Saturday 19 March 2011

Jet Harris - R.I.P...


Sorry to see another 'hero' shuffle off.

For many young lads in the fifties and sixties, 'The Shadows' were the first real rock and roll group, but you didn't really call it 'rock and roll', because:-

a) Your mum and dad didn't like it.

b) Rock and roll was by some American group, and didn't sound anything like The Shadows.

Somewhere in the roof, I still have seven or eight EPs by The Shadows, and wouldn't mind getting them out (or on Ebay pehaps), because some of the music was good back then, especially one particular track. As usual, a story goes with it...

A few years ago, on one Sunday morning, I was making something in the garage and had the wireless on, listening to Invicta Radio. I also had a monstrous hangover, the sort which makes you wince at the sound of a small nail dropping to the floor, and feel faint when you have to bend down to pick it up!

Over the wireless, the presenter had a slot where he would play a bit of music - say a drum solo, and ask people to phone in with the answer. Now I never normally take any notice of these items, because some phone-ins are so dire, that I have to turn the sound down while Bert from Margate gibbers about, says 'you know' a dozen times, and generally makes the air painful, especially the air around a throbbing head and ears...

DJ Bob from Invicta was cracking on through his programme, and playing the same drum solo over and over again, and nobody was getting it at all! Directly I'd heard it, I recognised it as Tony Meehan's solo from 'See you in my drums' from The Shadows' first album. Well I would know it, as the prefects in the studies below our dormitory at school played it incessantly for about ten weeks...

And so I'd bought the EP, and listened to it for several more years, and life eventually went on without too many plays, until now!

After about twenty five 'Berts from Margate' had got it wrong, I had to do something about it, so I rushed in the house, grabbed ED's tape recorder, asked her to listen out on the radio, and be ready to hear her daddy, and then I called the DJ...

I was put on air immediately, and luckily, didn't stammer, say 'you know', or worse still get it wrong (I'd written it down on the back of a sanding disk, remember I had a hangover, and was shaking more than somewhat), and luckily, got it right. We chatted on air for a minute or so, and he promised he'd send me a prize, which was an album by The Three Tenors, which I gave to my dad.

So that was the one and only time Scrobs ever became famous, and it was all down to The Shadows, with bass guitarist, Jet Harris playing all of three notes over and over again, from start to finish...

'Bye Jet, your music was pretty good back then, and you were a Diamond!

7 comments:

rvi said...

Thanks for that Scrobs. This sad news did not reach my neck of the woods (yet). The Shadows were indeed a great band and I suspect that everybody that owned a record player had at least one of their records.

Tempus is fugiting. RIP.

Electro-Kevin said...

I used do some Hank Marvin stuff on the old lecky.

Apache etc.

Perhaps I should dust off the old accompanying CD, practice a bit and record a rendition for you some time.

http://www.youtube.com/user/40173k?feature=mhum#p/u/8/cJKGeHSXnFQ


My 30 second tutorial on how to strum a guitar.

Also if you go on my channel you'll see my camping buddy, Stu playing blues guitar. He's rather good, I have to say.

Electro-Kevin said...

http://www.youtube.com/user/40173k?feature=mhum#p/u/7/2Y-dzoBxRhg

That's Stu.

We're planning on recording some blues guitar duets.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Like the Scarborough Fair solo Elecs, you've got it spot on!

Strumming is a good clip - especially the final flourish which seems perfectly balanced!

When you've made your millions, there'll be a whole generation of Bert 'Elecs' Weedons after your signature!

Nice clips.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

You're right Reevers, it is beginning to speed up a bit...

I got up early with absolutely no idea what to post, and the first item I read was about dear ol' Jet!

I did see some recent pics of him, and was frankly upset at how he'd gone downhill, poor bloke.

The six string bass he played was a real eyeopener for all of us just getting used to electric basses after the stand up basses.

Mind you, Bill Wyman used to hold his bass upright!

Did you ever see the pics of my bass? I still need a lot of practice - perhaps Elecs could do a post on it...

Unknown said...

Blimey, they're dropping like flies, Scrobs! I think you should have a word but all that drinking, drugs and shagging is coming back to haunt them, THEM, obviously *ahem*

When I hear the blues played well my pants fall off. It's a bit disconcerting actually.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Pips, I'm of course delighted to learn about your blues-recognition-disenrobement - it is after all what all red-blooded males seek, but I have to agree that they're all dropping like flies...the rock people, not the - er - pants...

Just 'tween you an' me, if you Google 'Jet Harris RIP', we all get on page two, which must be a record (probably an EP...)...

;0)