Cliff richard

Cliff Richard ( Lucknow , 14 of October of 1940 ) is the stage name Harold Rodger Webb , one of the most popular British singers.

Table of Contents

Summary

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1 Biographical synthesis
- 1 Family
- 2 Beginnings
2 60’s
3 Separation
4 Sir Cliff and Heathcliff
5 News
- 1 Reunion
6 Personal life
7 Singles
8 Sources

Biographical synthesis

He was born in King George Hospital , in the city of Lucknow (in British India), the son of Rodger Webb Oscar and Dorothy Marie Dazely. Richard was baptized Harry Rodger Webb on November 2, 1940 in the Church of Saint Thomas, in the city of Dehradun (India).

Family

The family lived in a modest house with other Britons in Maqbara . In 1948, after Indian independence, the family embarked on a three-week trip to the United Kingdom. The Webbs went from wealth to a modest life.

the beginning

He was one of the founders of The Drifters (not to be confused with the American group of the same name). At the suggestion of a manager, who thought it would be nice to have someone’s name up front, they changed the name to Cliff Richard and the Drifters and later to Cliff Richard and the Shadows. The group got a contract and recorded their first album at Abbey Road Studios in 1958. They were given a pretty catchy song called “Schoolboy Crush”, but were allowed to record their own song for the B side. The chosen one was “Move It!” , written by Ian Sammy Samwell, who was a member of the group at the time.

There are quite a few stories about why side A was replaced by side B. One says that her producer, Norrie Paramor, played the record for her daughter, and she was hallucinating with side B instead of A. Another possible reason for the change was the influential television producer Jack Good, who took the number for his TV show Oh Boy! , said the song they had to sing on their show had to be “Move It!” Eventually the single was changed and reached number 2 on the charts.

The members of the band changed with the following singles, although it was never really considered a new group. It is often wrongly said that the Drifters / Shadows were a backing band that occasionally played with Cliff. The reality is that it was simply a gradual change in the components, which ultimately left Cliff as the only original member of the group. As Jet Harris, Tony Meehan, Hank Marvin, and Bruce Welch emerged into the group, some lucky events followed for the band and for the world. Pop music could have totally changed if certain incidents had not occurred, especially on a single day in Soho. That day, Cliff’s manager, John Foster, was looking for a new guitarist. He went to the club ‘2 I’s,

The man they were looking for was Tony Sheridan, an acquaintance of the Drifters, who later recorded in Hamburg with The Beatles as escorts, which led to their first contract in Great Britain. Tony wasn’t there when Foster arrived, and Foster was in a hurry and couldn’t wait long. So they told Foster about a brilliant guitarist, and that’s how Foster met Hank Marvin. Hank told him that he was in tandem with Bruce Welch, so Foster added two new members to the Drifters that day. If Sheridan had been at the club that day, The Beatles might never have risen to fame. Tony Meehan and Jet Harris left the group temporarily and played together with great success on the charts. One component of Jet Tony’s group was John Paul Jones, later a member of Led Zeppelin, and Jimmy Page also recorded with them. A serious accident paralyzed the success of Jet, although it later resurfaced with Jeff Beck (Yardbirds), Ron Wood (Rolling Stones), and Rod Stewart forming The Faces, however this group did not last long.

60’s

Cliff Richard and The Shadows.

In the period between 1958 and 1963, Cliff Richard and the Shadows remained the most important group in Great Britain. They toured the United States , frequently stealing the spotlight from the American group they accompanied. The problem was that the record company did not put enough effort into distributing the albums, and many opportunities were missed. Cliff and the Shadows changed the way things were done at British record labels, and made EMI see the importance and strength of rock’n’roll.

Many well-known groups from the 60s and 70s began by imitating Cliff and the Shadows, performing only their material, and the groups were taught to copy how they did things. The Beatles were taken to Cliff and the Shadows concerts to check out their clothes, stage presence and various other things, and because they belonged to the Abbey Road herd, they became good friends with the band.
Throughout the 1960s, Cliff remained at the top, however he did not have the privileges that new groups had of releasing music and placing it directly in the United States. The Beatles had become a phenomenon thanks to the reception of the American public, and that in turn opened the way for them across the Atlantic.

Separation

After the Shadows split in 1968, Richard had to record without his ensemble. Cliff was used to not having the Shadows in his recording sessions by now, and he could work in any studio. Although many fans, like John Lennon, had lamented in the early 60’s that Cliff had tried songs that were not exactly in the area of rock’n’roll, that process of recording with the Shadows as a “rock group” , and sometimes singing with other musicians, is no doubt at least partly responsible for Cliff becoming what he is. He has become an artist who has not been pigeonholed into a single pattern, but has been a wild rocker, a ballad singer, a hard rock singer, who even found it natural to switch to dance rhythms.

Interestingly, those who were initially skeptical of his moves towards other types of music later changed their thoughts and did the same with their own records. Later, the Shadows regrouped (and again separated), and recorded solo, although they reunited with Cliff in 1978 and 1984 for some concerts.

Sir Cliff and Heathcliff

Heathcliff

The year 1995 represented one of the most important in the personal and professional life of Cliff Richard. On October 25 of that year he was appointed Sir Cliff Richard for his contributions of time and money to charitable causes in many parts of the world. He was the first representative of the musical world to receive such a distinction. In November 1995 he released the album Songs From Heathcliff which reached number 15 on the UK charts and represented the beginning of the fulfillment of a dream he had had for many years of playing Heathcliff, the protagonist of the novel Wuthering Heights. by Emily Bronte .

The following year, the Heathcliff play began a UK tour at the NIA, Birmingham . Although the reviews were almost uniformly poor, the play was very successful, with nearly half a million tickets sold before its tour at the Labatts Apollo ( London ) concluded in May 1997.

Present

Reunion

Reunion of Cliff Richard and The Shadows.

A new album by Richard and the Shadows was released in September 2009. Titled Reunion, it was their first studio project in forty years. The 28 songs recorded with 25 re-recordings of their previous classics, with three “new” songs, originating from the time, the single “Singing the blues”, along with Eddie Cochran “C’mon Everybody” and the Ford hit Frankie “Sea Cruise”. The tracks must be distributed on individual tracks and their bonus, a limited edition of the album, as well as a standard CD version. The album charted at number 6 on the UK charts in its first week and reached number 4. The reunion tour continued in Europe in 2010.

Personal life

In 1959 he had a tortuous affair with Carol Costa , ex-wife of The Shadows bassist Jet Harris . According to many, Costa would have been the great love of Cliff Richard. In 1964 he was about to marry the dancer Jacquie Irving , in 1974 he denied the rumor that he had asked his friend Olivia Newton-John’s hand .

Also the source of much gossip was his relationship with Sue Barker, tennis star and BBC sports presenter in 1981 , but they disappointed those who expected him to marry. The sexuality of Richard, who lives with a former Catholic priest, has been questioned, but he has always denied the rumors, emphasizing that, besides everything, it is something that does not concern his followers. In 1991 he started The Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation, which is in charge of financing and promoting children’s tennis throughout England . Today he is president of charitable-religious projects such as the Tear Fund, a foundation that helps the poorest and most vulnerable areas of America and Africa . He is also a member of the Roy Castle foundation, of aid to people with lung cancer and sponsor of the society against Alzahimer.

Simple

1958

August: “Move It” (with The Drifters) # 2 UK
November: “High Class Baby” (with The Drifters) # 7 UK

1959

January: “Livin ‘Lovin’ Doll” (with The Drifters) # 20 UK
April: “Mean Streak” (with The Drifters) # 10 UK
April: “Never Mind” (with The Drifters) # 21 UK
July: “Living Doll” (with The Drifters) # 1 UK, # 30 US
October: “Traveling Light” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK
October: “Dynamite” (with The Shadows) # 16 UK

1960

January: “A Voice In The Wilderness” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK
March: “Fall In Love With You” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK
June: “Please Don’t Tease” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK
September: “Nine Times Out Of Ten” (with The Shadows) # 3 UK
December: “I Love You” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK

1961

February: “Theme For A Dream” (with The Shadows) # 3 UK
June: “A Girl Like You” (with The Shadows) # 3 UK
August: “Gee Whiz It’s You” (with The Shadows) # 4 UK
October: “When The Girl In Your Arms Is The Girl In Your Heart” (with The Shadows) # 3 UK

1962

January: “The Young Ones” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK
May: “I’m Looking Out Of The Window” / “Do You Want To Dance” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK
August: “It’ll Be Me” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK
November: “The Next Time” / “Bachelor Boy” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK, # 99 US (“Bachelor Boy” only).

1963

February: “Summer Holiday” (with The Shadows) # 1 UK
May: “Lucky Lips” (featuring The Shadows) # 4 UK, # 62 US
August: “It’s All In The Game” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK, # 25 US
November: “Don’t Talk To Him” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK

1964

January: “I’m The Lonely One” (with The Shadows) # 8 UK, # 92 US
March: “I Only Have Eyes For You” # 109 US
April: “Constantly” (with The Shadows) # 4 UK
June: “On The Beach” (with The Shadows) # 7 UK
October: “The Twelfth Of Never” # 8 UK
November: “I Could Easily Fall In Love With You” # 6 UK

1965

March: “The Minute You’re Gone” # 1 UK
June: “On My Word” (with The Shadows) # 12 UK
August: “Time In Between” (with The Shadows) # 22 UK
October: “Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)” (with The Shadows) # 2 UK

1966

February: “Blue Turns To Gray” (with The Shadows) # 15 UK
July: “Visions” (with The Shadows) # 7 UK
October: “Time Drags By” (with The Shadows) # 10 UK
December: “In The Country” # 6 UK

1967

March: “It’s All Over” (with The Shadows) # 9 UK
June: “I’ll Come Runnin ‘” # 26 UK
September: “The Day I Met Marie” # 10 UK
November: “All My Love” # 6 UK

1968

March: “Congratulations” # 1 UK, # 99 US
June: “I’ll Love You Forever Today” # 27 UK
September: “Marianne” # 22 UK
November: “Don’t Forget To Catch Me” # 21 UK

1969

February: “Good Times” # 12 UK
May: “Big Ship” # 8 UK
September: “Throw Down A Line” (with Hank Marvin) # 7 UK
November: “With The Eyes Of A Child” # 20 UK

1970

February: “The Joy Of Living” (with Hank Marvin) # 25 UK
May: “Goodbye Sam Hello Samantha” # 6 UK
August: “I Ain’t Got Time Anymore” # 21 UK

1971

January: “Sunny Honey Girl” # 19 UK
March: “Silvery Rain” # 27 UK
June: “Flying Machine” # 37 UK
October: “Sing A Song Of Freedom” # 13 UK

1972

February: “Jesus” # 35 UK
August: “Living In Harmony” # 12 UK
November: “A Brand New Song”

1973

March: “Power To All Our Friends” # 4 UK, # 109 US
April: “Help It Along” / “Tomorrow Rising” # 29 UK
November: “Take Me High” # 27 UK

1974

April: “(You Keep Me) Hanging On” # 13 UK

1975

March: “It’s Only Me You’ve Left Behind”
September: “Honky Tonk Angel”
November: “Miss You Nights” # 15 UK

1976

April: “Devil Woman” # 9 UK, # 6 US
July: “I Can’t Ask For Any More Than You” # 17 UK, # 80 US
November: “Hey Mr Dream Maker” # 31 UK

1977

February: “My Kinda Life” # 15 UK
June: “When Two Worlds Drift Apart” # 46 UK; “Don’t Turn The Light Out” # 57 US

1978

January: “Yes, He Lives!”
July: “Please Remember Me”
November: “Can’t Take The Hurt Any More”

1979

February: “Green Light” # 57 UK
July: “We Don’t Talk Anymore” # 1 UK, # 7 US
October: “Hot Shot” # 46 UK

1980

January: “Carrie” # 4 UK, # 34 US
August: “Dreamin ‘” # 8 UK, # 10 US
October: “Suddenly” (with Olivia Newton-John) # 15 UK, # 20 US

1981

January: “A Little In Love” # 15 UK, # 17 US
April: “Give A Little Bit More” # 41 US
August: “Wired For Sound” # 4 UK, # 71 US
November: “Daddy’s Home” # 2 UK, # 23 US

1982

July: “The Only Way Out” # 10 UK, # 64 US
September: “Where Do We Go From Here” # 60 UK
November: “Little Town” # 11 UK

1983

February: “She Means Nothing To Me” (with Phil Everly) # 9 UK
April: “True Love Ways” # 8 UK
May: “Drifting” (with Sheila Walsh) # 64 UK
August: “Never Say Die (Give A Little Bit More)” # 15 UK, # 73 US
November: “Please Don’t Fall In Love” # 7 UK

1984

March: “Baby You’re Dynamite” / “Ocean Deep” # 27/41 UK
September: “Two To The Power” (with Janet Jackson) # 83 UK
October: “Shooting From The Heart” # 51 UK

1985

January: “Heart User” # 46 UK
September: “She’s So Beautiful” # 17 UK
November: “It’s In Every One Of Us” # 45 UK

1986

March: “Living Doll” (with ‘The Young Ones’) # 1 UK
May: “Born To Rock ‘n’ Roll”
September: “All I Ask Of You” (with Sarah Brightman) # 3 UK
November: “Slow Rivers” (with Elton John) # 44 UK

1987

June: “My Pretty One” # 6 UK
August: “Some People” # 3 UK
October: “Remember Me” # 35 UK

1988

February: “Two Hearts” # 34 UK
November: “Mistletoe & Wine” # 1 UK

1989

May: “The Best Of Me” # 2 UK
August: “I Just Don’t Have The Heart” (produced by Stock, Aitken and Waterman) # 3 UK
October: “Lean On You” # 17 UK
November: “Whenever God Shines His Light” (with Van Morrison) # 20 UK

1990

February: “Stronger Than That” # 14 UK
August: “Silhouettes” # 10 UK
October: “From A Distance” # 11 UK
November: “Savior’s Day” # 1 UK

1991

September: “More To Life” (BBCTV Series Pilot Theme) # 23 UK
November: “We Should Be Together” # 10 UK
December: “This New Year” # 30 UK

1992

November: “I Still Believe In You” # 7 UK

1993

March: “Peace In Our Time” # 8 UK
June: “Human Work Of Art” # 24 UK
September: “Never Let Go” # 32 UK
December: “Healing Love” # 19 UK

1994

November: “All I Have To Do Is Dream” (with Phil Everly) / “Miss You Nights” # 14 UK

nineteen ninety five

October: “Misunderstood Man” # 19 UK
November: “Had To Be” (with Olivia Newton John) # 22 UK

nineteen ninety six

March: “The Wedding” (with Helen Hobson) # 40 UK
October: “Be With Me Always” # 52 UK

1998

October: “Can’t Keep This Feeling In” # 10 UK

1999

July: “The Miracle” # 23 UK
November: “The Millennium Prayer” # 1 UK

2001

December: “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” / “What A Wonderful World” # 11 UK

2002

April: “Let Me Be The One” # 29 UK

2003

December: “Santa’s List” # 5 UK

2004

October: “Somethin ‘Is Goin’ On” # 9 UK
December: “I Cannot Give You My Love” # 13 UK

2005

May: “What Car” # 12 UK

2006

December: “21st Century Christmas” / “Move It” # 2 UK

2007

October: “When I Need You” # 38 UK

2008

September: “Thank You For A Lifetime” # 3 UK