Living Doll (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Living Doll


Caption = 1986 release with The Young Ones
Artist = Cliff Richard and the Drifters
from Album =
A-side =
B-side = "Apron Strings" (George David Weiss; Aaron Schroeder)
Released = July 1959
8 march 1986 (version)
Format = 7" single
Recorded = April 28 1959, Abbey Road, London/January 29, 1986 Master Rock Studios (1986 Version)
Genre = Pop
Length = 2:35; 3:57 (1986 version)
Label = Columbia 45-DB4306
Writer = Lionel Bart
Producer = Norrie Paramor, engineer: Malcolm Addey (1959)
Certification =
Last single = "Mean Streak"
(1959)
This single = "Living Doll"
(1959)
Next single = "Travellin' Light"
(1959)
Misc = Extra chronology 2
Artist = Cliff Richard singles
Type = singles
Last album = "It's in Every One of Us"
(11/1985)
This album = "Living Doll"
(1986)
Next album = "Born to Rock and Roll"
(5/1986)

"Living Doll" is a popular song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows (then still "The Drifters").

Written by Lionel Bart it was originally recorded in 1959 by Cliff Richard and the Drifters and produced by Norrie Paramor. It peaked at #1 on the UK singles chart for six weeks from July 1959, selling over a million copies in the process. The song won Bart an Ivor Novello Award for best song. The song was Richard's first US hit single reaching #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is featured in the film "Serious Charge" and was also released on the "Serious Charge" 7" EP (Columbia SEG 7895).

The song is performed by Cliff Richard (vocals), Hank Marvin (guitar), Bruce Welch (guitar), Jet Harris (bass) and Tony Meehan (drums).

The 1986 version

27 years later in 1986 alternative comedy group The Young Ones approached Richard to record a comic version of "Living Doll" for the Comic Relief charity. Surprisingly bearing in mind the contrast between the anarchic comedians and the clean cut Richard he agreed and their version again topped the UK singles chart, for three weeks from March 1986. Shadows guitarist Hank Marvin was reunited with Richard on this recording for the first time since 1975.

Chart performance

References