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

I agree - I listened to it again, and I think the sparse arrangement lets the melody shine through. As I said earlier, I didn´t like this song the first times I heard it, but it has grown on me. And the remix is simpler and better. Glad you posted it, Phil!

 

Single No. 135: 2005 May 9 — UK — DECCA 475 6943
A-side: "WHAT CAR?" (Written by Trey Bruce, Gary Burr & David Mullen)
B-side: "SLOW DOWN" (Written by Gary Burr, Chris Eaton & Kenny Greenberg)
B-side: "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY" (Written by Bud Green, Les Brown & Ben Home)
B-side: "DIAMONDS ON A CHAIN" (Written by Don Poythress & Brian White)
Video Clips: "SOMETHIN´ IS GOIN´ ON" + "WHAT CAR?" + TV ad
Produced by Trey Bruce, "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY" produced by Norrie Paramor









Robert Porter:
"[Regarding What Car] You know, when I said to [the writers], 'You know, I'd love to have a couple of car songs because when you think of Chuck Berry and No Particular Place To Go... There's a whole bunch of car songs-- really good rock 'n' roll ones. I couldn't believe it that they'd wrote the song that was actually funny. I mean, it's about a kid that smashed his father's car up and his father never, ever discovered it. Yeah, what car?"
Cliff Richard (February 18, 2005 - WGN Radio 720 Chicago interview)
"Hang on, bear with me. I know what you're thinking. Yes, it's the same Cliff who regularly manages to turn the annual scramble for the Christmas No.1 into even more of a farce by sticking out some super-ooper-duper gloopy power ballad about snow, presents and Jesus that even Westlife would find a bit cheesy. However, credit where it's due, this is far better than a record by a man old enough to collect his pension has any right to be. For starters it's not a ballad. What Car could easily be Robbie Williams's latest pop-rock stomper. And there's a great big loud guitar riff running through the whole thing. And it's about a car, rather than why we should all be a lot nicer to each other these days. Granted, you won't impress your cool mates by admitting Cliff's made a good single, but denying that he has would be a sin unto God, or something..."
Author Unknown (May 2005 - BBC - Top of the Pops - New Releases - Singles )

"Blimey! Uh, this is actually quite good. A country rock number in a good way, Cliff sings a tale of teenage trouble, of 'borrowing' his dad's car to go see a girl, crashing it, then trying to stop said father from finding out about what he'd done. Of course, we all know that when Cliff was 16 the worst thing he got up to was going out wearing scuffed shoes and, had anything of the sort actually occurred, the first thing he would have done would have been to run to a different sort of Father to confess, but he somehow makes it all sound convincing, despite being old enough to be the protagonist’s grandfather. The best thing he’s done since Wired for Sound."
Doug Robertson (May 9, 2005 - Stylus magazine)

"Haha. If you like The Thrills, or any nondescript indie-schmindie band around who sound like The Thrills but whose name I forget due to their utter dullness, you're a hypocrite if you claim not to like this. Me, I hate it all and am waving my hands in front of me and contemplating homicide."
Alex Macpherson (May 9, 2005 - Stylus magazine)

"Here, despite being at least 30 years older than most of his rivals, Cliff is simply towering. Bizarrely hijacking elements of both (Don't Fear) The Reaper and (I Would Walk) 500 Miles, this tale of teenage hijinks bounces along with a rueful vitality sourced directly from the birth of the Pop age."
Paul Scott (May 9, 2005 - Stylus magazine)

"Suffering Stratocasters, what fresh folly is this? Recorded in Nashville for added 'authenticity', this bizarre country-rockin' attempt to connect with the Uncut-reading Sounds Of The New West constituency has cheeky Sir Cliff regaling us with a story (dragged out to the point of tedium) of 'borrowing' his Daddy's car behind his back in order to impress a girl, wrecking the car by crashing it into a tree, absconding from the scene of the accident, and then cheerfully denying all knowledge of it—all delivered with an extended 'haven't I been a naughty boy?' wink to the audience. But oh, Cliff! What kind of example are you setting today's impressionable Saga generation? Stealing? From your own dear, sweet silver-haired father? Showing off, presumably for nefarious purposes? Driving without due care and attention? Being the cause of a serious road incident, and failing to report it to the proper authorities? Then, worst of all, lying about it? And getting away with it? And then boasting to us about it? Whatever happened to 'Honour thy Father and Mother', Cliff? If we can't look to you for moral guidance any more, then truly we are lost as a nation. Repent! Repent! "
Mike Atkinson (May 9, 2005 - Stylus magazine)

"The idea was to write song that reflected aspects of the way Cliff looked at life. He spoke of his love of cars and inspired a number of road songs, one of which, What Car, he would record."
Steve Turner (2008 January - Cliff Richard - The Biography (revised edition))

Running Time: 3:31
Record Date: 2003 and/or 2004
Record Location: Omnisound Recording Studios, Nashville, Tennessee; Sound Stage Studios, Nashville, Tennessee; & Pocket Studio, Franklin, Tennessee
Written By: Trey Bruce, Gary Burr & David Mullen
Produced By: Trey Bruce
Engineered By: David Buchanan
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), JT Corenflos (guitar), Michael Spriggs (guitar), Wes Hightower (backing vocals), Marty Slayton (backing vocals), Greg Morrow (drums), Alison Prestwood (bass), Tony Harrell (keyboards), Trey Bruce (programming)

What Car
(Trey Bruce, Gary Burr & David Mullen)
Running Time: 3:31
This is the same as on the Something's Goin' On album.

Slow Down
(Gary Burr, Chris Eaton & Kenny Greenberg)
Running Time: 4:14
This is the same as on the The Day That I Stop Loving You download single.

Sentimental Journey
(Bud Green, Les Brown & Ben Homer)
Running Time: 2:07
This is the same as on the 1961 Listen To Cliff! album.

Diamonds On A Chain
(Don Poythress & Brian White)
Running Time: 3:13
This is an original B-side.

What Car (Video)
(Trey Bruce, Gary Burr & David Mullen)
Running Time: 4:04
This a the live performance at Leeds Castle in Kent, England on July 25, 2004. It is taken from the Castles In The Air DVD released in 2004.

Somethin' Is Goin' On (Video)
(Steve Mandile, David Mullen & Marcus Hummon)
Running Time: 3:42
This is the standard promo video, using the same edit as the single version, fading 40 seconds early.

Make Poverty History (TV Ad)
(N/A)
Running Time: 1:00
This ad has no Cliff Richard involvement. It is an advertisement only for a campaign to fight hunger.

The CD single has a small card insert that advertises telephone ringtones for the songs on the CD single.
The DVD single inlay features the DVD credits, advertisements for other Cliff Richard products, and a unique photo of Cliff from the What Car photo sessions.

This is Cliff's first and only DVD single.

The song Sentimental Journey was released on this single because at the time, England was celebrating the 50th anniversary of VE Day (the end of World War II) and this song is from that era.

For me, this is the most enduring single from "SOMETHIN´ IS GOIN´ ON". The studio version pales in comparison with Cliff´s many live versions of the song. Live, it really rocks! The studio version is also good, but too polite, I feel. It may seem a bit strange to hear Cliff sing about teenage pranks, but Cliff has never shied away from acting younger than he is.

He still does... I love this song, and the live version is one of his best since the 70s.

The single peaked at No. 12 in the UK charts. Not bad, but I think it deserved even more. But that´s just me.

 

The first B-side was "SLOW DOWN", written by Gary Burr, Chris Eaton & Kenny Greenberg. For my money, it´s a beautiful ballad, with lovely guitar accompaniment. There are gospel overtones to this number. And why not? I like it. (Considering Michael Omartian produced this, the genre shouldn´t be a surprise. He also produced songs for Donna Summer, among many others.)

Robert Porter:
Running Time: 4:14
Record Date: 2003 and/or 2004
Record Location: Sound House Brentwood, Tennessee & Blue Room, Nashville, Tennesee
Written By: Gary Burr, Chris Eaton & Kenny Greenberg
Produced By: Michael Omartian
Engineered By: Terry Christian
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), Jerry McPherson (guitar), Kenny Greenbert (guitar), Biff Watson (guitar), Michael Omartian (keyboards), Michael Rhodes (bass), Chad Cromwell (drums), Vicki Hampton (backing vocals), Robert Bailey (backing vocals), Da'dra Greathouse (backing vocals), Chris Eaton (backing vocals)

 

"DIAMONDS ON A CHAIN", written by Don Poythress & Brian White, was another B-side. Unfortunately, it was not available on YouTube. This was only featured on the DVD version of the single, but was added to the track list of the "FOR LIFE" expanded version of the "SOMETHIN´ IS GOIN´ ON" album. This also included "SLOW DOWN".

Robert Porter:
Running Time: 3:13
Record Date: 2003 and/or 2004
Record Location: The Bennett House & The Hideout, Franklin, Tennessee
Written By: Don Poythress & Brian White
Produced By: Monroe Jones
Engineered By: Jim Dineen
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), Dan Needham (drums), George Cocchini (electric guitar), Jeff Roach (keyboards), Ken Lewis (percussion), Mark Hill (bass), Scott Dente (acoustic guitar), Michael Mellett (backing vocals)

 

"SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY", written by Bud Green, Les Brown & Ben Homer, was one of the old standards Cliff recorded in the early 60s, and it was released on the 1961 album "LISTEN TO CLIFF". Just as the later project "BOLD AS BRASS" would prove, Cliff may not be the most subtle of singers, and evergreens and standards are not normally his forte.

I grew up listening to "LISTEN TO CLIFF" on a 2LP in the 80s, and though it´s an album I never play very often now, it´s a good one. "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY", best known through Doris Day, is not Cliff at his best, but he does an OK job of it.

Robert Porter:
The mono and stereo recordings are the same take and edit, but different mixes.

Running Time: 2:07
Record Date: January 11, 1961
Record Location: Abbey Road, London
Written By: Bud Green, Les Brown & Ben Homer
Produced By: Norrie Paramor
Engineered By: Malcolm Addey & David Lloyd
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), The Bernard Ebbinghouse Orchestra (all other instruments)

 

I think at that young age, the song didn't really work for Cliff. If he sang it now, it would work better. "What Car" was a great single (in my opinion). I bought both the CD single and the DVD single. I must not have cared to much for the other tracks because I don't remember them at all. "What Car" though is a great single.

 

Oh, yes! A great single from Cliff, at long last. In my view the best of the three tracks released as singles, and why, oh why it wasn't the first single I will never know. I'm sure this, combined with the general flurry of publicity surrounding a new album would have meant more people would have gone for it. Maybe even the album would have sold well enough for Cliff to have considered a follow up! (well, I can dream...)

His best single in a long, long time, and generally positive reviews and good airplay.

I remember on the album's release, queueing up in Birmingham for the signing session. They were playing the album, and this track stood out while we were patiently waiting for our 20 seconds with Cliff. Twas the first and only time I've spoken to the man himself, and I don't think I said much more than 'thank you for the music... and how great the new album was. He said thankyou, smiled and shook hands, and that was it.

Regarding the album, I really had great hopes for it, and a huge renaissance for Cliff's music. I was wrong, but it so should have been right!

 

I agree. Cliff was too young to really connect with this kind of material. I love the song, but I agree that would have had more to add to this song´s charms now. (Having said that, I do like some of his standards covers on the "LISTEN TO CLIFF/32 MINUTES AND 17 SECONDS WITH CLIFF". I love his take on "TEMPTATION", "I WAKE UP CRYIN´", "FALLING IN LOVE WITH LOVE" and several of the others.)

And YES - "WHAT CAR?" is a great single.

 

The several 'B' sides, are perhaps the weakest of the spare tracks which were released with the singles. I don't know what Sentimental journey was doing there either.

 

I think you were right - it was a great album. Just not in commercial terms.

And yes, I like all the singles from the album - now, at least! - but "WHAT CAR?" would have made an obvious choice for the lead single. Imagine what might have been...

Still, it left us a great song for Cliff to perform live.

 

I don´t mind "SLOW DOWN" - I think it´s a good track. "SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY" seems SOOOO out of place.

 

In case some of you are missing the download single "THE DAY THAT I STOP LOVING YOU": This was intended as the third single from the album, but because Cliff was unable to promote the song at the time, the release was to be shelved, but the download single slipped out by mistake. I will cover this when I get to the album.

 

I like to bring something new to the thread from time to time. You brought the wonderful "(IT´S GONNA BE) OKAY" to the thread - thank you once more, Stephen. Great track!

I came across a charity single on which Cliff participated. I suspect we all remember the terrible tsunami of 2004. A charity single featuring some of pop´s biggest names appeared in 2005, and Cliff was one of the well-known voices. It´s actually a rather pleasant song, reminiscent of many charity singles before it. "GRIEF NEVER GROWS OLD" is one of the less well-known tracks to which Cliff has submitted a vocal. I have only heard the track a couple of times, and I like it. Anyway, the cause was very worthy indeed.

Take a gander at the list of artists and musicians from Robert Porter´s entry about this single. I am impressed.

Robert Porter:
This is a charity song with all proceeds will going directly to the Disaster Emergency Committee in support of victims of the December 26, 2004 tsunami disaster. In addition to the standard single version of the song, the CD single includes orchestral and choral versions, neither of which have any Cliff Richard involvement.
"With any fund-raising single of this kind there must be a substantial nod in the direction of Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, whose phenominal Band Aid project laid down a blueprint for subsequent charity records. Without question the harrowing and disturbing images that were transmitted across the world on Boxing Day made us all realise how vulnerable we are. Everything I saw on the screen, the grief, the sadness, the hopelessness and the way that the lives of everyone involved would be changed forever, aligned with the words of a song I'd written a while back and had sitting on the shelf. It had had the odd outing on stage, but Steve Levine and I [thought] that it was too sad to appeal to a recording artist. Using it to raise money for the Disasters Emergency Committee seemed the best way of putting it to some practical use. It's incredible that this project happened at all, as we had to record artists in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Culver City California, Columbo and London. Every singer, musician, producer and everyone else involved with this CD were so keen to help that it was quite unexpected and overwhelming. Without them these recordings just wouldn't have happened."
Mike Read (January 2006 - Grief Never Grows Old CD single liner notes)

"The terrible news of the Asian tsunami cast a grim shadow over all our lives, I guess, and I have been to Los Angeles to record a contribution to Mike Read's charity single project. I do hope it proves effective in raising further money for what will be an ongoing tragedy for a million or more survivors well beyond 2005."
Cliff Richard (January 2006 - www.cliffrichard.org personal message)

"Next to play at Number 4 is the One World Project. The success of the new Band Aid recording at Christmas has of course suddenly made charity collaborations fashionable again and when news of the Asian tsunami disaster broke it was almost inevitable that some form of charity record would emerge. Several projects have been mooted but the biggest to emerge is bizarrely that of the One World Project. I say bizarrely as the assembly of stars on this record doesn't so much represent a who's who of the pop world but instead stands proud as the biggest collection of relics the industry has to offer. Members of The Who, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones appear on the song along with the likes of Steve Winwood, Boy George Rick Wakeman and er, Russell Watson. The main selling point of the song is the appearance of Robin and Barry Gibb who perform on record for the first time since the sad death of their brother Maurice. Oh and Cliff is on there as well. The reason the single hasn't quite set the world on fire is apparent when you hear it for Grief Never Goes Old is a wonderfully pompous four minute dirge that sounds just as you would expect from the cast lineup - a bunch of old men desperately trying to sound cool. Ordinarily I'd feel bad about shovelling dirt onto a record released for such a worthy cause but this smacks of a record made for all the wrong reasons. The original Band Aid was a record made in an attempt to focus world attention on a disaster that might otherwise have slipped under the radar. The tsunami on the other hand has been at the forefront of people's minds ever since it happened. Spontaneously and without prompting the public dug deep to raise millions in aid. Making a charity record - especially one as bad as this - actually adds little and serves more as an ego trip for those involved rather than the altruistic gesture that was intended."
James Masterson (February 2006 - www.dotmusic.com)

"Some of the music world's biggest stars are joining forces to release a charity single they hope will raise more than 2 million for the Asian tsunami relief fund, it was revealed today. Sir Cliff Richard, Boy George and opera singer Russell Watson will all sing on the track, entitled Grief Never Grows Old. Ronan Keating will also take part, providing a recording studio can be found near where he is skiing in Switzerland. Other stars being approached include Jamie Cullum, Bee Gees Robin and Barry Gibb, Chris Rea and Olivia Newton-John. Broadcaster Mike Read, who is leading the One World project, had written the song before the natural disaster struck on Boxing Day but until then had thought it was too melancholy to release. 'It's a natural home for it because people kept saying to me, it's such a good song, but it's such a sad song,' Read said. He said the track was not a 'singalong' in the style of Band Aid 20 but a slow ballad which did not need more than 10 artists. The backing track has already been laid down and it is hoped recording can be finished within a week to get the single on the shelves as soon as possible. Sir Cliff will record his part in Barbados, while Boy George will sing from New York. Read approached the Disasters Emergency Committee, which is co-ordinating the British relief effort, with the idea the day after Boxing Day. 'I was totally shocked at the enormity and suddenness of the disaster and in tears on seeing the orphaned children wandering aimlessly in search of their parents,' he said. 'Some of the newspaper photographs were just so harrowing.' The artists he had spoken to had been 'fantastic' in their enthusiasm. Read said he was not concerned whether the track topped the charts, only that it made a lot of money. 'I'd only be pleased in terms of what it meant for sales if it got to number one,' he added. All funds raised by the single, which is being produced by Steve Levine, will go to the DEC. It welcomed the news of the single and said money raised would help its agencies working in the affected region to rebuild survivors' lives and livelihoods. 'Millions of people are having to come to terms with terrible loss,' a spokeswoman said. 'The DEC agencies will be working tirelessly to restore shattered lives, but this will take time. This is a marathon, not a sprint.'"
Rachel Williams (February 1, 2005 - Sunday Mercury)

"[Grief Never Grows Old had] got a very apt lyric. I don't know. It's difficult to tell. I've given up trying to tell whether something's really good. When I'd already arrived in Barbados in my holiday, I had a really bad throat. And this friend of mine who'd written a song, a guy called Mike Read is a DJ in Britain and also has written some musicals and he said to me, 'a few of us are trying to get this thing together...' You know, it happened on Boxing Day... And there I was, I got to Barbados on the 28th and I think it was on the 30th he rang me up and said, 'we're gonna do this.' And I said, 'Look, I'm in Barbados. I can't sing at the moment.' He said, 'You got six days to get better and you can record it wherever you want.' Well, just so happens I was going to Los Angeles and so I phoned my friend John Farrar, who used to produce Olivia. And he and a guy called Peter Wolf, who produced one of my albums in the past have studios in their homes. We, in fact, did it in Peter Wolf's house. I went in. I sang my two lines. You know, I wanted to be part of it. And whether a single like that is competitive or whether it's a success is almost immaterial. I just felt that it's so difficult to be part of something like the tsunami. It is such a tragedy. It is such a major tragedy. At least I can face the future and think to myself, 'Well, I tried to do something.' And it's not just be because, you know, we had Barry Gibb is on there. Robin Gibb is on there. Russell Watson, do you guys know Russell Watson? Russell sang, Boy George, Brian Wilson, and others as well. And the funny thing is, we never did it together. We all of us did it from whereever we were in the world. So it was a great thrill to be part of it. And we had a top five single there [in the UK] but as you know, singles don't sell very well over the world now. And maybe, if there'd been time... The trouble is when something like the tsunami happens, you just have to get in and do what you can. Ideally, it probably would've been better for us all to have presented an album. But you know, an album takes ages to record, so... But as I say, the rock 'n' roll world very often has gone out of its way to try to be involved in the politics or tragedies like this and when Mike rang me, I was very happy to do it."
Cliff Richard (February 18, 2005 - WGN Radio 720 Chicago interview)


Running Time: 5:06
Record Date: January 2005
Record Location: Peter Woolf's Studio, Malibu, Los Angeles (Cliff Richard vocals); Middle Ear Studios, Miami, Florida (Barry Gibb vocals); The Argot Network, New York City (Boy George vocals); Brian Wilson's Studio, California (Brian Wilson vocals); Parsons Green Studio, Culver City, California (Dewey Bunnell, Jeffrey Foskett & Randell Kirsch contributions); Los Angeles (Jon Anderson vocals); Steve Levine Studios, Fulham, London (Steve Winwood, Robin Gibb, Russell Watson, Bill Wyman, RickWakeman, Kenney Jones, Gary Moore, Sam Blue & Celina Cherry contributions); Chicago, Illinois (Paul Mertens contributions); Sherman Oaks Studio, California (Gerry Buckley contribution); Burrenstone Studios, Ireland (Davy Spillane contribution); West Orange Studio, Preston, Lancashire (Jon Cristos contribution); all other recording locations unknown
Written By: Mike Read
Produced By: Steve Levine (overall track); John Farrar & Peter Woolf (Cliff Richard vocals); Barry Gibb (Barry Gibb vocals); Brian Wilson (Brian Wilson vocals); all other producers unknown
Engineered By: Unknown; Brett Thorngren (Barry Gibb vocals); Paul Ruest (Boy George vocals); Hank Linderman (Brian Wilson vocals); John Emenaker (Jon Anderson vocals); all other engineers unknown
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), Barry Gibb (vocals) Robin Gibb (vocals), Brian Wilson (vocals), Boy George (vocals), Russell Watson (vocals), Steve Winwood (vocals), Jon Anderson (vocals), Dewey Bunnell (vocals), Gerry Beckley (vocals), Jeffrey Foskett (backing vocals), Randall Kirsch (backing vocals), Celine Cherry (backing vocals), Sam Blue (backing vocals), Bill Wyman (bass), Rick Wakeman (korg synthesiser), Gary Moore (electric guitar), Hank Linderman (nylon guitar), Kenny Jones (percussion), Davey Spillane (uilleann pipes), Paul Von Mertens (saxophone, bass harmonica), Teri Bryant (percussion), Darren Sell (keyboards).

And here´s the Wikipedia entry, slightly edited:
"Grief Never Grows Old" is a song written by Mike Read and recorded by the music supergroup One World Project in 2005 to raise money for relief of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Asia. It was released on 24 January 2005 and reached a peak position of number 4 in the UK Singles Chart.

Background
The musicians who sang in the song were Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, Jeffrey Foskett, Boy George, Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb, Randell Kirsch, Cliff Richard, Russell Watson, Brian Wilson, Steve Winwood. Other musicians on the record were Jon Anderson, Celina Cherry, Kenney Jones, Hank Linderman, Gary Moore, Mike Read, Rick Wakeman and Bill Wyman.

The song was produced by Steve Levine The musical director was Darren Sell

 

Another rarity: "WATCH ME COME ALIVE", written by Paul Morrall & Joe Collins. Not really chart fodder, but an OK song. IMO, of course.

Robert Porter:
"It was Sir Cliff that really gave us the encouragement to put this album together. When an artist of his pedigree says yes you know you're doing something right. He arrived at our theatre one June day ready to lay down his vocals. Not only a lead vocal but an entire arrangement of harmonies and counter parts that he'd worked out."
Author Unknown (November 2003 - liner notes for The Chicken Shed Album)

Running Time: 3:25
Record Date: September 29, 1999 (Cliff's vocals) & possibly June 2003 (music)
Record Location: Chickenshed Studios, Southgate, London
Written By: Paul Morrall (words) & Jo Collins (music)
Produced By: David Carey, Jo Collins & Francis Haines
Engineered By: Giles Brading, Simon Cooper, Keith Jay & Saul Gillingham
Performed By: Cliff Richard (vocals), David Carey (keyboards), Jo Collins (keyboards), Francis Haines (keyboards), San Fuster-Burnett (guitar), Iain Whitmore (bass, backing vocals), Julian Marc Stringle* (saxophone, clarinet), Simon Copper (drums, percussion), Liz Kitchen (drums, percussion), Giles Brading (backing vocals), Fiona Callan (backing vocals), Greg Williams (backing vocals) -- *unconfirmed
Released On: The Chicken Shed Album CD album (2003 November 24 — UK — Redemption Records RRUK3)

 

A great and eclectic group of musicians on that one!

 

Indeed, Mark. Both on vocals and on various instruments. I have never rated Mike read much as a songwriter, but I find I don´t mind this one that much. And if it raised money for the victims, I´m all for it.

 

In all honesty, I've never rated Mike Reid on anything, and I find his politics abhorrent, but I did see the musical based on Cliff he 'starred' in. It was OK. But there again, Mike Reid was always wanting to be Cliff wasn't he... A load of his signed singles are currently on eBay due to his bankruptcy by the way.

 

He´s bankrupt? How delightful... He, he. Not really. Though I do agree with you about his politics - many of which I suppose Cliff agrees with. Too bad.

I forgot to mention this in my earlier post, but how wonderful it must have been to actually meet Cliff! I had the chance to see him live in 2003, right here in Stavanger, but this was his "WANTED" tour, and the prices were way too high. In addition, this was the tour where he let his backing vocalists handle some of his best songs - "DEVIL WOMAN", "GREEN LIGHT" and "CARRIE" among them. I decided not to go, and I don´t really regret my decision. though my former friend the record-dealer got to see his daughter interviewed in the extras part of the DVD from the tour.

I think I was afraid of being let down by Cliff on this particular tour.

 

Great catchy song. Agree with your comments, great seeing it live too.

 

A good idea to raise money for a good cause, but the song did nothing for me at all.

 

A fantastically fun song that even now gets occasional plays on the Radio, deserved to be a much bigger hit than it was. I first heard this at The aRoyal Albert Hall before the Something album was released and kept singing it for days afterwards. It is even one of the very few Cliff songs both my wife and kids actually admit to singing along to!

 

I just think it's funny that the B-Side to a song about a car crash is called Slow Down!!

 

Didn't realise this old thread was still going. Hello all!

 

Hi Bobby, I haven't been on this thread for ages as well....