Top Ten Instrumentals: Apache (#5)

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Happy Thanksgiving Eve to all my friends here in America! I’m thankful for you all! That goes for all of the international friends as well…you’re just not being subjected to turkey and football games tomorrow. Here’s another instrumental that you may or may not be thankful to hear. I know @rebelann was waiting for this one…or I think she was. If not, she’ll bop me on the head with a turkey drumstick. #5: Apache - The Shadows Oh, the complications of life. That’s evident with this song. In America, the biggest hit version was by a Danish jazz guitarist named Jørgen Ingmann (it was wildly popular internationally, too). The first recording was by Bert Weedon, and it wasn’t very popular with the song’s writer, Jerry Lordan. Who knows what legendary guitar songs lurks in the heart of records? The Shadows know! (Hopefully someone gets that joke.) The Shadows began as the backing band for Sir Cliff Richard. In America, Richard is known for two, maybe three songs (the most recent being 1976’s “Devil Woman”). In England, however, he is a legend (hence the knighthood). The Shadows spun off into their own superstar act, actually charting more under their own name than as “Cliff Richard and The Shadows.” Lordan was on tour with The Shadows in 1960 and showed them this song. They quickly recorded it and released it. It went to #2 in England, but didn’t do much elsewhere (probably due to the popularity of Ingmann’s version). A little Link Wray, a little Duane Eddy, and a whole lot of great music can be found in this great tune. Apache Written by Jerry Lordan Recorded by The Shadows Released as a single, 1960 Rock out!