Intresting article

[tim.cooper5]

Anyway I find it strange that quite a lot of Shadows fans can be do disparaging of Cliff.

I wonder why too.


I occasionaly come accross this on this site, the "snide" remark here and there, about Cliff.


However, I never come accross on Cliff sites, any snide, or disparaging comments on The Shadows.


Tim

[Pedro]

I think that Cliff ought to be very grateful for what he's got, let's face it in the big scheme of things he's pretty lightweight compared to some of the stuff the Yanks have produced as well as some of his British and European contemporaries.
I liked Cliff in the early days and again when Bruce ressurrected his career in the mid seventies, but at the risk of getting pilloried here, in my opinion when compared he doesn't have a catalologue of credible radio material in depth like Elvis, The Everleys, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Roy Orbison, The Beatles, Queen, Abba etc etc, which was apparent to me when I saw the reunion concert in 2009. Yes I enjoyed the show and it was nice to see them together again but the McCartney concert in the same venue a few years before was light years superior in every way and value for money, wheras the reunion by comparison wasn't. Sure it had bells and whistles with the big screen and lighting, but on reflection it was the musical content that made it what it was. McCartney actually had to cancel and reschedule his concert in May 2003 because of a throat infection which only let him down on the soundcheck - no safety vocals on hard drive here, it was all live. He came back and did the gig a few weeks later and was awesome and I use the word in it's true sense.

Before anyone has a go at me I can tell you that I'm not alone in my thoughts, I gig on a regular basis and I make it my business to get a lot of feedback from punters about this very subject and although The Shadows are liked, it is clear that Cliff isn't liked as much and I often get folks asking why I bother with his songs. Others enjoy them but I can see a disturbing pattern that seems widespread, Cliff has a core of people who love him, but there is a bigger percentage who don't.
I still enjoy a lot of his music and I often get into arguments in his defence, but my findings are that he is clearly not the cup of tea of the majority.
Cest la vie.

Your not a fan then?

[dave robinson]

it doesn't matter whether or not I'm a fan of Cliff, I have passed on opinions that have been given to me over a long period, but the more I looked at the music business it made me realise that on the world wide stage he isn't respected as much as he thinks he ought to be. I like a lot of his songs but then again there's a lot that I don't like that I feel he would have been smarter to avoid.
I don't agree with the BBC about their treatment of him and refusing to play his records as there are some classics, so there are no snide remarks from me but it's how it is out there. At one time many years ago he was pretty cool, but he's blown it for me with his constant whinging about the BBC situation - even though I agree with him, I reckon he would earn more respect if he showed that it didn't bother him.

[ribiers]

Keith Richards mentions the Shadows page 116 when Tony Meehan reckoned the Stones at their very beginning...

[Pedro]

it doesn't matter whether or not I'm a fan of Cliff, I have passed on opinions that have been given to me over a long period, but the more I looked at the music business it made me realise that on the world wide stage he isn't respected as much as he thinks he ought to be. I like a lot of his songs but then again there's a lot that I don't like that I feel he would have been smarter to avoid.
I don't agree with the BBC about their treatment of him and refusing to play his records as there are some classics, so there are no snide remarks from me but it's how it is out there. At one time many years ago he was pretty cool, but he's blown it for me with his constant whinging about the BBC situation - even though I agree with him, I reckon he would earn more respect if he showed that it didn't bother him.

Thanks your prompt and direct reply Dave. I was not chalenging your opinion . Infact, I am indifferent regarding Cliff.

[abstamaria]

Keith Richards mentions the Shadows page 116 when Tony Meehan reckoned the Stones at their very beginning...

Let me look for that, ribiers. Regards, Andres

[abstamaria]

The Shadows and Cliff occupy what I sometimes think of as the "sweet era" - that brief period from 1958 to 1963. Chuck Berry was about to be jailed, Elvis had gotten drafted, Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper had perished in the plane crash, and the music had died, as McLean's song goes, perhaps yielding to the establishment that didn't much like rock and roll. The music that followed was simplistic and uncomplicated and generally revolved around unrequited love among teenagers, depicted as the clean-cut boys and girls next door, at least in the U.S. I think Cliff's songs were of this type. I was just beginning to listen to music in 1960, so identify very closely with the Shadows and Cliff Richard. However, most other people, especially younger ones,find the music too simple, sometimes repetitive.

In late '63, the Beatles (still clean-cut guys in suits) began to change the scene, they evolved into something much more raw and perhaps more honest, the Rolling Stones came around, bringing back the Blues to the U.S., and - in this part of the world where I live anyway - the Shadows, Ventures, Cliff, Bobby Vee, Ricky Nelson, etc. ... faded away. Tastes change very rapidly in the musical world.

When we put together our series shows (by the Madeleine Cookie Company) that concentrated on music from the "sweet era," we were very aware that audience age was a critical factor. A person born just a few years after me (I was born 1948) might have never heard of the Shadows. Our bassist Anna, ten years younger than me, who is very talented and musical, didn't know most of the Shadows and Ventures pieces we play.

Now, on Cliff. I have a good Japanese friend who loves the Ventures as do many Japanese (the "beloved invaders," they call the band). He is a year older than me, but doesn't know the Shadows much (perhaps because he is a loyal Ventures fan); he refers to our boys as "Cliff's backing band." Cliff may well be more popular there thna the Shadows.

A fellow who works for me and sometimes doubles as our "roadie" is about 38; he heard the Shadows only because we play the music. One evening, when we were jamming at a friend's place, the band played "They Young Ones." He had never heard the tune before and was so mesmerized by it. It has become one of his favorites, but what struck him profoundly was the opening lead guitar.

Sorry for the rambling and probably inaccurate information. My thoughts only.

Andres

[wstagner]

Gee, and all I said was good for him and better late than never.
I hope his shows are successful here. The music will be BETTER than 99% of what's out there 2day.

[abstamaria]

I hope so too, Walt. His energy amazes me, and he does put on quite a show.

Andres

[Didier]

'Cliff has a core of people who love him, but there is a bigger percentage who don't'.

I only appreciate Cliff when he is the Shadows' vocalist (as Bruce Welch once introduced him). At the time he was backed by the Shadows, he also recorded tunes with the Norrie Paramor orchestra which I liked a lot less.

In the mid sixties, I attended a concert by Cliff Richard without the Shadows at the Paris Olympia, and was quite disappointed.

I attended the Paris Final Reunion concert in 2009 with Cliff and the Shadows, and greatly enjoyed it. But I remember that the Shadows' instrumental sets got louder applauses than Cliff's performances !

Didier