Apache

The Shadows, 1960, from Non-album single. Solo by Hank Marvin.

Hank Marvin's echo-laden melody topped the UK chart and inspired a generation of British guitarists.

Apache, written by Jerry Lordan, topped the UK chart for the Shadows, and Hank Marvin's echo-laden melody inspired a generation of British guitarists. His tone is clean and twangy, drenched in echo, giving the tune a haunting, spacious quality that sounded like nothing else on British radio at the time. The melody is simple but memorable, and Marvin's phrasing is precise, using gentle whammy bends to give notes a slight shimmer. Many later players have cited it as the reason they picked up an electric guitar. Listen for how the echo repeats each note, creating a sense of space and drama that makes a small band sound like it is playing in a vast canyon.

Apache by The Shadows is ranked #172 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Hank Marvin and the song was released in 1960. It appears on 2 lists, placing as high as #12 (Guitar Tricks).

In our lists

• One and Only — #26
• The Greatest Solo of Every Year — #17
• The Road Trip 50 — #36
• The 25 Greatest Guitar Instrumentals — #23
• Instrumentals — #22
• The Best The Shadows Guitar Solos — #1
• The Best Hank Marvin Guitar Solos — #1

Sources

• Guitar Tricks: 200 Best Guitar Solos of All Time — #12
• Guitar Player: The 40 Most Important Guitar Solos of the 20th Century