busker

Cliff and the Shads

Are there 4 words more capable of sending me into a swoon and, when I pick myself up, stumbling for the Telecaster and cranking the Peavey up to 11? There are not.

And on yesterday's NPR I hear of a Shad's reunion tour.

What more obvious URL that 'cliffandshads' for everything you need to know?

Linking off that seems to be a dedicated page to Hank B and the lads, and the rest are frames I can't pin down, so I can't send you direct to tour details or Goran's backing tracks site.

Hank B Marvin was the first wielder of a Fender Strat and the music of the Shadows was the only crutch around to see me thru soul-crippling, spirit-humbling years at a second school I did time in.

I'm 'mid a Shads festschrift as I type thanks to my 6-album boxed set of the sounds that kept us going: 'Apache', of course, but we all have tunes that brought a special thrill. In order,

• Dance On!
• Wonderful land
• Shadoogie
• Blue Star
• Wonderful Land
• Find Me a Golden Street
• Kon-Ti-Ki
• Foot Tapper
• and the first time I heard the song, 'All My Sorrows/Trials'

I may even fly over for one of their gigs - savour the sheer horror of congregating with a room full of other Shads fans.

I also hear that (Sir) Cliff might join them on-stage. Eeeuuw - what a grisly thought.