What is the best sounding Cliff Richard compilation 1958-1982

I've just got round to watching Serious Charge - over 50 years after it came out - it's a pretty good film. It leads me to wonder whether that rocking version of Living Doll has ever made it to a record or CD...

 

Where can i find "it'l be me" in MONO? it's wide stereo everywhere.

I have a badly phased mono version on an lp.

 

edit: double post

 

Edit: I just needle dropped it and it's very narrow stereo on the lp "The British Pop Collection".

Apart from the awful phasing, it's more hard rocking than the damn wide stereo version.

 

Just bought a 6LP box set called "The Cliff Richard Story" for $20. It's on EMI, and in really great shape, except I need to give them a good clean as someone has left dirty finger marks on a few of the outer tracks.

I believe this Box set is from 1972, due to it only going up to that, and the Label is also of that era, with it just being cream, and doesn't have a big EMI running down the side like my newer EMI lp's have.

 

After cleaning it up. And reading it's from 1974 (It's the original EMI release, NOT the Readers Digest re-release). I am now listening to it, and sadly, it's Fake stereo, just like most of the other "Stereo" cliff comps from the 1970's, although nowhere does it state Stereo/mono content). Listening to "High Class Baby" right now in glorious fake stereo.

It looks like this:


"Move It" honestly doesn't sound that bad in fake stereo, although I grew up with the fake stereo version, so i'm used to it.

For 6LP's, all in great condition, I'm still happy I got this set, even if the early stuff is fake stereo. each LP has it's own sleeve with and awesome full color photo on each of them, and the back of each of them have really good liner notes. Interesting, that it has "Never Mind" in fake stereo, when this song exists in True Stereo.

If you want an LP set of his best stuff from 1958 to 1972, this is a good collection, with a wide array of his songs, and includes all the hits. The only songs I would add to this collection are "Schoolboy Crush", "My Feet Hit The Ground" and "Apron Strings".

 

EDIT: WOW, It's using a TRUE STEREO version of "A Voice In The Wilderness". It's an alternate version, and suffers from a bit of inner grove distortion, due to there being 8 tracks on each side, but wow, it sounds clean.

Anyone know where this version of the song comes from? It's different to the version on my Columbia 45.

 

Am slowly getting through this whole 6LP set! Am on Side 2 of "Record 3". And this set keeps on sounding better and better, so clean and in nice crisp stereo. When I put the first LP on, I thought this was gonna be a crappy set, due to the earliest stuff being fake stereo, but no, once you pass the fake stereo stuff, it's all glorious true stereo, which sounds superb.

 

Here's a sample for newcomers as to why it's so important to get the old OOP cd's.

The first part is how it sounds on all the cd's since the 90's, and the second part is how it's meant to sound:

http://soundcloud.com/goodiesguy/cliff-comparison

 

Resurrecting this just to say thanks for all the recommendations here for Steve's compilation and "40 Golden Greats". Finally, I have all of Cliff's hits I've really liked over the years and they sound better than they ever did on the radio, TV or umpteen recent remastered collections I've heard.

 

I am glad you are enjoying Cliff's classic singles more than ever.

 

I have this compilation of the Seven ! first albums and it's excellent : only "21 today" is NOT in Stereo....what a shame !

 

...in any case it's a great pleasure to read about Cliff .in these musical pages..! his recordings circa 59/64 where fabulous !!

 

There is a compilation called "The Ultimate Collection", marketed as an "audiophile" 2CD. It´s a Malaysian release from 2013, and it´s on Warner, licensed from EMI. (It´s housed in a slightly taller jewel case, similar to a compilation of Anne Murray hits.) This sounds better to my ears than any other release I can remember, perhaps apart from Mr. S.H. s collection, which sounded great. I am very sceptical to releases marked "audiophile", as I have found to my regret that they often feature re-recorded versions of well-known songs. They also bear out that the appellation "audiophile" is HIGHLY subjective. (Read: inaccurate.) I bought an "audiophile" version of Cliff´s "Two´s Company" album. The main album was OK, but they had added a second disc of other hits, and they mostly sounded less than good, or, in some instances, terrible. Bootleg? Methinks yes. But this Malaysian release sounds very good to me, and even though it left out some very good songs, it´s a fair summation of his career, with perhaps more emphasis on ballads than was strictly necessary.

 

Jarleboy, stick with 40 Golden Greats and Steve's collection and the rest of the recommended collections and enjoy.

 

You will have to seek out a CD that has the 21 Today album in stereo such as http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00004SEA5/

 

Warner Bros. is the owner of the Cliff Richard catalog.

 

Hardly likely, I´m afraid. I have both of them, but I was a big fan of Cliff´s from around 1977 up to 1998, and I bought more or less anything I could lay my hands on that featured Cliff. (I still buy new material, but I no longer buy compilations. Well, hardly any.) I prefer his 1976-1981 releases, and I also have a fondness for a period that neither the critics, the fans nor Cliff himself enjoyed that much, 1967-1973. (I adore "Take Me High", for instance.) I may not ne a fan anymore, but Cliff meant so much to me for so many years that I doubt I´ll ever stop listening to my favourite tracks of his.

My favourite albums: "Rock´n´Roll Juvenile" (1979), "I´m No Hero" (1980), "I´m Nearly Famous" (1976), "Stronger" (1989), "Small Corners" (1977), and "BEst of Cliff, Vol.2" (1972).
Favourite tracks: "When Two Worlds Drift Apart" (1977), "Dreamin" (1980), "Silvery Rain" (1971), "My Kinda Life" (1977), "Throw Down a Line" (1969) and "Miss You Nights" (1975). There are many others, but these sprang to mind right now.

 

I liked his stuff from I'm Nearly Famous up to Songs For Heathcliff. After that and up to now it was mainly comps and covers. Something's Going On and Wanted weren't bad, but Real As I Wanna Be was terrible.

 

"Live At Wormwood Scrubs"

 

I am happy to see that our tastes coincide over these albums. Agree with you on the period covered by "I´m Nearly Famous" through to "Songs from Heathcliff". Cliff´s output during those years was simply quality pop. There are some albums I could do without, though - "The Rock Connection" was pleasant, but a bit too soft, I think, and "Always Guaranteed" had some elegant songs, but I found the production to be a bit too sterile. (Love the melancholy "Remember Me", though.) I also think Alan Tarney had lost his golden touch around "Wanted". Who needed Cliff´s anodyne versions "And I Love Her", "What´s Love Got to Do With It"? "Wanted" was the final nail in the coffin. I did not consider myself a "real" fan anymore.

That process started with "Real As I Wanna Be". The songs have no personality, and the arrangements are terribly boring. The exception is the title track. That was one of those songs I didn´t really like when I first heard it, but it grew on me, sort of like "Suddenly" on "Xanadu". Now it´s one of my favourites by Cliff.

Cliff was never one for experimentation, but I love his voice. My favourite album has to "Rock´N´Roll Juvenile", which has less of the typical "Cliffish" embellishment and more "quality". I wish there was a better mastering of this available. The all-Tarney "I´m No Hero" also has a special place in my heart.

 

"The Young Ones"...............

 

Anybody have the new Cliff Richard - 75 at 75?

 

I do. If you wonder about the sound, I have to admit that I was quite disappointed with disc 2 and 3. (I haven´t played the first disc.) A bit trebly, I thought. Even shrill on some tracks. I have read others whose opinions differ - they like the sound. I think I have heard better versions of these songs before.

It does have one thing to recommend it, though: The last song, "Golden" is worth the price of the compilation alone. It´s a love song - directed towards his fans who have supported him over the years. I actually think this is one of the most heartfelt performances from Cliff since the 70s.