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I decided to learn the lead to Maroc 7 a few years ago and when I play it people talk and comment on it as it's a tune that's different to the usual early Shads music and it's a tune not heard very often at Shadows clubs and it was only occasionally played at the Shadowmania events. It's a great tune to play and was The Shadows last chart entry in 1967 for 8 years.

There are not many versions on Youtube but here's mine played to Ian McCutcheon's BT.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... rry+gillam

Barry

Nicely played Barry

Apologies if I've posted this in the wrong place or if it's been answered elsewhere already - it is a Maroc 7 question though.

Yesterday I watched the Maroc 7 film with Gene Barry from 1966/67 on BluRay (released by Network in the UK).

There's an extra on the disk, what seems to be promotional video of The Shadows, sword fighting and having a punch up to Maroc 7. Any idea where this was filmed? It looks on the coast somewhere?

I've been thinking about how Maroc 7 might have been recorded, keeping in mind the posts in this thread that describe Bruce's instinctual approach to chording. I tried to find background information about Paul Ferris but there doesn't seem to be much detail. Is it possible that Ferris composed the theme and precisely wrote out the parts as seen in the published sheet music, but Bruce gave it his own spin and in particular played what he liked on the chord in question rather than the Bbm6 as written?

This is conjecture on my part. I have only recently become a student of the Shadows. Hoping that those who are familiar with the way the Shadows approached and recorded songs written by others might comment.

Since no-one seems to know, I am going to speculate that - assuming it was cut together in 1967 - then the promo film for Maroc 7 'might' have been created using clips from Rhythm and Greens. Just a guess. Probably wrong. I will no doubt succumb to curiosity and temptation and end up buying the blu-ray!

[edit] Ten minutes later... bought it on DVD from Network for nine quid. Not bothered about having it on blu-ray. Hopefully I'll enjoy the film (saw it once in the 1970s on TV) and hopefully it'll be worth it for the 'Shadows music promo'. All will be revealed...

https://networkonair.com/all-products/3213-maroc-7

The film is (for me anyway) above average at best, helped along nicely by a lot of pretty ladies in it. Gene Barry ... hmm, no comment. To be fair, he's way better in Maroc 7 than anything else I've seen him in.

The Shadows video looks like it is recorded on the coast somewhere, maybe near Dover or up in Scotland somewhere - all pure supposition. At some point I'll give it another watch and try and suss it out. The theme of the Shads video is also similar to the Maroc 7 film, especially what happens at the end ... he said, trying to avoid a spoiler alert.

jno wrote:The Shadows video looks like it is recorded on the coast somewhere, maybe near Dover or up in Scotland somewhere - all pure supposition. At some point I'll give it another watch and try and suss it out. The theme of the Shads video is also similar to the Maroc 7 film, especially what happens at the end ... he said, trying to avoid a spoiler alert.

Wasn't there a Foreign Legion sequence in the "movie within a movie" in "Wonderful Life"? There was certainly plenty of North African sand in that film.

Just received the film on DVD. Naturally I immediately watched the Shadows promo film. GREAT STUFF! It was obviously shot especially for the purpose and doesn't seem to be lifted from anywhere else. It's in black and white and features Hank, Bruce, Brian and John in period costume, generally larking about on the sand and duelling with each other, etc... They are watched by a beautiful femme fatale dressed as an Arabian princess. Having never even known this existed a few days ago, I am delighted to now have it. I've never seen it, or even seen it mentioned, anywhere else and I think it's probably worth forking out for the DVD or blu-ray just to have this. Remember, it's the 2020 release from Network. Haven't seen the film since the 1970s. Hope it's worth watching. Mind you, even if it's not, I'm not too bothered now! A nice little gem... newly uncovered!

There's a note on the box info that points out that it includes the Shadows music promo, previously thought to be lost, but now presented in high definition.

Thanks for the information Chris. I've just ordered a used Network 2020 DVD for £6.99 from Music Magpie.

Keith Bateman wrote:Thanks for the information Chris. I've just ordered a used Network 2020 DVD for £6.99 from Music Magpie.

I'm surprised there's not a bit more interest in this. If someone came up to me and said "I've got a Shadows music promo from 1966; no one's seen it in 50 years and it was thought to be lost. But I've got it... do you want a copy?" I'd have fallen over myself to get it. And I'd probably have paid at least £50 for it too! Now it's available, on DVD and blu-ray for a few quid; something I bet none of us have/has/had seen and maybe never even knew existed until now. Maybe everyone is waiting for it to turn up on Youtube...?

Anyway; it's great to see the Shads larking about in a short film clip that is like an undiscovered gem... buried treasure finally found.