Cliff Richard

21 Today was released on October 14, 1961, the exact date of Cliff Richard’s 21st birthday, and it would reach No. 1 in the UK chart. The album starts with a humorous note: The Shadows’ lead guitarist Hank Martin plays “Happy Birthday” to Richard on his rhythm guitar, while the other Shadows also congratulate him. Then the band breaks into a catchy cover of Chuck Berry’s “Forty Days”, followed by “Catch Me” (a ‘60s pop song performed with female back-up vocals). The album also includes rock & roll favoritesfrom the beginning of Richard’s career, such as “I Want You to Know”, the great “Tough Enough”, and “Shame on You”, as well as a great cover of the jazz standard “Tea for Two”.

CLIFF RICHARD, lead vocals, plus:

On A1-A3, A5, A7-A8, B1, B3, B5 & B7-B8:

THE SHADOWS:
HANK MARVIN (lead guitar), BRUCE WELCH (rhythm guitar), JET HARRIS (bass), TONY MEEHAN (drums).

On A4, A6, B2, B4 & B6: THE NORRIE PARAMOR ORCHESTRA, plus TONY MEEHAN (drums).

All tracks recorded by Malcolm Addey at EMI Studios (studio 2), Abbey Road, London, between the spring of 1960 and July 1961.

SIDE A:

01 HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
02 FORTY DAYS (TO COME BACK HOME)
03 CATCH ME
04 HOW WONDERFUL TO KNOW
05 TOUGH ENOUGH
06 50 TEARS FOR EVERY KISS
07 THE NIGHT IS SO LONELY
08 POOR BOY

SIDE B:

01 Y’ARRIVA
02 OUTSIDER
03 TEA FOR TWO
04 TO PROVE MY LOVE FOR YOU
05 WITHOUT YOU
06 A MIGHTY LONELY MAN
07 MY BLUE HEAVEN
08 SHAME ON YOU