From: Shadsfax Issue 34 (2001) 4–5
Cliff Richard & The Shadows
"I Could Easily Fall"
Magic Records (France) 3930086 [2CD]
Released 2001
CD1 I Could Easily Fall / I’m Afraid To Go Home* /
The Minute You’re Gone / True True Lovin’* / I’m In Love With You / On The Beach
/ I’m The Lonely One / The Twelfth Of Never / The Time In Between* / On My Word
/ Wind Me Up / Razzle Dazzle / Forty Days* / Catch Me* / How Wonderful To Know*
/ Tough Enough* / Gee Whiz It’s You / Here Comes Summer / Theme For A Dream / I
Love You* / Lessons In Love / It’s Wonderful To Be Young [AV] / Got A
Funny Feeling [AV]
CD2 Watch What You Do With My Baby* / Constantly / Wonderful Life
/ Do You Remember / A Matter Of Moments / Just A Little Bit Too Late* / A
Forever Kind Of Love* / What’ve I Gotta Do / Look Don’t Touch* / Wonderful Life
[AV] / Havin’ Fun / Evening Comes / Boom Boom / Angel / Sway / Take
Special Care / I Don’t Wanna Love You / Reelin’ and Rockin’ / Someday
Asterisked tracks are in mono
Among the various marketers of Cliff / Shadows CD releases worldwide, what label has consistently set itself, and achieved, the highest standards in terms of imaginative programming and overall presentation? The answer to that must be: Magic Records France. And this is not the end of it by any means. A "Jigsaw" and a "From Hank, Brian ..." with bonus tracks are on the way, as well as Cliff French EP material with the original striking artwork, and lots more beside. Indeed, any fan of the 60s should have a look at the dazzling catalogue on their website, www.magic-records.com. (By the way, I have no financial stake in the company, worse luck.)
This is Cliff 2CD number three from Magic. These doubles are beautifully put together, an object-lesson in how the CD medium can be made to be as visually striking as any vinyl product. "I Could Easily Fall" places heavy emphasis on the years 1964/1965, with special mention made of the 1965 patchwork album "Cliff Richard", which was not issued in France; earlier tracks are incorporated from certain French EPs (nicely illustrated) rounded up for the purposes of this collection. All but ten of a very generous forty-two track set feature The Shadows.
To turn to particular numbers: of great interest to Shadsfaxers whose aim it is to have everything involving The Shads on CD are two firsts on legitimate release, Watch What You Do With My Baby and Just A Little Bit Too Late, B-sides from 1964 and 1965 respectively.
A variant (and far more lively) version of Wonderful Life (derived from the "At The Movies" set) accompanies the standard take; It’s Wonderful To Be Young on the other hand is represented only by the AV from this same compilation (the same goes for Got A Funny Feeling), so somebody still needs to hunt down and transfer a decent master of the song as originally released in the USA and Canada (1962) and subsequently in the UK (1964). A further rarity (again from "At The Movies") is the catchy Look Don’t Touch.
There is of course no shortage of Cliff compilations on CD, but these Magic releases are really something special, and "I Could Easily Fall" is certainly one to put on the shopping-list.
MC