HANK B MARVIN

Hank B Marvin

Born, Brian Robson Rankin, 28 October 1941, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England.

Hank Marvin's metallic, echoed picking on a red Fender Stratocaster (with generous employment of tremolo arm) was the inspirational source of the fretboard pyrotechnics of Jeff Beck, Ritchie Blackmore and many other lead guitarists who began in groups imitating the Shadows, of whom Marvin, in his black, horn-rimmed glasses, was the principal public face.

After teaching himself guitar, banjo and boogie-woogie piano at school, Hank Marvin's father presented him with a Hofner Congress on his sixteenth birthday. When his Crescent City Skiffle Group won a South Shields Jazz Club talent contest, he was asked to join Bruce Welch's Railroaders. On moving to London, Marvin and Welch operated briefly as the Geordie Boys before enlisting in an outfit called the Drifters, which evolved into the Shadows. While backing and, later, composing songs (such as 'The Day I Met Marie') for Cliff Richard, the quartet recorded independently and became generally acknowledged as Britain's top instrumental act.

After their first disbandment in 1968, Marvin's subsequent solo career commenced with 'Goodnight Dick', but poor sales of this and two further singles were only surface manifestations of the deeper groundswell of support that hoisted 1969's Hank Marvin to number 14 in the UK album chart. Yet despite contrasting moods and styles, the album was not far removed from the Shadows with its Norrie Paramor arrangements and composing contributions by Brian Bennett, the group's drummer. Marvin's affinity with Richard continued via their hit duets with 'Throw Down A Line' and 'Joy Of Living', as well as Hank's residency as instrumentalist and comedian on Cliff's BBC television series.

In the early 70s, seeking a fresh artistic direction, Hank Marvin amalgamated with Bruce Welch and John Farrar for two albums (Marvin, Welch & Farrar and Second Opinion) dominated by vocals and another (Marvin & Farrar) with Farrar alone ("a bit like Frankenstein meets the Beach Boys", concluded Marvin) before this project was abandoned partly through Marvin's personal commitments - notably his indoctrination as a Jehovah's Witness in 1973, and the gradual reformation of the Shadows.

After moving to Australia, Marvin turned out for the group's annual tour and studio album, while also recording albums such as The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate, on which he led nine noted session guitarists. In 1982, he charted with 'Don't Talk' - intended initially for Richard - from Words & Music, which contained only one instrumental ('Captain Zlogg'). After working with the Shadows during the late 80s Marvin went on to record prolifically during the following decade, much to the delight of his loyal fanbase.

Hank B Marvin has long been assured a place in pop history and is unquestionably one of the major influences on many rock guitarists, throughout the world, over the past 30 years. It is his stellar work with the Shadows in the 60s which made him such a legend.

Discography:
Hank Marvin (Columbia 1969)**, The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate (EMI 1977)**, Words & Music (Polydor 1982)**, All Alone With Friends (Polydor 1983)**, Into The Light (Polydor 1992)**, Heartbeat (Polydor 1993)**, Hank Plays Cliff (Polydor 1995)***, Hank Plays Holly (Polydor 1996)***, Hank Plays Live (PolyGram 1997)***, Marvin At The Movies (Universal 2000)***, Hank Marvin Guitar Player (Universal 2002).

Compilations:
The Best Of Hank Marvin And The Shadows (Polydor 1994)***, Handpicked (Polydor 1995)***, Another Side Of Hank Marvin (Spectrum 1998)**, The Very Best Of Hank Marvin & The Shadows: The First 40 Years (Polydor 1998)***.

Bibliography:
A Guide To The Shadows And Hank Marvin On CD, Malcolm Campbell.

Filmography:
Expresso Bongo (1959), Summer Holiday (1962), Wonderful Life (1964), Finders Keepers (1966).

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Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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