Jet Harris

One of the more intriguing footnotes to pre-<a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">Beatles</a> rock in Britain, Jet Harris first made his mark as the bassist for <a href="spotify:artist:03hfAxVdAWj7kxDnSG0fLD">the Shadows</a>. As they were megastar <a href="spotify:artist:2nvKpWcP8etYTq4JrRiUiy">Cliff Richard</a>'s backing group and the most popular instrumental rock band in Britain, it was a shock when Harris left the group to become a solo act. But with frequent assistance from <a href="spotify:artist:03hfAxVdAWj7kxDnSG0fLD">Shadows</a> drummer <a href="spotify:artist:4ckk2xESTjd0CZhAyhlRaS">Tony Meehan</a>, Harris scored a half-dozen hits in a year and a half. (<a href="spotify:artist:4ckk2xESTjd0CZhAyhlRaS">Meehan</a> himself rates as an interesting footnote to rock history, having turned down the chance to record <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a> in early 1962 when he was a producer for Decca Records.) Harris' biggest hit, the brooding "Diamonds" (including, it's been said, session guitar work by a very young <a href="spotify:artist:55bGuHb50r5c0PeqqMeNBV">Jimmy Page</a>), vied for the number one spot with <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a>' own "Please Please Me" in the U.K. in early 1963. There could have been few better symbols for the changing of the guard in British rock & roll. Harris' recordings typified British rock such as it was in the early '60s: sullen, restrained, disciplined instrumentals (often based on popular themes). Harris' singles were relatively unusual in that they made prominent use of the bass as a lead instrument, and the best of them -- "Diamonds," "The Man With the Golden Arm," and "Man From Nowhere" -- had a menacing, shuddering bass reminiscent of the best James Bond soundtracks. More frequently, however, his instrumentals sounded like a tame <a href="spotify:artist:1I5Cu7bqjkRg85idwYsD91">Duane Eddy</a> or worse, with cornball adaptations of Western movie riffs. Harris had a couple more big hits after <a href="spotify:artist:3WrFJ7ztbogyGnTHbHJFl2">the Beatles</a> broke, but the revolution the group ignited -- as well as a severe automobile accident, along with emotional problems in the wake of his early success -- brought his career to a skidding halt in early 1964. Unbelievably, he turned up in the first lineup of <a href="spotify:artist:0AD4odMWVQ2wUSlgxOB5Rl">the Jeff Beck Group</a> in February 1967, but never recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:0AD4odMWVQ2wUSlgxOB5Rl">Beck</a>, who revamped his outfit after a few weeks of rehearsal. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi