Stevan Vagner Steven Wagner Podrum * COLLEGIUM MELODIUM *;WEDMO, , World music museum, Ljuba , Ika, Skale and Persha, present "Wonderful Land", an instrumental piece written by Jerry Lordan recorded and released as a single by The Shadows in 1962. It stayed at No. 1 for eight weeks in the UK Singles Chart;more weeks than any other single during the whole of the 1960s.
Lordan had previously written the hugely successful "Apache" for The Shadows in 1960, and it was recorded in May 1961 by The Shadows' original line up of Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan. The strings were added later by producer Norrie Paramor. By the time of the song's release, Tony Meehan had left the group to be replaced by Brian Bennett who co-wrote the B-side "Stars Fell on Stockton". The group was in a period of transition and whilst the song was at No. 1. The instrumental was released in February 1962 and reached number 1 in the UK Chart where it remained for the next 8 weeks. a feat only The Shadows & Elvis Presley managed in the whole of the 60's - including all the number one singles released by The Beatles] It was also released in the U.S. on the Atlantic Records label but did not reach the Billboard Top 100.
