CLIFF RICHARD - WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE

Llançament: 6 de juliol de 1979

Regne Unit: #1 (4 setmanes)

“We Don’t Talk Anymore” és una cançó de Cliff Richard, escrita per Alan Tarney i produïda per Bruce Welch. Va esdevenir el seu senzill més venut a nivell mundial, arribant al número 1 de la llista britànica de singles durant quatre setmanes l’agost de 1979—el seu primer número 1 al Regne Unit des de “Congratulations” el 1968. Tot i ser una estrella important a Gran Bretanya, Richard mai va tenir un èxit significatiu als Estats Units, tot i que aquesta cançó es va llançar en el moment àlgid de la seva carrera americana. Curiosament, els cors taral·lejats del tema van ser interpretats per Bryan Ferry, de Roxy Music, un gran admirador de Richard.

Alan Tarney la va escriure originalment per a la Tarney/Spencer Band el 1979, però la va tocar per al productor Bruce Welch, que de seguida va veure-hi potencial per ser un èxit. Welch va contactar amb el mànager de Cliff Richard, convençut que era l’artista ideal per interpretar-la. La cançó es va gravar ràpidament al maig de 1979 als estudis RG Jones de Wimbledon. Llançada com a senzill independent entre els àlbums “Green Light” i “Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile”, inicialment no estava destinada a cap disc, però després del seu enorme èxit, EMI va insistir a incloure-la a “Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile”, tot i les reticències de Richard. L’èxit de la cançó va portar Tarney a produir els dos següents àlbums de Richard, “I’m No Hero” i “Wired for Sound”. Tarney va afirmar posteriorment que la cançó hauria encaixat millor a “I’m No Hero”.

Cliff Richard, nascut Harry Webb a Lucknow, Índia, va iniciar la seva carrera musical el 1957 amb el grup Dick Teague Skiffle abans de formar Harry Webb & the Drifters, que més tard es va rebatejar com a Cliff Richard & the Drifters. El 1958, va signar amb EMI després d’audicionar per al productor Norrie Paramor i va llançar el seu primer senzill, “Move It”, que va arribar al número 2 al Regne Unit. La seva banda d’acompanyament, posteriorment anomenada The Shadows, incloïa Hank Marvin i Bruce Welch. Richard es va convertir en l’artista solista més exitós del Regne Unit, aconseguint 13 números 1 i participant a Band Aid II i The Young Ones. El 1990, “Saviour’s Day” el va convertir en el primer artista a tenir números 1 al Regne Unit en cinc dècades consecutives, i gairebé va ampliar aquesta ratxa amb “Millennium Prayer” el 1999. Va ser nomenat cavaller el 1995.

CLIFF RICHARD - WE DON’T TALK ANYMORE

Released: July 6, 1979

UK: #1 (4 weeks)

“We Don’t Talk Anymore” is a 1979 hit song by Cliff Richard, written by Alan Tarney and produced by Bruce Welch. It became Richard’s biggest-selling worldwide hit, topping the UK Singles Chart for four weeks in August 1979—his first UK No. 1 since “Congratulations” in 1968. Though a major star in Britain, Richard never had sustained success in the U.S., but this song was released during the peak of his American career. Notably, the hummed backing vocals on the chorus were provided by Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, a longtime fan of Richard.

Alan Tarney originally wrote it for the Tarney/Spencer Band in 1979 but played it for producer Bruce Welch, who immediately saw its hit potential. Welch contacted Cliff Richard’s manager, believing Richard was the perfect artist for the song. It was quickly recorded in May 1979 at RG Jones Studios in Wimbledon. Released as a standalone single between the albums “Green Light” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile”, it wasn’t initially intended for an album, but after its massive success, EMI insisted on including it on “Rock ‘n’ Roll Juvenile”, despite Richard’s reservations. The hit led to Tarney producing Richard’s next two albums, “I’m No Hero” and “Wired for Sound”, with Tarney later stating the song would have fit better on “I’m No Hero”.

Cliff Richard, born Harry Webb in Lucknow, India, began his music career in 1957 with the Dick Teague Skiffle Group before forming Harry Webb & the Drifters, later renamed Cliff Richard & the Drifters. In 1958, he signed with EMI after auditioning for producer Norrie Paramor and released his debut single, “Move It”, which reached #2 in the UK. His backing band, later renamed The Shadows, included Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch. Richard became the UK’s most successful solo artist, scoring 13 #1 hits and participating in Band Aid II and The Young Ones collaborations. In 1990, “Saviour’s Day” made him the first artist to have UK #1 hits in five consecutive decades, and he nearly extended this streak with “Millennium Prayer” in 1999. He was knighted in 1995.