Band comes out of The Shadows for big gig
As a teenager growing up in the 1960s, Colin Evans dreamed of playing drums with The Shadows.
"I started playing the drums when I was 14, by beating Apache on the arms of my mum's settee with my sister's knitting needles," he recalls.
Now, more than half a century on, he is beating out the rhythm to his favourite music in a top Shadows tribute band. And this weekend he will be performing in front of a very special guest – the widow of the man who wrote Apache.
Colin, now 69, is the drummer with Into The Shadows, which will be playing at Bishop's Castle Town Hall on Saturday. And he has been told that Claudine Lordan, the widow of Jerry Lordan who wrote many of The Shadows' most popular hits, intends to be in the audience. "She says she will be coming along, and she wants to meet us before the concert," says Colin, who lives in Aldridge, near Walsall.
The band, which has been going for about 15 years, has carved out quite a reputation in Shropshire, having been a regular fixture at Bridgnorth's Theatre on the Steps.
"We played Bridgnorth last week, we have been doing it for about five years now," he says.
When we heard that Jerry Lordan's wife would be coming we were really excited, it is a real honour."
Mrs Lordan has also agreed for a collection of photographs of her late husband with The Shadows to be displayed at the venue on the night of the concert.
Like The Shadows, Colin's band has seen a few line-up changes over the years, although he and Wolverhampton-based rhythm guitarist John Haden have been there from the beginning. The present line-up includes Rob Fellows, from Dudley, on lead guitar, and Mike Steed on bass.
Mrs Lordan has also invited the four to visit her home before the concert, to see the music room where her husband would spend much of his time.
Colin says great attention to detail goes into creating an authentic sound.
"The guitarists have the original Fender Stratocaster guitars, I play the Ludwig drums, and we have all the correct amps and equipment to get the sound spot on," he says.
Lordan, who died aged 61, in 1995, spent his later years living just outside Bishop's Castle. He was a well-known figure at the town's Three Tuns pub, where a plaque was dedicated to his memory last year by the DJ Mike Read.
Lordan started his career as a singer but it was his work as the composer of Apache, which was a hit for The Shadows in 1960, which really set him on the road to success.
The instrumental tune was originally recorded by Bert Weeden, but Lordan disliked his recording and it was not immediately released.
While on tour with The Shadows, Lordan demonstrated the tune to bass player Jet Harris on a ukulele and when the rest of the band heard it, they agreed to record it. It was released in July 1960 and became a number one smash, staying at the top for five weeks.
After that Lordan gave up singing for full-time writing, penning further Shadows hits such as Wonderful Land, Atlantis and Mary Anne. He had further hits with Jet Harris and Tony Meehan, as well as for Cliff Richard, Shane Fenton – who later went on to become Alvin Stardust – and Louise Cordet.
Colin says The Shadows had a huge influence on the music scene for decades to follow, and laid the way for guitar-led acts such as Dire Straits.
"Hank Marvin was a great influence on a lot of the great guitarists," he says.
"Mark Knopfler admitted that the first thing he wanted as a kid was a red Stratocaster."
While Colin says it is a huge honour to be invited to meet Mrs Lordan for Saturday's concert, it is by no means the first distinguished guest he has played in front of.
"I played in a band that performed at Sue Nicholls' 21st birthday party when I was 16," he recalls.
Walsall-born Sue went on to enjoy a long career in television, and is best known as Audrey Roberts in Coronation Street.
*Into The Shadows will be performing at Bishop's Castle Town Hall on Saturday, from 7.30pm. The band is also performing at the Forest Arts Centre in Walsall tomorrow night.
