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CILLA BLACK - “You’re My World”

(30th May 1964)

It’s less irksome to hear the full-bore Cilla treatment given to a song you don’t know from subtler versions - and besides, she has competition here from a particularly piercing string arrangement. But even so my heart sinks as the Banner-Hulk transformation gets going and her voice deepens, booms and blasts. The shift also seems to take all the melodic intrigue out of the song and making it through the final bombastic minute is a real chore. 3

1. Anonymous on January 31st, 2006

   Doctor Mod says:

   After getting the Beatles signed to Parlophone, Brian Epstein started dragging all his other Liverpool “discoveries” into the recording studio. None of them, alas, had even a fraction of the Beatles’ talent, and George Martin was under pressure to make these less than luminary individuals sound as good as possible on disc. Cilla was one of them.

   One of Martin’s sonic “bandaging” techniques was quite simple–just drown them out with fortissimo instrumental arrangements at critical moments. This is overwhelmingly obvious with Billy J. Kramer’s version of “Do You Want to Know a Secret?” That loud piano bit serves as white noise so we can’t clearly hear the unbearablity of the vocals. In fact, it almost makes the passage sound intense. The strings on “You’re My World” are indeed piercing, as painful to an overly sensitive ear as fingernails scraping on a chalkboard. But try to imagine what you’d hear if those strings weren’t there.

   In some ways, I always feel like a bully in critiquing Cilla–she’s such an easy target. Her popularity in the sixties was based mostly on personality, and those who loved (still love) her could care less about her vocal shortcomings–indeed, some even seem to find them endearing. She had a certain underdog appeal and was cute and cheeky. But cuteness and cheek don’t age particularly well and become grotesque in a sexagenarian.

   Cilla could do well enough with something pop-ish and simple. She could even do herself proud with something written with her in mind (i.e., the Lennon / McCartney song “It’s for You,” possibly the best thing she ever did). Unfortunately, Cilla too often chose the big ballads that the greatest female singers of the period (e.g., Dionne and Dusty) could do almost effortlessly–but it takes an extraordinary singer to do them well. Her closest “peers,” Sandie and Lulu, could sing rings around her. Still, it might be possible to forgive her her limitations and remember her fondly if she’d only have faded away gracefully.

2. Phil on December 6th, 2006

   I think comparing the Cilla to the Beatles is hardly fair. Of all the Liverpool signings after the Beatles, Cilla was the most successful and her 60’s catalogue is certainly worth exploring. Dusty was quoted as saying that Cilla is a much better singer than people give her credit for, Alison Moyet has also praised Cilla’s voice, how good is that? Britain was fortunate in the 60’s on the girl singer front, you had Dusty, Cilla, Sandie, Lulu, Petula, Clodagh Rodgers, Julie Driscoll, Madeleine Bell, all of which had great voices and made some excellent records. We also had the pre-Beatles girls, Shirley Bassey, Helen Shapiro and Kathy Kirby. Some of the 70’s stars also made some excellent stuff, ie Kiki Dee & Elkie Brooks.
   I have been a fan of Cillas since 1968 and still enjoy her 1960’s and early-mid 70’s stuff.

3. Marcello Carlin on December 7th, 2006

   My favourite Cilla track is her reading of “I’ve Been Wrong Before” which I think just cuts Dusty’s in that the brusqueness midway actually makes the song’s internal doubt and apprehension more intense. When she crouched down intimately to the listener - “If I Thought You’d Ever Change Your Mind” or her “Misty Roses” - she could be very moving indeed. And yes, Bacharach had to coach her through fifty-odd takes of “Alfie” but he got what he wanted; that sharp, sobbing intake of breath before the “I” of “I believe in love” or the desperate high vibrato on the word “Alfie” over Burt’s final ascending whole tones.

4. FT's Suzy on December 28th, 2006

   As mentioned in the post above, the Alfie recording session was tough. Here is some actual footage of the session -

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faityurE10I

5. rubbersoul on September 18th, 2007

   more sixties cilla stuff found here… in full agreement with marcello… i’ve been wrong before was a great vocal… but also the demo for step inside love with mccartney on acoustic guitar was sheer magic… black singing in a lower register. why george martin was so heavy handed with this artist was beyond me.

6. rubbersoul on September 18th, 2007

   http://www.thegirlfromabbeyroad.blogspot.com for 60s cilla

7. Phil on November 7th, 2007

   ‘World’ is one of Cilla’s finest moments and is one of the songs associated with her. I get very bored of people saying that she wasnt much of a singer, read the singles/album reviews in the NME/Record Mirror/Melody Maker in the 60’s and they all praised her singing highly. If you want to hear class listen to one of Cilla’s lesser known top ten hits ‘Conversations’, she sings it so very well, as many of my friends would confirm. When Record Collector reviewed her 1963-1978 3 CD set, the reviewer admitted that she is indeed a very much underrated singer.

8. Marcello Carlin on November 8th, 2007

   Hey Phil, I’m agreeing with you!

9. Phil on November 8th, 2007

   Thanks Marcello, I agree with your comment about Ive Been Wrong Before. In a 1965 Record Mirror article about the song Dusty said that it should have been huge for Cilla, praise indeed.