Norrie Paramor

92. Cliff Richard and The Shadows – Travellin’ Light (1959)

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The Info

Since the success of Living Doll , Cliff Richard’s band, The Drifters, had run into trouble. Unlike most backing bands at the time, they had signed a separate contract to Cliff, meaning they could release material on their own. Their first single, Feelin’ Fine, had to be withdrawn in the US when the manager of the famous soul group with the same name threatened legal action.

Before

The second single, Jet Black, was credited to The Four Jets, but manager Norrie Paramor suggested they needed to find a name and stick to it. That July while in a pub in Ruslip, bassist Jet Harris suggested to guitarist Hank Marvin they should be called The Shadows, and thus the name of one of the most famous bands of the next few years was finally settled. Bobby Vee’s backing group were also called The Shadows, but Marvin and co didn’t know this, so tough.

Travellin’ Light, written by Sid Tepper & Roy C Bennett, became their first single with their new name. Tepper and Bennett became two of Richards’ most frequent collaborators, and they also wrote many songs for Elvis Presley, particularly for his films.

Review

Travellin’ Light is pretty much a rewrite of Living Doll, as close as you can get to following up a number 1 with a repeat of the same formula. It’s also quite similar to Roger Miller’s 1965 number 1, King of the Road – had he been listening to this? The production is also similar to before, but this time Cliff’s voice has been treated with a strong echo effect, and there’s some welcome twangy guitar flourishes from Marvin, that could have done to be louder in the mix. Cliff is on his way to see his girl, and he’s so excited he’s taken nothing with him. He can’t even be bothered with a comb or toothbrush, the dirty beggar.

It’s an average country tune that would be better remembered if they’d at least tried to make it sound different to what had come before, but five weeks at number 1 suggests their fans were happy with more of the same.

The Info

Written by

Sid Tepper & Roy C Bennett

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

5 (30 October-3 December)

Trivia

Births

2 November: Actor Peter Mullan
14 November: Actor Paul McGann
18 November: Footballer Jimmy Quinn
25 November: Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy
30 November: Presenter Lorraine Kelly
2 December: Actress Gwyneth Strong

Deaths

26 November: Pianist Albert Ketèlbey

Meanwhile…

30 October: Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club opened in Soho, London. One of the most renowned venues of its kind, some of the artists who later played there include Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Prince and Jimi Hendrix, in his final public performance.

1 November: The first section of the M1 opened, between Watford and Rugby.

17 November: Prestwick and Renfrew become the first UK airports to feature duty free shops.

88. Cliff Richard and The Drifters – Living Doll (1959)

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The Intro

‘Look out! Cliff!’ It’s hard to believe now, but when Sir Cliff Richard’s first single Move It narrowly missed out on number 1 to Connie Francis’s Carolina Moon/Stupid Cupid in 1958, he was considered edgy, and the closest we had to our own Elvis Presley. Tommy Steele’s impersonation of ‘the King’ on Singing the Blues was too similar, and he soon began concentrating on his film career.

Unlike Elvis, Cliff was and is mainly a British phenomenon, and his cool image soon disappeared, to be forever replaced by that of the wholesome Christian entertainer. Not that it damaged his career. Cliff is the third biggest-selling artist in the history of the UK singles chart, behind The Beatles and Elvis, selling over 21 million in this country alone. This is the first of many staggering statistics – 67 UK top ten singles, 14 of which were number 1. Along with Elvis, he is the only act to make the chart in the first six decades, and is the only singer to have had number 1s from the 50s through to the 90s. This is the story of Living Doll, his first.

Before

Harry Rodger Webb had been born in Lucknow, British India on 14 October 1940. The Webbs had a modest life, but following Indian Independence in 1948 they moved into a smaller semi-detached house in Carshalton, south London. The teenage Webb became keenly interested in skiffle, like so many future stars, and his father bought him a guitar for his 16th birthday. In 1957 he formed The Quintones, before becoming the singer in The Dick Teague Skiffle Group, and then The Drifters. This was, of course, not the US soul group of the same name.

Entrepreneur Harry Greatorex became their manager, and suggested Webb needed a name change if they were to get anywhere. He came up with ‘Cliff’– because it sounded like ‘rock’, and band member Ian Samwell thought Richard would make a great surname and could also serve as a tribute to Little Richard. Together with drummer Terry Smart and guitarist Norman Mitham, they were now Cliff Richard and The Drifters, and Move It, penned by Samwell, stormed the charts. Cliff was a sensation, with his good looks, scowl and rock’n’roll attitude. John Lennon even called it the first British rock record.

Subsequent singles High Class Baby in 1958 and Mean Streak in 1959 reached the top 10. By the time of Richard’s film debut, in the film Serious Charge (1959), the line-up of The Drifters had settled on Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch on guitars, bassist Jet Harris and Tony Meeham on drums.

Lionel Bart had been approached to write songs for the film. Bart had already won awards for his pop songs, and had helped discover Tommy Steele, before moving into musicals soon after. He was browsing a newspaper when he came across an advert for a child’s doll. 10 minutes later he had written the controversial lyric for Living Doll. Originally planned as a rock’n’roll song (as featured in the film), Richard was not a fan, and was horrified to hear it was going to be their next single. Producer Norrie Paramor told him they could record it any way they wanted as long as it got done. It was Welch that came up with the genius idea of slowing down the tempo and making it a country song. Previously, The Drifters had only accompanied Cliff in live performances. This was their recording debut.

Review

Welch’s change of pace proved to be a masterstroke, and completely made the song, It’s still an ear worm now, as I can’t get it out of my head after relistening.

The problem with Living Doll, of course, is Bart’s lyrics. They really haven’t aged well, and it’s hard to match Christian crusader Cliff Richard with words that objectify women so badly. The easy-going charm of the tune cannot disguise the sinister, misogynistic lyrics that Cliff is crooning (and his crooning is really effective here – Living Doll is a great production by Paramor). The words are just plain odd at times, too. For instance, if they are taken literally, then Cliff is chuffed that, although his girl looks like a doll, her hair is in fact real, and what’s more, he’ll let you have a feel if you like.

Even worse, Cliff seems to get jealous very easily, and is prepared to lock her in a trunk to keep her away from other men. I wonder if Cliff ever wonders what God thinks of him singing this? Of course, in 1959, nobody gave a toss about comparing women to dolls, and Living Doll became the biggest-selling song of the year. It also marked the beginning of the end of ‘Edgy Cliff’, with his sound becoming more family-oriented.

The Outro

It was 27 years later that Cliff took the irreverent Comic Relief charity version of the same song back to the top alongside the cast of The Young Ones, and that’s the version I first heard, but we’ll hear about that when we get to 1986.

The Info

Written by

Lionel Bart

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

6 (31 July-10 September) *BEST-SELLING SINGLE OF THE YEAR*

Trivia

Births

31 July: Journalist Kim Newman
1 August: Del Leppard singer Joe Elliott
5 August: Dead or Alive singer Pete Burns

Deaths

5 August: Poet Edgar Guest
19 August: Sculptor Jacob Epstein
6 September: Actress Kay Kendall

Meanwhile…

4 August: Barclays made history as the first bank to install one of those new-fangled computers.

26 August: The first Mini, an icon of the following decade, went on sale.

68. Michael Holliday – The Story of My Life (1958)

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The Intro

Jailhouse Rock ran out of steam after three weeks at the top, and after two barnstormers, the number 1 spot was taken by this pleasant easy listening ditty – the first bestseller from the legendary partnership of Burt Bacharach and Hal David, whose prolific work-rate saw them create many pop classics of the 1950s and particularly the 60s.

Before

Bacharach had spent his teenage years enthralled with jazz, and went on to study music. After a tour of duty he became Vic Damone’s (who had a number 1 later in 1958 with On the Street Where You Live) pianist and conductor. Bacharach later worked with Marlene Dietrich, before meeting lyricist and former journalist Hal David at the Brill Building. US country star Marty Robbins initially recorded The Story of My Life in 1957, but it was Michael Holliday’s cover that became famous on these shores.

Holliday was born Norman Alexander Milne in Liverpool on 26 November 1924. His music career began when he won a local talent contest. He joined the navy and won another contest, this time in New York, inspiring him to turn professional. Before leaving the navy, however, he found time to smuggle obscure jazz records back home, where they were sold by Elvis Costello’s mother.

Holliday made his TV debut in the summer of 1955, and he soon found himself with a record deal, and with his screen idol looks and voice comparable to Bing Crosby, he enjoyed moderate success. In 1956 he reached the top 20 for the first time with his third single Nothin’ To Do. He didn’t chart with any singles in 1957, but then came this, his first of two number 1s.

Review

I’ve always admired Bacharach and David’s work, and even though a lot of easy listening music leaves me cold, there’s usually enough in their songs to keep me interested. The Story of My Life is slushy and somewhat of a throwback to earlier number 1s, but I can’t help but enjoy the whistling and sentimental lyrics. And Holliday performs it well. A pretty good start for the duo, with another chart-topper to follow straight after.

After

As for Holliday, his second number 1, Starry Eyed, was the first chart-topper of the 60s.

The Info

Written by

Burt Bacharach & Hal David

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

2 (14-27 February)

Trivia

Births

20 February: Actor James Wilby  

Deaths

21 February: Footballer Duncan Edwards

Meanwhile…

21 February: Another of Busby’s Babes died as a result of the Munich Air Disaster. Manchester United’s Duncan Edwards was only 21, and was considered by many to be the finest footballer in England. Six days later, the 23rd and final victim was claimed when co-pilot Kenneth Rayment died in hospital.

33. Eddie Calvert – Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (1955)

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The Intro

Tony Bennett’s Stranger in Paradise was toppled from number 1 by Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White, but it wasn’t Pérez ‘Prez’ Prado’s version of Louiguy’s mambo tune, which had topped the charts only a few weeks previously. This was a cover by popular British trumpeter Eddie Calvert, the ‘Man with the Golden Trumpet’.

Before

Calvert was a big star at the time, and had been number one the year previous with Oh Mein Papa. He was also one of the writers of Vera Lynn’s only chart-topper, My Son, My Son, also in 1954. Back then it was perfectly normal for several versions of the same song to be in the charts at the same time. See David Whitfield and Frankie Laine‘s Answer Me, for instance, which were even both number 1 at the same time for one week.

Review

https://youtu.be/o2Weai78FTc

There’s no denying Eddie Calvert’s ability on his version, but it’s inferior to Prado’s. It’s missing the authenticity of the King of Mambo, and seems a little too mannered. It reminds me of the Strictly Come Dancing band’s covers of songs. The passion has been sucked out. But at the same time, Calvert actually goes off script more than Billy Regis does on Prado’s version, and does some nice little improvised playing in the song’s latter half, so it’s a decent cover. It’s certainly aged better than Oh Mein Papa.

After

Calvert, like many other 50s stars we’ve already seen, suffered when rock’n’roll and later The Beatles changed the musical landscape. He left the country in 1968, angry at the amount of tax he was paying under Harold Wilson’s Labour government, and moved to Johannesburg. There he remained until he died on 7 August 1978 of a heart attack, aged only 56.

The Info

Written by

Louiguy

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

4 (27 May-24 June)

Trivia

Births

30 May: The Clash drummer Topper Headon 
4 June: Author Val McDermid 
8 June: World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee 
13 June: Footballer Alan Hansen 
14 June: Comedian Paul O’Grady 

Deaths

14 June: Radium therapist Jacob Moritz Blumberg 

Meanwhile…

27 May: As predicted by the polls, the Conservatives won the General Election, with their new leader Anthony Eden back in power with a majority of 31 seats, up 17 from Winston Churchill’s success four years previous. Labour’s infighting between the left and right (sound familiar?) had caused them substantial losses. Their leader, Clement Atlee, who had achieved so much after World War Two, was unlikely to make it to a sixth election in a row.

29. Ruby Murray with Ray Martin & His Orchestra – Softly, Softly (1955)

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The Intro

The early months of 1955 saw freezing weather conditions across much of the UK. The plunge in temperature had begun in January, and despite a thaw at the end of the month, an icy blast returned. Sport and rail services were cancelled, the RAF were forced to drop food and medical supplies, and many communities became completely isolated.

Before

During this extremely cold spell, Ruby Murray, a young rising star from Northern Ireland, had a three-week stint at number 1 with Softly Softly. It was written by Mark Paul and Pierre Dudan, but the English lyrics were provided by Ivor Novello Award-winning songwriter Paddy Roberts.

Murray, born 29 March 1935 in Belfast, was a former child star with a distinctive voice due to an early throat operation. Her first TV appearance came at the age of 12.

An instant success, Murray’s debut single, Heartbeat, had reached number three in December 1954. Once Rosemary Clooney and the Mellomen’s Mambo Italiano ran its course, Murray hit the top with this follow-up.

Review

We’re back in the realms of slushy ballad here. With syrupy strings as her backing, Murray is in fine voice. She sounds quite sensual at the start, to the extent you wonder if it’s going to get quite saucy. Alas, it’s merely another tender love song. Pleasant enough if you like that sort of thing.

After

Murray’s career peaked that year, with a Royal Command Performance, and a single in the charts every week for a full year. She had a few more hits as the decade drew to a close, but sadly it seems Murray’s lasting legacy is that her name became Cockney rhyming slang for going for a curry. It was adopted in the classic sitcom Only Fools and Horses, and seems to have stuck ever since, even featuring in The Oxford Dictionary of English now. She spent her last few years, after a battle with alcoholism, entertaining staff and fellow guests at a nursing home.

The Outro

Murray died of liver cancer on 17 December 1996, aged 61.

The Info

Written by

Mark Paul & Pierre Dudan/Paddy Roberts (English lyrics)

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

3 (18 Feb-10 March)

Trivia

Births

23 February: Singer Howard Jones

16. Eddie Calvert – Oh Mein Papa (1954)

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The Intro

As 1954 began, Frankie Laine was loosening his grip on the charts, and it would be another two years before he topped them for the final time. On 8 January, trumpeter Eddie Calvert, from Preston in Lancashire, took over from Laine with his cover of Oh Mein Papa.

Before

Oh Mein Papa was, as the title suggests, a German song. It was written by Swiss composer Paul Burkhard in 1939 for the musical Der Schwarze Hecht and became his most successful tune. It concerned a young woman remembering the days her father worked as a clown, and these days, you’re most likely to know it from an episode of The Simpsons, in which Krusty the Clown sings it with Rabbi Hyman Krustofsky (Like Father, Like Clown).

Albert Edward Calvert, born 15 March 1922, came from a family who loved brass band music, but he became particularly interested in the trumpet.

After World War Two, he graduated from amateur to professional dance orchestras. Calvert earned the nickname ‘The Man with the Golden Trumpet’ (aren’t they all golden?) after appearing on the TV with the Stanley Black Orchestra, and the name stuck for the rest of his career. He was a BBC radio and TV star by the time he cut his chart-topping version of Oh Mein Papa.

Review

Oh Mein Papa did as well as Frankie Laine’s initial run at the top with I Believe, remaining there for nine weeks. Impressive, and somewhat bizarre, all things considered, but we’re only on 1954 and rock’n’roll was yet to change the world.

Although classed as an instrumental, a choir occasionally sing the song’s title. Other than Calvert’s trumpet, there is an incredibly dated-sounding organ. In the charts at the same time, was a vocal version by previous number 1 artist Eddie Fisher. Despite his previous success, he was unable to beat Calvert here, whereas in the US, the opposite occurred.

The Outro

Calvert was the first artist to receive a gold disc for an instrumental record. It was also the first number one to be recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, which was a good few years off becoming the go-to studio for the likes of Cliff Richard and most famously The Beatles.

The Info

Written by

Paul Burkhard

Producer

Norrie Paramor

Weeks at number 1

9 (8 January-11 March)

Trivia

Births

16 February: Writer Iain Banks
20 February: Actor Anthony Head
4 March: Snooker player Willie Thorne
8 March: Swimmer David Wilkie

Deaths

18 January: Actor Sydney Greenstreet
8 February: Royal Navy Captain Ronald Niel Stuart

Meanwhile…

12 February: A report was issued by the British Medical Committee suggesting a link between smoking and lung cancer. It would be some time before the music world took any link on board.