Cliff Richard Returns With His 100th Album

54 years after the release of his debut long-player ‘Cliff’, the UK’s greatest hit machine, Cliff Richard, is returning with his 100th album ‘The Fabulous Rock ‘n’ Roll Songbook’.

Paying homage to his rock roots, the 15-track record boasts cover versions of tracks by legends like Elvis Presley (‘Teddy Bear’), Little Richard (‘Rip It Up’), Chuck Berry (‘Johnny B Goode’) and Buddy Holly (‘Rave On’).

Recorded live at the Blackbird Studio and The Parlor in Nashville, Tennessee, other covers include Bobby Darin’s ‘Dream Lover’, the Everly Brothers’ ‘Wake Up Little Susie’ and Johnny Tillotson’s ‘Poetry In Motion’.

There is also one brand new track, entitled ‘One More Sunny Day’, which closes the album.

Cliff Richard said: “This was my chance to pay tribute not only to (in my humble opinion) one of the greatest advances in musical history, but also the artists who took Rock 'n' Roll to the top of the charts worldwide.

“That whole period was new and unbelievably exciting, and to think that I was there!! Saving up my pocket money for weeks so that I could buy Elvis's first album - borrowing someone else's collection of Little Richard (my name in part, was a tribute to him) and skipping school so as to get seats to see Bill Haley play live.”

The Fabulous Rock ‘N’ Roll Songbook is released on 11 November 2013 on Rhino. Cliff’s cover of ‘Rip It Up’ will serve as his 140th single.

In a career spanning seven decades, Sir Cliff has released 46 studio albums, seven soundtracks, 35 compilations and 11 live albums.

‘The Fabulous Rock ‘n’ Roll Songbook’ track-listing is as follows:

1. Rip It Up 2. Wake Up Little Susie 3. Poetry In Motion 4. Sealed With a Kiss 5. Stood Up 6. Such a Night 7. School Days 8. Teddy Bear & Too Much (medley) 9. Don’t Let Go 10. Dream Lover 11. Stuck on You 12. Fabulous 13. Rave On 14. Johnny B. Goode 15. One More Sunny Day

Photo: Alan Olley