The ShadowMusic Web Community

Very pleased that Rob Bradford's excellent book about John Rostill is to be reprinted in expanded form. This will serve as the perfect tribute to both writer and subject.

https://www.leosden.co.uk/shop/index.ph ... er=product

Great news

That certainly is good news! I have a copy of the original 1988 edition, but I will also buy the new edition.

Wow! This has been an on-off project for years and I’d wrongly assumed that with Rob’s death it wouldn’t come to pass. Thrilled to be wrong and I’m definitely buying it!

The available technology has improved beyond measure since the late 1980s.

It certainly made the re-editing and improved layout a much easier job than it can have been when the original was published. The text back then was obviously essentially a case of (skilled) typewriting and photography. Today, it's all state of the art word processing and desk-top publishing.

It was also possible to improve and repair many of the pictures used in the original print run, as well as adding lots of "new" ones and some extra appendices and an updated Discography.

You will love it, Iain!

And so will I (having only seen parts of it so far)!

I might buy this since the Brian Bennett book seems unlikely to ever appear.

EDIT: Hang on - Rob's dead? When did that happen?

Fenderman wrote:Hang on - Rob's dead? When did that happen?

I’m sorry you missed this news, over a year ago now. To find out anything from the past like that, may I recommend the Search and Advanced Search facilities at the top right of this page. Put in the name “Rob Bradford” and loads of stuff comes up — including this http://shadowmusic.bdme.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=18799

Fenderman wrote:I might buy this since the Brian Bennett book seems unlikely to ever appear.

Don’t give up hope! There are loads of Shads-related groups in Facebook. Not all of them are as official as they look, I’m afraid, but this one is definitely OK. You will find encouraging book news here.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/492434410804391

I haven't checked the link but i suspect it's the one i was a member of. I left after abuse from some members.
I got a handwritten letter (now lost) from Rob when i contacted him to buy the original John Rostill book. Wish i kept it. I have many CD's, records etc with his notes. He did a fantastic job researching the Shadows and keeping the flame alive. I was deeply shocked when i read that last night.

Fenderman wrote:I haven't checked the link but i suspect it's the one i was a member of. I left after abuse from some members.

That is what I meant when I said that some of the FB groups were not as good as others. I’ll be very surprised if you had a bad experience on this particular one, it’s well run and BB is aware of what goes on there.

All i said was i pointed out Hank's religion on his birthday. After a string of nasty comments i walked. I very rarely use FB at all now.
I read that the BB bio is due around summer, i'll definitely be buying that. Hank and Bruce should do the same while they still can. I'm surprised no one has asked Hank to do one or asked permission to interview him and write about his life.