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The War Lord (instrumental)

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"The War Lord"
Single by The Shadows
B-side"I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur"
Released19 November 1965 (1965-11-19)
Recorded9 October 1965[1]
StudioEMI Studios, London
GenreInstrumental rock
Length2:16
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Jerome Moross
The Shadows singles chronology
"Don't Make My Baby Blue"
(1965)
"The War Lord"
(1965)
"I Met a Girl"
(1966)

"The War Lord" is an instrumental by British group the Shadows, released as a single in November 1965. It peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

Release and reception

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"The War Lord" was written by American Jerome Moross and is the theme tune to Franklin J. Schaffner's 1965 film The War Lord, starring Charlton Heston and Richard Boone.[3] It was recorded by the Shadows in October 1965, a month before the American premiere of the film, although their version was not included on Moross' soundtrack album.[4]

The Shadows' version was released as a single with the B-side "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur", written by their bassist John Rostill.[5] It spent nine weeks in the UK Top 40, peaking at number 18 for two weeks over the 1965–66 Christmas and New Year period.[2]

Reviewing for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson wrote that "rasping, reverberating, low-register Hank Marvin guitar permeates this item, with pounding drums and tambourine added to accentuate the heavy beat" and that "it's a simple melody, insidious in its nagging repetition. The performance is as polished as ever, and it's the most with-it sound the boys have waxed for some time".[6] In Record Mirror, it was described as "a persuasive sort of theme, hall-marked by Shadow professionalism. You'll soon be whistling along with this one. It's compact musicianly – but all with a beat".[7]

"The War Lord" later appeared as the first B-side track on the EP Those Talented Shadows, released in September 1966.[8]

Track listing

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7": Columbia / DB 7769

  1. "The War Lord" – 2:16
  2. "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur" – 2:30

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1965–66) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] 30
Singapore[10] 5
UK Singles (OCC)[2] 18

References

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  1. ^ Koers, Ivo. "Instrumentation On Shadows Recordings II: The Primary Singles" (PDF). malcolmcampbell.me.uk. p. 26. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Shadows: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. ^ The Story of the Shadows by Mike Read. 1983. Elm Tree books. ISBN 0-241-10861-6
  4. ^ "Jerome Moross - The War Lord (The Original Sound Track Album)". Discogs. 1965. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  5. ^ "The Shadows - The War Lord". 45cat. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  6. ^ "Derek Johnson on singles" (PDF). New Musical Express. 19 November 1965. p. 4. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  7. ^ "New Singles" (PDF). Record Mirror. 20 November 1965. p. 9. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  8. ^ "The Shadows - A Place In The Sun". 45cat. Retrieved 2022-02-08.
  9. ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  10. ^ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 29 January 1966. p. 32. Retrieved 8 February 2022.