A Thousand Shadows Explained

A Thousand Shadows
Cover:The Seeds - A Thousand Shadows.jpg
Type:single
Artist:The Seeds
Album:Future
B-Side:March of the Flower Children
Released:June 1967
Recorded:1967
Length:2:25
Label:GNP Crescendo
Producer:Marcus Tybalt
Chronology:The Seeds
Prev Title:Can't Seem to Make You Mine
Prev Year:1967
Next Title:The Wind Blows Your Hair
Next Year:1967

"A Thousand Shadows" (sometimes written "1000 Shadows") is a song by American rock group The Seeds, written by vocalist Sky Saxon, keyboardist Daryl Hooper, and guitarist Jan Savage. Produced by Marcus Tybalt, it was released as a single in 1967 and peaked at number 72 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Background and release

The Seeds premiered "A Thousand Shadows" during a March 1967 performance at the Daisy club in Beverly Hills, California.[1] In June, the song was released as the lead single from the band's third album, Future.[2] The single came in a pink sleeve adorned with gray four-leaf clovers outlining a negative photograph of the band members next to a sign that says "Wishing Well - Help Us Grow."[3]

Reception

A review of "A Thousand Shadows" in a June 1967 issue of Billboard magazine stated "with the flower theme throughout, this smooth rhythm entry [is] well written, performed and produced."[4] Joe Viglione of Allmusic wrote that the song's melody and feel were similar to those of the band's earlier single "Pushin' Too Hard". Music historian Domenic Priore described the lyrics to "A Thousand Shadows" as "ambitious (but never ambiguous)" and said "the music retains the taut incision of 1950s rock 'n' roll."[5] The single spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and peaked at number 72.[6] It reached number 86 on the U.S. Cash Box Top 100 chart.[7]

Track listing

7" Vinyl

Chart performance

Chart (1967)Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Hot 10072
U.S. Cash Box Top 10086

Notes and References

  1. 1967-04-01. From the Music Capitals of the World. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . 79. 13. 56 . 0006-2510.
  2. Book: Strong , Martin Charles . The Great Indie Discography. 2nd. Canongate Books. Edinburgh. 2003. 978-1841953359.
  3. Web site: Viglione. Joe. 'Future' - Review. Allmusic (Rovi Corporation). 2012-10-17.
  4. 1967-06-24. Pop Spotlights. Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . 79. 25. 18 . 0006-2510.
  5. Book: Priore , Domenic . Domenic Priore. Riot On Sunset Strip. Jawbone Press. 4. London. 2007 . 978-1906002046.
  6. Web site: [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=the seeds|chart=all}} 'A Thousand Shadows' - The Seeds - Chart History ]. Billboard (Nielsen Business Media, Inc.). 2012-10-17.
  7. Web site: Cash Box Top 100 8/5/67 . . 2012-10-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120911144724/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19670805.html . 2012-09-11 . dead.