In 1964,
Cliff Richard and
the Shadows made their first appearance in pantomime, English theater's traditional Christmas offering, and, equally traditionally, a chance for leading media personalities to prove there's more to their talent than the ability to do whatever it is they normally do -- act in a soap, host a game show, read the news.
Richard, of course, had no need whatsoever to remind us of either his singing or his acting abilities...maybe it was the dance routines which appealed? Whatever, 1964's Cinderella was a roaring success, and two years later he returned to the London Palladium stage for a musical adaptation of Cinderella, alongside actors Hugh Lloyd and Terry Scott, and, more importantly, armed with what turned out to be an excellent set of new songs composed by
the Shadows themselves. Of these, "In the Country" is the best known -- as a single, it reached number six in the U.K., even as the panto was packing in the crowds. But "Why Wasn't I Born Rich," "Peace and Quiet," "Come Sunday," and "Hey Doctor Man" are cracking little efforts as well, while
the Shadows own showcases -- "The Flyder and the Spy" and "Autumn" -- are solidly excellent too. Indeed, compared with the shallow fare served up on the team's last couple of movie soundtracks, Cinderella emerges such a triumph that one can only regret this album is the only surviving souvenir of the event. ~ Dave Thompson