by Robert Wilkinson
Cilla Black was in the heart of the British Invasion of 1964. She was friends with the Beatles, and between 1963 and 1971 had eleven Top Ten hits on the British charts, including one that everyone in the world has heard at least once!
From wiki, Cilla Black (born Priscilla Maria Veronica White OBE (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015) was an English singer, television presenter, actress, and author.... Along with a successful recording career in the 1960s and early 1970s, Black hosted her own variety show, Cilla, for the BBC between 1968 and 1976. After a brief time as a comedy actress in the mid-1970s, she became a prominent television presenter in the 1980s and 1990s, hosting hit entertainment shows such as Blind Date (1985–2003), The Moment of Truth (1998–2001) and Surprise Surprise (1984–2001).
All her 1960s records were produced by George Martin. She was one of a remarkable group of women who were all stars in the British Invasion. These were all over the charts! (I am linking to actual live performances, rather than lip synched videos as per the fashion of the day.) That era gave us remarkable women at the top of their game, including Dusty Springfield, Marianne Faithfull, Lulu, Petula Clark, Sandie Shaw, and others.
Today we enjoy her best with most of them live performances!
First, her first hit, penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, that she took to #1 in 1964! "Anyone Who Had A Heart."
Three months later she hit #1 again with her version of "You're My World."
This was her fourth single which went to #7! It’s a very interesting waltz arrangement of Lennon and McCartney’s "It's For You." (Paul played the piano in the recording session.)
This made it to #2 before the Righteous Brothers’ version. “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling”
She scored big as an interpreter of more than a few Beatle tunes!
“If I Fell” (the music begins about 50 seconds into the clip)
Here’s a 1971 live performance, backed by Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of the Shadows joined by extraordinary producer John Farrar, giving us a fantastic acoustic interpretation of “Norwegian Wood”
Here’s her studio version of “For No One”
After Brian Epstein died, she got new management and scored more hits!
From 1968, “Step Inside of Love”
From 1969, “Conversations” and “Surround Yourself With Sorrow”
From 1971, “Something Tells Me (Something’s Going to Happen Tonight)”
In 1974, she recorded this song written for her by George Harrison, said to be “an unfinished masterpiece” on par with “Something.” And it is! "I'll Still Love You (When Every Song is Sung)" (Eric, Ringo, and Klaus Voorman played on the original tracks. This is a remarkable piece of music.)
From her 30th anniversary in show business, Cilla belting out “Through the Years”
Last year I had a great hour and 15 collection of tv performances she did between 1964 and 1976 titled Cilla Black at the BBC but it’s disappeared. I did find this from her BBC performances, where she gives us “Step Inside of Love”
For our closer, I found this clip from Music of the 60s, joined by Cliff Richard for the middle medley. The first clips are from 1969, while the last is from 1971. “Liverpool Lullaby,” “The Look of Love/Walk on By” “Yesterday”
For our encore, there could only be one song which everyone on Earth heard at some point in the past 50+ years! I found two great live performances of her 1966 megahit. When it was streaking up the charts, here’s a b/w video of Cilla live at the London Savoy performing “Alfie.” Our second offering is said to be the original recording video at Abby Road with Bert Bacharach, “live in the studio” of her recording “Alfie.”
I still can’t find the 51 minute documentary on her life titled Cilla so this year I have two good ones for you. From 1997, a 48 minute documentary on Cilla and the 60s scene titled Cilla Black 1997
And here’s a one hour 2013 tv special celebrating of her life and work! The One and Only Cilla Black
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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