| "Dynamite" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows | ||||
| A-side | "Travellin' Light" | |||
| Released | 2 October 1959 | |||
| Recorded | 6 September 1959 [1] | |||
| Studio | EMI Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll | |||
| Length | 1:54 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ian Samwell | |||
| Producer(s) | Norrie Paramor | |||
| Cliff Richard and the Shadows singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Dynamite" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, first released in October 1959 as the B-side to the number one hit "Travellin' Light".
"Dynamite" was written by former Drifters member Ian Samwell, who wrote several songs for Richard and the group. Due to the ways in which the New Musical Express chart (the canonical Official Singles Chart until 1960) was compiled at the time, the B-sides of some records gained enough popularity that they entered the chart, generally alongside the A-side. This happened to several of Richard's singles in the 1950s and 1960s, though the only other 'official' one was "Mean Streak" and "Never Mind" earlier in 1959. [2]
On the New Musical Express chart, "Travellin' Light" spent five weeks at number one and "Dynamite" spent four non-consecutive weeks in the chart, peaking at number 16. [2] However, on the Melody Maker and the Disc charts, "Travelling Light" and "Dynamite" charted together, topping the chart for seven weeks and six weeks in the respective charts. [3] [4]
"Dynamite" was also released as an EP in Spain in 1959, becoming a top-ten hit. [5] It featured "Travellin' Light" as well as live versions of Ritchie Valens' "Donna" and Elvis Presley's "Danny". [6] In April 1965, "Dynamite" was released as a single and EP in Japan. [7] [8] It became a massive hit, peaking at number 6 on the Tokushin Music Report. [9] Speaking about this, Richard said:
"...quite often we found that records that wouldn't necessarily be a hit here in England were smash hits in Japan. Going back to things like Dynamite... When I go to Japan, I get calls to do Dynamite. Well, I mean, I never did like it very much anyway. And I like it even less now, really. But Japan loved it. It's incredible. And it's such a big market, one has to sort of take notice. I mean you– It sells like half a million copies. So you can't sort of say, 'Well, I'm not going to do it because I don't like it.' I mean, a lot of people liked it. And if you're going to be an entertainer, you gotta do things perhaps you don't like". [1]
Several other takes of "Dynamite" by Richard and the Shadows have also been released. A slightly faster version with a different backing and slightly altered lyrics was first released on the Dutch compilation Time to Rock! in 1962 and was later released as the B-side to a re-release of "Move It" in the Netherlands and Belgium in 1968. [10] [11] [12] This version was first released in the UK on the 1987 compilation Rock On with Cliff Richard and has since been included on several other compilations including 25 of the Best of Cliff Richard in 1997. [10] Another alternative take, similar to the other faster take, has also been released on the box set And They Said It Wouldn't Last: My 50 Years in Music in 2008. [13]
In 1980, Richard re-recorded "Dynamite" at Riverside Studios with producer Alan Tarney on bass, Michael Boddicker and Nick Glennie-Smith on synthesisers, and Trevor Spencer on drums. It was released as the B-side to the top-ten hit "Dreamin'". It was later included on Richard's 1984 studio album The Rock Connection and as a bonus track on the 2001 re-release of his 1980 album I'm No Hero . [14]
7": Columbia / DB 4351
EP: La voz de su amo / 7EPL 13.342 (Spain)
7": Odeon / OR-1215 (Japan, 1965)
EP": Odeon / OP-4068 (Japan, 1965)
| Chart (1959) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Spain (Promusicae) [5] | 9 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [2] | 16 |
| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Tokushin Music Report) [9] | 6 |
"We Don't Talk Anymore" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1979, remaining there for four weeks. Produced by the Shadows' rhythm guitarist, Bruce Welch, and written by Alan Tarney, it was Cliff Richard's tenth UK number one and his first since "Congratulations" in 1968.
"Mean Streak" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Drifters, released in May 1959 as their fourth single. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Travellin' Light" is a UK No. 1 single recorded by Cliff Richard and The Shadows and released in 1959. It was the follow-up single to Richard's first No. 1, "Living Doll" and remained at No. 1 for five weeks. "Travellin' Light" was also a Number 1 hit in Ireland and Norway, selling 1.59 million copies worldwide. It was Richard's last single of the 1950s and his first release after the Shadows had changed their name from the Drifters.
Cliff is the 1959 debut album of British singer Cliff Richard and his band the Drifters. The recording is the first white professionally recorded live rock and roll album.
The 50th Anniversary Album is a compilation album by Cliff Richard. The album was released by EMI on 3 November 2008 to mark his 50th Anniversary as a recording artist.
"A Voice in the Wilderness" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in January 1960. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Dreamin'" is a song recorded by Cliff Richard from his 1980 album, I'm No Hero. The track was the first of three singles released and was the biggest hit from the album, becoming a top-ten hit in numerous countries including the UK and the US where it became his third and last top ten hit.
"Don't Talk to Him" is a song by Cliff Richard and The Shadows, released as a single in November 1963. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Fall in Love with You" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in March 1960. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"Early in the Morning" is a song by British band Vanity Fare, released as a single in June 1969. It became an international hit, peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart and number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was awarded a gold disc for sales over one million.
The Hit List, released with the subtitle The Best of 35 Years, is a compilation album by English singer Cliff Richard. Released in October 1994, the album reached number 3 in the UK Albums Chart and was certified platinum in the UK. The album celebrates Richard's 35th anniversary in the music industry and compiled all of Richard's top 5 UK hit singles, which coincidentally totalled 35 at the time. Two bonus tracks were also chosen by Richard for the album – "Miss You Nights", at the request of fans for a re-release, and "Green Light" a favourite of Richard's.
"I'm the Lonely One" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in January 1964. It peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.
"I Could Easily Fall (In Love with You)" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in November 1964 from their album Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp. It peaked at number 6 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.
"It's All Over" is a song by the Everly Brothers, released as a single in December 1965 from their album In Our Image.
"Angel" is a song by Elvis Presley from the film Follow That Dream and was released on the soundtrack EP of the same name in April 1962.
"Lessons in Love" is a song written by Sy Soloway and Shirley Wolfe and was first recorded by American teenage singer Jeri Lynne Fraser and released as a single in May 1961. The song has had chart success with covers by Cliff Richard and the Shadows and the Allisons.
Expresso Bongo is an EP by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released in January 1960. It contains all the songs by the group sung in the film of the same name in which Richard also stars.
Cliff's Silver Discs is a compilation EP by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released in December 1960. It topped both the Record Retailer and Melody Maker EP charts.
The albums discography of English singer Cliff Richard consists of 48 studio albums, seven soundtrack albums, 11 live albums, three cast recording albums, 17 mainstream compilation albums, one remix album, 12 box sets, eight gospel compilation albums and 47 EPs. It also includes numerous budget/mid-price compilation albums, repackaged albums, and foreign compilation albums.
The singles discography of English singer Cliff Richard consists in excess of 200 singles, of which 159 singles have been released in the UK in varying vinyl, CD, cassette and digital formats. Listed alongside the UK singles in the discography below are a further 20 singles which were released in other territories, as well as 22 singles which were sung in German and only released in German-speaking countries.