This track was a personal favourite of Cliff's from his early days and it formed an integral part of his rock 'n' roll act during 1958 and 1959. Cliff and The Drifters often opened their live shows on tour with this number, the stage in darkness and Jet Harris' opening bass line creating an electric atmosphere amid the crowd. The spotlight would then hit Cliff in pink drape jacket with The Drifters silhouetted in the background – as they launched into a real rocking version of this Elvis/Holly classic.
He first sang it at his variety debut at the Metropolitan Theatre in Edgeware Road, London, for three weeks commencing on Monday 17 November 1958. It is also likely he performed it on ABC TV's 'Oh Boy!' during October to December 1958.
The number was featured on Cliff's first album recorded live before a screaming audience at the Abbey Road Studios on 9 and 10 February 1959. He had also sung it on BBC Radio's 'Saturday Club' on 27 December 1958 and again on 14 March 1959.
Only one version was recorded for the 'Me And My Shadows' shows during summer 1960 but it was repeated regularly throughout the series. The quality of the recording is only fair/ middling but is constant throughout without too much radio interference.
MC: drive rather than finesse is the name of the game here, and both group and singer (raucous enough to render his evident throat condition unimportant) rose to the challenge on the Cliff LP. On all surviving specimens of this RL outing, it would appear (one heralded by "It's 9.45 and it's Thursday night … this week we would like to start the ball rolling with …"), the level of atmospheric mush does not undermine Cliff's vocals too severely, but the impact of the supporting music has plainly been blunted.