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Hank Brian Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin,[1] 28 October 1941) is an English multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is known as the lead guitarist for the Shadows.[2]
Marvin was born as Brian Robson Rankin at 138 Stanhope Street in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.[3] His father was an army officer. He played banjo and piano. After hearing Buddy Holly he decided to learn the guitar and also adopted Holly-style dark-rimmed glasses.[2]
He chose his stage name while launching his career. It is an amalgamation of his childhood nickname, Hank, and the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater.
He moved to London in April 1958 after persuading his parents to let him do so in pursuit of a career in the music business.[4] Sixteen-year-old Marvin and his Rutherford Grammar School friend, Bruce Welch, met Johnny Foster, Cliff Richard's manager, at The 2i's Coffee BarinSoho, London. Foster was looking for a guitarist for Cliff Richard's UK tour and was considering Tony Sheridan. Instead he offered Marvin the position. Marvin agreed to join the Drifters, as Cliff Richard's group was then known, provided there was a place for Welch.
Marvin met Richard for the first time at a nearby Soho tailor's shop,[5] where Richard was having a fitting for a stage jacket. The Drifters had their first rehearsal with Richard at the Webb family home (Cliff's parents) in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire. After a threat of legal action by representatives of the American band of the same name, the Drifters became The Shadows in 1959.
The Shadows were known for their instrumental songs, mainly; "Apache" (1960), "F.B.I." (1961), "Wonderful Land" (1962), and "Foot Tapper" (1963), among many others. The band split up briefly between 1968 and 1973, but was reformed by Marvin, Welch and Bennett.
Marvin and the Shadows reformed for a 2004 Final Tour,[6] and a 2005 European tour was also undertaken. Cliff Richard and the Shadows performed the final tour dates in 2009 and 2010.
Sculpture of Hank Marvin by artist Victor Heyfron M.A. 1964
His first critically lauded, eponymous solo album of instrumentals, which featured guitar set to orchestrated backing, was released in 1969, following the first disbanding of the Shadows, in late 1968. The single "Sacha" topped the singles chart in New South Wales, Australia, having been 'discovered' by two DJs at 2WG Wagga Wagga.[7] Marvin has experimented with styles and material, releasing some instrumental albums, some with mostly vocals (e.g. Words and Music, All Alone With Friends), one with only acoustic guitars and one with a guitar orchestra (The Hank Marvin Guitar Syndicate).[citation needed]
In 1969 and 1970, he teamed with Richard for: two 'Cliff & Hank' hit singles, his own song; "Throw Down a Line" (also recorded by Marvin, Welch & Farrar), and "The Joy of Living", while Richard also had a hit with his ecology song, "Silvery Rain".[citation needed] "Silvery Rain" was covered by Olivia Newton-John on her 1981 album Physical.
In 1988, Marvin collaborated with French keyboardist and composer Jean Michel Jarre on the track "London Kid", on Jarre's Revolutions album and was a guest in Jarre's Destination Docklands concert at London's Royal Victoria Dock. Jarre said the Shadows' success had influenced him and led to his decision to devote his career to instrumental music.[citation needed]
Marvin dueted twice with French guitarist Jean-Pierre Danel – on his 2007 and 2010 albums, both top-ten hits and certified gold. Marvin also participated on one of his DVDs and wrote the foreword for Danel's book about the Fender Stratocaster.[citation needed]
Marvin has continued to release instrumental solo albums, all of which have reached the UK Top 10 album charts since 2002. His latest solo album, Without a Word, was released in 2017.[8]
His first wife was Beryl, with whom he had four children.[10] He is currently married to Carole, with whom he had two children.[11]
Since 1986, Marvin has lived in Perth, Western Australia. He has made impromptu appearances on stage when musician friends visit the area, such as in February 2013 when Cliff Richard held a concert at Sandalford Winery. He is one of Jehovah's Witnesses.[12] Marvin has developed a keen interest in the music of jazz guitaristDjango Reinhardt and performs regularly with his group, "Hank Marvin's Gypsy Jazz".[citation needed]
In 1959, Cliff Richard purchased a fiesta red Fender Stratocaster for Marvin to use on stage, which is widely claimed to be the first Stratocaster in the United Kingdom. Although it allegedly still belongs to Richard, it has been in the possession of Bruce Welch since 1968.[23] Marvin has performed on stage almost exclusively with fiesta red Stratocasters since Richard's original purchase.[24]
In Canada, Cliff Richard and the Shadows had top 10 hits, especially from 1961 to 1965. Canadian guitarists Randy Bachman and Neil Young credit Marvin as influential, Young penning the song "From Hank to Hendrix" on his Harvest Moon album in partial tribute.[25][26]
"Hank Marvin" is rhyming slang for "starvin" ("starving").[27] This slang was referenced in a 2012 television advertisement for Mattessons meat company.[28]
1956 Riverside Skiffle group Crescent City Skiffle Group: Marvin (banjo), John Tate (guitar), Derek Johnson (guitar), Joe Rankin (bass), Mal Malarky (mandolin), and Howard Muir (wb), John Clayton (guitar)
1956–1957 The Railroaders (No. 1): Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), George Williams (guitar), John Clayton (guitar), Jim (drums)
1956–1957 The Railroaders (No. 2): Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), Eddie Silver (guitar), George Williams (bass), and Jim ? (drums)
1958 The Vipers (aka the Vipers Skiffle group) live concert: Wally Whyton (vocals), Johnny Booker (guitar), Hank Marvin (guitar), Jet Harris (bass) and Johnny Pilgrim (wb)
1958 The Five Chesternuts 7" single ("Jean Dorothy" on Columbia): Gerry Hurst (vocals), Marvin (guitar), Welch (guitar), Neil Johnson (bass) and Pete Chester (drums)
1994 – w/Ben Marvin (guitar), Warren Bennett (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Griffiths (bass/vocals), Brian Bennett (drums)
1995 – w/Ben Marvin (guitar), Warren Bennett (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Griffiths (bass/vocals), Peter May (drums)
1997 – w/Ben Marvin (guitar), Warren Bennett (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Griffiths (bass/vocals), Matthew Letley (drums)
1998 – w/Ben Marvin (guitar), Warren Bennett (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Griffiths (bass/vocals), Matthew Letley (drums)
2000 – w/Ben Marvin (guitar), Warren Bennett (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Mark Griffiths (bass/vocals), Matthew Letley (drums) (Continental leg) and Peter May (drums) (UK leg)
^Barnes, Jim; Dyer, Fred; Scanes, Stephen (1986). The Book Top Forty Research 2nd Edition 1956-1985 (doc). Top Forty Research Services, N.S.W., Australia, after having been "discovered" by two DJs at 2WG Wagga Wagga.
^Balmer, Paul (2007). The Fender Stratocaster Handbook: How to Buy, Maintain, Set Up, Troubleshoot, and Modify Your Strat. MBI Publishing. p. 7. ISBN978-0760329832. Hank Marvin had a huge influence on guitarists such as Brian May of Queen...
