Apache

by

Jorgen Ingmann

Album: Pop History 1961      Released: 1961

US Chart: 2     

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Jerry Lordan wrote this. The Shadows met him when they appeared on the same bill of a 1960 tour. Lordan performed this on his ukulele and the Shadows reworked it.

UK guitarist Bert Weedon originally recorded this song. When Top Rank Record Company procrastinated over its release, Jerry Lordan passed it to The Shadows. Bert Weedon's version was released at the same time, but only reached #24.

The Shadows were Cliff Richard's group in the 1960s. Their version hit #1 on the UK charts, but Ingmann's version prevented theirs from charting in the US.

Cliff Richard played bongos on The Shadows version. In 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh he says "Jorgen Ingmann put in a few tricky bits, but essentially it was a cover job. If the Shads had made the charts there with Apache, things might have been very different for us." (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)

The Shadows had to persuade producer Norrie Paramour that this song should be the A-side. Paramour thought it should be the naval tune Quartermaster's Stores. Paramour played both songs to his daughters, who agreed with The Shadows.

The Ventures released a version of this in 1963. They included it on albums released '65, '67, '71, '75, '77, '80 and '82. (thanks, Raye - Sour Lake, TX)

In Britain the Shadows version of "Apache" was voted Top Record of 1960 in the prestigious New Musical Express Readers' Poll.

Three years after recording this, Jorgen Ingmann with his wife Grethe won the Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Dansevise" (Dancing Tune). They were representing their home country of Denmark. The couple met in 1955, where married in 1956 and got divorced in 1975. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 3)

Some covers with US chart positions:
#87 1961 by Sonny James
#64 1965 Davie Allen & The Arrows
#53 1982 by Sugar Hill Gang
(thanks, Dave - Broadmoor, CA)

The Shadows version was featured in the films Baby Love (1968) and Scandal (1988)

This is normally an instrumental, but Sonny James recorded a version with lyrics. (thanks, Karen - Carlton, MN)

This was a cover of a UK hit that made it into the US Top 10. Through most of the 1960s, it was usually the other way around.

Ingmann, who is from Denmark, played jazz guitar in dance halls before he discovered the style of Les Paul in the 1950s. (thanks, Brad Wind - Miami, FL)

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Comments:

Matthew from NJ, I would give you a hi-5 if I knew you, I couldn't agree more
- Michael, Staten Island, NY

I've just heard the lyrics by Sonny James for the first time. Did he write them?
- Wayne, LAS VEGAS, NV

There is a fantastic version by The Edgar Broughton Band. Called Apache Dropout it mixes, somewhat bizarrely, The Shadows' Apache with Captain Beefheart's Dropout Boogie. (Apparently it was planned to be called Dropout Apache - but Lordon insisted on the reversal.)
- Ian, Duesseldorf, Germany

The Shadows were originally called The Drifters and released two singles under that name, but threatened legal action by The Drifters (US0 meant they had to find another name. Their first single as the Shadows was in fact a vocal (Saturday Dance)Apache was such a massive hit in UK they basically kept to instrumentals.
- roy, leeds, England

The Sugar Hill Gang and Fatboy Slim (and many others) uses the 1973 'Apache' version by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band as a backbone. Don't know if it's still in print, but definitely well worth seeking out for.
- walter, Antwerp, Belgium

The Sugar Hill Gang version is so much cooler!
- Matthew, East Brunswick, NJ

Sugar Hill gang released a version of this also.
- Carmel, Pensacola, FL

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