"The War Lord" | ||||
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Single by The Shadows | ||||
B-side | "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur" | |||
Released | 19 November 1965 | |||
Recorded | 9 October 1965[1] | |||
Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
Genre | Instrumental rock | |||
Length | 2:16 | |||
Label | Columbia | |||
Songwriter(s) | Jerome Moross | |||
The Shadows singles chronology | ||||
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"The War Lord" is an instrumental by British group the Shadows, released as a single in November 1965. It peaked at number 18 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]
"The War Lord" was written by American Jerome Moross and is the theme tune to Franklin J. Schaffner's 1965 film The War Lord, starring Charlton Heston and Richard Boone.[3] It was recorded by the Shadows in October 1965, a month before the American premiere of the film, although their version was not included on Moross' soundtrack album.[4]
The Shadows' version was released as a single with the B-side "I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Arthur", written by their bassist John Rostill.[5] It spent nine weeks in the UK Top 40, peaking at number 18 for two weeks over the 1965–66 Christmas and New Year period.[2]
Reviewing for New Musical Express, Derek Johnson wrote that "rasping, reverberating, low-register Hank Marvin guitar permeates this item, with pounding drums and tambourine added to accentuate the heavy beat" and that "it's a simple melody, insidious in its nagging repetition. The performance is as polished as ever, and it's the most with-it sound the boys have waxed for some time".[6] In Record Mirror, it was described as "a persuasive sort of theme, hall-marked by Shadow professionalism. You'll soon be whistling along with this one. It's compact musicianly – but all with a beat".[7]
"The War Lord" later appeared as the first B-side track on the EP Those Talented Shadows, released in September 1966.[8]
7": Columbia / DB 7769
Chart (1965–66) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[9] | 30 |
Singapore[10] | 5 |
UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 18 |