CLIFF RIFF

With regard to the ever excellent Spencer Leigh’s article celebrating Cliff Richard’s rock’n’roll years (RC354), I would just like to add that there was an American cover version of Living Doll by David Hill issued on the Kapp label in 1959 which spent two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 peaking at No 92. With regard to the B-side of Cliff’s single, Apron Strings, this was originally recorded in 1958 and issued in 1959 as a single in America by Billy The Kid again on the Kapp Label. Billy The Kid was in fact the one and only David Hill!.

I know very little about the said Mr Hill, other than he was a songwriter and recorder of many demos during the rock’n’roll era. He wrote I Got Stung for Elvis Presley and recorded the original demo of All Shook Up which was subsequently heard by Elvis who made the song a million seller. Despite this, David Hill’s demo was issued on the American Aladdin Label and was given a favourable review in Billboard in April 1957, the month in which Presley’s version entered the charts (it was also released in the UK as Vogue V 9076 and 45 rpm copies go for £200 – Ed).With regard to the Drifters/Shadows, their early Columbia single Driftin’/ Jet Black, was issued in the States as by The Four Jets to avoid confusion with the American Drifters vocal group.

by Harold Eastwood
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