O
n the evening of 9 February 1959
Cliff Richard arrived at EMI
Recording Studios on Abbey
Road in London to record his fi rst album.
With three hit singles and sold-out concert
halls across Britain, Richard was one of the
most successful homegrown rock’n’roll stars
to date. The album would cap a whirlwind
seven months of his rise through a string of
hits and electrifying TV appearances.
With Richard’s initial rise to fame rooted
in live performances, Columbia Records
producer Norrie Paramor insisted on live
recordings for the singer’s fi rst album.Remote concert recording was an iffy
proposition at best, and therefore staging a
concert in Abbey Road’s largest recording
room, Studio 2, seemed the best option.
With over 198 square metres of fl oor
space and a ceiling two storeys high, StudioReleased in April 1959, Cliff Richard’s debut long-player was a
thrilling introduction to one of the UK’s fi rst ever rock’n’roll stars
and proved that we could rock just as hard as those across the pond...2 was one of the largest recording studios
in the world, more than adequate to host
a sizable concert. For the album sessions,
a stage was constructed against one wall
of the studio, directly below the large glass
window of the second story control room
overlooking the recording area. Requiring
an enthusiastic audience, Columbia sent
invitations to London-area members
of Richard’s fan club. Several hundred
teenagers secured tickets for the two nights
of recording.
Also on hand were Richard’s band,
The Drifters. While the group backedeverly^ Lebarrow/Re
dfe
rns/Get
tyCliff and The Drifters larking about.
From left to right: Hank Marvin,
Tony Meehan, Cliff Richard, Bruce WelchTHE ALBUM
WOULD CAP A
WHIRLWIND SEVEN
MONTHS OF
CLIFF’S RISE