Comments on: CLIFF RICHARD – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”

By: Ricardo

Ricardo — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 21:52:58 +0000

Cliff Richard, “We Don’t Talk Anymore”

Speaks for itself, right?

By: Sheila McDermott

Sheila McDermott — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:04:33 +0000

Speaking of “We Don’t Talk Anymore”, done by Cliff Richard as a soft rock hit from 1979, written by Alan Tarney, I believe it’s his first U.S. one-hit wonder even though he’s a hitmaker in England. On that song he sounds a lot more like Kenny Loggins, Dave Loggins, David Pack from Ambrosia, Glenn Frey and Don Henley as American soft rock acts of the ’70s, plus the song “We Don’t Talk Anymore” sounds a lot more different than “The Best Of My Love”, done by The Eagles, made from 1974.

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:11:52 +0000

here’s a few Cliff performances from the early 70s which might appeal to some:

http://bigozine2.com/roio/?p=308

By: punctum

punctum — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:01:47 +0000

A decent 4 or 5CD retrospective box set is certainly justified, focusing particularly on the abovementioned ’76-81 purple patch – not just the hits but with the pick of the album tracks as well – and on the still misunderstood ’69-’73 Godhood/Godhead period. Actually I’d settle for a decent compilation of the latter, bookmarked by “Throw Down A Line” and “Take Me High.” Didn’t realise Hank wrote the former with Hendrix in mind, I must say.

By: Conrad

Conrad — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 13:14:12 +0000

just read bob stanley’s piece in today’s guardian on Cliff – I see Mr Ewing that you are quoted and FT linked to.

So, thought I’d mention here, I would really like to see a Cliff retrospective album, as well as the Rubin-Cash style collaboration that Mr Stanley suggests.

A retrospective that picked up Cliff’s best material from 76-81 would be a fine start. It’s a pretty much unbroken run of great singles (with a few choice album tracks included too).

He certainly does himself no favours with his public persona these days, but it really is about time these releases received the critical acclaim they warrant.

No doubt there would be a case for a carefully selected compilation of earlier material too.

By: DJ Punctum

DJ Punctum — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:10:08 +0000

Sadly, Telex mainman Marc Moulin has just passed away.

By: rosie

rosie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:08:05 +0000

Billy @ 68: That would be Judie Tzuke I take it, not Julie.

Spyro Gyra? Blimey! Sounds like a much better than average edition.

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:09:36 +0000

TOTP Watch: Cliff Richard performed ‘We Don’t Talk Anymore’ on Top Of The Pops on three occasions;

26th July 1979. Also in the studio that week were; Showaddywaddy, Julie Tzuke, The Buzzcocks, The Undertones, Telex (I’d like to see that) and Spyro Gyra, plus Legs & Co’s interpretation of ‘Born To Be Alive’. The host that week was Jimmy Saville OBE. This was the 800th edition of Top Of The Pops.

23rd August 1979. Also in the studio that week were; The Jam, Racey, The Flying Lizards (I’d like to see that, too), Billy Lovelady, The Planets (who?) and Showaddywaddy, plus Legs & Co’s interpretation of ‘Just When I Needed You Most’. The host was Jimmy Saville OBE.

25th December 1979. See ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric’ for details of this edition.

By: Erithian

Erithian — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:42:31 +0000

H #58 – certainly a precursor in the sense that it does the common SAW trick of using an instrumental version of the chorus as the intro to establish the tune as an earworm early doors. Not a million miles from “I Should Be So Lucky”!

By: DJ Punctum

DJ Punctum — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 17:23:54 +0000

So you’re marking down Cliff for not being more like Queen… ;-)

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 00:26:24 +0000

A mercurially enjoyable, or intriguingly enjoyable, or excitingly enjoyable, or indeed a solidly adorable record might get more!

By: DV

DV — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:24:11 +0000

This is as solidly enjoyable a pop record as we’ll find. 6

Surely if you could not find a more solidly enjoyable pop record, then this would merit a 10?

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:26:02 +0000

1979 was also the year in which bob dylan released ‘slow train coming’ – his cheerful collection of songs of a gospel of hell and damnation.
I seem to recall cliff seeming slightly underwhelmed to be replaced as the poster boy for christ

By: SteveM

SteveM — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:52:05 +0000

Actually, tenuous tho it may seem, something about the ‘groove’ or bassline on this song during the verses reminds me a little of the same in Tina Turner’s ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’ – not the kind of song you’d suggest as sounding futuristic even tho it’s theme was obviously related to such.

By: H.

H. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:21:04 +0000

Also, I agree that there’s something retro about Numan’s futurism. That’s also true of Kraftwerk, Bowie, Ultravox, Joy Division etc. It’s not futurism per se, it’s a pop reworking of modernism.

By: H.

H. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:15:23 +0000

But it doesn’t really sound New Wave though, does it? Perhaps it’s some sort of precursor of the Stock Aitken Waterman sound of the late eighties?

By: LondonLee

LondonLee — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:09:38 +0000

Yes, but the bleak “futurism” of Numan’s songs dated back to Metropolis, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, it was hardly new.

I think at the time I thought “oh look, Cliff is getting all trendy”, not just because of the glossy sheen of the record but the skinny ties he was wearing on TOTP. Like he was hitching his wagon to New Wave.

By: H.

H. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:03:52 +0000

Interesting how many people here have commented on the supposed futurism of the song. Yes, it’s basically a synth song, but I don’t recall at the time remotely thinking this was futuristic, in the way I thought Numan or Bowie might be futuristic. I think synths taking over the arrangement in mainstream pop must have been around for a while now, although it hadn’t yet reached its apogee. The futurism of Numan was about his subject matter too, its angsty sci-fi existentialism.

By: Conrad

Conrad — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:38:13 +0000

I have just returned from holiday and have some catching up to do – several of my favourite number ones reviewed and commented on in the past couple of weeks…aarrghh

So, Sir Clifford. Well, I love this. A truly classic pop record, great production/arrangement/performance from all concerned.

A solid 9 from me.

Recently purchased Cliff’s I’m Nearly Famous album. Really enjoyed it. I was tickled to read of Jimmy Page wearing his “I’m Nearly Famous” badge in solidarity with Cliff’s return to his rock roots…

And, in fact I like most of Cliff’s singles from 76-81.

By: LondonLee

LondonLee — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:35:16 +0000

I was going to mention “Hand Held In Black and White” actually, that’s usually my Ground Zero record for the “80s sound”

By: mike

mike — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:20:08 +0000

#52 – Yes, and was [producer/vocalist of another forthcoming 1979 Number One] quietly taking notes? Compare and contrast that introductory single-note bassline with the one used in Dollar’s “Mirror Mirror (Mon Amour)”, for example…

By: LondonLee

LondonLee — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:04:23 +0000

Just listened to this again for the first time in donkey’s years and as I think someone said above it does sound more futuristic than ‘Are Friends Electric?’ – the glossy hi-tech sheen all over it is more 80s than the Numan record which sort of sounds primitive and analog in comparison (which is part of the charm it has these days), like it’s the dingy 70s idea of what the future sounded like while this is what the future sounded like.

By: mike

mike — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:33:02 +0000

#50 – I suppose that partly depends on your tolerance for Alan Tarney’s hi-gloss production sheen. See also Tony Mansfield, Andy Hill, and the producer/vocalist of another upcoming 1979 Number One. All of whom shall be dealt with in the fullness of time!

I’d also like to take this opportunity to admit a fondness for another Tarney comp/prod: Barbara Dickson’s “January February”. Cliff’s 1980 hit “Dreamin’” is also hewn from much the same mould.

(This won’t be the last time that we’ll be discussing a Tarney production on Popular, either…)

By: H.

H. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 13:02:39 +0000

Hmmm, I can’t really get behind this song. It’s not bad, it’s well constructed, but just sounds incredibly bland to me. I think I actually prefer the pompous earnestness of I Don’t Like Mondays to this…

By: DJ Punctum

DJ Punctum — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:38:18 +0000

Or Kanye.