I just looked 'Brand New Cadillac' up in an old catalogue and it dates from April 1959. Fantastic track, as is 'Move It'.

Yes, I think Bowie states he did base Ziggy on Vince Taylor. I think he dropped loads of acid and claimed he was Jesus!

They should make a film about him.

whether Cliff was/is cool will always be up for debate, but you can guarantee that all of todays "singers" would sell their souls to have the success and longevity that he has had

Still does not excuse his frankly awful back catalogue but credit where credit is due.

Move It is indeed a great British rock 'n' roll record, and although Cliff quickly moved to a more poppy sound (for reasons explained by previous posters) on the few occasions he returned to out and out rock 'n' roll he tended to do it extremely well. For example, his cover version of Jerry Lee Lewis's It'll Be Me, is imho almost as good as the original, while his cover versions of Bobby Freeman's Do You Want To Dance and Ruth Brown's Lucky Lips are imho actually better than the originals. I would add that imho Cliff's cover of the Rolling Stones' Blue Turns To Grey is also better than the original (and I say that as someone who's a massive Stones fan).

Cliff also recorded some appalling tracks too (e.g. his Christmas Number One singles), but in a career as long as his I think he's allowed a few stinkers.

As far as the remainder of Cliff's output is concerned, I have to say that most of it doesn't do a lot for me. However, if I was forced to chose between listening to either the greatest hits of Cliff Richard or to the greatest hits of one or more of the popular artists of the 21st Century I would definitely chose the former. I therefore can't agree with the previous poster that the overwhelming majority of Cliff's back catalogue is awful. The word I would use to describe it is mediocre.

And the word I would use to describe Cliff as an artist is innocuous.

Cliff richard and music dont belong in the same sentence

Well, obviously he's not as good as One Direction , but he's not that bad.

There are some good Cliff songs but i'd never say i was a fan...... But i do think Wired For Sound is a very uplifting bouncy pop song that deserves more praise.

I like a bit of Cliff:

We Don't Talk Anymore
Devil Woman
Miss You Nights
Wired for Sound
etc

Because much like McCartney he's been living on past glories for decades....

Now Ladies and Gents. I have a very secret confession to make.I was 13, it was 1973, and I was open to so much that music had to offer.
Good bad and fantastic.
I remember (just about) going to see the "Take Me High" film at the Odeon at Shepherds Bush.
All I remember is a fine theme tune, a scene involving a swing and the lovely actress Deborah Watling.
I think it was Deborah that drew me to it.. Funny that as I now find that Madeline Smith was also in the cast. Maybe she was too much for a young teenager to comprehend.

PS..Move It is probably the best true UK rock n roll song ever released. And Devil Woman is on a par to so many others also..
My musical tastes are so far from Cliff, but I'm so pleased that he is amongst the greats our fine heritage.

PPS... I also enjoyed going to see Abba The Movie when I was 16. Don't ever tell my friends and family as they don't know,

ciff is not naff he has done some good songs over ther years
devil woman,miss you nights,what car.
Something's goin on is also a very good rock n roll album from a few years ago the problem is a lack of support.
He still sells out every tour he does people need to go watch some of his live dvd's then you will see how good he is.
unlike some older singers vocally he still sounds good.

Cliff was my first real childish crush. I was taken to see Summer Holiday. I think I was about 10 yrs old and discovered he had a hairy chest DISGUSTING and that was the end of my crush

this

Somethings goin' on still my favorite album

I wouldn't go that far by any stretch of the imagination but great stuff http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4IA7DR1jK0

Never the same post Shadows though IMO.

and well deserved too!

Ditto this and I shall add

Carrie
Dreamin
My Pretty One

Wired for Sound is my favourite song, ever.

^^ I liked the renaissance period Cliff enjoyed between 1979 and into the 80's and 90's the best.

Some People, Wired For Sound, Carrie, Remember Me, Dreamin, Green Light, She Means Nothing To Me, Little in Love, We Don't Talk Anymore, Never Say Die (Give a Little Bit More), Only Way Out, Suddenly, Please Don't Fall in Love, My Pretty One, Ocean Deep, She's So Beautiful.

As a huge Cliff fan for over 50 years all I can say is "Praise the Lord" he has continued for all these years.
I never could have hoped when I first became a fan that he would still be singing and performing 50 years later.
I guess many fans of more recent artists would love to think that would be possible for their favourites too.
I consider myself so lucky!

The Cliff albums I love best are the live concert ones:

Live at the ABC Kingston 1962
Talk of the Town
Live in Japan 72
Cliff in Japan
Japan Tour 74
The Event
World Tour
Thank you very much with the Shadows
Dressed for the occasion

Cliff in concert - well he is superb.
And the live albums capture that perfectly.

On the Japan Tour 74 he does a fabulous cover of You've lost that loving feeling....

And on the DVD of his 40th Anniversary concert he does a great cover of Will you still love me tomorrow.

I agree that over his career he has had some stinkers of songs as someone said - but then so did Elvis - and I guess over such a long career he would be bound to have some poorer songs.

Personally I love his rock and roll, ballads and doo wop music the best - but he did a great swing album "Bold as Brass" - not my type of music but you couldnt fault his vocals and the arrangements.

I cant wait for the new Rock n Roll album and concerts.

I'd put those examples into the Cliff Bin category. Perhaps I'd keep Devil Woman out.

For the first few years he produced some very worthwhile recordings (including Move It), such as Travellin' Light, Please Don't Tease, I Could Easily Fall In Love With You, Theme For A Dream, and of course The Young Ones. Once Summer Holiday came along he'd become the "all-round entertainer" and musically bland.

Wired For Sound.

Awesome song. Awesome video. The man is a legend on that tune alone.

He's considered "naff" simply because he avoids scandal.

Being "cool" seems to be associated with getting pissed, taking drugs, and falling out of nightclubs at 2am.


Musically the guy is very talented, and he knows how to give his dedicated fans what they want. That's why they are loyal to him. It doesn't happen with flash-in-the-panners like Dido, Miss Dynamite and inevitably Lady Gaga and Adele.

Agree with everything Merity said and also can't wait for the tour/album next year

Cliff fact: He turned down the chance to sing What's Love Got To Do With It, later a mega worldwide hit for Tina Turner.

I thought it was his management/record people,as he often jokes about how he sacked them after? I could be wrong

Not taking anything away from Tina but that would have been awwwwwwesome.