Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard b. Harry Rodger Webb, 14 October 1940 Lucknow, India: vocals and guitar Cliff Richard is probably the most enduring of all the British performers of this era, having logged 1100 weeks on the British singles charts between the late fifties and early 1990s. This is more than double that of the Beatles. (See Gambaccini, Rice, and Rice 1995.) Perhaps more importantly, he and his band, the Shadows, served as models for the waves of British performers to emerge in the sixties.   1947 (age: 6-7) Webb's parents were British civil servants in India (his father was born in Burma and his mother in India) who, like many others, emigrated to England the year that India and Pakistan became independent. The family moved to be near family in rural Herefordshire. The transition was no doubt difficult for young Harry who struggled both to fit into English society and to define himself.

1957 (age: 16-17)

As Lonnie Donegan filled the airwaves with his covers of American folk songs, Webb began learning guitar and singing in skiffle groups. He helped to form the Quintones and then joined the Dave Teague Skiffle Group.

Drifters at the 2i's: (L>R) Terry Smart, Harry Webb, Ian Samwell, & Norman Mitham

Webb, Samwell, and Smart

1958 (age: 17-18)

Samwell, Smart, and Webb With the growing popularity of rock and roll, Webb and his friend, Terry Smart moved to London. They were fortunate in finding work at the 2i's where Ian Samwell joined them as a guitarist. Richard: I was discovered at the Gaumont Theatre in Shepherd's Bush.... We were doing a talent contest, but not participating. We wanted to top the bill and we offered the organizer our services for nothing. He accepted it and there was a lot of screaming for us. We invited ourselves back a month later at the same price--nothing. An agent saw us and that's what got the ball rolling" (Leigh 1996: n.p.). Entrepreneur, John Foster, saw possibilities in Webb's dark good looks and, as manager, began to mold his new charge the way Larry Parnes had with Tommy Steele. Following the trend of the time, and at the suggestion of a promoter from Derby, Harry Webb became Cliff Richard. When Cliff Richard and the Drifters recorded a cover of "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" the band included Terry Smart (drums), Ian Samwell (bass), Ken Pavey (guitar), and Norman Mitham (guitar).

29 August. "Move It" (Samwell) enters the UK charts and eventually reached number 2 on the UK charts. His performance of the song on the television show, Oh Boy helped make him a staple of British TV. Richard: I was a carbon copy of Elvis. All I had was a leg, a guitar, and a lip. Jack [Good] didn't like that and he didn't want me to be too much like Elvis. He made me cut off my side burns. He liked me to be moody, but that wasn't because he wanted me to copy Elvis. He didn't think I looked as good when I smiled. (Leigh 1996: n.p.) October. Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch permanently replace Pavey and Mitham. 21 November. "High Class Baby" enters the UK charts. November: Jet Harris (bass) replaces Ian Samwell who moves into Richard's management team.

30 January. "Livin' Lovin' Doll" enters the UK charts; eventually reaches UK number 20.

1959 (age: 18-19)

Welch, Richard, & Marvin

8 May. "Mean Streak" enters the UK charts; eventually reaches UK number 10. 15 May. "Never Mind," the flip side of "Mean Streak," enters the UK charts; eventually reaches UK number 21. June. Richard's band had finally evolved into its classic form with Jet Harris (bass), Hank Marvin (lead guitar), Bruce Welch (rhythm guitar), and, eventually, Tony Meehan (drums). When Richard's management began to negotiate with the American independent label, Atlantic, the management told them that a better-known American singing group already had the name The Drifters. Richard's band become The Shadows and embarked on their own parallel recording career as an instrumental band.

Richard also began to branch out into films (paralleling Elvis' career move), notably appearing in two films: A Serious Charge [also released as Immoral Charge] and A Touch of Hell.

10 July. "Living Doll" (Lionel Bart) enters the UK charts and becomes the first UK number 1 for Richard and the Drifters. This is the last recording on which the band appears as the Drifters.

9 October. "Travellin' Light" enters the UK charts and also becomes a UK number 1. The flip side of the recording, "Dynamite," reaches number 16. This is the first recording released by "Cliff Richard and the Shadows."

1960 (age: 19-20)

15 January. Expresso Bongo (EP) enters UK charts. The EP coincides with Richard's appearance in the film, Expresso Bongo. The play/film is about an agent in search of the next big act and featured Lawrence Harvey. Richard makes an appearance as a character in the mold of Tommy Steele, but with the name "Bongo Herbert." 22 January. "Voice in the Wilderness" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2. 24 March. "Fall in Love with You" enters the UK charts and also eventually reaches UK number 2. 30 June. "Please Don't Tease" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1. (Live Version) 22 September. "Nine Times Out of Ten" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 3. 1 December. "I Love You" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1.

1961 (age: 20-21)

2 March. "Theme for a Dream" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 3. 30 March. "Gee Whiz It's You" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 4. 22 June. "A Girl Like You" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 3. October. "The Young Ones" is released to coincide with Richard's appearance in the film, The Young Ones. 19 October. "When the Girl in Your Arms Is the Girl in Your Heart" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 3.

1962 (age: 21-22)

11 January. "The Young Ones" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1.

10 May. "I'm Looking Out the Window" / "Do You Wanna Dance" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2

6 September. "It'll Be Me" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2.

21 October. Cliff Richard debuts on the Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) in an elaborate production number.

2 December. "The Next Time" / "Bachelor Boy" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1.

1963 (age: 22-23)

21 February. "Summer Holiday," from the film of the same name, enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1.

9 May. "Lucky Lips" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 4.

22 August. "It's All in the Game" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2.

7 November. "Don't Talk to Him" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2.

1964  (age: 23-24)

6 February. "I'm the Lonely One" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 8.

30 April. "Constantly" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 4.

2 July. Appears in Wonderful Life, a "history" of cinema with different actors (including Richard) imitating actors from the past.

2 July. "On the Beach" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 7.

8 October. "The Twelfth of Never" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 8.

10 December. "I Could Easily Fall" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 9.

1965 (age: 24-25)

11 March. "The Minute You're Gone" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 1.

10 June. "On My Word" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 12.

19 August. "The Time in Between" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 22

4 November. "Wind Me Up (Let Me Go)" enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 2.

1966 (age: 25-26)

24 March. "Blue Turns to Grey" (Jagger & Richards) enters the UK charts and eventually reaches UK number 15.

1968 (aged 28)

As England begins moving into the post-popularity of psychedelia, Richard declares himself a born-again Christian, appearing at Billy Graham Crusade gatherings.

References

Romanowski and George-Warren 1995; Frame 1995:2; Gambaccini, Rice, and Rice 1995.

Leigh, Spencer. 1996. Halfway to Paradise: Britpop, 1955-1962. Folkestone, Kent: Finbarr International (CT20 2QQ). [Note: no page numbers.]

Cliff Richard's official website

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	28-jan-15