by Richie UnterbergerThe Stones, Animals and Yardbirds took the Chicago Blues and gave it an English interpretation. Weve taken the English version of the Blues and re-added a Chicago touch. The Shadows of Knights self-description was fairly accurate. Although this mid-60s garage band from the Windy City did not match the excellence of either their British or African-American idols, the teen energy of their recordings remains enjoyable, if not overwhelmingly original. The group took a tamer version of Thems classic Gloria into the American Top Ten in 1966, and also took a Yardbirdized version of Bo Diddleys Oh Yeah into the Top 40 the same year. Their patchy albums contained a few exciting R&B covers in the Yardbirds/Stones style and a few decent originals in the same vein. The groups original lineup splintered quickly, and the Shadows faded in the late 60s after briefly pursuing a more commercial pop sound.