"A Thousand Shadows" (sometimes written "1000 Shadows") is a song by

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rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

group

The Seeds The Seeds were an American psychedelic garage rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1965, best known for their highest charting single " Pushin' Too Hard". The band's classic line-up featured frontman Sky Saxon, guitarist Jan Savag ...

, written by vocalist

Sky Saxon The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from outer space. In the field of astronomy, ...

, keyboardist Daryl Hooper, and guitarist Jan Savage. Produced by Marcus Tybalt, it was released as a single in 1967 and peaked at number 72 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart.

Background and release

The Seeds premiered "A Thousand Shadows" during a March 1967 performance at the Daisy club in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. B ...

. In June, the song was released as the

lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release s ...

from the band's third album, ''

Future The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...

''. The single came in a pink sleeve adorned with gray four-leaf clovers outlining a negative photograph of the band members next to a sign that says "Wishing Well - Help Us Grow."

Reception

A review of "A Thousand Shadows" in a June 1967 issue of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine stated "with the flower theme throughout, this smooth rhythm entry swell written, performed and produced." Joe Viglione of

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that the song's melody and feel were similar to those of the band's earlier single "

Pushin' Too Hard "Pushin' Too Hard", originally titled "You're Pushing Too Hard", is a song by American rock group The Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon and produced by Saxon with Marcus Tybalt. It was released as a single in 1965, re-issued the following year, ...

". Music historian

Domenic Priore Domenic Priore (born January 15th 1960) is an American author, historian and television producer whose focus is on popular music and its attendant youth culture. Biography He has written extensively about The Beach Boys' ''Smile'' album, includin ...

described the lyrics to "A Thousand Shadows" as "ambitious (but never ambiguous)" and said "the music retains the taut incision of 1950s

rock 'n' roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...

." The single spent four weeks on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 72. It reached number 86 on the U.S. ''Cash Box'' Top 100 chart.

Track listing

;7" Vinyl

Chart performance

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thousand Shadows 1967 songs 1967 singles Parlophone singles Songs written by Sky Saxon The Seeds songs