Biography
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.[clarification needed] 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 ’60s, the band had a second success from the late ’70s. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadows
Album & Cover
Specs Appeal is the tenth rock album by British instrumental (and sometimes vocal) group The Shadows, released in 1975 through Columbia (EMI). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specs_Appeal
Storm Thorgerson gave the album its title ‘Specs Appeal’ from an advertisement he saw in Los Angeles. The specs on the cover belonged to Hank Marvin and was a pun on an image that is in focus and out of focus.
Cover Location:
Who Did What: Graphics – R. Evans. Cover Design – Hipgnosis.
Label: EMI EMC3066(UK)
Source: Vinyl. Album. Cover. Art, The Complete Hipgnosis Catalogue: Aubrey Powell
Tracklist
| Side One God Only Knows Cool Clear Air Rose, Rose This House Runs On Sunshine Colorado Songbird No No Nina |
Side Two Honourable Puff-Puff Don’t Throw It All Away Spider Juice Let Me Be The One Like Strangers Stand Up Like A Man |
Credits
Lead vocals – Hank Marvin, John Farrar & Bruce Welch
Background vocals – Hank Marvin, John Farrar & Bruce Welch
Electric & acoustic guitars – Hank Marvin, John Farrar & Bruce Welch
Drums, percussion & Keyboards- Brian Bennett
Bass guitar – Alan Tarney, Dave Richmond
ARP Synthesizer on “Like Strangers” – Brian Bennett & John Farrar
String arrangements – John Fiddy
Keyboards on “God Only Knows” – Graham Todd
