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Paul McCartney says that in the early 1960's (then totally unknown), The Beatles used to go and see Cliff and the Shadows perform on stage to hundreds of screaming fans.

The Beatles very cleverly 'homed in' on Cliff and the Shadows (the biggest pop stars in Britain) and their 'act'. John Lennon took the Hank Marvin role in the group (black-framed glasses and 'acting the fool'). Paul McCartney was the handsome one (standing where Bruce Welch did on stage).

Rejected in England, they had to go to Hamburg to 'perfect' their act in front of a live audience. Where Cliff took time in between the songs to 'chat' to his audience (between the screams), the Beatles kept the screams going constantly by going from one song to the other.

They basically 'upped the ante', copied Cliff and the Shads' live act, cut the chat and kept the screams coming.

Result... it worked!!!

But....






Out of all the stars of the pre-Beatles era,
Cliff stood as the lone survivor.

In March 1963, Cliff (No.1 with "Summer holiday") kept
the Beatles' "Please please me" off the No.1 spot.
They had to settle for No.2 in the 'official' chart.

To celebrate the success of Cliff's "Summer Holiday" and The Shadows' "Foot Tapper" both being at No.1 in March, Bruce Welch threw a party with Cliff, the Shadows, The Vernons Girls and the Beatles. The Beatles played their 'new' single "From Me To You", while the Shads played "Atlantis", followed by Cliff and Shads singing "Please Please Me". This turned into a friendly impromptu battle of the bands. The Beatles did a Shadows impression complete with wildly exaggerated leg-kicking cross-over step. Cliff, the Shads and the Beatles all joined in singing and playing rhythm and blues. The Beatles sang the Chiffons' "He's So Fine", the Isley Brothers' "Shout" and some Ray Charles classics.

At the end of May '63, "From Me To You"
became the Beatles first No.1.

June 1963, Cliff and the Shadows and the Beatles
met up again at the ABC, Blackpool where Cliff and
the Shads were doing a sixteen week summer season.

There was a lack of animosity or jealously between the two groups and there was mutual respect, both personal and musical. The Shadows even attended Paul McCartney's 21st birthday party at the Liverpool Empire (travelling down by car from Blackpool). Later, they had brief encounters with the Beatles over cups of tea and sandwiches at the Abbey Road studios and words of greetings at the annual N.M.E poll-winners concerts.

At the height of 'Beatlemania' in 1964, Cliff had five Top 10 hits:
"I'm The Lonely One", "Constantly", "On The Beach",
"The Twelfth Of Never" and "I Could Easily Fall".

In April 1965, Cliff had his biggest hit for two years when "The Minute You're Gone" went to the top of the charts. At the end of that year, he was sitting right behind the Beatles at No.2 with "Wind Me Up"!

After Cliff performs "In The Country", "It's All Over", "Move It"
and "Shout" at the NME Poll Winners Concert at Wembley in 1967, Beatles manager Brian Epstein enthusiastically applauds Cliff's act.

In April 1968, Cliff takes revenge! His previous No.1 "The Minute You're Gone" had been knocked off the top by the Beatles. "Congratulations" knocks "Lady Madonna" off the top!



Did you know?... that Cliff Richard's influence is stupendous.
Many artists, including Marc Bolan and Freddie Mercury cut their
teeth on Cliff's early 60's hits in previous incarnations, long before
T. Rex and Queen came to be. In 1973, Led Zeppelin were regularly singing and playing Please don't tease in their soundchecks.


COMMENTS ON CLIFF


"He changed the face of rock'n'roll in this country and he was so special to work with" - Jack Good ("Oh Boy!").

"I think the first English record that was anywhere near anywhere
was Move it by Cliff Richard, and before that there'd been nothing"
- John Lennon.

"Cliff Richard did have some talent and lasted, whereas
the others didn't" - Mick Jagger.

"Cliff has survived and become an artist who cuts across all boundaries making great pop records" - Pete Townshend (The Who).

"The Shadows always seemed to me to be the ideal rock band. Able to play a complete set of instruments on their own and then back up Cliff without turning a hair" - Eric Clapton.

"A tremendous influence on my early days as a performer"
- Freddie Mercury (Queen).

"The ultimate profesional which is something very rare
and extra special" - Dave Clark.

"Cliff and the Drifters' debut LP was the first I ever bought. That album really inspired me. It broke my heart when a few years later someone pinched that LP from me" - Shakin' Stevens.

"When I was a kid, there was no rock'n'roll music as such. When Cliff Richard and the Drifters made their first recording, they brought the stirrings of the new American rock'n'roll to England"
- Brian May (Queen).

"He is always in what's happening music and for me that is the key ingredient for his continued success" - Elton John.

"Cliff Richard is in my opinion, one of Britain's finest singers technically & emotionally. I've been a fan since Living doll, The day I met Marie
to We don't talk anymore. Long may he sing" - Sting.

"For over 40 years I have admired Cliff and today I
unashamedly admit I am a fan!" - Bert Weedon.

"We started out at around the same time and we have come through this mad world of showbusiness" - Shirley Bassey.

"If I had to vote on Cliff, then for class, style and presentation,
I would give him ten out of ten" - Tony Hatch.

"You have to admire Cliff over the years he has changed his
musical style many times, and he's managed to do it without the
fans feeling he has sold them out" - Roy Wood (Move/Wizzard).

"Miss you nights, Devil woman and We don't talk anymore are
three of the finest pop songs of that time" - Pete Waterman.

"It's never been said but without Cliff and The Shads, there's no English pop business. As George Harrison said "No Shadows,
no Beatles", wow" - Bob Geldof.

"Cliff is an amazing performer and I've learned an incredible amount about stage professionalism from him" - Olivia Newton-John.

"A truly amazing career. Amazing" - Kim Wilde.

"Cliff Richard? You're joking, aren't you? You're kiddin'? I grew up with Cliff. He'd be on 'Saturday Club'. I was a teenager, y'know. So I listened to records, TV, radio and all that stuff like any other teenager. He's a professional. he just goes in and does it, y'know.
It's great workin' with somebody like that, really good. I wanted him, basically, 'cos of the content of the song.
He couldn't be around this long if he wasn't a great singer. I think
he plays himself down, though, underestimates himself. He's a
good singer, very good" - Van Morrison.

"The first record I bought was Cliff Richard's "Move it". It had
a really heavy feel for the time" - Mike Rutherford
(Genesis and Mike & The Mechanics).

"I got to sing the Millennium Prayer. He's a really nice guy and
looks fabulously young. Cliff's wicked" - Myleene Klass.

"We have all grown up listening to Cliff Richard, it is like someone you know, before you even meet him. A lot of people say "Oh Cliff Richard yeah", but after you meet and work with him, there is nothing left but respect for him. He is a brilliant professional. We can't give him enough praise" - Aswad.

"I couldn't think of another artist who can parallel Cliff in the industry. To be at the top for 50 years is unheard of, but to be so down to earth with it is to his credit. With Cliff, what
you see is what you get." - Sir Tim Rice.

"Cliff Richard, my childhood hero"
- Rick Parfitt (Status Quo).

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