Topic: Cliff attacks the Beatles.....the swine! (Read 4841 times)

Paul Doherty · « **on:** February 06, 2008, 01:25:35 PM »

'Ultimate Pop Star' Cliff Richard launches astonishing attack on 'horrific, out of tune' Beatles

Sir Cliff Richard has launched an astonishing attack on The Beatles, claiming some of their music was "horrific" because it was "out of tune".

Sir Cliff, who has a reputation as pop's Mr Nice, maintained some was so off-tune it was "unbelievable"

The Swine · « **Reply #1 on:** February 06, 2008, 01:54:22 PM »

will you please leave me out of this? i have nothing to do with cliff richard

zipp · « **Reply #2 on:** February 06, 2008, 03:13:03 PM »

Cliff was quite happy to sing along with Paul at the Queen's Jubilee concert a few years ago.
Next time I hope Paul throws him off the stage or invites him to play the guitar solo!
It would be fun to see two pensioners having a fight.

Kevin · « **Reply #3 on:** February 06, 2008, 04:19:13 PM »

Poor old Sir Cliff. But I'm a bit suprised by Hunter Davis's comments. He's never heard George's guitar playing criticised before? And The Beatles sang with Liverpool accents?

BlueMeanie · « **Reply #4 on:** February 06, 2008, 05:01:53 PM »

Quote from: 185

And The Beatles sang with Liverpool accents?

Yes, that bit stumped me too. I know some people achieve it by having a very strong regional accent, but it's very difficult to not sound American when you sing. Unless you're Paul Weller, or Billy Bragg.

The End · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2008, 01:08:48 AM »

Shame he couldn't name the offending tracks! The worst solo in my opinion has to Dizzy Miss Lizzy.

« **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2008, 11:56:42 AM »

Now, you don't suppose any of this nonsense has its roots in the outspoken animosity the Beatles expressed toward Cliff Richard and the Shadows back in the day, do you? Consider these comments in the fall of 1963 to a British reporter, quoted by Michael Braun in his excellent 1964 book "Love Me Do":

Paul:

BlueMeanie · « **Reply #7 on:** February 07, 2008, 12:07:35 PM »

Long time to hold a grudge.

Paul Doherty · « **Reply #8 on:** February 07, 2008, 04:16:33 PM »

I seen Cliff on the Paul O' Grady show a while back wearing an all- in- one leather outfit........nuff said

harihead · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2008, 12:21:32 AM »

Quote from: 979

The Beatles biographer Hunter Davies said: "It doesn't sound like Cliff Richard. He's usually banal in his comments. ...

"The Beatles looked totally different. They sang in Liverpool accents, whereas Cliff affected a mid-Atlantic accent. They wrote their own songs, while he sang other people's."

I love Hunter Davies! He's someone who's earned his right to an opinion, in my book. *pets him*

Quote from: 483

Yes, that bit stumped me too. I know some people achieve it by having a very strong regional accent, but it's very difficult to not sound American when you sing.

I agree the Beatles sound more American when they sing, but their accent does come through. They sound a bit odd, different, hard to place -- which I'm sure was one of the "stand up and take notice" things about them. In some songs, you can hear the accent quite clearly: "Hur" and "Thur" (for hair and there), particularly when George is singing. I just happened to play the Live at the BBC CD after reading this post, and you can really hear their accents on "I'll Be on My Way" and "Young Blood". Any other Americans notice this?

Banglalink did a tribute to George Harrison for his work on Bangladesh. I think it's adorable that the Indian singer who plays WMGGW in the second half mimics George's accent, down to "the love thur that's sleeping..."

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwCDCvF7AE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SwCDCvF7AE</a>

alexis · « **Reply #10 on:** February 24, 2008, 03:38:50 AM »

Quote from: 185

Poor old Sir Cliff. But I'm a bit suprised by Hunter Davis's comments. He's never heard George's guitar playing criticised before? And The Beatles sang with Liverpool accents?

Here's that thread, I couldn't find it to answer when I was listening to "Penny Lane" and noticed Paul sang "shave another coooostumer". That's not American, I'm guessing it's a Liverpudlian accent?

Also, I think they sing "hair" for "her" a few times in their songs. And do they sing "ghell" for "girl" every now and then? Maybe I'm making this last one (or two) up, but take a listen to Penny Lane ...

DaveRam · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2008, 01:34:57 AM »

Poor Cliff he really is becoming bitter , 40 years of praying and denying his true self , it's such a pity he never found the love of a good man .
I just hope when he gets to heaven Elton's waiting there with a big smile on his face

PaulieBear · « **Reply #12 on:** February 25, 2008, 09:01:31 PM »

I can't get over how they sing with accents. I mean sometimes you hear the occasional accent. I think it mostly comes from Paul and George, but even then most if not basically all of the time they sound american-ish. If that makes sense.

harihead · « **Reply #13 on:** February 25, 2008, 10:22:08 PM »

Thanks, Alexis and PaulieBear. I sometimes hear "ghell" for "girl", too. Yes, they do sound American-ish, but they can't keep it up. "Well I saw hur yesterda-a-ay..."

alexis · « **Reply #14 on:** February 26, 2008, 04:12:05 PM »

I wonder which guitar solos he is thinking of?

I always wondered about the solo in "Not a 2nd time". The last note (actually notes, I think it is two at once) always sounded off to me, then I read it was intentionally playing the 6th instead of the 5th.

What do you folks think?

Oh gosh, I hope it's the right song title ...

BlueMeanie · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2008, 11:38:26 AM »

The solo in 'I Should Have Known Better' has always made me cringe a bit.

Kevin · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2008, 01:39:08 PM »

In fairness to our George he's not the only one guilty of some cring-inducing solos from those early days. The Kinks early work, especially on (I think) You Really Got Me is Really Bad. A whole run of bum mistimed notes. Maybe listeners weren't that demanding of guitarists in those prehistoric days

Andy Smith · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2008, 09:44:08 PM »

I'll Follow the Sun is probley the weakest solo George ever gave on record! :-/

harihead · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2008, 10:24:57 PM »

It's 6 seconds long! 4 glissandos! I don't understand what all the fuss is about this "solo". It's more a transition that had to fill a space because George Martin was standing there saying, "Move along, we're on the clock." No one had any better ideas but, really. It's 4 notes. (Sorry, Andy; it's not you. I'm really mad at Geoff about this, among other things.)

alexis · « **Reply #19 on:** February 29, 2008, 02:27:57 AM »

Quote from: 551

It's 6 seconds long! 4 glissandos! I don't understand what all the fuss is about this "solo". It's more a transition that had to fill a space because George Martin was standing there saying, "Move along, we're on the clock." No one had any better ideas but, really. It's 4 notes. (Sorry, Andy; it's not you. I'm really mad at Geoff about this, among other things.)

I'm with Harihead on this one. It wasn't meant to be (I would think) the be-all and end-all of solos, if such a thing existed at the time. A filler, like HH says, never seemed offensive at all to me. Thanks for helping me see how I really felt about it, HH ... I think I was very close to piling on and saying "How could he!!"

Signed,

Hate to admit it, but easily manipulated

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Author Topic: Cliff attacks the Beatles.....the swine! (Read 4841 times)

BlueMeanie

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BlueMeanie