Cliff Richard - Back from the Wilderness Singles and Albums 1975 - 1995

Agree completely! Nothing wrong with a delicious pop song, but I love it when he rocks out!

 

I have grown to hate the expression "guilty pleasure". It infers that you really should be ashamed of some of your choices, and I never am. I also enjoy an eclectic mix of artists and genres. Cliff and ABBA are part of that mix, but I am free to listen to Deep Purple, John Coltrane, Sally Oldfield, all my favourite singer-songwriter etc. I am an omnivore when it comes to music. (Not that fond of heavy metal and dance bands, but that´s just me. If you hapen to like those sorts of music, I think no less about you. It´s not about being cool, as someone said earlier, it´s about enjoying whatever music you enjoy. Whatever gets you through the night, more or less.

 

I am not able to watch the documentary right not, but is this part of the 1981 four part documentary "CLIFF"? I had it on VHS, but have never been able to find it on DVD. (I am aware that it has never been released officially.)

 

I have a wide and varied music collection ranging from Cliff to Alice Cooper with a bit of Elvis, ROD Stewart, Johnny Cash, Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Extreme, Frank Sinatra and many more in between. Cliff is the one at return to most often but I like listening to them all. I used to be wary of letting people know I was a Cliff fan but now I am proud to be.

 

Good for you! You should be proud to like good music, and Cliff provides that sometimes.

 

When I was young, I obviously liked Olivia Newton-John. I was largely alone in this in the UK in 1975. It might be perverse, but I didn't mind this. It was something of my own. Sure, people mocked me. Most just plainly didn't understand.

People's disparaging comments never put me off the music I liked. Just as their raving about the stuff they loved never turned me in that direction. I liked what I liked. There's a coolness to following your own path. I think. Who cares if no one else thinks you're cool.

 

my own views on 'Sir' Cliff

initially Cliff's rock'n'roll rots were his greatest strength - he was 'our Elvis' in the UK but always a quite distinct performer (Elvis himself had 'Living Doll' on his juke box at Gracelands)

Cliff is a quite magnificent song stylist - he puts wonderful feeling into his songs, plus has a 'quality' 100% distinctive voice (like say Matt Monro had) - he always makes a song totally his own, even if it's a well worn famous old number ...

his chief strength is that he is a unique sound - nobody sings like Cliff !

Cliff can go from romantic sincere balladeer ('Travellin' Light') to full blooded belt it out rock'n'roller ('Dynamite')...with just the flip of a 45 disc !

hence when The Beatles and the 'Beat Boom' came along, Cliff along with singers like say Roy Orbison, Gene Pitney etc was unaffected as the new bands simply did not impinge on his realm as a soloist (who also fronted a top singer/band combo)

the 'Sunday Night at The London Palladium' DVD includes a 1965 edition show featuring top guests; Cliff/Shadows that proves the girls were still screaming madly for Cliff some three years after The Beatles emerged


Cliff had a massive plus via his links with The Shadows and Norrie Paramor, tho' in retrospect Norrie turning him into an 'all round entertainer' while it guaranteed he was a 'British institution' set for life...also distanced him from the younger kids as the sixties went on - his film 'Wonderful Life' for 1964 was dreadfully 'old hat' compared to say 'A Hard Days Night'

Cliff's 'wooden' dancing on stage did his image no good either - and he moved too much towards middle of the road pop songs by the late sixties / early seventies

The Shads had always provided strong numbers for him to sing, and he chose well from writers like Don Everly, Neil Diamond etc but by the end of the decade he got a bit lost for artistic direction and a few of those singles, while successful, I'd happily break over his head ! ("Goodbye Sam Hello Samantha', 'Power To All Our Friends' etc) lol

Marvin Welch & Farrar (aka 'The Shadows') later put him back on course with a decent production single; 'It's Only Me You've Left Behind' that wasn't a big success but pointed his way ahead...before Brucie then took the reins for 'I'm, Nearly Famous' album and 'Devil Woman' saw him both embrace his own rock'n'roll loving past but moving forward and suddenly with a decent backup band again behind him sounding quite 'contemporary' again

I thought all those later seventies EMI albums were quite excellent and Cliff's voice was perfect

his 'reunion' album with The Shads was fine and I got that last album he did of rock'n'roll era songs - his voice now sounded a little 'aged' but he could still sing

Cliff has largely lasted by simply knowing what he can and can't do well and carefully playing to his strengths, his distinctive vocal style, so at home with rock'n'roll, superior pop, ballads, a dash of country...and even the 'rockier' flavoured tracks (remember 'Throw Down A Line' with Hank ?) of the guitar led latter material

his dabbles in synth led more modern pop I wasn't over keen on, mostly the songs themselves were a little too lightweight 'pappy pop' for me as if trying to be 'all modern' etc tho' it got him noticed by the younger crowd then - but Cliff's overall career and back catalogue is quite extraordinary - even singing well songs from back in your parents era and those ghastly Myers-Cass musical numbers (that he did well for such a young lad back then)

given strong songs, notably ballads, pop, rock'n'roll Cliff is an 'untouchable' singer - quite a number of musicians in more fashionable groups actually rate him very highly as a vocalist

Long may he continue his illustrious career

 

I think so

 

Couldn´t agree more. I take pride in making my own decisions, also about music. Yeah for us...

 

A very good summation of his career thus far. (Though I doubt we´ll get all that many songs from him now, and that´s O.K. He´s earned his rest.) As I´ve said before, I actually like quite a few of the MOR hits from the wilderness years, but I understand why they´re not to everyone´s taste. I´ll happily sing along to "Goodbye Sam, Hello Samantha" any day.

 

Me too

 

Perhaps we should form a duo?

Only one problem: I can´t sing.

 

When I go to karaoke, I usually do a Cliff song (Miss You Nights, Lucky Lips, Travellin' Light, The Next Time, A Little in Love (which gets really boring 'oh yeah'...I imagine Cliff feels the same way when he sings it), All I Ask of You (with a duet partner). When it's just me and my guitar, I only do "Travellin' Light".

 

And me!

 

Some of those must be great fun! Agree that the "oh, yeah"s of "A Little in Love" must get boring after a few repetitions.

 

"Let´s do a show right here!"

 

Single No. 81: 1981 August 17 — UK — EMI EMI 5221
A-side: "WIRED FOR SOUND" (Written by Alan Tarney & B.A. Robrtson)
B-side: "HOLD ON" (Written by Alan Tarney)
A-side and B-side produced by Alan Tarney





From the Cliff Richard Song Database:

"[Wired For Sound was] the first track to be recorded for the [Wired For Sound] album, and one that historians would today call the most contemporary sounding single of his I'm Nearly Famous renaissance. With lyrics written by B.A. Robertson, who had previous penned the words to half the songs on Cliff's Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile, the song was quite evidently a departure from his usual romantic subject outing. Even though it was a love song, it was far more an expression of Cliff's love for the personal stereo craze that swept the country at the time. Even the promotional video first seen on Top Of The Pops that went along with the single blazed much the same message. Although it was the first time Robertson had worked with Tarney, it was one he remembers well. 'He called me up one night and asked me if I'd like to write a song with him. Mickey Dolenz, who used to be in the Monkees, was coming for a meal that night so I stayed in for the starters and then drove down to Hammersmith to listen to the backing track during the main course and then arrived back home with a cassette in time for dessert. I got up the next morning, put the kettle on, put the cassette in and the title came to me straight away as I listened to it. A couple of hours later, I had written the whole song and I just read the lyrics to him down the phone.' Enough no doubt to convince Tarney that his search for the album's leading hit song had just ended there and then. Released in August 1981 this single climbed to #4 during a run of 9 weeks. In the United States it became Cliff's third chart success when it made its debut on 14 August 1976 peaking at #6 with a run of 12 weeks. The single qualified for a silver disc from the BPI."
Peter Lewry & Nigel Goodall (July 2001 - liner notes for I'm No Hero remaster album)
Editor's Note: This is incorrect. The Wired For Sound single debuted in the US in 1981 (not 1976) and peaked at #77 (not #6). Those statistics are for Devil Woman."

What more is there to say about this energetic single release? John Tobler cited the single as "the best vocal performance by Cliff since "WE DON´T TALK ANYMORE". I´m not quite sure I agree with him, but what Cliff does here is pretty good. For those in doubt, he can sing. It has been a staple of Cliff Richard concerts since it was released, often with an extended intro. Though not a particular favourite of mine, it´s an excellent song, and it´s a great start to a concert. It livens up things.

What is often overlooked it that this was Cliff´s biggest success "down under", even surpassing "WE DON´T TALK ANYMORE" in sales and reputation. It reached No. 2 in Australia, but sold a lot of copies.

Though not a particular favourite of mine, I can see the song´s qualities, and I´m glad it was a hit for Cliff. (B.A. Robertson´s lyrics were perfect for Cliff at this time. They are simple, very visual and memorable.) If I have to put my finger on one aspect of the song that I don´t like, there is only one: the accpompanying music video. Cliff used to say that it was his favourite, but he has now changed that answer to "My Pretty One". Wise man.

The video was filmed in Milton Keynes. As if that makes it any better... Just kidding.

 

The B-side of "WIRED FOR SOUND" was the Alan Tarney-penned ballad "HOLD ON". It´s one of those B-sides that never really gathers momentum and goes anywhere. Pretty enough, it´s not even half as good as the A-side.

The song "HOLD ON" was also recorded by Barbara Dickson, on her 1981 album "YOU KNOW IT´S ME". (Unfortunately unavailable on YouTube.) Normally I think Barbara is a wonderful singer, but, just like Cliff, not good enough to save this lacklustre song. Just my opinion, of course.

 

A catchy pop song but I agree with you about the video! Somehow though I'm not surprised Cliff was very fond of it!

 

Cliff likes the video - he probably had a lot of fun filming it.

The song is catchy, and it is another quality song for Cliff. I remember loving it back in 1981, when the single was released. I played it to death back then. It´s one of those songs I sort of forgot about. But yes, it´s a strong single.

 

I actually really like Hold On. It's better than the song with the same title on Silver.

I didn't hear it until I bought the Wired For Sound remaster in 1981. After that I always included it when I listened to the album in full. At 11 songs, I don't think the album needed to be any longer, though I wouldn't have minded it Hold On had made the track list. Sweet song with a good melody.

 

I remember Cliff miming to this on "Solid Gold"...I liked the way he gestured 'from the needle to the plastic'. It dated the song for a couple decades until the vinyl resurgence. "Hold On" is pleasant enough (and a non-lp b-side). I wonder what it would sound like without all the sound processing.

 

I forgot to mention that Cliff called this song "shock´n´roll". A good name. This was perhaps as close as he ever got to New Wave.

another aspect of the song is that it signalled the end of his chart success in the US. "WIRED FOR SOUND" got to No. 71, "DADDY´S HOME" peaked at No. 23, but only two more singles of his would reach Billboard Top 100. Perhaps this was a result of less touring in the States, or perhaps the Americans grew tired of the Tarney sound. (Though it has to be said that "WIRED FOR SOUND" has a lot more energy than an "ordinary" Alan Tarney song, should they exist.)

 

We´ll have to agree to disagree on that one. I never avoid the song, but I find it rather boring.

 

That is a good point. There is a lot going on in this recording. For better or for worse? I´m not sure. (Even more on Barbara Dickson´s version, I think.)