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PAUL RUMBOL:
CLIFF RICHARD & THE SHADOWS ON RADIO LUXEMBOURG



#06: DIM DIM THE LIGHTS
(Beverley Ross/ Julius Dixon)
1962

One of the best quality tracks to have survived, recently discovered in the collection of an English fan transferring his old reel to reel audio tapes to CD format. Six good quality Luxembourg recordings originally recorded from the radio were discovered in his collection in 2003.

This is an excellent cover of the Bill Haley song with Cliff and The Shadows in superlative rocking form. The song became an integral part of Cliff's act during early 1962 and a great live version of it was recorded at a concert at the ABC Kingston, Surrey, England on 7 March 1962. This show remained unheard in EMI's vaults for forty years before finally being officially released in 2002.

Throughout the 1962 British tour (which lasted from 16 February to 31 March) Cliff opened his second half act with Do You Wanna Dance and kept up the pace with Dim Dim The Lights. During the short instrumental break in the song the boys would perform their 'Shadows' walk' complete with synchronized high kicks at the appropriate juncture in the song.

Cliff had obviously been listening to his Bill Haley record collection in 1962 as he also performed another Haley classic Razzle Dazzle in his live shows. He officially cut the song at Abbey Road Studios on 12 July 1962 although it remained unreleased until the appearance of the Cliff Richard album in April 1965.

MC: not nearly as crisp or incisive as the Kingston recording, but that was cheered along by screaming hordes; the Luxembourg take suffers from its closed environment.



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