Real as I Wanna Be

Real as I Wanna Be
Studio album by Cliff Richard
Released 19 October 1998 (19 October 1998)
Recorded 1997-1998
Genre Pop, Easy listening
Label EMI Records (UK / Europe)
Finer Arts Records (USA)
Producer Peter Wolf
Cliff Richard chronology
Songs from The Rock and Roll Years (1997) Real as I Wanna Be (1998) The Whole Story: His Greatest Hits (2000)
Singles from Real as I Wanna Be
  1. "Can't Keep this Feeling In"
    Released: 12 October 1998
  2. "The Miracle"
    Released: 26 July 1999

Real as I Wanna Be is an album by Cliff Richard released in October 1998 on EMI Records label. It peaked at number 10 on the UK Albums Chart and was certified Silver in the UK and Gold in New Zealand.

Singles

"Can't Keep this Feeling In" was released as the lead single a week ahead of the album and peaked on debut at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. "The Miracle" was released in July the following year and peaked at number 23.

"Vita Mia", a duet with Vincenzo La Scola was intended to be the second single over the 1998 Christmas period. A video clip[1] was recorded for it and artwork for a CD single was produced together with a promo CD single for radio. However, the record company EMI postponed its release until January, citing Richard's ill health as the reason (the ill health being a chest infection followed by laryngitis, which also prevented him from singing during rehearsals for concerts in November 1998). Relations between Richard and EMI at the time were also strained due to the lack of promotion and lack of sales of the album, and the single was further postponed until February before being abandoned altogether.[2][3][4]

"Butterfly Kisses" had also been slated to be the third single from the album and a video clip[5] was recorded for it also, however, neither did it materialise.[6]

Airplay ruse

In the lead up before the lead single was released, a ruse was concocted in an attempt to circumvent prejudice that had increasingly led to Richard's widespread exclusion from airplay on UK radio stations (not including BBC Radio 2). Richard had considered, "because it was a slow, black rhythm and blues style and had a lot of falsetto, I felt I wasn't too recognisable". So a heavily remixed dance version (Step Child Mix) was sent out to 240 radio stations under the pseudonym "Blacknight". It resulted in the track being added to playlists on many UK radio stations including Choice FM and Kiss 100. It also received complimentary comments from DJs. Choice FM DJ Jerry Bascombe said, "It is a great record and it took about four days to realise the identity of the artist. I suppose, to be honest, if we knew it was by Cliff we would have never played it, so it proves his point. Now we'll go on playing it regardless."[7][8]

The ruse was revealed to the UK press in time for the Sunday papers as part of a strategic plan to highlight ageism in the music industry.[9]

Track listing

  1. "Real As I Wanna Be" - Written by Peter Zizzo - 4:32
  2. "Even If It Breaks My Heart" - Written by Adam Gorgoni, Phil Roy, Shelly Peiken - 3:45
  3. "Can't Keep This Feeling In" - Written by Arnie Roman, Dennis Lambert, Steve Skinner - 3:49
  4. "Climbing Up Mount Everest" - Written by Robin Lerner, Tommy Lee James - 3:01
  5. "United for Evermore" - Written by Dennis Morgan, John McLaughlin, Steve DuBerry - 4:21
  6. "She Makes Me Feel Like a Man" - Written by Cliff Richard, Michelle Wolf, Peter Wolf - 5:38
  7. "Butterfly Kisses" - Written by Bob Carlisle, Randy Thomas - 5:14
  8. "Snowfall on the Sahara" - Written by Ina Wolf, Natalie Cole, Peter Wolf - 4:26
  9. "Woman and a Man - Written by Noel McCoy, Michelle Wolf, Shelly Peiken - 4:47
  10. "Till I'm Home Again" - Written by Amy Sky, Andy Hill - 5:15
  11. "Come Back to Me" - Written by Michelle Wolf, Peter Wolf - 4:47
  12. "The Miracle" - Written by Brenda Lee Eugar - 3:28
  13. "Vita Mia" (duet with Vincenzo La Scola, tenor) Lyrics by Michelle Wolf, Zucchero Fornaciari, Music by Peter Wolf - 4:18

The US edition contains one extra track

Credits

References

  1. ↑ "Vita Mia video clip". www.youtube.com. EMI Records. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  2. ↑ "Records CDs Videos - Vita Mia on hold". Dynamite International. Utrecht, Netherlands: The International Cliff Richard Movement (181): 2. December 1999.
  3. ↑ Pogue, Deborah (February 1999). "A serious illness could have ended Cliff's career". Dynamite International (reprinted from OK! magazine). Utrecht, Netherlands: The International Cliff Richard Movement (182): 3.
  4. ↑ "Cliff's contract goes pop as his latest album flops". www.thefreelibrary.com. Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Butterfly Kisses video clip". www.youtube.com. EMI Records. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "New Single - Butterfly Kisses". Dynamite International. Utrecht, Netherlands: The International Cliff Richard Movement (182): 2. February 1999.
  7. ↑ "Sir Cliff foils radio ban". UK: BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  8. ↑ Cable, Simon (1 May 2008). "Cliff Richard: I had to release a single under a false name to win airtime from ageist radio bosses". London: The Daily Mail. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  9. ↑ Whitehead, Jennifer (13 November 1998). "CAMPAIGNS: Media Relations - Winning airplay for Cliff Richard". UK: PR Week. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
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