Apache (instrumental)

English songwriter and composer Jerry Lordan came up with the tune in the late 1950s. Lordan was inspired to write the song after watching the 1954 American western film Apache, saying that he "wanted something noble and dramatic, reflecting the courage and savagery of the Indian Apache warrior Massai, played by Burt Lancaster. It was originally recorded by British guitarist Bert Weedon in early 1960, but remained unreleased for several months due to promotion and release problems. However, Lordan did not like Weedon's version of the song, as he thought it was too jaunty. For this reason, whilst on tour with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Lordan played the song on his ukulele to the Shadows, who liked the song and recorded it in June, quickly releasing it in July 1960. The single peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. After the success of the Shadows' version, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch wrote "Mr. Guitar" for Weedon as a recompense for overshadowing his version of the song. Track listing • 7": Top Rank / JAR-415 • "Apache" – 2:37 • "Lonely Guitar" – 2:10 Charts ==The Shadows version==

}} Recording The recording was done at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in London. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown had bought an Italian-built tape echo unit that he did not like and gave it to The Shadows' guitarist Hank Marvin, who developed a distinctive sound using it and the whammy bar of his Fender Stratocaster. Bruce Welch borrowed an acoustic Gibson J-200 guitar from Cliff Richard, the heavy melodic bass was performed by Jet Harris, and drums by Tony Meehan. Richard himself played a Chinese drum at the beginning and end to provide an atmosphere of stereotypically Native American music. It has been cited by a generation of guitarists as inspirational and is considered one of the most influential British rock 45s of the pre-Beatles era. In a 1963 NME article, The Shadows said, "What's the most distinctive sound of our group? We often wondered what it is ourselves. Really, it is the sound we had when we recorded 'Apache' – that kind of Hawaiian sounding lead guitar ... plus the beat". The Shadows' version of "Apache" was issued as a single in the US in August 1960, but -- as was the case with all Shadows singles -- received minimal attention and did not chart in the US at all. Jorgen Ingmann's version of "Apache" (see below), issued a few months later in both the US and Canada, became the hit version of "Apache" in North America. UK chart history The Shadows' "Apache" entered the UK top 40 on 21 July 1960 at number 35, climbing into the top 20 the following week. A fortnight later, the song rose twelve places to number 3 and, on 25 August, deposed "Please Don't Tease" – on which The Shadows backed Cliff Richard – to begin a five-week run at number 1. On 29 September, "Apache" dropped to number 2, replaced by "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ricky Valance. The Shadows version proved to be an enduring hit, enjoying a 19-week run in the top 40 which concluded on 24 November, reappearing for one more week on 8 December. During this run, the group's follow-up single "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" peaked at number 5, alongside the number 3 success of "Nine Times Out of Ten" (backing Cliff Richard). According to the UK Official Charts Company, "Apache" was the 28th best-selling single of the 1960s. Track listing • 7": Columbia / DB 4484 • "Apache" – 2:56 • "Quatermasster's Stores" – 2:20 Personnel • Hank Marvin – lead guitar • Bruce Welch – acoustic guitar • Jet Harris – bass guitar • Tony Meehan – percussion • Cliff Richard – Chinese drum Charts ==Jørgen Ingmann version==

Danish guitarist Jørgen Ingmann recorded a cover of "Apache" in October 1960 after hearing the Shadows' version, which had recently been released in Denmark. Ingmann had been looking for a B-side to his self-penned song "Echo Boogie" and decided that "Apache" would work. He played all instruments on both tracks, as well as mixing and producing them. Release and reception Released in Denmark at the beginning of November by Metronome Records, it was quickly released in the US by ATCO along with a big advertising campaign, where the single was credited as 'Jorgen Ingmann and His Guitar'. The single entered the US Billboard Hot 100 in the final week of January 1961 and peaked at number two ten weeks later at the beginning of April for two weeks behind "Blue Moon" by the Marcels. Cliff Richard has said that "Ingmann put in a few tricky bits, but essentially it was a cover job. If the Shads had made the charts there [in the US] with 'Apache', things might have been very different for us". Track listing • 7": ATCO / 6184 (US and Canada) • "Apache" – 3:00 • "Echo Boogie" – 3:13 Charts ==Incredible Bongo Band version==

A 1973 version by Michael Viner and a funk group called the Incredible Bongo Band added a bongo drum introduction and included more percussion. The drum break was played by Jim Gordon. Although this version was not a hit on its initial release, it became heavily sampled in early hip hop music, including by Afrika Bambaataa, who cited its influence. It has been sampled by hip hop performers such as The Sugarhill Gang, L.L. Cool J, The Roots and Nas, techno performers The Future Sound of London and Moby, and drum and bass acts J Majik and Goldie. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked Incredible Bongo Band's version of the song number 31 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time". The Sugarhill Gang version In 1981, the American rap group known as the Sugarhill Gang covered the Incredible Bongo Band's version of the song on its second album, 8th Wonder (1981). In 1982, this version peaked at No. 53 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 51 on the Billboard Dance chart, and No. 13 on the US R&B chart. ==Notable cover versions==

• In February 1961, Sonny James released a vocal music version, which was produced in Nashville by Chet Atkins and was review-rated as a Spotlight Winner in Billboard. It peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 23 on the retrospective Australian Kent Music Report. • Dave Allan and the Arrows released a cover as "Apache '65". It peaked at number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100. • In November 1970, English rock group the Edgar Broughton Band released a single "Apache Drop Out", which combined "Apache" with a version of Captain Beefheart's "Drop Out Boogie". The highly unorthodox single reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart and number 42 in Germany. • In October 1972, the Moog-based band of session musicians Hot Butter released a cover version of "Apache" as follow-up to their hit "Popcorn". It peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 37 in Germany. • In 1987, Dutch band Janse Bagge Bend released a version titled "Awpatsje (Apache)", which peaked at number 83 on the Dutch Single Top 100 chart. • In 2005, the German band Scooter covered this song as an instrumental for the album ''Who's Got The Last Laugh Now? in a techno version. Later that year, a single was released which combined elements of "Apache" and "Rock Bottom" from the same album, known as "Apache Rocks the Bottom!". This later appeared on the second disc of the UK edition of its 2008 album Jumping All Over the World''. The single was a top-five hit in Denmark and Finland and a top-thirty hit in Germany and Austria. ==Interpolations==

• David Bowie borrowed part of the melody of Apache for the chorus of the song "How Does the Grass Grow?" from his 2013 album The Next Day. ==Soundtrack appearances==

• Various versions are used in commercials for Jardiance. ==Minnesota Lynx==

The Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA adopted "Apache" as the unofficial team anthem in 2007. Following victories, the team would dance to the song at center court. For the first home game of the team's first WNBA Finals appearance, the team brought in the Sugarhill Gang to perform the song at halftime. ==References==