A young Hank B Marvin with his Antoria guitar 1958
One British guitarist broke onto the music scene in 1958, his playing style revolutionised British popular music and influenced guitarists across the globe for decades.
For his 80th birthday, we pay tribute to Hank B Marvin, this groundbreaking guitar player who influenced many famous players of more recent years - Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Andy Summers amongst many thousands of young amateur players in bedrooms, school playgrounds and youth clubs trying to emulate his style!
Hank planted a seed and many followed, learning to imitate his unique style ever since.
Cliff Richard with the Fender Stratocaster
he imported for Hank Marvin to play in 1959
The skiffle boom of the 1950's propelled many young people to play musical instruments - but by 1958, the music had changed - pushed forward by the innovators from America - Elvis, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochrane, Gene Vincent, Jerry Lee Lewis and a handful of others who held the senior positions in the genre that was Rock n Roll.
Hank Marvin learnt how to play their style of music, being particularly interested in the sounds and style of Buddy Holly, Scotty Moore (Elvis Presley's guitarist) and Cliff Gallup (Lead guitar for Gene Vincent).
In 1958, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, 16 year old Newcastle school friends, journeyed to London to take part in a talent competition with a couple of other bandmates. Attaining third place in the contest, Hank and Bruce stayed on in London to seek their fortune and gravitated to the 2 I's coffee bar in old Compton Street, Soho where they would meet Cliff Richard and also future Shadows players Jet Harris, Tony Meehan, Brian Bennet and Licorice Locking.
The legendary 2I's
By chance, Hank was offered a tour with Cliff Richard and the Drifters - who had scored a No2 hit with Move it - perhaps one of the greatest British Rock N Roll songs ever written and recorded. Bringing along Bruce Welch and encountering Bassist Jet Harris on the tour, they went on to become the nucleus of Cliff's backing group.
The Drifters personnel gradually were replaced by Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan over a short span of time - a group that would in early 1959 became known as the Shadows.
The early Shadows line up of 1959 -
Hank plays the original Fiesta Red Stratocaster imported by Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard imported a Fender Stratocaster guitar for Hank Marvin from the Fender factory in California to play and Hank teamed it with a Meazzi tape echo machine and a Selmer Tru-voice amplifier (later a Vox AC15 amplifier) and the Shadows sound was created.
As they say the rest is history.
Hank with his 1959 guitar in 1960
Apache - the Shadows hit single from June 1960 -
The Jerry Lordan penned hit that launched a thousand bands
Hank in 2005 with a Custom Shop Stratocaster
Hank Marvin defined a unique sound and style of playing that has kept him in the musical scene continually since 1958. His clean and pure sound pre-dated the US Surf instrumental scene and has kept him employed either in the Shadows or with his own band ever since, he sells out venues whether as part of the Shadows, with Cliff Richard and The Shadows or with his own bands even 50 + years after starting in the music business.
Yet Hank Marvin is not that well known in America, sadly if he was he would be lauded for his style - American players like Jeff Baxter (Steely Dan, The Ventures) were influenced and regard Hank as an inspirational player and Hank has a small following in America and a larger interest around the globe which is well deserved.
You can instantly recognise Hank's playing or at least his style being played by someone else. There are many great amateur players who can portray his guitar work getting the right sound and feel - perhaps this is the greatest compliment Hank could attain - in that he has helped and inspired many to play the guitar and do so for decades. I am one of those inspired by him to not only play but to own the legendary red guitar like his.
He has given many ordinary guitarists like me the example to aspire to and learn from. From the days of Apache in 1960, overnight, bands in many cases ditched their lead singer and went instrumental, trying to perfect that sound and own that Fiesta Red Stratocaster, Meazzi echo machine and Vox amplifier.
60 plus years on from Apache, we owe Hank a great thank you, as part of the Shadows and in his own right, he has given us countless musical pieces to try and play in his style and to also enjoy listening to.
There are few pop musicians with the wide catalogue of work that Hank has brought to the popular music genre, so thanks Hank, we continue to enjoy your work and look forward to your new musical releases in the future.
And best wishes for your 80th birthday
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