GuitarStory: Bruce Welch - Apache

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In this 3rd GuitarStory episode we look into the story of the iconic tune 'Apache' by The Shadows with Bruce Welch former member of the original Shadows.
#guitar #theshadows #brucewelch #guitarstory #guitarsolo #music #story #stratocaster #stratocasterguitar #paulbalmer #musiconearth #books

[@user-xu9xe2ls9l]

Thank God for the longevity of the Shadows, they are great performers God made,or gave to us. We all thank God for all of these talents.

[@sweetierajoo5911]

The Shadows were the greatest group that ever played on mother earth Thank you guys

[@PadsterDood]

It's great to see Bruce again, what a player ...

[@jamesm9935]

Really enjoyed the video THANK YOU. Absolutely love the Shadows and play them regularly at home. Great seeing Bruce and how kind of him to share his stories. Wonderful guy as they all are.

[@derekstocker6661]

Great to see Bruce, what a great guitarist, what fabulous sounds this man has made and entertained us for decades. Thanks for this.

[@PBGuitarStory]

You're welcome, so glad you like it!

[@inverross9019]

In the 1990's, I stood at the bar with Bruce at a Joe Meek tribute night in London. I was so taken aback I couldn't think of anything intelligent to say. So much I could have asked about his writing and production work. But he signed an autograph, and was so gracious.. a genuinely lovely bloke. Jet Harris was in the same bar, but a different area, so I met two legends in one go. Oh and I met drummer Clem Cattini and also Bobby Graham (from the Outlaws there).. not knowing he was the ghost session drummer on thousands of tracks - many we know and love.

[@cloudhop]

Satisfying to hear these hidden stories after all the decades.

[@CliffMcAulay]

Such a treat to see Mr Welch looking so well. He was very kind to me when I was a teenager signed to his 'Neon' Music Publishing. All the best to you sir. Guitar story...A super film..Consider yourself subscribed!

[@trevorgwelch7412]

Amazing Man . Great Guitarist . ✨🎸🎼🎼🎼✨🏆

[@otterman62]

i had the pleasure of meeting Bruce once and he was a lovely guy, great to hear this.

[@Marlondurran]

What a nice chap....

[@graememcgregor8407]

Looking forward to the continuation of this series. Fascinating hearing Bruce speak about the old days.

[@PBGuitarStory]

The next one should be up on Friday! Glad you're liking it so far.

[@166Soccerman]

I am 76 now and have 2 Strats and a Burns Apache. I never tire of playing Apache, it’s stayed with me all these years and always will.

[@MrConan89]

Lovely. I am about the same age as Bruce and have played guitar for 66 years. For a spell, with my hobby band (we played for 15 years twice a month) I played Apache. I do solo gigs these days so the closest I come is to perform 'Travlin light'.

[@PBGuitarStory]

The reason I wanted an electric guitar was hearing Apache. Great to hear you're still playing.

[@johndedman5942]

The fab shadows been a fan for 60years never. Been lucky to meet them but there still great.

[@ParaBellum2024]

What a great story! I never knew the origin of "Apache". As a teenager in 1977, I'd never even heard of the Shadows, as they'd gone out of fashion, even though Cliff Richard was still making hit records. But I was interested in the guitar, so when their album "20 Golden Greats" came out, I bought a copy. The first track on side 1 was Apache, and that was that! Every time I buy a guitar, Apache's the first tune I play on it, a kind of tradition or ritual. I did eventually buy a Stratocaster, a 1979 model in black which I kept for many years, but eventually sold. When I decided to buy another, I went for a brand new Squier CV 50s model, in red, with a maple fingerboard. If it hadn't been for Apache, I might never have chosen that model. On a separate note, younger viewers might reflect on the fact that when Apache was recorded, the school leaving age was 14, and the drummer on Apache was Tony Meehan, aged 15. At an age when today's children are trapped in the education system, here were young adults, standing on their own two feet and making their way in the world.

[@PBGuitarStory]

I'm glad this GuitarStory has helped you learn where the song originated from! It's influence as a song is massive!

[@graememcgregor8407]

Thanks, I never knew that Meehan was 15, that is incredible. A lot of kids aren't trapped in the education system though. Many are on the streets knifing each other, stealing cars and pushing cocaine! The world has progressed... 😄

[@johnhodges8264]

It was recorded by Bert Weedon on an LP first.

[@highpath4776]

@@johnhodges8264 I think Lordon had offered it to Weedon, but Bert couldnt get to promote a single due to other commitments, so it went to The Shadows. Bert then told Hank Lordon owed him one and I think Bert's next tune had Jerry's influence in it.

[@southhams]

Fascinating. I have many of your books. Please do keep this content coming 🎸🎸

[@paulplack490]

That little opening riff made me think "Don't Fear the Reaper" was starting! Thanks for this great historical interview. I was six years old in 1960, but remember thinking this song was awesome when it came on my local station!

[@PBGuitarStory]

You're welcome, I'm pleased these stories can bring some happy memories back to you!

[@cloudhop]

In 1964 I was 11. I had a cheap acoustic guitar which I fitted a pick up on. Hanging wire Jack socket etc (with sellotape ) . On the last day of my junior school I stood on stage in front of the whole school and played APACHE thru a school Ferograph tape recorder. No backing and a few wrong notes. I got a standing ovation ! My first ever show and I’ve been a working musician all my life, still am. And Apache my first ever tune.

[@PBGuitarStory]

That's an amazing story!

[@Alan-ss3xp]

Brilliant well done!

[@digital6string1]

Theme for Young Lovers is a wonderful song,Thank you.

[@scopex2749]

The same as the guy says below. I kept hearing this tune in the 60's as a child and when I was 10 I asked my parents for an electric guitar - they refused! Instead they bought me a classical Spanish guitar and lessons and told me - 'Learn to play FIRST - then we will think about the electric - walk first - DON'T run. So I began my lessons but in secret during the summer school holidays I found a way to amplify my guitar and play it through my Fathers HiFi. I bought what was known as a 'phone mic' ( for recording phone conversations) and selotaped it to the bridge on my acoustic ( remember I was only about 11 by now!) Bingo I could play through ONE speaker of the stereo! Now Apache was recorded in those days in simple stereo with Hank in one speaker and the guys (Bruce, Brian and Jet) in the other effectively cutting out Hanks part ............WHICH I learned to play in this way by tuning my acoustic TO the 45 single. I worked out the fingering and voila - I had my first Shads tune nailed. I carried on in this way until I was 12 when my father bought me a cheap copy of a Telecaster (no whammy bar) so I had to learn to BEND the strings, also a small amp. They were AMAZED that as soon as I set it up I could play Apache PERFECTLY! Years later I owned up to HOW I learnt this amazing tune and bought my first 'Strat' with a whammy arm and a Vox AC30. Later when in the forces I taught another chap to play guitar and we formed a simple band playing in village halls etc we called ourselves 'The Silhouettes' - (in honor of THE SHADOWS). Many moons later I met and spoke to my hero Hank at 'The Shadows farewell tour' ( It turned out they did several MORE 'farewell tours' after this over the years!😊) THANKS GUYS for all the music and also I learnt a song that reminded me of what my parents said - a tune by the Ventures - WALK - DONT RUN! Thank you to my now late parents for the guitars and lessons, sadly arthritis has wrecked my hands and I can no longer play guitar only keyboards. I do miss playing my OWN Red Strat that I built myself which I had to sell.👍👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@awfelia]

Awesome!! Bruce was my favourite Shadow and I got to speak with him on the old farm phone when Cliff n the Shadows toured in South Africa in 1961. I even had a signed program from that tour which my uncle..who was a fireman and doing fire duty at the Colisseum where they played in Johannesburg..obtained for me! Sadly I never got to attend a concert as I was stuck in boarding school 😞

[@peteraustin370]

Apache got me started on guitar out in Singapore in 1960.....and I'm STILL at it today..!!....But I've got way too much guitar gear now...just bought a new Fender Jazzmaster to add to it all..!!...That rascal Hank Marvin has got a lot to answer for....!!!!!!!!!!

[@kenmcd2014]

I've been playing in bands since I was a teenager, I still am.....err playing in bands I mean, not still a teenager. I haven't been one of them for for 50 years. But Apache, that sound of the shadows and all the subsequent hits they had, made it that there was nothing more that I wanted other than to learn to play the guitar. The was a great recollection from Bruce Welsh. Thanks for putting all this up. A great You Tube channel

[@PBGuitarStory]

I'm so pleased you like it! Apache was the tune that made me want to first pick up a guitar too!

[@johndavey72]

A priviledge sir ! .......Everyday's a school day . Thankyou

[@terrydonegan1622]

Just wonderful!! I used to love drumming to Apache and every other Shads number when i drummed in a 60's band in South Wales back in 2000. I loved 'The Savage' particularly

[@rogeralsop3479]

Excellent!

[@WolfmanWoody]

I was Butlins Ocean Hotel near Brighton in 1960. One of the areas over the bedrooms, a covered terrace, had a small sporting facility, table tennis and stuff and at one end, a small dance floor and juke box. Apache was played almost continuously, you just couldn't get tired of it.

[@PBGuitarStory]

It is truly a sensational tune!

[@chrisst8922]

Bruce is such a good speaker. I wonder if he's heard The Surfrajettes yet.

[@bernhardnizynski4403]

The best guitar instrumental ever!

[@stewartsnape2936]

Great to see Bruce again of the shads, apache was my introduction to the shadows back in 1960 I was only 7

[@digital6string1]

Met you in Toronto,great zhow and thankyou for speaking with you.

[@oatnoid]

Apache is one of the tunes that inspired me to learn guitar. That sound of the Fender Strat and the reverb on Echo-Plex delay. It inspired more guitar players to copy it than Hendrix. It's why Fender and many other manufacturers put reverb on most of their amps.

[@EdVanMeyer]

Hank used a Meazzi tape echo on the early tunes, later going to a Binson, I have been playing his style for over 40 years and loving it.

[@philwhelan3854]

Hi Paul , great story and nice to see you again after all these years

[@kevintraynor4508]

I love the shadows massively but iv heard these story's so many times there is nothing new I have not heard before.

[@fincaman2]

It often happened in those days that "producers" just weren't in tune with the new sounds, for instance the Animals had to fight their management to release House Of The Rising Sun

[@eredison8584]

I've just come across you .I'll check you out in future.I was a professional keyboard player at one time.I tried playing guitar once, absolutely useless but I know a good guitarist when I see one.Very enjoyable.

[@51yatto]

Thanks for the very interesting story from Bruce - one of the great legends of music. Interestingly, there is a vocal version of Apache performed by Sonny James, which I really enjoy listening to.

[@DaveKent-zw3gb]

I also recorded the vocal version of Apache back in the 1970’s

[@nickdrf]

Great stuff this and thanks so very much. Really wonderful. My story is just the same as yours as I knew Bruce too. I started our band The Evening Shadows that he took some interest in.

[@alphalunamare]

I always thought I was odd for singing guitar! glad I wasn't alone :-)

[@Bruce15485]

Apache ! Most probably the best instrumental ever !!!

[@robertwilson738]

Or Wonderful Land? Both make the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Always loved this and the Shadows. Hank Marvin lives not far away up in the hills

[@sweetierajoo5911]

I atill play their tunes 60 years on

[@michelcalteau5231]

J'avais 12 ans lorsque les Shadows se révélèrent à moi et surtout avec "Apache" que j'écoutais sur un "Teppaz"...À partir de ce moment là ce fut véritablement le déclic...Il me fallait apprendre ce morceau entré à présent au firmament de la musique instrumentale...Il m'a fallu cependant attendre un bon moment avant de posséder une guitare, puis encore bien plus tard et malgré les modes qui se succédaient, je continuais de croire que la musique des Shadows ne pouvait être qu'intemporelle malgré la déferlante beatlemania, et je gardais foi en moi pour apprendre leur musique et d'acquérir certains matériels pour avoir ce fameux son...Auparavant, je suis allé écouter les rares musicos qui interprétaient encore leur répertoire et ils le faisaient assez bien....(Vox, Échorec Binson et autres, Fender stratocaster etc...) Les Shad's ont vieilli, moi aussi, mais leur musique demeure...À défaut de pratiquer en groupe, je me sert des backings tracks et puis d'un VOX AC30, d'un Q20 et d'un égaliseur à défaut d'ARIAB (R.Pistolési), d'une strat fiesta red (ben oui ... comme Marvin !) et bien sûr des tutos avec un MAC...Voilà pour tout dire et la passion est toujours là...Ça m'a fait plaisir de revoir Bruce Welch et je vois qu'il se porte bien après avoir traversé quelques soucis de santé...Il fait partie (évidemment ! ) des guitariste que j'admire tout autant que Hank Marvin...Thank you for this video...

[@markbraxton1289]

Good old amazing Brucie..best instrumental rock rhythm guitarist in the world ..in my opinion .but I always pictured him as a handsome gangster just as at home holding a Thompson machine gun as a stratocaster guitar in the movies as an Al Capone heavy or something...😊😊😊❤

[@johntait491]

I remember purchasing the sheet music for Apache for 2/6p. Struggled for months trying to play it on my crappy acoustic beginners guitar. 😉

[@martintebbutt4732]

With out the shadows and hanks strat i would not have played guitar and so many British guitar legends say hank and the legendary strat was an inspiration 🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@DaveKent-zw3gb]

That’s a different story to what Bruce told me - he said that they were on the London Underground when Jerry played the tune to them and that it’s was Bert Weedon who first recorded it.

[@PBGuitarStory]

That's very interesting!

[@dozerblade]

There, and i always thought they had gone from Burns to the Fenders. As an aside, The Edgar Broughton Band used to do a slightly different version they called APACHE DROPOUT BOOGIE. Which was very good.

[@NorsePJ]

Yet it was Jørgen Ingmann who had success with the tune in the US not The Shadows. In any case, both versions are great.

[@RaymondFunnell-bs1wl]

Hope Bruce is keeping well

[@PBGuitarStory]

Here's the link if you'd like to purchase my Fender Stratocaster manual!🎸 : www.musiconearth.co.uk/

[@anthonykerr311]

Hes great

[@alanthurley6061]

I first heard Apache on the radio in the spring of 1960 and I thought wow so I,ve been a Shadows fan ever since. When they change to Burns Marvins I've always thought that the Burns Marvins were far superior than the Fender Strats, Long Live The Shadows.

[@peternewman3487]

I own a Burns legend de-luxe which I bought from Barry Gibson in 1997 ish and it’s the best sounding guitar that I own.

[@highpath4776]

Interesting I just thought Burns had bribed/sponsered/produce placement and the Fenders were the better sounding guitar.

[@_-_Michael_-_]

Could he be reached some way? Want to do a small video interview with him about his concert with The Shadows in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia in 1968.

[@PBGuitarStory]

Michael if you let me have your contact details I will ask Bruce if he is able to do another interview - Paul

[@_-_Michael_-_]

Thank you, will write you personal message.

[@EdVanMeyer]

As the clock moves from 31st December to 1st Jan every year I play the tune Apache against a backing track, on a 1959 Fiesta Red Stratocaster as a tribute to the Shadows and the great music they have given us.

[@malcolmlyndsell5009]

some of those early shadow's track's are not easy to copy , The sound

[@iaing.364]

Try a Blue Nebula pedal !

[@edwardkujawa]

that promo shot you are holding aJazzmaster

[@cekogoke2761]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@PBGuitarStory]

Remember to check out the GuitarStory website www.musiconearth.co.uk/ with Paul's manuals on there! Hardback and paperback manuals are available now too!

[@paultaylor7082]

Allen Key, not Allen wrench, highly informative though, Apache and Wonderful Land (also written by Jerry Lordan) are two of my favourite instrumentals

[@PBGuitarStory]

I believe they can be called either or but who knows! Really glad you found the video informative. Both amazing pieces.

[@stevenaubrybeale3262]

Any chance getting the amp sound settings .. thank you in advance

[@highpath4776]

Interesting , were they using Fender amps too (see Uncle Doug restoration channels for the various amps fender were building in the 1960, the echo boxes were separate units with a feed out/in loop to the main amp/speaker if wanted.

[@PBGuitarStory]

Hi Steve, do you mean the amp settings for the sound effects I've made for the video?

[@germansanchez7434]

SEGUNDA GUITARRA DE THE SHADOWS. BRUCE WALCH.

[@jonathonjubb6626]

Some 'Tean Idol' or other! Oh, just like Cliff then?!?

[@PBGuitarStory]

The 6th GuitarStory is out now! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2bPZKSemJJofM0

[@mikaelflodstrom6370]

👍🏻

[@johnrawlins6147]

Did you ever meet Eddie cochran

[@Mncrr]

Aren’t you in possession of the famous red strat? Don’t you think hank should have it since he was the premier lead guitarist?

[@PBGuitarStory]

This channel isn't run by Bruce, its owned by me Paul Balmer, I don't know how they both feel about it but I assume they're both happy with where it is! 🎸

[@vernonsaayman9741]

How did ,,apache.. land at jurgen ingmar before the shadow version? Ive never liked that rendition,later also played by the ventures, did the much better shad no never catch on in the usa? I think that apache is probably the grand daddy of all guitar songs, maybe even greater than ,,guitar boogie,, played by more players than any no in history, and played in greater total times than anything before or after,

[@sydmichel]

Well that was alright. But, I thought as it was called guitar stories, it was going to be a story about a guitar, in this case Bruces' Stratocaster. The guitar was hardly mentioned.

[@PBGuitarStory]

More stories specifically focused on guitar's themselves are coming soon. I decided it was best to get the most out of this interview as we could as it's such an amazing insight into The Shadows. So don't worry, the story of the guitars will be told!

[@OuryLN]

MARRIED TO LIVVY,

[@jakevoutilainen3455]

Where are those daughters now?

[@G.suipadici]

la Fender stratocaster, ne serais pas ce quelle est sans les the shadows, et le rock ne serais pas ce qu'il est sans la stratocaster ,

[@waihungwaihungcheungcheung1255]

He been look like older than Cliff.

[@Zacharia503]

He hasn't dyed his hair; Cliff has.

[@PBGuitarStory]

Indeed, thankfully he seemed perfectly well when I conducted this interview!

[@harvey1954]

Should have fired Norrie and hired his daughters instead. Drop me a line if you want some Bill Haley stories.

[@waihungwaihungcheungcheung1255]

Worrie his healthy

[@PBGuitarStory]

When we visited him to do the interview earlier this year, he was in very good health!

[@tonydavis6482]

ask him this...WHY WAS THERE NOT......an original reunion?.....Meehan,Harris Welch,Marvin....simple welch did not get on with meehan and harris....result....no reunion......welch was a nasty piece of work.....listen to the outtakes....you`ll see...thats why it was known as " Welch`s shadows!"

[@PBGuitarStory]

The 5th GuitarStory is out now! kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqHCo5qXitCJmLM