Cliff Richard To Release New Album To Mark His 80th Birthday

by Music-News.com on September 30, 2020

Cliff Richard reaches the milestone age on October 14, and to celebrate the special occasion he’s recorded two new songs, ‘Falling For You’ and ‘PS Please’, for the LP ‘Music… The Air That I Breathe’.

The record – which is set for release on October 30 – will also feature his duets with Bonnie Tyler, The Bellamy Brothers, Sheila Walsh, The Piano Guys and Albert Hammond, as well as covers including The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes The Sun’.

Cliff said: “Looking back, I remember thinking that I wouldn’t make it to 50 and here I am at 80, and what’s even better than that is I have a new album!

“‘Music… The Air That I Breathe’ which features, not just me, but friends I admire who duetted with me on some of the tracks.

“I loved recording it and hope you will enjoy listening to it.”

The music legend had already announced a tour to celebrate his 80th, dubbed ‘The Great 80 Tour’, which was due to kick off in Gateshead on September 23, and wrap with two consecutive nights at the iconic Royal Albert Hall in London on October 12 and October 13.

However, it’s been postponed due to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.

Cliff – who has been making records since the 1950s – has slowed down and reduced his touring schedule in recent times, but vowed to never retire from the music industry.

He said previously: “The word ‘retire’… I don’t think that’s in my vocabulary.

“What I plan to do is what I’ve done now, really.

“I’ve slowed, I’ve made it a level area – I don’t tour for five or six months the way I used to.

“I can come back with my band – they’re all friends of mine.

“We dine together, we stay in the same hotels, we do shows and people come and enjoy themselves.”

Every time he considers quitting, someone suggests a tour and he “just can’t resit it”.

He said: “Sometimes I wake up in the morning and realise I haven’t sung for six months and it’s wonderful not having to worry about my throat giving out.

“So at those moments I think to myself, ‘If I never did another show, I’d be very happy.’ Then, blow me down, somebody suggests going on tour again and I’m saying, ‘Oh, yes please!’ I get all excited again and can’t wait to get out on stage. I just can’t resist it.”

The new LP will follow 2018’s ‘Rise Up’, Cliff’s first album of new material in 14 years.

-----------------

Any Cliff fans out here?
I like some of his stuff like Devil Woman, Move It
Basically the first British rocker wasn't he? And still "going strong".. now that's longevity
His fanbase is dying though.. he doesn't have the appeal the Stones and the Beatles have on young people.. nobody wants to wear a Cliff Richard t-shirt except women over 65+

Oh, what a great opportunity to bash the Stones again...

I am waiting for the usual suspects to come.

- Doxa

Quote
Doxa

Oh, what a great opportunity to bash the Stones again...

Keith changin' his surname again to 'Richard' ?

Quote
Irix

Quote
Doxa

Oh, what a great opportunity to bash the Stones again...

Keith changin' his surname again to 'Richard' ?

Well, sir Cliff could do a Stones cover again. And, to repeat the history, claim afterwards that he wouldn't have recorded it had he known it is a Stones song...

- Doxa

Quote
NilsHolgersson


The record – which is set for release on October 30 – will also feature his duets with Bonnie Tyler, The Bellamy Brothers, Sheila Walsh, The Piano Guys and Albert Hammond, as well as covers including The Beatles’ ‘Here Comes The Sun’.

What a daring, obscure choice! The most streamed - by a huge margin - Beatles song...

(That said, The Stones covered "Come Together" a while ago, which is #2 in TopMop streaming list, so...)

- Doxa

I like Cliff. Not a fan of much of his music, but his 1950's-early-60's material with The Shadows is worth listening to, in my opinion. He was at the forefront of the British rock n' roll boom of the late-50's and should be deservedly recognised. Also, his ability to continually chalk-up hit-after-hit throughout the decades is something to note. He's a little bitter towards the Beatles in interviews, though! He's seemingly never gotten-over them taking a huge chunk of his limelight during Beatlemania!

Well I don't think Cliff Richard wants to make a daring record, it's basically an album you give your grandma for christmas, so Here Comes the Sun fits it perfectly

Quote
NilsHolgersson
Well I don't think Cliff Richard wants to make a daring record, it's basically an album you give your grandma for christmas, so Here Comes the Sun fits it perfectly

Pretty much, yes. It's funny: he used to be your mum's favourite. Now, he's your grandmother's. Time does march on, doesn't it?

Quote
NilsHolgersson
Well I don't think Cliff Richard wants to make a daring record, it's basically an album you give your grandma for christmas, so Here Comes the Sun fits it perfectly

Well, probably making daring records hasn't ever been his real forte (although one should underestimate the power of such things as "Move It" back in the day), so I see that as a rather natural choice to cover. Besides, I think the song suits to his style very well. And probably asking from someone turning 80 any kind of dariness is a bit too much (well, there are two well-known guys to us turning 80 soon, who are never known to grow up such gracefully, so let us wait and see...)

But, more seriously, nice to Cliff Richard and to his fans to have a new album. Probably him and his music hasn't aged that well as many 60's and 70's 'classic rock' stars (in terms of attracting younger crowds still at the moment) but he is a monumental figure in the history of English rock and roll and who has sold a helluva amount of records along the years. With a good marketing who knows Cliff could make some kind of chart history. The grandmamas rule!

- Doxa



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2020-09-30 13:45 by Doxa.

Easily forgettable performance !

Quote


What a daring, obscure choice! The most streamed - by a huge margin - Beatles song...

(That said, The Stones covered "Come Together" a while ago, which is #2 in TopMop streaming list, so...)

- Doxa

***
I'm just a Bad Boy Boogie

When you watch clips of Cliff performing in recent years they actually show older fans in the audience, the grandmas so to speak, it's not like the Stones videos where they desperately want to make it look like there's only young people in the audience

Quote
NilsHolgersson
When you watch clips of Cliff performing in recent years they actually show older fans in the audience, the grandmas so to speak, it's not like the Stones videos where they desperately want to make it look like there's only young people in the audience

Very true. The Stones' Shine a Light film immediately springs to mind!

Quote
powerage78
Easily forgettable performance !

Quote


What a daring, obscure choice! The most streamed - by a huge margin - Beatles song...

(That said, The Stones covered "Come Together" a while ago, which is #2 in TopMop streaming list, so...)

- Doxa

I have to agree here. It would have been interesting to hear how "Little Red Corvette" would have sounded like instead. That would have been a bigger challenge for them, and needed to have more effort in it. To my ears the way they play "Come Together" sounds somehow too obvious and 'easy' for them (but probably here lies the reason why they picked up it from the two...)

- Doxa



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2020-09-30 14:53 by Doxa.