Living Doll (song)

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"Living Doll"
Single by Cliff Richard and the Drifters
from the album Serious Charge (EP)
B-side "Apron Strings"
(Weiss/Schroeder)
Released July 1959
Format 7" single, 78 rpm disc
Recorded 28 April 1959, EMI Studios, London
Genre Pop
Length 2:35
Label Columbia DB4306
Writer(s) Lionel Bart
Producer(s) Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard and the Drifters singles chronology
"Mean Streak"
(1959)		 "Living Doll"
(1959)		 "Travellin' Light"
(1959)

"Living Doll" is a song written by Lionel Bart made popular by Cliff Richard and the Shadows (then still The Drifters) in 1959. It has topped the UK charts twice; in its original version in 1959 (their first number 1 single) and a new version recorded in 1986 in aid of Comic Relief.

Worldwide Sales:

  • 1959 version: 1.86 million[1]
  • 1986 version: 1.50 million[1]

Background and Composition

"Living Doll" was written for the film Serious Charge. Lionel Bart had been approached by film producer Mickey Delamar to write songs for the film. The idea for the song came on a Sunday morning in October 1958 while reading a newspaper and seeing an advert for a child's doll. The doll was said to "kneel, walk, sit and sing". Bart recounted, "I was looking at the back pages and there was a small advert for a doll which could apparently do everything. I wrote the song in ten minutes." The song was written as an up-tempo light rock and roll song (rather than a ballad), and this is how Cliff Richard performs the song in the film.[2][3]

Unbeknown to Richard, his contract to appear in the film required that there would be a single of one of the film's songs released. Richard recounts, "I remember passionately refusing to record 'Living Doll'. There was a day of telephone calls from Norrie Paramor, with me saying I hated the song and that it wasn't right for us." Richard did not like what he called its "pseudo-rock" beat. "It did not sound like real American rock 'n' roll to us" said Richard. Paramor told Richard "Change it. Do it any way you like, but do it". While sitting around one afternoon before a show, thinking about what they could do with the song, Bruce Welch, while strumming a guitar, suggested they do it like a country song. Richard and his band agreed and duly rerecorded the song with the slower tempo.[2][4][5]

1959 version

The song was recorded in April 1959 by Cliff Richard and the Drifters and produced by Norrie Paramor. It was first released in the UK in May 1959 on the Serious Charge (EP) soundtrack before being released as a single in July 1959. It was number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for six weeks from July, selling over a million copies in the process and earning the record company's internally awarded Gold disc for the achievement.[1][6][7] It also became the top selling single of 1959 in the UK. In the US, it was Richard's first hit single, reaching number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was a number 1 hit in several European countries including Ireland, Norway and Sweden. The song won Bart an Ivor Novello Award for best song.

The song is performed by Cliff Richard (vocals), Hank Marvin (lead guitar), Bruce Welch (rhythm guitar), Jet Harris (bass) and Tony Meehan (drums). It was their first number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut single "Move It", released the previous year, is often cited as their first number 1, but in fact it peaked at number 2.

1986 version

"Living Doll"
Single by Cliff Richard and The Young Ones featuring Hank Marvin
B-side "(All the Little Flowers Are) Happy"
Released 8 March 1986
Format 7", 12" vinyl
Recorded 29 January 1986 at Master Rock Studios, London
Genre Pop/Novelty song
Length 4:18
Label WEA YZ 67
Writer(s) Lionel Bart
Producer(s) Stuart Colman
Certification Gold (BPI)
Cliff Richard singles chronology
"It's in Every One of Us"
(1985)		 "Living Doll"
(1986)		 "Born to Rock and Roll"
(1986)

In 1986, 27 years after the first release, alternative comedy group The Young Ones approached Richard to record a comic version of "Living Doll" for the Comic Relief charity. Despite the apparent contrast between the anarchic comedians and the clean cut Richard, he agreed and their version again topped the UK Singles Chart, for three weeks from March 1986.[8][9] The single was certified gold in the UK by the BPI in April 1986.[10] Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin was reunited with Richard on this recording for the first time since 1975.

When the song was performed in the 1986 TV broadcast for comic relief, The Young Ones announced to the audience that Richard couldn't make the show and that BBC presenter John Craven would be taking his place. They then introduce Craven, and Richard appears.

There are many references to Cliff Richard in The Young Ones, preluding their collaboration, including:

  • Rick - is a devoted Cliff Richard fan.
  • Rick's fanaticism led to many jokes about Richard being made during the show's run
  • The name of the show and the opening theme are taken from the Richard song "The Young Ones".
  • In the final episode, the cast of the show are on a coach when one yells "look out, Cliff!". They crash trough a big billboard of Cliff Richard.

Personnel

Performers:

Musicians:

  • Additional material on "Living Doll" and the B-side: Ben Elton, Lise Mayer and The Young Ones.

Chart performance

Country Peak
position
1959 version		 Peak
position
1986 version
United Kingdom (OCC)[8] 1 1
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11][12] 9 1
Belgium (Flanders) (Ultratop)[13] 16 1
Germany (Media Control)[14] 19 24
Ireland (IRMA)[15] 1 1
Italy (FIMI)[16] 38 -
Finland (IFPI Finland)[17] 11 -
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18][19] 2[A] 1
New Zealand (RIANZ)[20] - 1
Norway (VG-lista)[21] 1 9
Spain (Promusicae)[22] 10 -
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[23] 1 8
United States (Billboard Hot 100) 30 -

Notes:

  • A ^ Before the Netherlands official charts began in 1965, there were numerous independent charts. In 1959, when "Living Doll" was charting, there were four singles charts. "Living Doll" hit number one in the Songwereld monthly top ten chart for October, number 2 on the Muziek Express and Elsevier charts, and number 3 on the Muziek Parade chart.[24]

Other versions

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Thompson, Dave. Living Doll at AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-06-22.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ British News notes: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Listed as "Livin' Doll" - Cliff Richard & Young Ones. To search for, use keywords: Cliff Richard, Artist, Gold, Singles. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ The Official Charts in Ireland began on 4 October 1962. Chart positions before that are taken from the Evening Herald Chart which was a Top Ten single chart published by the Irish daily newspaper Evening Herald between February 1959 and December 1962. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ (nl) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Hot 100 adds eleven: "92. Living Doll - David Hill, Kapp" Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ http://www.45cat.com/record/fk3087
  27. ↑ http://www.poparchives.com.au/781/col-joye-the-joy-boys/living-doll
  28. ↑ http://www.globaldogproductions.info/w/w-and-g-0000-oz.html
  29. ↑ http://www.discogs.com/Roger-Ruskin-Spear-Electric-Shocks/master/241181
  30. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkN9jQvtkgs

External links

Preceded by UK number one single
(Cliff Richard and the Drifters version)
31 July 1959 (for 6 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Only Sixteen" by Craig Douglas
Preceded by UK number one single
(Cliff Richard and the Young Ones version)
23 March 1986 (for 3 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"A Different Corner" by George Michael
Preceded by RIANZ Number-one single
2 May 1986 – 6 June 1986 (6 weeks)		 Succeeded by
"Sailing Away" by All Of Us
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