Foot Tapper (Instrumental)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| “Foot Tapper” | |
|---|---|
| |
| Single by The Shadows | |
| from the album Summer Holiday | |
| B-side | “The Breeze and I“ |
| Released | 22 February 1963 |
| Recorded | 8 January 1963 |
| Studio | EMI Studios, London |
| Genre | Instrumental rock |
| Length | 2:34 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriters | Hank Marvin Bruce Welch |
| Producer | Norrie Paramor |
| The Shadows singles chronology | |
| “Dance On!“ (1962)”Foot Tapper“ (1963)”Atlantis“ (1963) | |
“Foot Tapper” is an instrumental by British guitar group the Shadows, released as a single in February 1963. It went to number one in the UK Singles Chart, and was the Shadows’ last UK number-one hit (not including those where they performed as Cliff Richard‘s backing group).
Background and reception
Filmmaker Jacques Tati went to see the Shadows at the Olympia in Paris in 1961 and asked them to write a song for his next film. So, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch wrote “Foot Tapper”. However, Tati had funding difficulties and his next film, Playtime, did not appear until 1967.
Instead, in 1963, the Shadows had a small role in the film Summer Holiday and its producer Peter Yates needed some music for the radio in the bus scene, so they offered up “Foot Tapper”. It was released in February as a re-recorded double A-sided single with the pop standard “The Breeze and I” a week earlier than planned.
Reviewed in New Record Mirror, it was described as “a beautifully balanced bit of recording with a compelling theme. Hank, Licorice and Bruce are in precise, driving form – but the side showcases Brian’s forceful but controlled drumming, notably on cymbals. Just try and stop your foot tapping. It’ll fair hurtle into the charts – and is probably even better than “Dance On“. Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described “Foot Tapper” as a “light-hearted modern dancer which will pull in as many customers as the other side – maybe more”.
It is also known for being the signature tune and closing theme for the BBC Radio 2 programme Sounds of the 60s, from when it started in 1983 until Brian Matthew left the show in 2017.
Track listing
7″: Columbia / DB 4984
- “Foot Tapper” – 2:34
- “The Breeze and I” – 2:47
Personnel
- Hank Marvin – electric lead guitar
- Bruce Welch – acoustic rhythm guitar
- Brian “Licorice” Locking – electric bass guitar
- Brian Bennett – drums, sistrum
Charts
| Chart (1963) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report) | 2 |
| Denmark (Danmarks Radio) | 13 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 7 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade) | 2 |
| Norway (VG-lista) | 5 |
| South Africa (SARMDA) | 4 |
| Sweden (Kvällstoppen) | 3 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 1 |
Foot Tapper Covers
- The Thomshell Light Orchestra
- Guitar Express
- Steve Reynolds
- Eric
Summer Holiday (Album)
| Summer Holiday | |
|---|---|
| |
| Soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and The Shadows | |
| Released | 18 January 1963 |
| Recorded | May – November 1962 |
| Genre | Pop · film score |
| Length | 43:33 |
| Label | Columbia (EMI) 33SX1472 (mono), SCX3462 (stereo) |
| Producer | Norrie Paramor |
| Cliff Richard and The Shadows chronology | |
| 32 Minutes and 17 Seconds (1962)Summer Holiday (1963)Cliff’s Hit Album (1963) | |
| Singles from Summer Holiday | |
| “The Next Time“/”Bachelor Boy“ Released: 30 November 1962″Summer Holiday“” Released: 8 February 1963″Foot Tapper“ Released: 22 February 1963 | |
Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| New Record Mirror |  |
Summer Holiday is a soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows to the film of the same name. It is their second film soundtrack album and Richard’s eighth album overall. The album topped the UK Albums Chart for 14 weeks. Three singles from the album were released. Before the album release both “The Next Time” and “Bachelor Boy” (A- and B-side respectively) had already been hits. This was followed by “Summer Holiday” and lastly “Foot Tapper” (by the Shadows). All three singles topped the UK singles chart.
Rare Release
A “special edition” double-album (limited to 80 copies) was given to the cast and crew of the movie and has since become very collectible, with an original selling for £498 in 2010.
Track listing
Side one
- “Seven Days to a Holiday” (Cliff Richard, A.B.S. Orchestra, The Michael Sammes Singers) – 3:13
2. “Summer Holiday” (Cliff Richard and the Shadows, The Norrie Paramor Strings) – 2:10
3. “Let Us Take You for a Ride” (Cliff Richard, A.B.S. Orchestra, The Michael Sammes Singers) – 4:39
4. “Les Girls” (The Shadows) – 2:00
5. “Round and Round” (The Shadows) – 2:05
6. “Foot Tapper” (The Shadows) – 2:27
7. “Stranger in Town” (Cliff Richard, A.B.S. Orchestra) – 2:35
8. “Orlando’s Mime” (A.B.S. Orchestra) – 2:18
Side two
- “Bachelor Boy” (Cliff Richard and the Shadows, The Michael Sammes Singers) – 2:02
2. “A Swingin’ Affair” (Cliff Richard, Grazina Frame, A.B.S. Orchestra) – 4:18
3. “Really Waltzing” (Cliff Richard, A.B.S. Orchestra, The Michael Sammes Singers) – 1:57
4. “All At Once” (Cliff Richard, A.B.S. Orchestra) – 3:52
5. “Dancing Shoes” (Cliff Richard and the Shadows) – 2:11
6. “Yugoslav Wedding” (A.B.S. Orchestra) – 3:00
7. “The Next Time” (Cliff Richard and the Shadows, The Norrie Paramor Strings) – 2:58
8. “Big News” (Cliff Richard and the Shadows) – 1:54
Personnel
Cliff Richard and the Shadows
- Cliff Richard – lead vocals
- Hank Marvin – lead guitar, electric piano on Bachelor Boy
- Bruce Welch – rhythm guitar
- Brian ‘Licorice’ Locking – bass guitar
- Brian Bennett – drums
){kind=link}
Comments