Current mood: GUTS
Category: GUTS Music
Cliff Richard is a peculiarly British phenomena. He's both clean cut and as gay as a lord. He's a Wimbledon cabaret act and an acceptable religious fanactic. Perhaps most importantly, he's one of the most successful British recording artists of all time....
For those of you who've never heard of him, Sir Cliff is Britains limp wristed answer to Elvis. Proporgated to fill an exact and rather less sexy hip thrusting niche, Cliff remains one of the UKs most successful acts in terms of both sales and longevity.
Just look at these stats...
- Cliff Richard has scored 14 NO1 singles in the UK - more than any other artist other than Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
- As a performer, Cliff Richard has scored the most top 10 hits on the UK singles charts (67), the most top 20 hits (94) and the most top 40 hits (118).
- Based solely on data used to compile the Official UK Singles Charts, Cliff has sold more singles in the UK than any other act, with sales exceeding twenty million copies. Interestingly enough, he has scored only one million-selling single: "The Young Ones". This does not reflect his total sales as the data used to compile the charts in the early part of his career was only partial. Sales from his 1950s singles would be significantly understated in this figure.
- Cliff has had top ten hits in each of the last six decades.
- The acts with the most aggregate time spent on the British record charts: Current rankings (by weeks):
- Elvis Presley (2,574)
- Cliff Richard (1,983)
- Queen (1,755)
- The Beatles (1,749)
- Madonna (1,660)
- Elton John (1,626)
But in 1999, it's my honest view that Sir Cliff pulled off one of the most Rock 'N Roll acts of the last 10 years...
Yes boss, in 1999, controversy arose regarding radio stations refusal to play his records. Despite him being their bread an butter for years, the playlisters decided enough was enough and Sir Cliff was duly barred from the air...
What made this situation more remarkable was EMI, Sir Cliffs label since 1958, refused to release this very same single.
It was bizarre and it was commercial suicide...
So what was all the fuss about??
Well, as the above vid shows, the single in question was and is a truly awful version of the Lords Prayer. Renamed the Millennium Prayer, it's basically Cliff reciting his version of that old gem over some soft and christmas like beats in what had become his annual attempt to reach the Xmas number 1 spot - a spot he'd been regularly hitting in the years before and was clearly starting to feel was his deserved right...
So what happenned next??
Well, Sir Cliffs response to this double music bizz snub was excellent and pure Rock 'N' Roll. It was the stuff all the fake ass rebels can only dream of pulling off...
Yes boss, Sir Cliff didn't change the song or go off and cry in the corner. He didn't slather his jaws around the Chief Execs nipples (at least he probably didn't). No, he took his "Millennium Prayer" to an independent label, Papillon, which released it as a charity record (in aid of a charity called Children's Promise).
The single went to the top of the UK charts for three consecutive weeks. It became his 14th No1, and the third highest-selling single of his career.
Now, I'm totally serious when I say that this one act defines Rock 'N' Roll for me.
I mean getting caught with crack is so fucking passé and predictable, any rock star who does it these days should be shot on charges of 'extreme unoriginality'
Yes boss, to take drugs, rabbit on about sexual perversion and pretend to live in a squat is well beyond dull. It's a double done cliche. It's finished. The Renaissance is damn well over....
I mean part of the problem with Pete Doherty (though personally I find him to be quite a decent chap) is he's so in the mould of what Rock N Roll thinks it is, he's become a joke on the whole game. And don't even get me started on the fake assed cabaret of others like Johnny 'Robert Plant' Borrell.
Rock 'N' Roll today is CABARET CABARET CABARET!!
But in 1999 Cliff, nailed the essence of it. He kicked against the pricks and had a number 1 for 3 fucking weeks. A 59 year old man showed Quoasis and all who've come since just what you have to do to be POP...
He pulled off his very own Earth Song..
Sir Cliff caused a stir. He pissed vast numbers of people off. He got to the top of the charts and HE DIDN'T FUCKING CARE!!!!
Arise Sir Rock 'N' Roll Cliff!!
 | Currently listening : Platinum Collection By Cliff Richard Release date: By 20 September, 2005  |
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2 comments:
Cliff has stated many times that he is not gay. And he has had a lot of girlfriends when he was younger. He had an affair with one of them when he was 20 before he was a Christian. Her name is Carol Costa. He is supposed to be a Christian and as Christians are supposed to believe in living a clean life and are not supposed to do immoral things and and as the Bible is against homosexuality and against sex outside of marriage then I don't think Cliff if he is a real Christian (not a fake one or hypocrite) would not be doing anything immoral. As for making the top of the charts that prove someone likes him and he is good or he would not still be going after all these years. He has a better singing voice than all those other British male singers along with Tom Jones.
Cliff has said many times that he is not gay.
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