Marvin, Welch & Farrar
| Company type | Supergroup |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1 July 1970 in London, United Kingdom |
| Founder | Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, John Farrar |
| Defunct | 1973 |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom / Australia |
Area served | United Kingdom, Australia |
Key people | Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, John Farrar |
| Products | Albums, singles |
Marvin, Welch & Farrar (MWF) was a British-Australian pop ensemble from the 1970s, formed by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of The Shadows alongside John Farrar, formerly of the Australian band The Strangers. Unlike The Shadows, who were primarily recognized for their instrumental tracks, MWF emphasized vocal harmonies, often likened to American folk-rock groups such as Crosby Stills Nash and Young and The Hollies.
Their sophomore album, Second Opinion (1971), produced by Peter Vince, earned high praise from sound engineers at EMI Records, who regarded it as one of the finest recordings produced at Abbey Road studios.
History
The group was established in London in July 1970, consisting of Marvin (lead vocals, lead guitar), Welch (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), and Farrar (lead vocals, guitar). By August 1970, UK music publications had announced the new collaboration between Marvin and Welch. Marvin noted that the project was intended to explore vocal performance alongside instrumental work, settling on a trio to maximize vocal harmony.
Though relatively unknown in the UK, Farrar brought experience from his time with the Australian band The Strangers. He joined after being recommended to Welch and Marvin by Olivia Newton-John. Within three months, Farrar had moved to London, marking a pivotal step in his career.
In early 1971, MWF appeared in five episodes of a BBC television series featuring Cliff Richard and participated in his European tour under the billing 'The Shadows – featuring Marvin, Welch and Farrar,' leveraging The Shadows’ established reputation. For this tour, session bassist Dave Richmond substituted for John Rostill. MWF performed three songs during each show.
Although their live appearances were limited, The Shadows maintained popularity and were voted Top Instrumental Group in the 1971 New Musical Express poll. However, audiences frequently requested classic Shadows hits during MWF concerts. The trio also recorded several sessions for BBC Radio 1 between 1971 and 1972.
Marvin later reflected that MWF faced challenges appealing simultaneously to longtime Shadows fans and new listeners. Nevertheless, they gained considerable respect within the industry; Cliff Richard commended Second Opinion as an outstanding production. The album was also released in the United States on Sire Records, a label that would later become notable for artists such as the Ramones.
While MWF achieved limited commercial success, their focus remained on studio recordings and songwriting for themselves as well as other artists like Richard and Newton-John. Farrar and Welch collaborated on producing Newton-John’s records until her professional separation from Welch, after which Farrar took sole responsibility for her career management.
By 1972, Welch departed from the group due to unmet expectations amid critical scrutiny surrounding their associated acts. Despite this setback, their 1971 Palladium residency was considered successful. During tours in 1972, Marvin and Farrar performed with backing from Brian Bennett and additional musicians, blending classic Shadows tunes with new compositions.
Marvin and Farrar recorded an album as a duo—with one track featuring Welch—likely intended as a follow-up to previous MWF projects. The song "Music makes my day" included Newton-John playing recorder. Marvin later described this album as lacking a clear artistic direction.
Issued in the United States on Capitol Records under the title Hank Marvin and John Farrar, this release coincided with Cliff Richard’s participation in the 1973 Eurovision Song Contest, where Farrar contributed backing vocals. Additionally, Farrar acted as musical director for Richard’s 1973 Australian tour, supported by The Strangers and the Pat Carroll Singers providing vocal harmonies.
MW&F Performances
Concert appearances by Marvin, Welch and Farrar, and subsequently by Marvin and Farrar, sparked interest in classic Shadows tunes such as FBI and Apache. In 1973, Marvin and Welch declared that the Shadows would reunite annually solely for recording purposes. Meanwhile, Marvin and Farrar sustained their partnership and joined forces with Welch and Bennett under the Shadows name. Their initial album as this ensemble, Rockin' with Curly Leads, was issued in November 1973.
The majority of songs by Marvin, Welch & Farrar were composed by the principal members, occasionally featuring co-writers.
Discography (MW&F)
- Albums
- Live at the BBC – unreleased sessions – 1970–72
- Marvin, Welch & Farrar – LP/CD – Regal Zonophone/See4Miles – 1971/1991
- Second Opinion – LP/CD – Regal Zonophone/See4Miles – 1971/1991
- Second Opinion – Quadraphonic LP – Regal Zonophone – 1972
- Step From The Shadows – LP/CD – See4Miles – 1986
- A Thousand Conversations – The Best of Marvin, Welch & Farrar – LP/CD – EMI – 1997
- Marvin, Welch & Farrar / Second Opinion (Remastered) – CD – BGO – 2006
- Cliff Richard 'Live' In Japan '72 – 2LP/8-CD box set – Toshiba-EMI/EMI – 1973/2008
- 'Live' In Japan '72 – Cliff Richard album including M&F track "Backscratcher" – EMI CD (2009)
- Live at the Paris Olympia – Shadows album featuring ten MW&F-era tracks – EMI CD (1992)
- Live at the Paris Olympia/'Live' In Japan – Shadows double album containing ten MW&F-era songs – Magic Records (2002)
- Singles
- Faithful / Mr. Sun – 7" single – Regal Zonophone RZ 3030 – 22 January 1971
- Lady of the Morning / Tiny Robin – 7" single – Regal Zonophone RZ 3035 – 28 May 1971
- Marmaduke / Strike A Light – 7" single – Regal Zonophone RZ 3048 – 17 March 1972
- Faithful / Brownie Kentucky – 7" single (New Zealand release) – Regal Zonophone RZ.701 – 1971
Discography (M&F)
- Albums
- Hank Marvin & John Farrar – LP/CD – EMI/See4Miles – 1973/1991
- Hank Marvin & John Farrar (Remastered) – CD – BGO – 2007
- Singles
- Music Makes My Day / Skin Deep – 7" single – EMI EMI 2044 – 20 July 1973
- Small And Lonely Light / Galadriel (Spirit of Starlight)–7" single–EMI EMI 2335–22 August 1975
Guitars Played by MW&F/M&F
- Marvin (acoustic): Gibson (6- and 12-string); Martin D-45, D-28; Yamaha models
- Marvin (electric): Burns Marvin; Fender Stratocaster (Sunburst & Black finishes); Gibson Les Paul De-Luxe
- Welch (acoustic): Martin D-28
- Farrar (acoustic): Martin D-28
- Farrar (electric): Fender Telecaster (thin-line with Bigsby tremolo); Gibson Les Paul
Studio Recordings
- MW&F "MW&F"/"Second Opinion"
- 1970–72: Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), Farrar (guitar), accompanied by Alan Hawkshaw (keyboards), Clem Cattini (drums), Dave Richmond (bass)
- MW&F BBC Radio One Sessions (unreleased)
- 1970–72: Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), Farrar (guitar), supported by Brian Bennett (drums), Geoff Atherton (bass)
- M&F "HM&JF"
- 1973: Marvin (guitar), Farrar (guitar), with Alan Tarney (bass), Trevor Spencer (drums), Olivia Newton-John (recorder), Brian Bennett (percussion)
Live Shows
- MW&F with Gene Pitney or Cliff Richard
- 1970–71: Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), Farrar (guitar)
- M&F Japan Tour with Cliff Richard/Olivia Newton-John/Pat Carroll
- 1972: Marvin (guitar), Farrar (guitar), joined by Rostill (bass), Hawkshaw (keyboards), Bennett (drums)
- M&F at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club
- 1973: Marvin (guitar), Farrar (guitar), accompanied by Dave Olney (bass), Andrew Steele (drums)
- M&F at Batleys Night Club
- 1973: Marvin (guitar), Farrar (guitar), with Geoff Atherton (bass), Andrew Steele (drums); also featured Hank Marvin, John Farrar, Andrew Steele, Pat Carroll, Robert Young on the Bailey's cabaret circuit in the UK
Session musicians
- Clem Cattini – Drums and percussion (debut album)
- Dave Richmond – Bass guitar (first and second albums)
- Alan Hawkshaw – Piano and organ (first two albums)
- Peter Vince – Piano and organ (debut album)
- Brian Bennett – Drums and percussion (second album and M&F album)
- Duffy Power – Harmonica (second album)
- Johnny Van Derek – Fiddle (second album)
- Dave Olney – Bass guitar (live performances)
- Geoff Atherton – Bass guitar (live performances)
- Andrew Steele – Drums (live performances)
- Alan Tarney – Bass guitar (M&F album)
- Trevor Spencer – Drums and percussion (M&F album)
- Olivia Newton-John – Recorder (M&F album)
- Richard Hewson – Orchestral arrangements (M&F album)
- Robert Young (Robert Parkes, Stockport) – Percussion during live shows
Bibliography
- Books
- The Story of the Shadows by Mike Read. 1983. Elm Tree Books.
- Rock 'n' Roll, I Gave You The Best Years of My Life — A Life in the Shadows by Bruce Welch. Penguin Books.
- A Pocket Guide to Shadow Music, by M. Campbell, R. Bradford, L. Woosey. Idmon.
- A Guide to The Shadows and Hank Marvin on CD, by M. Campbell & L. Woosey. Idmon.
- The Complete Rock Family Rock Trees, by Pete Frame. Omnibus.
- The Shadows Discography, by John Friesen.
- The Shadows Discography, by George Geddes.
- Guinness World Records: British Hit Singles and Albums (19th Edition), David Roberts.
- The Complete Book of the British Charts Singles and Albums, by Neil Warwick, Jon Kutner & Tony Brown.
- John Farrar — Music Makes My Day (A Shadsfax-Tribute-40pp-booklet), by T. Hoffman et al.
- Sheet Music (Book Albums)
- Marvin Welch and Farrar, 1970, Music Sales Ltd.