I'm Nearly Famous

I'm Nearly Famous is a 1976 album by Cliff Richard.

I'm Nearly Famous
Studio album by
Cliff Richard
Released7 May 1976
RecordedSeptember - December 1975
StudioAbbey Road Studios, London
GenrePop, MOR, rock, disco
Length40:31
LabelEMI (UK)
Rocket (US)
ProducerBruce Welch
Cliff Richard chronology
The 31st of February Street
(1974)		 I'm Nearly Famous
(1976)		 Every Face Tells a Story
(1977)
Singles from I'm Nearly Famous
  1. "Miss You Nights"
    Released: 14 November 1975
  2. "Devil Woman"
    Released: 23 April 1976
  3. "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You"
    Released: 23 July 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]

The album, his 18th studio-only work, was released in May 1976 and was seen very much as a comeback.[2][3] The album is today considered one of his finest works and is held as the album which brought about Cliff Richard's revival as a major chart act in the late 1970s and early 1980s.[4][5][6]

The lead single on the album, "Miss You Nights", made number 15 in the UK Singles Chart in early 1976, followed by "Devil Woman" which showed a new harder-edged side to Richard's music and became one of his biggest worldwide hits, peaking at number 9 in the UK and becoming his first US Top 10, reaching number 6 and earning a gold disc for sales of one million. "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" was the third single, reaching number 17 in the UK and number 80 in the US.

Background

Cliff Richard's career had seen a downward slump in the 1970s compared to his success in the previous decade, culminating in his not hitting the chart at all in 1975 - the first year of his career not to do so. Bruce Welch set about finding new songs for Cliff and was to produce the album which would mark his comeback. The lead single on the album was "Miss You Nights". Although it was released in November 1975, it did not make the UK charts until early 1976, eventually peaking at No.15.[7]

The follow-up, "Devil Woman" showed a new harder-edged side to Richard's music and became one of his biggest worldwide hits, peaking at No.9 in the UK and becoming his first ever top 10 hit in the US.[7][8] Third single, "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" backed with album track "Junior Cowboy" completed the hat-trick of UK top 20 entries, while the album itself reached No.5 and remained in the charts for 21 weeks - his most successful album for over a decade.[7] It was also his first hit album in the US (peaking at No.76).

The album received rave reviews in the press and received kudos from celebrities such as Elton John and Elizabeth Taylor who wore T-shirts emblazoned with the I'm Nearly Famous logo.[9][10][11] Melody Maker was particularly enthusiastic about the album, with Geoff Brown writing:[12]

Cliff Richard has at last made the sort of album he could, and should, have been making for years. It is with some incredulity that I have to say that for the past ten days I've been playing two albums constantly. One is Marvin Gaye's I Want You. The other is I'm Nearly Famous. The renaissance of Richard, for that is what I believe this album heralds, is long overdue...it is the best album of new songs ever and, if there are enough unprejudiced ears around, could well mark the start of fresh Cliff Richard buying public.

The album was remastered and re-issued on Compact disc in 2001, where it again received rave reviews from Q Magazine and Record Collector among others.

Track listing

Side One

  1. "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" (Ken Gold, Michael Denne) – 2:50
  2. "It's No Use Pretending" (Michael Allison, Peter Sills) – 3:22
  3. "I'm Nearly Famous" (Michael Allison, Peter Sills) – 3:54
  4. "Lovers" (Mickey Newbury) – 2:58
  5. "Junior Cowboy" (Michael Allison, Peter Sills) – 2:54
  6. "Miss You Nights" (Dave Townsend) – 3:57

Side Two

  1. "I Wish You'd Change Your Mind" (Terry Britten) – 3:04
  2. "Devil Woman" (Terry Britten, Christine Holmes) – 3:41
  3. "Such is the Mystery" (John Dawson Read) – 5:11
  4. "You've Got to Give Me All Your Lovin'" (Ken Gold, Michael Denne) – 3:06
  5. "If You Walked Away" (David Pomeranz) – 3:02
  6. "Alright, it's Alright" (Michael Allison, Peter Sills) – 2:33

2001 re-issue bonus tracks

  1. "It's Only Me You've Left Behind" (Hank Marvin, John Farrar) – 3:07
  2. "You're the One" (Alan Tarney, Trevor Spencer) – 3:42
  3. "Honky Tonk Angel" (Troy Seals, Denny Rice) – 3:03
  4. "Wouldn't You Know It" (Alan Tarney, Trevor Spencer) – 3:03
  5. "Love Enough" (Tim Moore) – 2:50
  6. "Love On (Shine On)" (Cliff Richard) – 3:04

Arrangements

Charts
Chart (1976) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 45
UK Albums Chart 5
US Albums Chart 76

Singles
Release date Title UK US AUS IRE
November 1975 "Miss You Nights" 15 — 100 —
April 1976 "Devil Woman" 9 6 3 5
July 1976 "I Can't Ask for Anymore Than You" 17 80 — 2

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Official website - 1976 biography
  3. BBC.co.uk - Cliff Richard biography with ref to I'm Nearly Famous as a comeback
  4. Cliff Richard songs - mention of significance of album and song "Devil Woman"
  5. CD Universe - Album review
  6. All music guide - album review
  7. "Cliff Richard - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  8. Cliff Richard songs - "Devil Woman"
  9. Record Collector Review, June 2001
  10. Top of the Pops 2 - Mention of the T-shirt
  11. BBC.co.uk - Essex Radio - Lookback to the release
  12. Steve Turner (2008). Cliff Richard: The Biography. Lion Books. p. 270. ISBN 978-0-7459-5279-6.
  13. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 251. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
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