The Shadows

The Shadows
The Shadows in 2009 at the MEN Arena, Manchester, from left to right: (Warren Bennett), Bruce Welch, (Mark Griffiths), Brian Bennett and Hank Marvin
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Instrumental rock
Years active	1958–1968, 1973-1990, 2004-2010
Labels	Columbia (EMI), Polydor, Universal
Associated acts	Cliff Richard, Marvin, Welch & Farrar, Olivia Newton-John
Members	Hank Marvin Bruce Welch Brian Bennett Mark Griffiths Warren Bennett
Past members	Jet Harris Tony Meehan Brian Locking John Rostill Alan Hawkshaw John Farrar Ken Pavey Norman Mitham Alan Tarney Ian Samwell Terry Smart

The Shadows are a British instrumental rock group, and Cliff Richard's backing band, with 69 UK chart singles from the 1950s to the 2000s, 35 credited to the Shadows and 34 to Cliff Richard and the Shadows. The group, who were in the forefront of the UK beat-group boom, were the first backing band to emerge as stars. As pioneers of the four-member instrumental format, the band consisted of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drums. Their range covers pop, rock, surf rock and ballads with a jazz influence.

The core members are Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Brian Bennett. The sound was produced by Fender and Burns guitars, amplifiers by Vox and echo units Meazzi Echomatic tape and Binson magnetic disc. The Shadows, with Cliff Richard, dominated British popular music in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the years before The Beatles. Although they lost ground in the late sixties, the band had a second success from the late seventies.

The Shadows are the third most successful act in the UK singles chart, behind Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. The Shadows and Cliff Richard & the Shadows each have had four No.1 selling EPs.

The Shadows were formed from members of late 1950s UK skiffle groups: the Newcastle-based Railroaders (and also the Five Chesternuts on Columbia Records) who supplied Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, both inspired by US pop music; and the Vipers Skiffle Group (on Parlophone Records) who supplied Jet Harris and Tony Meehan from London, both inspired by UK jazz–skiffle music. The Shadows, although originally the backing band for Richard, were later an instrumental combo, following their success with the Jerry Lordan composition, "Apache".