The famous instrumental “Apache” by The Shadows peaked to No.1 in 1960
Composed by Jerry Lordan, inspired by the 1954 American western film “Apache”
The famous instrumental “Apache” by The Shadows peaked to No.1 in 1960
“Apache” remains one of the most recognized and popular instrumental hits today. Composed during the 1950’s by English composer Jerry Lordan, inspired by the 1954 American western film “Apache”, the tune met its most famous version in 1960 performed by the mainly instrumental guitar band The Shadows, who had a string of guitar hits during the 1960’s, most notably in Europe. Recorded at the famous EMI Abbey Road Studio in London, the distinctive sound of “Apache”, (reminiscent of the popular 1960’s Western-Spaghetti movies soundtracks by Ennio Morricone) was created through the smart use of tremolo and a heavy melodic bass line by Jet Harris, alongside the percussion, that included Cliff Richard playing a Chinese drum at the beginning and end to provide an atmosphere of stereo-typically Native American music. “Apache” by The Shadows peaked to No.1 on the UK singles charts on August 25, 1960, and it was the first of the band’s five U.K No.1’s. Despite the enormous success in Europe, “Apache” had little to none impact on North America.
Look back at The Shadows performing “Apache” in 1960
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