Just noticed this became #1 the day I was born. You’d have thought my dear deceased papa would have bought one to keep for his very own little first-born.

He did, however, spend (too) much of his life trying to do his best to please me, so I suppose that’s what counts.

No number 1s to trouble us (precious few Top 10s even), but 1969-73 was a most intriguing period for Cliff: Silvery Rain was about the evil of pesticides; Jesus, in spite of the title, has fabulous phased drums, a guitar line that sounds like Joe Meek producing Brian May, and a lyric about “the destruction of happiness, the destruction of the world”. Good album cuts on Tracks And Grooves and Sincerely, too, while 31st Of February Street was a concept album of sorts. This flop era climaxed with the Take Me High movie, starring Cliff as a businessman transferred to Birmingham who finds salvation in the ‘Brumburger’.

Cliff is a bit of a thorny subject for me anyway because my big sister idolised him when she was about ten, and is alleged never to have grown out of it (I wouldn’t know, my sister and I have never been exactly close) It was in my nature even at five years old to take the opposite stance. Although sneakily I rather enjoyed some of the early Cliff.

Oh, and that Billie Davis song, ‘The Last One To Be Loved’ turned out to be every bit as breathtaking as you made it sound, Marcello. Great!

Re 3: There’s a funny line Robert Smith said in about 1983 “People are always saying that Cliff Richard looks 25, but if I was 25 and I looked like that, I’d kill myself”

Also it fails to pass the DJ Punctum Complete Cliff Test by omitting “This Was My Special Day” from 1965 which was his first flop single, though admittedly this was largely due to its only being available in the foyer of the theatre where he was appearing in pantomime.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Singles-Collection-Cliff-Richard/dp/B000069HG5

He’s a curious fellow, is Sir Clifford of Richard. I recall that bizarre History of Pop As Cliff Sees It spectacular he put on at Wembley at the end of the eighties which seemed specifically to emphasise how well preserved he was and how youthful he looked in comparison with the rather alarmingly ageing (in comparison) Dallas Boys, Vernons Girls etc. he brought on stage with him, viz. hahah I have the SECRET and you are all CRINGING SUBJECTS of my SHADOWY KINGDOM!

The version of Living Doll in the film Serious Charge has a backbeat to match his earlier 45s and is much more fun, the lyric coming across as playful rather than sinister. It’s never come out anywhere.

Love Cliff or not, he’s ill-served on cd. A good dozen great 60s b-sides (invariably sparkier than the hits) have yet to surface. EMI take note.