Livin' Lovin' Doll

Last updated

"Livin' Lovin' Doll"
Cliff Richard Livin' Lovin' Doll.jpg
Single by Cliff Richard and the Drifters
B-side "Steady with You"
Released23 January 1959 (1959-01-23)
Recorded14 November 1958 [1]
Studio EMI Studios, London
Genre Rock and roll
Length2:08
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard and the Drifters singles chronology
"High Class Baby"
(1958)		"Livin' Lovin' Doll"
(1959)		"Mean Streak"
(1959)

"Livin' Lovin' Doll" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (who would later become the Shadows), released in January 1959 as their third single. Unlike their previous two top-ten singles, it only peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart. [2]

Contents

Background and recording

Richard hated singing the Serious Charge film version of "Living Doll" as it was much faster than the eventual single. In order to try to prevent it from being released as a single, producer Norrie Paramor decided to write a song with a similar title. So, together with his friend Bunny Lewis, they wrote "Livin' Lovin' Doll" using the pseudonyms Johnny May and Jim Gustard so that no one would realise who was behind it. [3]

Like with the previous two singles, Paramor hired session musicians Ernie Shear to play lead guitar and Frank Clarke to play upright bass if needed. Recently joined members of the Drifters, Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch and Jet Harris, would then play rhythm and bass guitars. However, Richard wasn't happy with Shear playing lead instead of Marvin. According to Marvin, Richard felt that Shear "wasn't really into rock 'n' roll" and "tended to do the same thing every time". Marvin did a take on lead guitar, describing his version as "a bit more original", and Richard was much happier with it. Paramor agreed and that was the last time he booked in session musicians for the group. [1]

The flip slide "Steady with You" was written by former Drifters member Ian Samwell and was recorded on 19 November. It has been described as Richard's first ballad and was a lot slower than his usual rock and roll songs. Along with the usual personnel of Marvin, Welch, Harris and Terry Smart, the track includes piano by Paramor and backing vocals by the Mike Sammes Singers. [4]

Reception

"Livin' Lovin' Doll" failed to achieve the same success as the group's previous two singles, "Move It" and "High Class Baby". In order to satisfy public demand for the release of "Living Doll", Richard re-recorded it as a slowed-down version and released it in July as the group's fifth single. [1]

Reviewing for Disc , Don Nicholl gave it 3 out of 5 stars, describing it as "a number which must have been tailored for him. Cliff chants it with a swift beat, while the Drifters supply their usual backing". Nicholl also wrote that "Steady with You" is "a beat ballad [slowed down] in treacly romantic fashion" and that Richard "handles it with considerable aplomb". [5]

Track listing

  1. "Livin' Lovin' Doll" – 2:08
  2. "Steady with You" – 2:21

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1959)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [2] 20

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Shadows</span> English instrumental rock group

The Shadows were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the pre-Beatles era. They served as the backing band for Cliff Richard from 1958 to 1968, and have joined him for several reunion tours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Living Doll (song)</span>

"Living Doll" is a song written by Lionel Bart made popular by Cliff Richard and the Shadows in 1959. It was the top selling single in the UK in 1959. It has topped the UK charts twice: in its original version in 1959 and a new version recorded in 1986 in aid of Comic Relief. It is one of the few songs released by an English singer to chart on the American Billboard charts before the British Invasion occurred.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mean Streak (song)</span> 1959 single by Cliff Richard and the Drifters

"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.

<i>Cliff Sings</i> 1959 studio album by Cliff Richard with The Shadows

Cliff Sings is the second album by British Cliff Richard and his first studio album. It was released in November 1959 through EMI Columbia Records and recorded at Abbey Road Studios. It reached No. 2 in the UK album chart. No singles were released from the album in the UK.

<i>The Young Ones</i> (album) 1961 soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

The Young Ones is a soundtrack album by Cliff Richard and the Shadows to the film of the same name. It is their first soundtrack album and Richard's sixth album overall. It was produced by Norrie Paramor, with music by Ronald Cass and Stanley Black. The album topped the UK Albums Chart for six weeks and charted for 42 weeks in total when the chart was a top twenty. The album became the first UK soundtrack to sell more than one million copies in total, combining UK and international sales.

<i>Listen to Cliff!</i> 1961 studio album by Cliff Richard

Listen to Cliff! is the third studio album by singer Cliff Richard and fourth album overall. It was released through EMI Columbia Records in April 1961. The album reached No. 2 in the UK album chart, charting for 26 consecutive weeks and re-entering twice.

<i>Wonderful Life</i> (Cliff Richard album) 1964 soundtrack album by Cliff Richard with The Shadows

Wonderful Life is a soundtrack album by Cliff Richard with The Shadows to the 1964 film Wonderful Life. It is their third film soundtrack album and Richard's eleventh album overall. The album reached number 2 in the UK Albums Chart, spending 8 weeks in the top 3 and 23 weeks on in the top 20, but was a marked decline from their previous soundtrack album Summer Holiday that had spent 14 weeks at number 1.

<i>When in Spain</i> 1963 studio album by Cliff Richard

When in Spain is a foreign language studio album by Cliff Richard and The Shadows released in 1963. It is Richard's sixth studio album and tenth album overall. The album of Spanish standards reached number 8 on the UK Album Charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Savage (song)</span> 1961 single by the Shadows

"The Savage" is a song by British group the Shadows, released as a single in November 1961. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.

<i>Cliff Richard</i> (1965 album) 1965 studio album by Cliff Richard

Cliff Richard is the seventh studio album by Cliff Richard, released by Columbia Records on LP in 1965 and available in both mono and stereo. It is Richard's thirteenth album overall. The album peaked at number 9 in the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Theme for a Dream</span> 1961 single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

"Theme for a Dream" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in February 1961. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Times Out of Ten</span> 1960 single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

"Nine Times Out of Ten" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in September 1960. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Class Baby</span> 1958 single by Cliff Richard and the Drifters

"High Class Baby" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Drifters, released in November 1958 as their second single. It peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm the Lonely One</span> 1964 single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

"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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Frightened City (song)</span> 1961 single by the Shadows

"The Frightened City" is a song by British group the Shadows, released as a single in April 1961. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Forget to Catch Me</span> 1968 single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

"Don't Forget to Catch Me" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in November 1968 from their album Established 1958. It peaked at number 21 on the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Time in Between (song)</span> 1965 single by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

"The Time in Between" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in August 1965. It peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Chart.

"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.

<i>Expresso Bongo</i> (EP) 1960 EP by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

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.

<i>Cliffs Silver Discs</i> 1960 EP by Cliff Richard and the Shadows

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.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Cliff Richard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  3. ↑ Turner, Steve (2008). Cliff Richard: the Biography: 50th Anniversary Edition. Lion Books. p. 134. ISBN   978-0-7459-5279-6.
  4. ↑ "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "The Big Beat" (PDF). Disc . 31 January 1959. p. 12. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.