Legend (Shadows tribute band)
Encyclopedia
Legend are a Shadows
tribute band, formed from members of the East Yorks. Shadows Guitar Club, who specialise in playing tracks from the "Burns era" of The Shadows (i.e. the period from 1964-1968 when the band used Burns guitars rather than the Fender Stratocasters for which they were more famous.)
The band members are:
Formed as a hobby through a shared admiration of the music of The Shadows
in their Burns period, the band were fortunate enough to be one of the first to concentrate on these arguably lesser-known tracks. As a consequence they gained a high profile on the Shadows fan scene which was experiencing a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to the spread of the Internet as a medium for people with shared interests to communicate, and the desire from fans of The Shadows to keep the music of the band alive, since the band had been unofficially retired since 1990. The band use authentic replicas of the Burns Marvin and Shadow Bass guitars, made by Burns London
(the original company that produced the guitars in the 1960s, now under new ownership).
and Hank Marvin
) sit in with them on keyboards. Since that time, Legend have played, both together and apart, with various members of The Shadows, culminating in 2001 with founding band member Bruce Welch
joining them on stage.
In 2002, Bruce Welch
invited Legend to play at the now-annual Shadowmania event, staged for fans of The Shadows
at the Lakeside Complex, Frimley Green. This invitation was extended again in 2005, and Legend took to the Lakeside stage again on 22 September 2007. They are the only UK amateur band to be accorded this accolade three times, and one of the first to be invited to play at fan gatherings in The Netherlands and Germany. They also have a growing fan base in Japan.
In April 2009, founder member David Martin - featured on all the band's recorded output to date, and on YouTube - retired from the band, unable to play demanding "Burns era" rhythm guitar parts for sustained periods, as a result of arthritis developing in his left hand. He continues to play lead and bass guitar in other bands...
To coincide with their third appearance at the annual Shadowmania event, Legend released a 5-track EP entitled "Something's Afoot...!". In keeping with the band's desire to stay true to the ethic of the 60's-era Shadows, the EP was recorded "live" (i.e. all 4 members playing at the same time), and the result is a collection of tracks worthy of inclusion on any mid-60s Shadows album, with the advantages of clarity that modern technology brings.
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'...
tribute band, formed from members of the East Yorks. Shadows Guitar Club, who specialise in playing tracks from the "Burns era" of The Shadows (i.e. the period from 1964-1968 when the band used Burns guitars rather than the Fender Stratocasters for which they were more famous.)
The band members are:
- Terry Carter (lead/rhythm guitar)
- Tony Hoffman (lead/rhythm guitar)
- Chris Jarvis (bass guitar)
- Martin Verrill (drums/percussion)
- Matthew Verrill (keyboards/percussion)
Formed as a hobby through a shared admiration of the music of 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'...
in their Burns period, the band were fortunate enough to be one of the first to concentrate on these arguably lesser-known tracks. As a consequence they gained a high profile on the Shadows fan scene which was experiencing a resurgence in popularity, thanks in part to the spread of the Internet as a medium for people with shared interests to communicate, and the desire from fans of The Shadows to keep the music of the band alive, since the band had been unofficially retired since 1990. The band use authentic replicas of the Burns Marvin and Shadow Bass guitars, made by Burns London
Burns London
Burns London is a guitar-making company originally formed in 1960 as Ormston Burns Ltd. It was founded by James Ormston Burns , who has been described as the British Leo Fender...
(the original company that produced the guitars in the 1960s, now under new ownership).
Live appearances
The band started their live career at the East Yorks Guitar Club meetings, where fans would get together to play Shadows tunes in front of an audience. As the band's profile grew, they were invited to play further afield at similar meetings around the country. For two of their first gigs, the band were fortunate enough to have Warren Bennett (son of Shadows' drummer Brian Bennett, and producer/keyboard for 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'...
and Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
) sit in with them on keyboards. Since that time, Legend have played, both together and apart, with various members of The Shadows, culminating in 2001 with founding band member Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch OBE, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.-Biography:...
joining them on stage.
In 2002, Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch OBE, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.-Biography:...
invited Legend to play at the now-annual Shadowmania event, staged for fans of 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'...
at the Lakeside Complex, Frimley Green. This invitation was extended again in 2005, and Legend took to the Lakeside stage again on 22 September 2007. They are the only UK amateur band to be accorded this accolade three times, and one of the first to be invited to play at fan gatherings in The Netherlands and Germany. They also have a growing fan base in Japan.
In April 2009, founder member David Martin - featured on all the band's recorded output to date, and on YouTube - retired from the band, unable to play demanding "Burns era" rhythm guitar parts for sustained periods, as a result of arthritis developing in his left hand. He continues to play lead and bass guitar in other bands...
Recordings
In 2002, Legend recorded their first album, "In The Beginning", at Honeyhill Studios (owned by Brian Bennett and site of many Shadows and related recordings.) Warren Bennett acted as producer, alongside Dick Plant (longtime Shadows studio acolyte) as engineer. The CD was released on the Dutch label Movi Music, and launched at the 2002 Pipeline Convention in London.To coincide with their third appearance at the annual Shadowmania event, Legend released a 5-track EP entitled "Something's Afoot...!". In keeping with the band's desire to stay true to the ethic of the 60's-era Shadows, the EP was recorded "live" (i.e. all 4 members playing at the same time), and the result is a collection of tracks worthy of inclusion on any mid-60s Shadows album, with the advantages of clarity that modern technology brings.