THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

709- Cliff Richard and the Drifters-Move It.

1958-Number 2 single.

Best Bit-At 1.16. John Lennon said,’Before Cliff and The Shadows, there had been nothing worth listening to in British Music.’ As you probably know, he didn’t live long enough to hear ‘The Millennium Prayer.’

Sir Cliff Richard OBE, was born Harry Roger Webb, on October 14th, 1940, in Lucknow, United Provinces, British India. In 1948 following Indian independence, he emigrated to Carshalton, South London, England, with his parents, and three sisters. His stage name ‘Cliff’ was chosen as it sounds like ‘cliff face,’ suggesting ‘Rock,’ and ‘Richard,’ which was suggested by this songs writer Ian Samwell, is in tribute to Webb’s musical hero Little Richard (1932-2020) (see also best songs 521.) In the UK, only the Beatles, and Elvis Presley (1935-1977) have sold more records.

The extensive discography of Cliff Richard, who has sold in excess of 250 million records worldwide, includes 49 studio Albums released between 1959-2023, and over 200 singles which have been issued worldwide, of which 159 have been released in the UK between 1958-2022, there are also 17 official compilation Albums, 11 live Albums, 12 box sets, and seven soundtrack Albums available. In the UK, Cliff Richard has had 123 top 40 hit singles, with 14 of those tracks reaching Number 1, while in America on the Billboard Hot 100, nine of his singles have made the top 40, with ‘Devil Woman’ from 1976, charting the highest at Number 6, in America, ‘Move It’ has never charted.

‘Move It’ was the debut single by Cliff Richard and the Drifters, from August 1958, it was written by Ian Samwell, with the production being by Norrie Paramor (1914-1979.) ‘Move It,’ which is credited with being one of the first authentic ‘Rock N’ Roll’ songs produced outside of the United States, was originally planned as the ‘B’ side to ‘Schoolboy Crush,’ however when producer Jack Good (1931-2017) heard ‘Move It,’ he insisted that Cliff Richard would have to sing that if he was to appear on his music television show ‘Oh Boy!’ ‘Move It’ proved very popular, and the decision was taken to flip sides, with ‘Schoolboy Crush relegated to the ‘B’ side.

Ian Ralph Samwell was born on January 19th, 1937, in Lambeth, South London, England, in the 1990’s he underwent a heart transplant, and died on March 13th, 2003, at the age of 66. Samwell first met Cliff Richard in 1958, when hearing him perform at the ‘2i’s Coffee Bar,’ in Soho, London, this led to Samwell joining Cliff’s group as a guitarist, which would soon be re-named ‘ Cliff Richard and The Drifters.’ Ian Samwell who was inspired to write ‘Move It’ after listening to the music of Chuck Berry, (1926-2017) (see also best songs 548-308 and 30) would go to write Cliff Richard’s second hit single ‘High Class Baby, (1956-UK Number 7) as well as several other of Richard’s early songs. In the early 1970’s while working as a staff producer at ‘Warner Bros, Records’ in London, Samwell discovered the American Rock band ‘America,’ he produced their self titled debut Album in 1972, as well as their signature song ‘A Horse with No Name.’

The original lineup who made up the ‘Drifters,’ who were Cliff Richards backing group, were Ken Pavey, (guitar) Terry Smart, (drums) Norman Mitham, (guitar) and Ian Samwell, (guitar) although only Samwell and Smart played on ‘Move It,’ as the session musicians Ernie Shears, (guitar) and Frank Clarke, (1924-2007) (upright bass) were used instead, as they were thought to be superior musicians. In 1959 the management of the American R&B vocal group ‘The Drifters’ (see also best songs 804 and 568)) threatened legal action over naming rights, forcing the ‘Drifters’ to re-name themselves. It was Jet Harris (1939-2011) who came up with the new name ‘The Shadows.’ In total there have been 17 different members of the ‘Drifters,’ and ‘The Shadows,’ who at the time of writing remain active.

‘Move It’ was written with only one verse, so Cliff Richard sang that verse twice. Finally in 1995 Ian Samwell wrote a second verse, which first appeared on the Hank Marvin Album ‘Hank Plays Cliff,’ The new version was debuted live at a ‘Royal Variety Performance’ in front of Queen Elizabeth II that year. Since then, Cliff Richard has continued to perform the song live with the additional verse. In 2006 Cliff Richard re-recorded ‘Move It’ with Brian May of Queen on guitar, and Brian Bennett of The Shadows on drums. The track was released as the second track on a double ‘A’ side CD single, alongside ’21st Century Christmas,’ which reached Number 2 on the UK top 40.

‘The rhythm that gets into your heart and soul, well, let me tell you baby, it’s called Rock N’ Roll. They say it’s gonna die but please let’s face it, Well, they just don’t know what’s a goin’ to replace it.’