The Shadows to the Fore
Encyclopedia
The Shadows to the Fore was an EP
by The Shadows
, released in May 1961. The EP was released as a 7-inch vinyl record in mono
with the catalogue number Columbia
SEG 8094. The Shadows to the Fore was the UK number-one EP for 28 weeks, having three separate stints at the top of the chart from June 1961 until May 1962.
Side B
chart: "Apache" had spent five weeks at number one in 1960, "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" was released as a double A-side the same year and peaked at number five, and "F.B.I." peaked at number six following release in February 1961.
According to Mike Read's "The Story of the Shadows" the A side hit Single (no.4) and EP track "FBI" was in fact written by Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris but for reasons which were never recorded for posterity this track was published through Peter Gormley their manager who redirected the earnings from this track to messrs Marvin, Welch and Harris. The Shadows were the first British band (ahead of the Beatles) to write some of their own material for singles and by 1961 some album tracks and again in 1962. By early 1961 The Shadows set up their own music publishing company at no 17 Savile Row in Central London and then followed a string of other booklets containing several song/instrumentals numbering nos 1 to 8 until their Marvin Welch & Farrar career break in 1970.
All tracks featured on the 1961 South African album Rockin' Guitars with "F.B.I." recorded live in Johannesburg. In the UK, all tracks featured on the compilation LP The Shadows' Greatest Hits released on the Columbia label in 1963.
chart, Record Retailer also ran an EP chart. The Shadows to the Fore was released in May 1961 and became a number-one EP on 24 June 1961, replacing their own eponymous EP
. It stayed at the top for 23 weeks, a record consecutive duration as number-one EP, before being displaced by Helen Shapiro
's EP Helen. The Shadows to the Fore reclaimed the top spot from Shapiro on 3 February 1962, spending another four weeks there until displaced by another of their EPs, Spotlight On The Shadows
. The Shadows to the Fore returned for a third and final stint at number one for a solitary week on 19 May. In total, The Shadows to the Fore amassed 28 weeks at the top of the EP chart.
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
by The Shadows
The 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'...
, released in May 1961. The EP was released as a 7-inch vinyl record in mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
with the catalogue number Columbia
Columbia Graphophone Company
The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. Under EMI, as Columbia Records, it became a very successful label in the 1950s and 1960s...
SEG 8094. The Shadows to the Fore was the UK number-one EP for 28 weeks, having three separate stints at the top of the chart from June 1961 until May 1962.
Track listing
Side A- "ApacheApache (instrumental)"Apache" is an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British group The Shadows in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart for five weeks...
" (Jerry LordanJerry LordanJerry Lordan , born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in Paddington, west London, was an English songwriter, composer and singer.-Career:...
) - "Man of Mystery" (Theme music of the Edgar Wallace film seriesEdgar Wallace MysteriesThe Edgar Wallace Mysteries was a low-budget film series made as second features.They were produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated between 1960 and 1965...
) (Michael CarrMichael Carr (composer)Michael Carr , real name Maurice Alfred Cohen, was a British light music composer born in Leeds. He is best remembered for the song "South of the Border ", written with Jimmy Kennedy for the 1939 film of the same name.Among Carr's other compositions were The Shadows instrumental hits "Man of...
)
Side B
- "The Stranger" (Bill Crompton, Morgan Jones)
- "F.B.I.F.B.I. (song)"F.B.I." is an instrumental rock tune recorded by the British group The Shadows, written by Peter Gormley. It was released by EMI as a single in February 1961 on the Columbia label with "Midnight" as the B-side...
" (Peter GormleyPeter GormleyPeter Gormley was an Australian born artist manager who guided the early careers of many recording artists, including Frank Ifield, Cliff Richard, The Shadows, Marvin Welch & Farrar, Labi Siffre and Olivia Newton-John....
) NB a deliberate pseudonym for Marvin, Welch and Harris.
Background
Each of the four singles contained on the EP had been released as singles. In the UK all charted on the Record RetailerUK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
chart: "Apache" had spent five weeks at number one in 1960, "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" was released as a double A-side the same year and peaked at number five, and "F.B.I." peaked at number six following release in February 1961.
According to Mike Read's "The Story of the Shadows" the A side hit Single (no.4) and EP track "FBI" was in fact written by Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris but for reasons which were never recorded for posterity this track was published through Peter Gormley their manager who redirected the earnings from this track to messrs Marvin, Welch and Harris. The Shadows were the first British band (ahead of the Beatles) to write some of their own material for singles and by 1961 some album tracks and again in 1962. By early 1961 The Shadows set up their own music publishing company at no 17 Savile Row in Central London and then followed a string of other booklets containing several song/instrumentals numbering nos 1 to 8 until their Marvin Welch & Farrar career break in 1970.
All tracks featured on the 1961 South African album Rockin' Guitars with "F.B.I." recorded live in Johannesburg. In the UK, all tracks featured on the compilation LP The Shadows' Greatest Hits released on the Columbia label in 1963.
Chart performance
Beginning in 1960s, in addition to publishing a long play (LP)LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
chart, Record Retailer also ran an EP chart. The Shadows to the Fore was released in May 1961 and became a number-one EP on 24 June 1961, replacing their own eponymous EP
The Shadows (EP)
The Shadows is an EP by The Shadows, released in January 1961. The EP is a 7-inch vinyl record and released in mono with the catalogue number Columbia SEG 8061 and in stereo with the catalogue number Columbia ESG 7834. The Shadows was the UK number-one EP for 20 weeks, having two separate stints at...
. It stayed at the top for 23 weeks, a record consecutive duration as number-one EP, before being displaced by Helen Shapiro
Helen Shapiro
Helen Kate Shapiro is an English singer and actress. She is best known for her 1960s UK chart toppers, "You Don't Know" and "Walkin' Back to Happiness".-Early life:...
's EP Helen. The Shadows to the Fore reclaimed the top spot from Shapiro on 3 February 1962, spending another four weeks there until displaced by another of their EPs, Spotlight On The Shadows
Spotlight on The Shadows
Sportlight on The Shadows is an EP by The Shadows, released in February 1962. The EP is a 7-inch vinyl record and released in mono with the catalogue number Columbia SEG 8135...
. The Shadows to the Fore returned for a third and final stint at number one for a solitary week on 19 May. In total, The Shadows to the Fore amassed 28 weeks at the top of the EP chart.