Shadows of Knight
Encyclopedia
The Shadows of Knight are an American
rock
band
from the Chicago
suburb
s, formed in the 1960s, who play a form of British blues
mixed with influences from their native city. At the time they first started recording, the band's self-description was as follows: "The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues
and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch," to which noted rock critic Richie Unterberger
commented: "The Shadows of Knight's self-description was fairly accurate."
. A friend of theirs, Whiz Winters, who worked for their manager, Paul Sampson in his record shop, came up with the name "Shadows of Knight" to tie into the British Invasion
in music of that time, and because all four of the band members attended Prospect High School
in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, whose sports team had the name the "Knights."
They would release three albums in their first five years of existence. Founding members included Warren Rogers (lead guitar
), Roger Spielmann (rhythm and lead guitar/vocals) Norm Gotsch (rhythm guitar
), Wayne Pursell (bass guitar
), Tom Schiffour (drum
s), and Jim Sohns (vocals). Sohns was sixteen years old at the time. During 1965, Joe Kelley was recruited to play bass
, replacing Pursell. Kelley would swap bass and lead duties with Rogers in late 1965 at the time of the "Gloria" recordings. Guitar
ist and vocalist Jerry McGeorge
replaced Norm Gotsch in late 1965 after Gotsch was drafted into the U.S. military. David "Hawk" Wolinski
, who later worked with Rufus
and Chaka Khan
, replaced Rogers on bass in late 1966.
After performing in and around Chicago's northwest suburbs in 1964 and 1965, the Shadows of Knight became the house band at The Cellar
in Arlington Heights, Illinois
, owned by Sampson. They attracted over 500 teenagers every Saturday and Sunday at the "Cellar" for over six months until Sampson began booking other bands, giving them a break. A recording of a Shadows of Knight performance at The Cellar was released in 1992 by Sundazed Records
as Raw 'n' Alive at The Cellar, 1966.
A performance in support of The Byrds
at Chicago's McCormick Place
in early summer 1965 attracted the attention of Dunwich Records record producer
s Bill Traut and George Badonski. During that show, they performed "Gloria" by Van Morrison
's Northern Irish
Them
band. The band signed with Dunwich shortly thereafter and recorded "Gloria" as a first effort.
Released in December 1965, "Gloria" received massive regional airplay. The band had slightly altered the song's lyrics, replacing Morrison's original "she comes to my room, then she made me feel alright" with "she called out my name, that made me feel alright" after influential Chicago station WLS
had banned Them
's original version. This simple change overcame the prevalent AM radio censorship of the era, and got the Shadows of Knight's cover version of the song onto the playlist of WLS
, which had censored the original. The single reached the #1 position on the radio station's countdown, as well as on local rival WCFL
. On the Billboard
national charts, "Gloria" rose to #10. The secondary publication Cashbox ranked "Gloria" as high as #7.http://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19660514.html In Canada the song reached #8 on the RPM Magazine
charts. "Gloria" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
by the R.I.A.A.
There is reason to believe the Billboard charting understated the song's popularity. and The Shadows of Knight's version of "Gloria" reached number one in several markets where it received airplay. But, because Dunwich was not a national label, the single was released on a staggered basis around the country. This caused it to peak in certain markets before being released in others, diluting its weekly placement. Most significantly, the song received little airplay in certain major markets, such as South Florida (Miami
) and California
, where Morrison's release of "Gloria" had just been a major chart-topper the previous year.
The Shadows of Knight soon released the Gloria
album, followed by the Back Door Men
LP
, in the summer of 1966. Subsequent singles
included their version of the Bo Diddley
song "Oh Yeah" (which reached #39 nationally), "Bad Little Woman" (#91), and the powerhouse "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (#90), which can be seen as a precursor to hard rock
. However, none of these releases approached their initial commercial success. Failure to find a winning followup to "Gloria" handicapped the band's earning power, and led to its disintegration. Tom Schiffour left the band in Spring 1967. McGeorge departed for acid-rock band H.P. Lovecraft
shortly thereafter, while Kelley left to front his own blues band. Hawk Wolinski also left the band to form Bangor Flying Circus
with Schiffour, guitarist Alan De Carlo, and drummer Michael Tegza, also of H.P.Lovecraft.
By mid-1967, the only original member of the Shadows of Knight remaining was vocalist Jim Sohns, who, through simple default, inherited the band's name and legacy. In 1968, Dunwich sold the master tapes to its Shadow of Knight recordings to Atlantic Records
for one dollar. Sohns then moved the band from Chicago to New York, where they signed with Buddah Records
. Sohns had hoped to take the band in a British power-rock direction, but the Super K
record label pulled them into a more commercial orientation, pairing the band with bubblegum groups
such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company
and the Ohio Express on tour. In 1969, the second generation Shadows of Knight released "Shake" on Buddha's short-lived subsidiary Team Records
; the track eventually climbed to #46 (#37 Canada Dec.68). That same year, without the band's knowledge or consent, the unsuccessful update "Gloria '69" was released by Dunwich. It consisted of new bass and guitar tracks overdubbed by Peter Cetera
(later of Chicago
) and Jim Donlinger, both Chicago rock veterans.
"Shake" and its B-Side, "From Way Out to Way Under" were actually recorded by Sohns and a number of studio musicians, on the understanding that a Shadows of Knight reassembled by Sohns would record the follow-up album. That album, Shadows of Knight is today regarded as a distinct recording oddity, being an attempt to mix punk
and bubblegum music.
The four years following the breakup of the original Shadows was a dark creative period with little financial success. The band's repertoire consisted mostly of pop cover songs, which allowed them to survive by playing clubs. The second iteration of the band consisted of John Fisher, former lead guitar of the Glass Menagerie
, on bass, Woody Woodruff and Dan Baughman on guitars, and Ken Turkin on drums. Turkin was replaced in early 1969 by Paul Scarpelli, and in 1970 Jack "Hawkeye" Daniels replaced Woodruff on guitar. The band's lineup remained the same for two years, and they recorded "I Am the Hunter," which did well in several B markets. John Fisher was replaced by Edgar Winter
alum Jorge Gonzales on bass in 1971, who was subsequently replaced by John Hardy the following year. He was then replaced by studio bassist Don Ferrone.
Over subsequent decades, Sohns fronted varying incarnations of the group on the oldies circuit. He also spent a period of time reflecting on his future in the music business, choosing to become the road manager of the band Skafish
between 1978 and 1980. He would join the band to sing "Gloria" as the band's encore. In 1978, Sohns punched Sid Vicious
at the Harrah club in New York City, throwing him down a flight of stairs. Sohn's life took a particularly downward turn when he was convicted of felony drug charges in 1980. After exhausting appeals, he served three years between 1983-1986. While in prison, he formed a band, Jimy Sohns and The Cons. The group won the top award at the Mississippi River Blues Festival two years in a row.
Commencing as of the 1990s, The Shadows of Knight have enjoyed a resurgence in public interest, in significant part due to the 1998 release of their first two albums, in remastered form, by Sundazed Records
. In 1992, Performance Records (aka "Donewitch" Records) released The Shadows Of Knight-Live, Featuring "Gloria". This was an unreleased performance recorded live in Rockford, Il in 1972. The performance featured Lee Brovitz on bass (later of Blue Angel
) and the late Paul Roy on guitar. As one reviewer noted in relation to the album, "If you subscribe to the theory that the '60s actually survived a couple of years into the 1970s, then this is a prime slice of 1960s garage punk." The album is also noted as containing "a wonderfully blistering guitar-laced extended version of Willie Dixon's
'I Just Want to Make Love to You
'", which is nearly twelve minutes long. Also in 1992, another live recording, Raw 'n' Alive at The Cellar, 1966, was released by Sundazed Records. As noted by Richie Unterberger, "This is one of the very few live garage band tapes from the mid-'60s of relatively decent sound quality (considering the standards of the era). The song selection of this set should also please fans of one of the most famed '60s garage bands, captured here at a club in their home turf of Chicago in December 1966." In 1994, Rhino Records released Dark Sides: The Best of The Shadows of Knight. Noted reviewer Richie Unterberger had mixed feelings about this collection, particularly in view of the absence of "I Just Want to Make Love to You". "I Just Want to Make Love to You" was included in a 2005 Atlantic release, Rhino Hi-Five: The Shadows of Knight, a five song EP that also included "Gloria" and "Oh Yeah".
In 2006, the Shadows of Knight headlined Little Steven's cross-country "Underground Garage
" tour with The Romantics
. The Shadows also joined Cheap Trick's
Halloween show ("Cheap Trick or Treat"), along with guest appearances by members of The Romantics and The Charms
. This performance was subsequently televised on VH-1 Classic. At shows on the 2006 tour, they were joined onstage at various times by Rick Mullen (of Van Morrison
, Commander Cody
, Don McLean
), Vince Martell
(Vanilla Fudge
), Mark Stein
(Vanilla Fudge), and members of The Romantics. Also in 2006, a CD of new material, A Knight to Remember, was released. The music on A Knight to Remember, which contains a reworked version of "Gloria", has been compared to that of The Sonics
.
In 2008, the band toured as part of "The Psychedelic Shack Tour", which also featured a reformed Nazz
, Vince Martell and, on occasion, Henry Gross
. Also in 2008, a new CD was released, Rock 'n' Roll Survivors, containing a further reworking of "Gloria".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s, formed in the 1960s, who play a form of British blues
British blues
British blues is a form of music derived from American blues that originated in the late 1950s and which reached its height of mainstream popularity in the 1960s, when it developed a distinctive and influential style dominated by electric guitar and made international stars of several proponents of...
mixed with influences from their native city. At the time they first started recording, the band's self-description was as follows: "The Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues
Chicago blues
The Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
and gave it an English interpretation. We've taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch," to which noted rock critic Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger
Richie Unterberger is a US author and journalist whose focus is popular music and travel writing.-Life and writing:Having worked as a DJ at WXPN in Philadelphia, he started reviewing records for Op magazine in 1983...
commented: "The Shadows of Knight's self-description was fairly accurate."
History
Initially formed in 1964 as simply The Shadows, the band learned in spring 1965 of an existing British group, The ShadowsThe Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
. A friend of theirs, Whiz Winters, who worked for their manager, Paul Sampson in his record shop, came up with the name "Shadows of Knight" to tie into the British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
in music of that time, and because all four of the band members attended Prospect High School
Prospect High School (Illinois)
Prospect High School, or Prospect, is a public four-year high school located in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey...
in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, whose sports team had the name the "Knights."
They would release three albums in their first five years of existence. Founding members included Warren Rogers (lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
), Roger Spielmann (rhythm and lead guitar/vocals) Norm Gotsch (rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
), Wayne Pursell (bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Tom Schiffour (drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s), and Jim Sohns (vocals). Sohns was sixteen years old at the time. During 1965, Joe Kelley was recruited to play bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, replacing Pursell. Kelley would swap bass and lead duties with Rogers in late 1965 at the time of the "Gloria" recordings. Guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
ist and vocalist Jerry McGeorge
Jerry McGeorge
Jerry McGeorge came to prominence in late 1965 as a guitarist with the Chicago rock band The Shadows of Knight. He later joined acid rock band H.P. Lovecraft on bass in the summer of 1967, appearing on their debut album, H. P. Lovecraft.-Early life:McGeorge began playing guitar in 1961...
replaced Norm Gotsch in late 1965 after Gotsch was drafted into the U.S. military. David "Hawk" Wolinski
Hawk Wolinski
David J. "Hawk" Wolinski is an American keyboardist, songwriter and record producer probably best known for his work with the funk band Rufus and their lead singer Chaka Khan....
, who later worked with Rufus
Rufus
Rufus may refer to:People * Milan Rúfus , Slovak poet and writer* Rufus * Rufus , consul in 457* Several Saints Rufus* Rufus , French actor...
and Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, replaced Rogers on bass in late 1966.
After performing in and around Chicago's northwest suburbs in 1964 and 1965, the Shadows of Knight became the house band at The Cellar
The Cellar (teen dance club)
Located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, The Cellar teen dance club provided live musical entertainment in the 1960s. Founded in 1964 by Paul Sampson , this music venue primarily featured Rock and Roll music acts, although some Blues acts performed as well. Original location is uncertain...
in Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
, owned by Sampson. They attracted over 500 teenagers every Saturday and Sunday at the "Cellar" for over six months until Sampson began booking other bands, giving them a break. A recording of a Shadows of Knight performance at The Cellar was released in 1992 by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
as Raw 'n' Alive at The Cellar, 1966.
A performance in support of The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
at Chicago's McCormick Place
McCormick Place
McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the United States. It is made up of four interconnected buildings sited on and near the shore of Lake Michigan, about 4 km south of downtown Chicago, Illinois, USA. McCormick Place hosts numerous trade shows, including the Chicago Auto Show,...
in early summer 1965 attracted the attention of Dunwich Records record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s Bill Traut and George Badonski. During that show, they performed "Gloria" by Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
's Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
band. The band signed with Dunwich shortly thereafter and recorded "Gloria" as a first effort.
Released in December 1965, "Gloria" received massive regional airplay. The band had slightly altered the song's lyrics, replacing Morrison's original "she comes to my room, then she made me feel alright" with "she called out my name, that made me feel alright" after influential Chicago station WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
had banned Them
Them (band)
Them were a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, most prominently known for the garage rock standard "Gloria" and launching singer Van Morrison's musical career...
's original version. This simple change overcame the prevalent AM radio censorship of the era, and got the Shadows of Knight's cover version of the song onto the playlist of WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
, which had censored the original. The single reached the #1 position on the radio station's countdown, as well as on local rival WCFL
WMVP
WMVP is the callsign of a commercial radio station in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is owned by ABC. Its transmitter is located in Downers Grove. The station broadcasts live sports talk, both locally and nationally. Daily programming consists of talk shows that are both national and local...
. On the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
national charts, "Gloria" rose to #10. The secondary publication Cashbox ranked "Gloria" as high as #7.http://www.cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19660514.html In Canada the song reached #8 on the RPM Magazine
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
charts. "Gloria" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A.
There is reason to believe the Billboard charting understated the song's popularity. and The Shadows of Knight's version of "Gloria" reached number one in several markets where it received airplay. But, because Dunwich was not a national label, the single was released on a staggered basis around the country. This caused it to peak in certain markets before being released in others, diluting its weekly placement. Most significantly, the song received little airplay in certain major markets, such as South Florida (Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
) and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where Morrison's release of "Gloria" had just been a major chart-topper the previous year.
The Shadows of Knight soon released the Gloria
Gloria (Shadows of Knight album)
Gloria is the first album by The Shadows of Knight, released in 1966. The Shadows of Knight are primarily known for their hit version of the Van Morrison penned Them band's "Gloria". At the same time, the band today is regarded as one of the original punk bands.The band's association with...
album, followed by the Back Door Men
Back Door Men
Back Door Men is the second album by The Shadows of Knight. Both this album and its predecessor, Gloria, were released in 1966 and are considered to be seminal garage band albums. As noted by one reviewer, "The original LP version of this album, the second by the legendary white Chicago garage...
LP
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, in the summer of 1966. Subsequent singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
included their version of the Bo Diddley
Bo Diddley
Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
song "Oh Yeah" (which reached #39 nationally), "Bad Little Woman" (#91), and the powerhouse "I'm Gonna Make You Mine" (#90), which can be seen as a precursor to hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. However, none of these releases approached their initial commercial success. Failure to find a winning followup to "Gloria" handicapped the band's earning power, and led to its disintegration. Tom Schiffour left the band in Spring 1967. McGeorge departed for acid-rock band H.P. Lovecraft
H. P. Lovecraft (band)
H. P. Lovecraft was an American psychedelic rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1967 and named after horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. Much of the band's music was possessed of a haunting, eerie ambience, and consisted of material that was inspired by the macabre writings of the author whose...
shortly thereafter, while Kelley left to front his own blues band. Hawk Wolinski also left the band to form Bangor Flying Circus
Bangor Flying Circus
Bangor Flying Circus was a progressive rock trio from Chicago, USA, formed in mid-1967 and breaking up in 1969. It is notable for being formed by members of the Shadows of Knight and H.P...
with Schiffour, guitarist Alan De Carlo, and drummer Michael Tegza, also of H.P.Lovecraft.
By mid-1967, the only original member of the Shadows of Knight remaining was vocalist Jim Sohns, who, through simple default, inherited the band's name and legacy. In 1968, Dunwich sold the master tapes to its Shadow of Knight recordings to Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
for one dollar. Sohns then moved the band from Chicago to New York, where they signed with Buddah Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
. Sohns had hoped to take the band in a British power-rock direction, but the Super K
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
record label pulled them into a more commercial orientation, pairing the band with bubblegum groups
Bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop is a genre of pop music with an upbeat sound contrived and marketed to appeal to pre-teens and teenagers, produced in an assembly-line process, driven by producers, often using unknown singers.Bubblegum's classic period ran from 1967 to 1972...
such as the 1910 Fruitgum Company
1910 Fruitgum Company
The 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
and the Ohio Express on tour. In 1969, the second generation Shadows of Knight released "Shake" on Buddha's short-lived subsidiary Team Records
Buddah Records
Buddah Records was founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's founding...
; the track eventually climbed to #46 (#37 Canada Dec.68). That same year, without the band's knowledge or consent, the unsuccessful update "Gloria '69" was released by Dunwich. It consisted of new bass and guitar tracks overdubbed by Peter Cetera
Peter Cetera
Peter Paul Cetera is an American singer, songwriter, bassist and producer best known for being an original member of the rock band Chicago, before launching a successful solo career...
(later of Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
) and Jim Donlinger, both Chicago rock veterans.
"Shake" and its B-Side, "From Way Out to Way Under" were actually recorded by Sohns and a number of studio musicians, on the understanding that a Shadows of Knight reassembled by Sohns would record the follow-up album. That album, Shadows of Knight is today regarded as a distinct recording oddity, being an attempt to mix punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and bubblegum music.
The four years following the breakup of the original Shadows was a dark creative period with little financial success. The band's repertoire consisted mostly of pop cover songs, which allowed them to survive by playing clubs. The second iteration of the band consisted of John Fisher, former lead guitar of the Glass Menagerie
Mind Garage
Mind Garage was an American psychedelic rock and roll band from Morgantown, West Virginia, and a progenitor of Christian rock music. Their "Electric Liturgy" performed in 1968 was the first documented Christian rock worship service, and their 1969 eponymous debut RCA album was one of the earliest...
, on bass, Woody Woodruff and Dan Baughman on guitars, and Ken Turkin on drums. Turkin was replaced in early 1969 by Paul Scarpelli, and in 1970 Jack "Hawkeye" Daniels replaced Woodruff on guitar. The band's lineup remained the same for two years, and they recorded "I Am the Hunter," which did well in several B markets. John Fisher was replaced by Edgar Winter
Edgar Winter
Edgar Holland Winter is an American musician. He is famous for being a multi-instrumentalist. He is a highly skilled keyboardist, saxophonist and percussionist. He often plays an instrument while singing. He was most successful in the 1970s with his band, The Edgar Winter Group, notably with their...
alum Jorge Gonzales on bass in 1971, who was subsequently replaced by John Hardy the following year. He was then replaced by studio bassist Don Ferrone.
Over subsequent decades, Sohns fronted varying incarnations of the group on the oldies circuit. He also spent a period of time reflecting on his future in the music business, choosing to become the road manager of the band Skafish
Skafish
Skafish is a Chicago punk band, fronted by Jim Skafish, cousin of Chicago area DJ Bobby Skafish. The band was formed in 1976 and had their first performance that November....
between 1978 and 1980. He would join the band to sing "Gloria" as the band's encore. In 1978, Sohns punched Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious
Sid Vicious was an English musician best known as the bassist of the influential punk rock group Sex Pistols...
at the Harrah club in New York City, throwing him down a flight of stairs. Sohn's life took a particularly downward turn when he was convicted of felony drug charges in 1980. After exhausting appeals, he served three years between 1983-1986. While in prison, he formed a band, Jimy Sohns and The Cons. The group won the top award at the Mississippi River Blues Festival two years in a row.
Commencing as of the 1990s, The Shadows of Knight have enjoyed a resurgence in public interest, in significant part due to the 1998 release of their first two albums, in remastered form, by Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records
Sundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
. In 1992, Performance Records (aka "Donewitch" Records) released The Shadows Of Knight-Live, Featuring "Gloria". This was an unreleased performance recorded live in Rockford, Il in 1972. The performance featured Lee Brovitz on bass (later of Blue Angel
Blue Angel (band)
Blue Angel was a retro-rockabilly band that featured Cyndi Lauper before her rise to fame as a solo singer. The lineup also included John Turi on keyboard instrument and saxophone, Arthur "Rockin' A" Neilson , Lee Brovitz and Johnny Morelli...
) and the late Paul Roy on guitar. As one reviewer noted in relation to the album, "If you subscribe to the theory that the '60s actually survived a couple of years into the 1970s, then this is a prime slice of 1960s garage punk." The album is also noted as containing "a wonderfully blistering guitar-laced extended version of Willie Dixon's
Willie Dixon
William James "Willie" Dixon was an American blues musician, vocalist, songwriter, arranger and record producer. A Grammy Award winner who was proficient on both the Upright bass and the guitar, as well as his own singing voice, Dixon is arguably best known as one of the most prolific songwriters...
'I Just Want to Make Love to You
I Just Want to Make Love to You
In 1961, Etta James recorded the song for her debut album At Last!. Her rendition also served as the b-side to her hit "At Last." In 1996, Etta James' version became popular in the UK after featuring in a Diet Coke ad campaign. As a result, the single was re-released there...
'", which is nearly twelve minutes long. Also in 1992, another live recording, Raw 'n' Alive at The Cellar, 1966, was released by Sundazed Records. As noted by Richie Unterberger, "This is one of the very few live garage band tapes from the mid-'60s of relatively decent sound quality (considering the standards of the era). The song selection of this set should also please fans of one of the most famed '60s garage bands, captured here at a club in their home turf of Chicago in December 1966." In 1994, Rhino Records released Dark Sides: The Best of The Shadows of Knight. Noted reviewer Richie Unterberger had mixed feelings about this collection, particularly in view of the absence of "I Just Want to Make Love to You". "I Just Want to Make Love to You" was included in a 2005 Atlantic release, Rhino Hi-Five: The Shadows of Knight, a five song EP that also included "Gloria" and "Oh Yeah".
In 2006, the Shadows of Knight headlined Little Steven's cross-country "Underground Garage
Underground Garage
Underground Garage is the name shared by two related but different radio outlets, a syndicated show and a satellite radio station, both created and supervised by Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band guitarist Steven Van Zandt to present rock 'n' roll and garage rock on radio...
" tour with The Romantics
The Romantics
The Romantics is an American New Wave band from Detroit, Michigan, formed in 1977. The band adopted the name "The Romantics" because they formed on Valentine's Day, 1977. The Romantics achieved popularity in the United Kingdom, The U.S...
. The Shadows also joined Cheap Trick's
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
Halloween show ("Cheap Trick or Treat"), along with guest appearances by members of The Romantics and The Charms
The Charms
The Charms are a garage rock band from Somerville, Massachusetts formed in 2002. The current lineup consists of Ellie Vee, Joe Wizda, Kat Kina, Mark Nigro, and Jason Meeker. The band teamed with local Boston based management company Twisted Rico Management and formed Red Car Records in...
. This performance was subsequently televised on VH-1 Classic. At shows on the 2006 tour, they were joined onstage at various times by Rick Mullen (of Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Commander Cody
Commander Cody
Commander Cody may refer to:*The stage name of George Frayne, leader of the rock and roll band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and, informally, the band itself...
, Don McLean
Don McLean
Donald "Don" McLean is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for the 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".-Musical roots:...
), Vince Martell
Vince Martell
Vince Martell is best known as the lead guitarist for Vanilla Fudge.Martell was born in the Bronx to parents who played the guitar and encouraged him to play as well...
(Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
), Mark Stein
Vanilla Fudge
Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band. The band's original lineup – vocalist/organist Mark Stein, bassist/vocalist Tim Bogert, lead guitarist/vocalist Vince Martell, and drummer/vocalist Carmine Appice – recorded five albums during the years 1966–69, before disbanding in 1970...
(Vanilla Fudge), and members of The Romantics. Also in 2006, a CD of new material, A Knight to Remember, was released. The music on A Knight to Remember, which contains a reworked version of "Gloria", has been compared to that of The Sonics
The Sonics
The Sonics are an American garage rock band from Tacoma, Washington, originating from the early and mid-1960s. Among The Sonics' contemporaries were The Kingsmen, The Wailers, The Dynamics, The Regents, and Paul Revere & the Raiders...
.
In 2008, the band toured as part of "The Psychedelic Shack Tour", which also featured a reformed Nazz
The Nazz
Nazz was a psychedelic and garage rock band from the 1960s. The band was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1967 by Todd Rundgren and Carson Van Osten...
, Vince Martell and, on occasion, Henry Gross
Henry Gross
Henry Gross , is an American singer-songwriter best known for his association with the group, Sha Na Na, and for his hit song, "Shannon".-Early years:...
. Also in 2008, a new CD was released, Rock 'n' Roll Survivors, containing a further reworking of "Gloria".
Shadows of Knight Albums
- GloriaGloria (Shadows of Knight album)Gloria is the first album by The Shadows of Knight, released in 1966. The Shadows of Knight are primarily known for their hit version of the Van Morrison penned Them band's "Gloria". At the same time, the band today is regarded as one of the original punk bands.The band's association with...
Dunwich, 1966; UK issue featuring tracks from Back Door MenBack Door MenBack Door Men is the second album by The Shadows of Knight. Both this album and its predecessor, Gloria, were released in 1966 and are considered to be seminal garage band albums. As noted by one reviewer, "The original LP version of this album, the second by the legendary white Chicago garage...
RadarRadar RecordsRadar Records was a UK-based record label formed by Martin Davis who had previously worked at United Artists Records, and Andrew Lauder, who had previously been head of A&R at the UK divisions of Liberty Records and United Artists...
, 1979; CD Issue SundazedSundazed RecordsSundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
1998; Original Edition AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, 2005. - Back Door MenBack Door MenBack Door Men is the second album by The Shadows of Knight. Both this album and its predecessor, Gloria, were released in 1966 and are considered to be seminal garage band albums. As noted by one reviewer, "The original LP version of this album, the second by the legendary white Chicago garage...
Dunwich, 1966; CD Reissue SundazedSundazed RecordsSundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
, 1998; CD Reissue AtlanticAtlantic RecordsAtlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, 2006. - Shadows of Knight Super KSuper K ProductionsSuper K Productions was a 1960s American recording production company under Buddah Records, headed by producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, whose groups specialized in bubblegum pop. Their biggest successes were The Ohio Express, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Crazy Elephant and The Music Explosion...
, 1969; CD Issue [ One Way], 1994; Collectables, 1994 (as part of "The Super K Collection") - GEE-EL-O-AIRE-I-AY EdselDemon Music GroupDemon Records is a United Kingdom record label founded in 1980 by former United Artists A&R executive Andrew Lauder and Jake Riviera who had previously started Stiff Records...
, 1985 - UK "Best Of" release; out of print. - Raw 'n' Alive at The Cellar, 1966 Sundazed, 1992.
- Live - Featuring "Gloria" Performance, 1992 (being 1972 concert recording)
- Dark Sides: The Best of The Shadows of Knight Rhino, 1994
- Rhino Hi-Five: The Shadows of Knight Atlantic, 2005. Five-song EP, including "Gloria", "Oh Yeah" and "I Just Want to Make Love to You".
- A Knight to Remember Bassic-Lee, 2007.
- Rock 'n' Roll Survivors CollectablesCollectables RecordsCollectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene was previously associated with New York City's Times Square Record Shop, Philadelphia's Record Museum retail chain, and the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels....
, 2008.
Compilations
- Early Chicago, Volume 1 Happy TigerHappy Tiger RecordsHappy Tiger Records was an independent American record label that was owned by the Flying Tiger Line air freight company. Happy Tiger only operated from 1969 to 1971, but during this time managed to produce more than two dozen albums by such notable artists as Count Basie, Mason Proffit, Red...
, 1971; compilation of Dunwich singles, containing one Shadows of Knight Track. - Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965-1968Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era is a compilation album of American garage rock singles released in the mid- to late 1960s. It was assembled by Jac Holzman, founder of Elektra Records, and Lenny Kaye, later lead guitarist for the Patti Smith Group...
ElektraElektra RecordsElektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
, 1972; Rhino CD reissue 1998; contains three Shadows of Knight tracks. - Oh Yeah! The Best of Dunwich Records, Volume 1 SundazedSundazed RecordsSundazed Records is a record label based in Coxsackie, in the Catskills of New York. It specializes in obscure and rare recordings from the 1950s to the 1970s.Label founders Bob Irwin and his wife Mary started the label in 1989...
, 1991; contains three Shadows of Knight tracks, one previously unreleased, including the very rare "Potato Chip", with band interview. - If You're Ready! The Best of Dunwich Records...Volume 2 Sundazed, 1994; contains three Shadows of Knight tracks, one previously unreleased.
- One Hit Wonders of Pop. St. Clair Entertainment, 2001; "New stereo recordings by the original artists". Contains re-recorded version of "Gloria", with Shadows of Knight miscategorized as "one hit wonder".
- Garage Band Halloween Collectables, 2008; contains one new Shadows of Knight track.
- Garage Band Showcase - Volume 1 Collectables, 2008; contains one new Shadows of Knight track.
- Garage Band Christmas - Volume 1 Collectables, 2008; contains one new Shadows of Knight track, with Henry GrossHenry GrossHenry Gross , is an American singer-songwriter best known for his association with the group, Sha Na Na, and for his hit song, "Shannon".-Early years:...
. - Garage Band Christmas - Volume 2 Collectables, 2008; contains one new Shadows of Knight track.
- Chiller Theatre Halloween Collectables, 2010; contains one Shadows of Knight track, "Boppin' At The Black Lagoon."
External links
- Shadows of Knight Official Website
- Shadows of Knight MySpace Page
- Shadows of Knight Japanese Tribute Site: "The Original Punks from The Windy City".