Bruce Welch (born 2 November 1941 as Bruce Cripps) is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of
the Shadows
The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
.
Biography
Welch's parents (Stan Cripps and Grace Welch) moved him to 15 Broadwood View,
Chester-le-Street
Chester-le-Street (), also known as Chester, is a market town and civil parish in County Durham, England, around north of Durham and also close to Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne. It is located on the River Wear, which runs out to sea at ...
,
County Durham. Welch's mother died when he was aged six, and he grew up with his Aunt Sadie. After learning to play the guitar, he formed a
Tyneside
Tyneside is a built-up area across the banks of the River Tyne in northern England. Residents of the area are commonly referred to as Geordies. The whole area is surrounded by the North East Green Belt.
The population of Tyneside as publishe ...
skiffle
Skiffle is a genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, country, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. Originating as a form in the United State ...
band called the Railroaders when he was fourteen.
His Rutherford Grammar School friend Brian Rankin (later to be known as
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin, 28 October 1941) is an English multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter. He is widely known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows, a group which primarily performed instrumentals and was the ba ...
) joined the group, and they travelled to London in 1958 for the final of a talent competition. Although they did not win, they joined with members of other entrant bands and formed the Five Chesternuts with
Pete Chester
Peter Charles 'Pete' Chester (born 9 September 1941) is an English drummer and songwriter. He is the son of comedian and broadcaster Charlie Chester. Career
Chester started his career by forming the band The Five Chesternuts with Hank Marvin and ...
(born 1942), son of comedian
Charlie Chester
Charlie Chester MBE (26 April 1914 – 26 June 1997) was an English comedian, radio and television presenter and writer, broadcasting almost continuously from the 1940s to the 1990s. His style was similar to that of Max Miller.
Life and ...
, on drums.
Upon moving to London, Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin briefly operated as the Geordie Boys before enlisting in an outfit called the Drifters.
In September 1958, Welch and Marvin joined the Drifters, later to become the Shadows,
[ as ]Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...
's backing band
A backup band or backing band is a musical ensemble that typically accompanies a single artist who is the featured performer. The situation may be a live performance or in a recording session, and the group may or may not have its own name, such ...
. As well as success with the Shadows, Welch acted as producer for (among others) Richard[ and songwriter for his ex-fiancée, ]Olivia Newton-John
Dame Olivia Newton-John (26 September 1948 – 8 August 2022) was a British-Australian singer, actress and activist. She was a four-time Grammy Award winner whose music career included 15 top-ten singles, including 5 number-one singles on the ...
. He also released a solo single, "Please Mr. Please
"Please Mr. Please" is a song written by Bruce Welch and John Rostill, both members of British pop singer Cliff Richard's backing band, The Shadows.Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits'' (Billboard Publication ...
", which was not commercially successful, though the song has been covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by several recording artists (most notably Newton-John, who would take it into the top 10 of the US pop and country charts in 1975).
Welch wrote several number 1 hit singles for Richard and for the Shadows. Among tunes or songs written or co-written by Welch are the Shadows' hits "Foot Tapper
"Foot Tapper" is an instrumental by British guitar group the Shadows, released as a single in February 1963. It went to number one in the UK Singles Chart, and was the Shadows' last UK number-one hit (not including those where they performed as ...
", "Theme for Young Lovers
"Theme for Young Lovers" is an instrumental by British group the Shadows, released as a single in February 1964. It peaked at number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.
Release and reception
Despeite being written by the Shadows' Bruce Welch, he does ...
", and "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt
"The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt" is an instrumental by British group the Shadows. It peaked at number 5 in the UK Singles Chart.
Release and reception
"The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt" was written by all members of the Shadows. Flingel Bun ...
", Marvin Welch & Farrar's "Faithful" and "My Home Town", and Cliff Richard hits "Please Don't Tease
"Please Don't Tease" is a 1960 song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Recorded in March and released as a single in June, the song became their third No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart spending three weeks at the summit. The song was written b ...
", " In the Country", " Summer Holiday", " I Love You" and "I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)
"I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in November 1964 from their album ''Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp''. It peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silve ...
".
He was the musical consultant for the West End musical ''Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
''Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story'' is a musical in two acts written by Alan Janes, and featuring the music of Buddy Holly. It opened at London's Victoria Palace Theatre on 12 October 1989. An early example of the jukebox musical, ''Buddy'' ran in ...
''.
After the Shadows disbanded in 1990, with Marvin deciding to tour with his own band, Welch's plans for his own tours did not fully materialise until 1998, when he formed Bruce Welch's Shadows (originally called 'Bruce Welch's Moonlight Shadows' – a name that was dropped after 1998). The group featured former Shadows bassist Alan Jones and keyboardist Cliff Hall, with Bob Watkins on drums. Phil Kelly and Barry Gibson (owner of Burns Guitars) shared lead guitar duties until Gibson's departure in 2000. Daniel Martin replaced Phil Kelly for the 2012 ''Shadowmania''.
''Shadowmania''
In 1998, he produced ''Shadowmania'', a one-day show comprising various Shadows tribute bands, with his own band topping the bill. Due to the event's success he presented it annually until 2012, missing only 2004 and 2009 due to tours with the reformed Shadows.
At ''Shadowmania'' 2011 he included a 'Tribute to Jet Harris
Jet, Jets, or The Jet(s) may refer to:
Aerospace
* Jet aircraft, an aircraft propelled by jet engines
** Jet airliner
** Jet engine
** Jet fuel
* Jet Airways, an Indian airline
* Wind Jet (ICAO: JET), an Italian airline
* Journey to Enceladus ...
', his former band member who had died from cancer in March of that year. At ''Shadowmania'' 2012, Phil Kelly could not appear because of illness and was replaced by session guitarist-songwriter Daniel Martin, and Justin Daish, leader of The Shadowers (Jet Harris' final backing band).
Honours
He was appointed OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2004 Birthday Honours list for services to music.
Personal life
Welch lives in Richmond, London
Richmond is a town in south-west London,The London Government Act 1963 (c.33) (as amended) categorises the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames as an Outer London borough. Although it is on both sides of the River Thames, the Boundary Commiss ...
.
Early career groups (before Shadows and Drifters)
;1956–57 – The Railroaders (No. 1)
* Hank Marvin (guitar), Bruce Welch (guitar), George Williams (guitar) and Jim ? (drums)
;1956–57 – The Railroaders (No. 2)
* Hank Marvin (guitar), Bruce Welch (guitar), Eddie Silver (guitar), George Williams (bass) and Jim ? (drums)
;1958 – The Five Chesternuts
* 7-inch single – "Jean Dorothy"/"Teenage Love" – on Columbia
* Gerry Hurst (vocals), Hank Marvin (guitar), Bruce Welch (guitar), Neil Johnson (bass) and Pete Chester (drums)
Groups
* The Railroaders
* The Five Chesternuts
* The Drifters
* Cliff Richard and the Drifters
* The Shadows
The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre- Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard ...
* Cliff Richard and the Shadows
* Marvin, Welch & Farrar
Marvin, Welch & Farrar ( MWF) were a 1970s British and Australian popular music group formed by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, both members of The Shadows – as a change of direction manoeuvre during 1970 to 1973 – and John Farrar (ex- The Stra ...
* Bruce Welch's Shadows
Discography
* "Please Mr Please"/"Song of Yesterday" – EMI 2141 – 7-inch – 1974.
* Marvin Welch and Farrar – ''Marvin Welch and Farrar'' – Regal Zonophone – 1971.
* Marvin Welch and Farrar – ''Second Opinion'' – Regal Zonophone 1971.
* The Five Chesternuts – "Jean Dorothy" – Columbia – 7-inch – 1958.
* The Shadows – The Shadows discography
The solo discography of British rock group the Shadows consists of 21 studio albums, five live albums, 25 EPs and 67 singles. They are known for having been the backing group for Cliff Richard in the 1950s and 1960s; however, they were also ...
Guest vocals
* Marvin and Farrar – Hank Marvin and John Farrar – EMI – LP/CD – 1973.
Production credits
* Cliff Richard – " We Don't Talk Anymore" – 7-inch and 12-inch (extended mix) – EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British Transnational corporation, transnational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in March 1 ...
– 1979.
* Cliff Richard – '' I'm Nearly Famous'' – LP/CD – EMI – 1975.
* Cliff Richard – ''Every Face Tells a Story
''Every Face Tells a Story'' is the nineteenth studio album by Cliff Richard. Released in March 1977, it followed-up Richard's comeback album, '' I'm Nearly Famous.'' The album peaked at No.8 during a 10-week run on the UK Album Chart and spa ...
'' – LP/CD – EMI – 1976.
* Cliff Richard – '' Green Light'' – LP/CD – EMI – 1978.
* Cliff Richard – "Little Mistreater" on album '' The Album'' – LP/CD – EMI – 1992.
* The Shadows – ''XXV'' – LP/CD – Polydor – 1983.
* Tarney / Spencer Band – "Cathy's Clown" – 7-inch – A&M – 1979.
* Roger Whittaker
Roger Henry Brough Whittaker (born 22 March 1936) is a British singer-songwriter and musician, who was born in Nairobi to English parents. His music is an eclectic mix of folk music and popular songs in addition to radio airplay hits. He is bes ...
– ''The Genius of Love'' – LP/CD – 1986.
* Olivia Newton-John – ''If Not For You
"If Not for You" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan from his October 1970 album '' New Morning''. It was also issued as the A-side of a single in Europe in early 1971. The song is a love song to Dylan's first wife, Sara Dylan. H ...
'' – LP/CD – Pye – 1971.
* Olivia Newton-John – ''Olivia Olivia may refer to:
People
* Olivia (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Olivia (singer) (Olivia Longott, born 1981), American singer
* Olívia (basketball) (Carlos Henrique Rodrigues do Nascimento, born 19 ...
'' – LP/CD – Pye – 1972.
* Charlie Dore – ''Where to Now'' – LP/CD – Island/Lemon – 1979.
* Cilla Black – ''Especially for You'' – LP/CD – Ktel/Hallmark – 1980.
* Alan David – ''Alan David'' – LP – EMI/EMC3365 – 1981.
* Alan Davy – nreleased album– 1981.
* Sutherland Brothers and Quiver – ''Down to Earth'' – LP/CD – CBS/Lemon – 1977/.
* Page Three – "Hold on to Love" – 7-inch – WB.
* McArthur Park – "Taffeta Rose" / "Sammy" – Columbia – 7-inch.
Bibliography
;Books
* J. Harris, R. Ellis and C. Richard
''Driftin' with Cliff Richard''
(London, 1959).
* ''The Shadows by Themselves'' by Royston Ellis with the Shadows. Consul Books. 1961. No ISBN
*
*
* "That Sound" (''From Move It On: The Story of the Magic Sound of the Shadows''), by R. Pistolesi, M. Addey & M. Mazzini. Publ: Vanni Lisanti. June 2000. No ISBN
* ''A Pocket Guide to Shadow Music'', by M. Campbell, R. Bradford, L. Woosey. Idmon.
*
* The Shadows at Polydor, by M.Campbell. Idmon.
*
*
* ''17 Watts: First 20 Years of British Rock Guitar, the Musicians and Their Stories'', by Mo Foster, Sanctuary Music Library,
* ''The Shadows Discography'', by John Friesen. No ISBN
* ''The Shadows Discography'', by George Geddes. No ISBN
*
*
* ''John Farrar—Music Makes my Day'', (A Shadsfax-Tribute-40pp-booklet), by T. Hoffman, A. Hardwick, S. Duffy, G. Jermy, A. Lewis, J. Auman. No ISBN
* ''John Rostill—Funny Old World'', (Tribute-60pp-booklet), by B. Bradford. No ISBN
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Welch, Bruce
Living people
1941 births
English male guitarists
English male singers
English record producers
English rock guitarists
English songwriters
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People from Bognor Regis
Rhythm guitarists
The Shadows members
Skiffle musicians