(199) CLIFF RICHARD the BRITISH ELVIS - GOING STRONG 50 YEARS

Cliff Richard is one of those British artists who has been made a Sir by the Queen, like Paul McCartney and Elton John, for his achievements in the music business. His backing band in the late 1950's and early 1960's was called The Shadows and in the early 1960's he was running on the British charts before the Beatles.

Though Cliff Richards was considered to be "The British Elvis" and has had a career that spans decades and is still performing today, for some reason he never caught on in the United States and has remained a British phenomenon. Mysterious indeed! Because Cliff has sold singles and albums - millions - just like Elvis.

Could it be that because we Americans had Elvis we didn't need Cliff too?

Of course Cliff has an official site!Link above! He's very near 50 years of success!

Take a look at his fan club which has a picture of Cliff when he was very young.
http://www.cliff-guaranteed.co.uk/

Here's a circa 1961 video of Cliff and the Shadows. Cliff was called "A Living Doll."

VIDEO REMOVED JANUARY 2012

Guess who did a cover of Fabian's hit "Turn Me Loose?"

(198) EDDIE COCHRAN 20 FLIGHT ROCK and PAUL MC CARTNEY

The "20 Flight" refers to 20 stairs on a staircase... His "20 Flight Rock" is a humorous Rockabilly song that was a hit about 1957. Eddie Cochran died in 1960 but by then he had captured the interest of a few young upstarts who would become the Beatles.

Here's Eddie Cochran playing "20 Flight Rock" thanks to a YouTube presenter:

Paul McCartney talks about meeting John Lennon and playing Eddie Cochran's 20 Flight Rock on a right handed guitar... He says that because he knew all the words John was impressed and that's probably how he got to be in the Beatles.

In England, "20 Flight Rock" was covered by Cliff Richard, one of the British "Elvis's.

UPDATED July 2012 ROCKIN COUNTRY STYLE DISCOGRAPHY FOR EDDIE COCHRAN

VIDEOS REMOVED January 2012

(51) ELVIS WORRIES ABOUT HIS COMPETITION : FABIAN

Elvis confided in me that he was worried about his career. "Music's changin' Wes," he said. He was worried about two men... Fabian Forte, called Fabian, an Italian kid from Phili, younger than Elvis, was a big worry for him.

Fabian was a friend of mine from New York. He was part of the "in crowd," an all for one and one for all guy I spent time with who had encouraged me to move ahead in my career by leaving United Artists, just as several other musical peers had. Fabian had seemingly captured a great number of Elvis Presley fans while Elvis was away in Germany, record releases or magazine and newspaper articles about Elvis or not. Fans could not wait to see their idol, Elvis, on television again, and it had been communicated to Elvis that it might be Fabian who had taken what we would call today his "market share."

Perhaps Fabian was also on Elvis' mind because he had the attention of Dean Martin, and Dean Martin was someone Elvis admired, imitated in his youth, and wanted to meet. Dean Martin did not seem to share the same enthusiasm for Elvis, but he liked Fabian! He had Fabian on his show, singing with him. Maybe Fabian was even Dean Martin's protege?

Now as you watch these You-Tube presentations, I want you to notice how Fabian is dressed in a suit, presented as a sort of young Dean Martin, a crooner. Fabian is younger than Elvis, handsome, and talented, and he fits in his tailored suit.

An early Fabian singing "Turn Me Loose" in his early, Rock and Roll personae. Cliff Richard, "The English Elvis" also covered this song, complete with Elvis-like sneers. Fabian had a hit with "Turn Me Loose," which came out as a single on Chancellor Records.

Fabian wasn't objecting to becoming a crooner. Should Elvis? Is Fabian Dean Martin's protege? Fabian singing "All of Me" seems to be part of Frank Sinatra's "Rat Pack" here!

UPDATED JANUARY 26, 2011 NEW LINK TO FABIAN's OFFICIAL SITE above!

And here is the History of Rock on Fabian!

http://www.history-of-rock.com/fabian.htm

LONDON AMERICA RECORDS DEMO OF HONEY BABY BY WES BRYAN

Here's a recording I originally did on Clock Records appearing as a demo for radio play, I believe, made in England on London - American Records. At the time, I didn't know how I got airplay in England, but I knew that American Rock and Rollers, including the Everly Brothers, were popular there. Cliff Richard was the "English Elvis."