I guess we have to stick our necks out of the Cliff bubble now and then. I asserted that "Cinderella" had a few songs that sounded quite contemporary for Cliff and The Shadows. I stand by that, but... "The Young Ones"... The film is utterly charming, and the music sounds fresh. "Got a Funny feeling", "We Say Yeah", "Lessons In Love" - I like them all. The title track is good, but familiarity breeds contempt. It´s one of those songs I do like, but I have heard too many times. I can still appreciate at times, but I have to choose the moment myself. No. 5 so far sounds about right for me. I like early Cliff, but I liked his later recordings even better. The albums you mention are keepers - no pun intended! - This year, 1967, later produced projects by The Beatles - "Sgt. Pepper´s Lonely Hearts Club Band", and before that, the double A-side "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields Forever". (Oh no, I mentioned the B-word.) The First album by Pink Floyd saw the light of the day the same year, and... Well, compared to those artists, "Cinderella" sounds like old hat; it´s square music for square people. But we have to be honest. Cliff & co never aimed for those kinds of experimental and groundbreaking music. Their music sits firmly in the old traditions of musicals and pop music, with a little bit of rock mixed in. My position is that there´s absolutely nothing wrong with that. So, I get why "Cinderella" and the rest of Cliff´s music is seldom mentioned as being the leading lights of 1967. It was never meant to be. The music is perfect for what it is. That´s enough for me. I believe you are right when you say that this is more about The Shadows as composers. Yes, the album is somewhat derivative of both "Aladdin & His Wonderful Lamp" and even more "Finders Keepers". But so what? The songs are mostly great, or at least good. I enjoy myself every time I listen to the album. If you extract some of the songs from the album to a compilation, most of them shine. Brightly. "Dare I Love Him Like I Do"? Yes. It sounds like it could have been part of the "Oliver!" soundtrack, or a ballad single for Dusty, Petula or Sandie. As you say, if nobody knew it was a Shadows song, how would the reaction be? An interesting question.
Pantos With the chat about Cinderella and Aladdin, I'm posting a piece about pop and pantos from The Beat's December 2017 issue. It's not exclusively about Cliff but he does feature strongly. And if some folks wonder about the inclusion of Tommy Steele, just remember that he was a major British pop name in the 1950s. Although it's become customary to denigrate it, his debut single -- Rock with the Caveman from 1956 -- was the first British rock 'n' roll hit. Pop stars in pantomime Once upon a time, pop stars regularly appeared in pantomime over the Christmas season. And retrospectives of the period often sneer at that, the gist of the criticism portraying the shows as tatty affairs where the stars were simply shoehorned into the proceedings to sing their current hits and then get offstage. It was, the story goes, just an undignified means of eking out a few pounds over the holidays. No doubt, that was true much of the time. But not always. Sometimes, the pantomimes were lavish spectacles that ran from Christmas to Easter in large, prestigious theatres. And the pop star was fully integrated into the narrative rather than being merely an “added attraction” appendage. Here are five examples. Tommy Steele in Cinderella (Coliseum, 1958-59) This iteration of the ancient folk-tale made its debut on American television on March 31, 1957. Written specially for the small screen by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and starring a youthful Julie Andrews in the title role, the broadcast is reputed to have attracted an audience of 107 million. The following year’s London adaptation, courtesy of impresario Harold Fielding, was the show’s first stage production and the venue – the Coliseum – was London’s largest theatre. With a 40-piece orchestra and a cast of 70, there was nothing thrifty about the endeavor. Although Rodgers and Hammerstein had omitted the Buttons character from their show, Fielding restored it for London. After all, Cinderella was to be the vehicle introducing Tommy Steele to the West End and a suitably meaty role was required. For the score, the Rodgers and Hammerstein TV songs were supplemented by three from their unsuccessful Me & Juliet, which hadn’t played in London, plus a new one written by Tommy himself – You and Me, performed as a duet with Jimmy Edwards. Cinderella opened to excellent reviews on December 18, 1958, and clocked-up 168 performances between then and the following Easter. It was also excerpted for a special 60-minute BBC radio broadcast on the evening of Christmas Day. Indeed, there was nothing shabby about this at all! Cliff and the Shadows in Aladdin (London Palladium, 1964-65) This was the first of three consecutive Palladium pantomimes to feature a brand new score written by the Shadows. There were 19 musical pieces in all, five of which were entirely orchestral with titles like Dance of the Warriors and Dragon Dance. Cliff played the title role, Una Stubbs was Princess Balroubadour, Arthur Askey was Widow Twankey, and the Shadows characters were called Wishee, Washee, Noshee and Poshee. Including the dancers, the total cast reached 70. And the show’s music had some success in its own right. Cliff’s I Could Easily Fall was a solid Top 10 hit in the UK and a dozen other territories ranging from Germany to Australia; the Shadows’ Genie with the Light Brown Lamp instrumental was a UK Top 20 entry; and the show’s LP spent nine weeks in the NME album Top 10. There was also a buzz about the sound quality, which was apparently so good that some cynics thought it must be mimed. Reporting on the chatter, the music press solved the puzzle by noting the production was making an early use of radio microphones. To be sure, Aladdin wasn’t rock ‘n’ roll. But with 12 performances a week from Christmas 1964 through to Easter 1965, it was huge box-office. Viewing the crowds from his office window across from the Palladium, the Rolling Stones then manager Eric Easton was mightily impressed with Cliff’s continued pulling power. Frank Ifield in Babes in the Wood (London Palladium, 1965-66) Because the original Babes in the Wood story is too flimsy to sustain an entire show, pantomime productions have often incorporated elements of the Robin Hood narrative. And so it was that Frank Ifield came to play the bold Robin in the Palladium’s 1965-66 production. Although past his glory days as a major record seller, Frank was still a potent live attraction who appealed to a broad demographic. As usual, the Palladium didn’t stint on support. Sid James and Kenneth Connor were featured as the Robbers, Arthur Askey was Big Hearted Martha, and Alan Curtis did villainous duty as the Sheriff of Nottingham. And in an uncredited role as one of the Aida Foster Children, a 17 year-old Elaine Paige made her Palladium debut. For the Shadows, it was their second Palladium score, albeit one that didn’t have the same resonance outside the theatre as Aladdin had enjoyed. Frank issued three of the songs on singles – an A and two Bs – and there was also an album. But nothing in the way of chart action. However, three of the tunes turned up on the Shadows own 1966 LP, Shadow Music, which hit the album Top 10 in both the NME (No. 6) and the Record Retailer (No. 5). Cliff and the Shadows in Cinderella (London Palladium, 1966-67) Contrary to what’s sometimes been written, the Shadows only involvement with the 1965-66 Babes in the Wood was provision of the music. The following year, though, was different. In addition to writing their third consecutive score, they played the debt-collecting Broker’s Men. One song put it succinctly: And if a man’s on pleasure bent/Then all his money’s quickly spent/The world shall witness his descent/To pov-er-ty. As the show’s star – in the Buttons role – Cliff had nine songs plus a duet. One of them, the rampantly infectious In the Country, scored a Top 10 hit in the UK and a half-dozen other territories. For both Cliff and the Shadows, Cinderella was the final excursion into the world of live pantomime, although a special TV adaptation of Aladdin was subsequently recorded and broadcast on Christmas Day 1967. With a Christmas-to-Easter run, Cinderella was a high note to go out on. Tommy Steele in Dick Whittington (London Palladium, 1969-70) Prior to his stint in the Dick Whittington title role, Tommy’s Palladium appearances had been confined to things like the famous Sunday Night at the London Palladium TV showcase and Royal Variety Shows. Then, perhaps influenced by the pantomime’s success, it changed dramatically. Thanks to long-running engagements like Hans Andersen (1974-75 & 1977-78) and Singin’ in the Rain (1983-85 & 1989), Tommy morphed into the Palladium’s all-time champion headliner. No other star in the theatre’s fabled history has topped the bill as often as he has. Opening just prior to Christmas, Dick Whittington marked Tommy’s return to live performing following a break after the birth of his daughter. It was an auspicious return. To be sure, acts like the Beatles and the Stones never did pantomime, which was, of course, their prerogative. But as the five examples here demonstrate, there was nothing second-rate or tatty about some of those who did. Pulling audiences running into the hundreds of thousands in the West End is nothing to be ashamed of. A native of Ireland, Pat Murphy now lives in Canada.
"Square music for square people”. That may have been the judgement of much of the younger generation and the press at the time (and even now). Although, I maintain that it would be hard to class “Dare I Love Him Like I Do” as “square”. As you say, Cliff never set out to make ground-breaking music and he can’t be compared with the Beatles. But what he did set out to do was to entertain. His music can raise a smile and has an uplifting quality about it. That, to me, is equally valuable.
And, once again, we agree. Cliff has had his goals, and he has reached them. Others have wanted him to "aim higher", but why should he? We need all kinds of music, and there´s no shame in being an entertainer. Least of all a gifted one.
Thanks Jarleboy. I might add that his body of work, when taken as a whole, perhaps goes beyond being simply entertaining.
Oh yes, we are on the same page about that. It´s just the matter of the public perception of his work. He doesn´t get a whole lot of respect, whereas we know that he has songs worthy to compete with most of them.
A quote from Cameron Mackintosh, the famous theatrical producer: "At school, when everyone else had moved on to the Beatles, I still liked Cliff Richard. And I think that's stood me in good stead in the theatre."
I never knew that “Daddy’s Home” was going to be the “b” side of “Wired for Sound”. But as Mike Read said so, and think he was in the know in those days, it could be true. Thanks for posting the clip.
I don´t think you had, Bobby. Nice one. From back when Cliff was young and enjoying his lengthy comeback. What´s not to like. I don\t think there were ever plans to issue "Daddy´s Home" as a B-side, but we can´t know for sure. I actually think "Shakin´ All Over" is much more interesting, but Cliff & co knew their fans well. No. 2 it was.
Eh... Right. I do think Cliff is a good guy, but perhaps not based on Sir Jimmy´s say-so. Yes, I do get that it´s a joke.
My next review: Don’t Stop Me Now! – April 1967 Shout – 6 One Fine Day – 5 I’ll Be Back – 7 Heartbeat – 5 I Saw Her Standing There – 6 Hang On To A Dream – 4 You Gotta Tell Me – 5 Homeward Bound – 4 Good Golly Miss Molly – 8 Don’t Make Promises – 6 Move It – 6 Don’t – 3 Dizzy Miss Lizzy – 4 Baby It’s You – 4 My Babe – 7 Save The Last Dance For Me – 5 “Don’t Stop Me Now!” is an album of rockers and country/standards reworked with a “groovy” 60s orchestral backing and a bit of soul. Personally, I liked the style although I wouldn’t say it suited all the tracks. Sometimes the orchestra added something and sometimes it did the opposite. “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” is an example of the latter, where the arrangement detracted from the song. “Baby It’s You” is also in that category, with a very MoR sound and trumpets that were too ornate for my liking . “Homeward Bound” almost became “pomp rock” at the expense of its heartfelt quality. At other times the approach could be quite relentless and bland. Into this category go “Don’t”, which came across as plodding and was hard to sit through, “Hang On To A Dream”, which, with its use of harpsichord reminded me of a 60s TV theme, and “One Fine Day”, which breezed along but was very MoR. Also, I wasn’t entirely convinced that Cliff was always fully engaged. “Heartbeat” added nothing to a classic song, and “Save the Last Dance For Me” seemed to be going through the motions. I appreciated the “orchestral” nature of the arrangements. Songs often had development, from a downbeat start to a rocking climax. While it could verge on the overwrought (e.g. “Shout”) I particularly liked the approach with “Golly Miss Molly” which built up from a Yardbirds-like start to a rocking fever pitch ending, with a very committed vocal (the last being something it shared with “I saw Her Standing There”). It was my favourite track. I also liked “I’ll Be Back”, which was very “period” with good sound and interesting modulations, and standing out for their very listenable arrangements were “Don’t Make Promises”, reminiscent of a Nancy Sinatra piece with a growling orchestral drive, and “My Baby” – short ‘n sweet with interesting off-beat chords. “Move It!” wasn't too bad. I didn’t feel that the vocal detracted from the track in the same way as Strongbow does, but this version was a long way from the freshness of 1958. An interesting and perhaps surprising album overall. I don’t know quite what they were trying to achieve with it, apart from doing something different and maybe trying for the US market again. While it improved on the chart performance of “Cinderella”, at no 23 this was Cliff’s second lowest placement to date and I can understand that. Taken together though, these mid-60s albums are an interesting bunch, and they stand out for curiosity value if nothing else. Although they always deliver something rewarding, and even some gems. I would certainly give “Don’t Stop Me Now” another spin, and enjoy that technicolour soundscape again.
Cameron Mackintosh I understood him to be saying that his continued liking for Cliff was a reflection of the distinct "showbiz" element in Cliff's work, which resonated with his own inclinations. And those same inclinations were instrumental in his subsequent success as a theatrical producer.
Don't Stop Me Now This was another one that I imported from The Heanor Record Centre when it was first released. A truncated version -- called In a Mod Mood -- was issued in Canada several months later. As per previous, I now find the album a very mixed bag, although I was unreservedly enthusiastic in 1967. At times, Cliff isn't particularly engaged with the material. I especially dislike Shout, which he used as an act opener for several years. But I'm particularly fond of both Don't Make Promises and Save the Last Dance for Me. Don't Make Promises would've been a much stronger single than I'll Come Running.
I have to say that if I were listening to the Wired For Sound album with fresh ears, I don’t know if I’d pick Daddy’s Home out as a single… The album has a lot more hooky, chorus laden songs that sound like they’d be big hits. I think Daddy’s Home benefitted from being released towards Christmas. The sentimental video helped things along too. That said, Cliff delivers the song impeccably, as usual.
"Don't Make Promises" has a menacing drive and sounds very of its time. Some of the arrangements on the album are very good, I think.
I love it! A lot more than I like "Daddy´s Home", to be honest. (I like "Daddy´s Home", as well, but I did feel it was a step in the wrong direction. But wel done.) Also like ABBA´s song at No. 3, "One Of Us", though it´s not of my favourites by them.
I refer to my post above. Yes, it´s an immaculate performance. I love doo wop, and this is a slicker version of that kind of a song, I feel. But it was not exactly what I wanted to hear on the A-side of a Cliff single. I have read there was talking of releasing "Young Love" as a single. (It sort of was - when David Cassidy co-wrote a new version of it in 1985 as "The Last Kiss".) My own favourite would have been Cliff´s cover of Eric Wreckless´ "Broken Doll". Now, that would have made a great single.
Yes, the glossy ads accompanying Wired for Sound's North American release highlighted three tracks -- the title song, Daddy's Home and Young Love. I took that as a tipoff regarding initial single release plans.
