THE SHADOWS – “Kon-Tiki”
The title hints at exotica, and The Shadows’ instrumental fantasies are escapism of a kind, but the Kon-Tiki expedition wasn’t celebrating the mysteries of the Other, just solving them. Thor Heyerdahl’s exploits would have been familiar to the Shadows from childhood – they were the right age to have been caught up in the Thormania of the early 50s – but what did Kon-Tiki stand for? Endeavour, drive, heroics, curiosity, clean-limbed struggle, a deep respect for simplicity. It’s an apt title for one of the band’s more straightforward and bracing hits – listen to that echo and twang and breathe in the salt Pacific air!
6
Knut Haugland is still alive! He is 92.
At least he was until last Christmas :(
This got to No 6 in the NME chart