''The Shadows to the Fore'' was an EP by

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...

, released in May 1961. The EP was released as a

7-inch In music, a single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. One can be released for sale to the public in a variety of formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separat ...

vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

mono Mono may refer to: Common meanings * Infectious mononucleosis, "the kissing disease" * Monaural, monophonic sound reproduction, often shortened to mono * Mono-, a numerical prefix representing anything single Music Performers * Mono (Japanese b ...

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.

Track listing

;Side A #" Apache" (

Jerry Lordan Jerry Lordan (born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan, 30 April 1934 – 24 July 1995) was an English songwriter, composer and singer. He achieved 3 hit singles on the UK Singles Chart before focusing purely on songwriting. Amongst his songwriting c ...

) #"

Man of Mystery "Man of Mystery" is a song by the Shadows, released as a single in November 1960. It peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. Background and release "Man of Mystery" was written by Michael Carr for the theme tune for the film series '' Eg ...

" (Theme music of the '' Edgar Wallace film series'') ( Michael Carr) ;Side B #

" The Stranger" (Bill Crompton, Morgan Jones) #" F.B.I." ( Peter Gormley) NB a deliberate pseudonym for Marvin, Welch and Harris.

Background

Each of the four tracks contained on the EP had been released as singles. In the UK all charted on the ''Record Retailer'' 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) 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 Helen may refer to: People * Helen of Troy, in Greek mythology, the most beautiful woman in the world * Helen (actress) (born 1938), Indian actress * Helen (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Places * 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.

Personnel

Hank Marvin Hank Brian Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin, 28 October 1941) is an English multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter. He is widely known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows, a group which primarily performed instrumentals and was the ba ...

– lead guitar *

Bruce Welch Bruce Welch (born 2 November 1941 as Bruce Cripps) is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows. Biography Welch's parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) moved him to 15 B ...

– rhythm guitar *

Jet Harris Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to: Aerospace * Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines ** Jet airliner ** Jet engine ** Jet fuel * Jet Airways, an Indian airline * Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline * Journey to Enceladus ...

– bass guitar *

Tony Meehan Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan (2 March 1943 – 28 November 2005), professionally known as Tony Meehan, was a founder member of the British group the Drifters, with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, which would evolve into the Shadows. ...

– drums

References

;Footnotes ;Sources * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shadows To The Fore, The 1961 EPs The Shadows EPs EMI Columbia Records EPs