Cliff Richard’s forgotten Christmas number one unveiled
Cliff Richard talks about his new Christmas album
Sir Cliff Richard and Christmas go together like, well, Mistletoe and Wine. For a period in the late eighties and early nineties he was Mr Christmas topping the charts with the aforementioned Mistletoe and Wine in 1988 and Saviours Day in 1990.
He was also part of the Band Aid II supergroup in 1989, who topped the charts with an updated remake of the seminal classic Do They Know It’s Christmas. He joined artists such as Kylie Minogue, Jimmy Sommerville, Chris Rea, Bananrama and Bros on the track which spent three weeks at the top of the chart.
However, these weren’t his first dalliances with the much-coveted festive number one. Back in 1960 he topped the charts during the Christmas season with The Shadows and the song I Love You, which stayed at the top for a fortnight.
The charts as we know them were only started in 1952 meaning that this was the ninth ever Christmas number one and at the time it wasn’t quite the big deal – or commercial enterprise that it would become.
It was actually the groups fourth number one single and was written by the Shadows’ rhythm guitarist Bruce Welch. It also topped the charts in New Zealand and India.
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Recorded in September 1960 it was released in November that year although, it didn’t hit the top until the Christmas period.
Like most of the Christmas number ones of that era it didn’t have a holiday theme and instead is a catchy romantic ditty.
Although Dickie Valentines’s offering in 1955 Christmas Alphabet was definitely festive themed, as was Harry Belafonte’s 1957 classic Christmas chart topper Mary’s Boy Child, this was not the norm.
Indeed it wasn’t until the 1970s that the festive theme took off in earnest for the Chrismas number one after Slade topped the charts with Merry Xmas Everybody in 1973.
Cliff’s later offerings definitely had a more festive feel. He made another bid to top the Christmas charts in 1999 with Millenium Prayer he was beaten out by Westlife with their double A side I Have A Dream and Seasons In The Sun.
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Cliff continues to release festive offerings. In 2003 he released the album Cliff At Christmas and in 2022 Christmas with Cliff was his 46th studio album.
He is also making his presence felt this Christmas Day hosting Cilla Black At The BBC on Radio 2.
The show coincides with what would be the 60th anniversary of the beginning of Cilla’s career. It will feature many rare songs and moments from her life.
Speaking about it Sir Cliff said: “Too many people that we love pass on, but fortunately, people like Cilla leave behind something that will remain in our memories forever
“For me, it was a joy and a pleasure and an honour to have known Cilla personally and be in close touch with her constantly. So Cilla, God bless you, rest in peace, and just remember we are going to be screaming about you forever.”
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