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The footage below shows an early gathering of The Shadows, but for what purpose? It has the look of a promo. Any information on the film would be much appreciated.



Graham

Yes, it is believed to be a promo, for distribution to TV stations (mainly), including those in the UK and (probably) abroad. The differing TV standards between different countries wouldn't matter because the promo was, of course, made on cine-film.

Promo films are older, as a concept, than some might think. MTV didn't invent them!

This film was referred to in Cliff's Me and My Shadows book as being directed by Jack Good.

I thought it was for video jukeboxes, genuinely! I believe they had them on the continent. That's what I've read. Anyway, whatever it was for, it MUST surely have been one of the first promo films/videos for a pop single.

Queen has claimed to have made the very first promo video with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 1975 and The Beatles also with "I Feel Fine" maybe in 1964, but The Shadows seem to have done it already in 1960. Which artist can really claim to have made the very first promo video?

Does anyone know where in the U.K. this film was actually shown? I’ve only ever seen it on YouTube, well after 1960!

iefje wrote:Queen has claimed to have made the very first promo video with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 1975 and The Beatles also with "I Feel Fine" maybe in 1964, but The Shadows seem to have done it already in 1960. Which artist can really claim to have made the very first promo video?

One of the earliest must have been the undertaker video produced by the Kinks in 1966 to promote Dead End Street - a masterpiece in its way, arguably!

http://www.45cat.com/record/7n17222

Bill

The 'Apache' video was shown regularly at Shadowmania.

I remember reading years ago the films for the cine jukebox were reversed, because they would be back projected, through a mirror and therefore would look a bit odd if projected conventionally.

George

I have a copy (somewhere) of the complete ‘advert’ and the introduction was in French, so perhaps that was the intended market at the time.

Gentlemen, thank you for your responses which are very much appreciated.

Graham