Foot Tapper

"Foot Tapper" is an instrumental by British guitar group the Shadows, released as a single in February 1963.[2] It went to number one in the UK Singles Chart,[2] and was the Shadows' last UK number-one hit (not including those where they performed as Cliff Richard's backing group).[3]

"Foot Tapper"
Single by The Shadows
from the album Summer Holiday
B-side"The Breeze and I"
Released22 February 1963 (1963-02-22)
Recorded8 January 1963[1]
StudioEMI Studios, London
GenreInstrumental rock
Length2:34
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Norrie Paramor[2]
The Shadows singles chronology
"Dance On!"
(1962)		 "Foot Tapper"
(1963)		 "Atlantis"
(1963)

Background and reception

Filmmaker Jacques Tati went to see the Shadows at the Olympia in Paris in 1961 and asked them to write a song for his next film. So, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch wrote "Foot Tapper". However, Tati had funding difficulties and his next film, Playtime, did not appear until 1967. Instead, in 1963, the Shadows had a small role in the film Summer Holiday and its producer Peter Yates needed some music for the radio in the bus scene, so they offered up "Foot Tapper".[4] It was released in February as a re-recorded double A-sided single with the pop standard "The Breeze and I" a week earlier than planned.

Reviewed in New Record Mirror, it was described as "a beautifully balanced bit of recording with a compelling theme. Hank, Licorice and Bruce are in precise, driving form – but the side showcases Brian's forceful but controlled drumming, notably on cymbals. Just try and stop your foot tapping. It'll fair hurtle into the charts – and is probably even better than "Dance On".[5] Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl described "Foot Tapper" as a "light-hearted modern dancer which will pull in as many customers as the other side – maybe more".[6]

It is also known for being the signature tune and closing theme for the BBC Radio 2 programme Sounds of the 60s, from when it started in 1983 until Brian Matthew left the show in 2017.[4]

Track listing

7": Columbia / DB 4984

  1. "Foot Tapper" – 2:34
  2. "The Breeze and I" – 2:47

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1963) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] 2
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[8] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[9] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[10] 7
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[11] 2
Norway (VG-lista)[12] 5
South Africa (SARMDA)[13] 4
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[14] 3
UK Singles (OCC)[15] 1

References
  1. Koers, Ivo. "Instrumentation On Shadows Recordings II: The Primary Singles" (PDF). malcolmcampbell.me.uk. p. 13. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  2. Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 70. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 148. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (26 May 2010). 1,000 UK Number One Hits. Omnibus Press. p. 232. ISBN 978-0-85712-360-2.
  5. "The Shadows – two top sides" (PDF). New Record Mirror. 23 February 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  6. "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc. 23 February 1963. p. 8. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  7. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  8. "danskehitlister.dk". 12 March 2016. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  9. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Foot Tapper". Irish Singles Chart.
  10. "The Shadows – Foot Tapper" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  11. "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  12. "The Shadows – Foot Tapper". VG-lista.
  13. "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 4 May 1963. p. 34. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  14. "Shadows". NostalgiListan (in Swedish). Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  15. "Shadows: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
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