdseye Maple neck as Hank's guitar was built with on mine

Rarely seen in colour photos, Hank's guitar put him right out in front of the crowd. But he also had the technique to match the bright, modern guitar he played. That's what got him the job with Cliff on the Kalin Twins tour and the rest is history.

The early Vox AC15 amplifier

Hank originally used a Selmer Stadium Truvoice amplifier on the early Cliff Richard recordings, it is on the 'Me and My Shadows' album with Cliff Richard. The next move was to the Vox AC15 combo. This is the single speaker one, Vox added another speaker and the AC30 was born.

The Shadows blazed the way for Vox to become the amplifier of choice almost exclusively for instrumental bands from 1960-63 when the instro craze was in full swing. It would lead to the AC30 which would become worldwide renowned.

Jet Harris and Hank Marvin with the famous Stratocaster - 

From the Shadows first album cover.

The Shadows had their thunder stolen on the American market by Jorgen Ingmann's version of Apache which was released over there, although it was not as good as the Shadows version many believe.

Late out of the starting gate into the charts was Bert Weedon with his version of Apache in response to the Shadows release, but it didn't have the energy or the sound of the Shadows version, which remains the definitive one for most discerning listeners.

Ironically, the follow up single to Apache was suggested to be Walk don't run, it was deferred in place of Man of Mystery which became a massive hit.

Walk don't run became the Ventures signature tune just as Apache had for the Shadows and around the same time too. The Ventures covered Walk don't run in 1960, it featured in a number of films which also helped propel it to a massive US audience.

60 years on Hank is still giving us that unique sound

Apache has endured. Although the instrumental guitar sound lasted a few short years in mainstream pop terms in the 60's, the Shadows thanks to their association with Cliff were able to enjoy it until 1968, before embarking on various solo projects and reunions since, even charting into the 80's.

Hank Marvin is one of the great guitarists, without his great sound inspiring thousands of guitarists since 1959, popular music might have been very different. 

George Harrison paid the ultimate compliment - 'No Shadows, no Beatles.' John Lennon said that until the Shadows were on the radio there was nothing worth listening to.

If Cliff hadn't bought that first Stratocaster and pushed for Norrie Paramor to record Apache, who knows? Certainly Fender may not have made so many Fiesta red Stratocasters!

Apache endures and rightly so. 60 years on it sounds dynamic and fresh. And I was one that was spurred into getting the Hank Marvin sound because of it.

In 1982 a school friend of mine had the Shadows Apache single and we listened intently to it frequently, in awe of Hank Marvin's sound. The 45rpm single sounded more vibrant and alive than the LP version, Dave reckoned it was the material that the single was made from, it sounded dynamic and fresh. I wondered if I could ever emulate that guitar sound I was hearing on the record? It would take some time.

Pete Townshend had a similar experience of Apache, the tune resonated in his head as he walked home from a practice with a band he played in before the Who.

Me and Dave were just a couple of the thousands who were inspired to take up the guitar by Hank's playing.