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  Cliff Adams

 

 

Sing Something Simple featured the most popular songs of the last 70 years, performed by  singers (four female, 12 male), accompanied by Jack Emblow and the music director.

 

Starting in 1959, the show was broadcast at the same time every Sunday and earned itself the title of the longest-running continuous music programme in the world.

 

By 1979 Sing Something Simple had already celebrated its 1000th programme.  With it's close in December 2001, there had been over 2,100 shows broadcast on BBC Radio.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See Also:

 

Sing Something Simple page

 

 

 

 

Cliff Adams was born in London in 1923. He joined the RAF in 1941, and toured as a pianist/arranger with various dance bands after being demobbed. He later became a staff arranger for a leading music publisher, arranging for big name bands of the day, including Ted Heath, Cyril Stapleton, and Ambrose.

 

He was founder member and former singer with the Stargazers. This popular easy listening vocal group was formed in 1949 and was popular on BBC radio throughout the 1950s with six top 20 hits.

 

The Cliff Adams singers were formed in 1954 and this series was heard on Sunday evenings on Radio 2 until 2001 after a mammoth run of  42 years.

 

The group re-sang well known melodies from decades gone accompanied by accordionist Jack Emblow.

 

Cliff also composed for TV commercials including Fry s Turkish Delight, Cadbury s Milk Tray and Cadbury s Smash!

 

Cliff arranged and performed on Sing Something Simple until his death in 2001.

 

 

Sleeve notes from 1979 LP

 

"On the 27th of May 1979 one of Britain's most popular radio shows celebrated its 1000th consecutive weekly broadcast. Although it has been transmitted on different days and at different times, if you say Sunday evening at seven to most radio fans they will automatically say Sing Something Simple. What makes the unashamedly simple and straightforward programme one of the hardy perennials of BBC radio  The answer lies in the title Sing; the Cliff Adams Singers comprise the finest session singers in the country many of them well known soloists in their own right but in this case working together as a perfect team Something; Cliff Adams chooses the repertoire very carefully adding modern songs to the catalogue only if the melodic line is strong enough Simple; all Cliffs arrangements are built entirely round a good tune. A song with a strong melody line can sustain any kind of treatment beat group orchestral or brass band Cliff purposely reduces the songs to their simplest form and arranges them in classic four part harmony vocal style Thus, old and modern blend perfectly together Add to all this the brilliance of Jack Emblow and his musicians and you have a winning formula which could go on for at least another 5000 performances; and probably will.

 

Finally the credit for building all this together over the last 25 years must go to Stella Walters, Cliff Adams' girl Friday whose non-stop job it is to make sure that the right singers are singing the right songs in the right studio on the right day at the right time. With all these lovely talented people it is a joy to work on the show and I hope we convey that enjoyment to you the listener on our weekly shows and via this album"

Bill Debb BBC Radio 2

Broadcast on May 27th 1979 the 1000th consecutive weekly broadcast

 

Side 1

1 Sing something simple 2 Moon light bay Oh you beautiful Doll! Hello, Dolly 3 When I grow too old to dream Love me tender Joshua 0h 0h Antonio 4 Moonlight and roses Ill see you in my dreams 5 Green Grow the rushes oh 6 September Song 7 Tie a yellow ribbon round the old Oak tree 8 Jesu Joy of mans desiring 9 Song sung blue When I'm 64 Matchstick men and matchstick cats and dogs Song sung blue reprise 10 Loves old sweet song Night and day

 

Side 2

1 Roses of Picardie The sunshine of your smile Ma he's making eyes at me 2 You are the Sunshine of my life Rivers of Babylon Green Green 3 Together Let me call you sweetheart Daisy Ball Three oclock in the morning After the ball 4 Singing in the rain Side by side 5 Bless this house 6 It doesnt matter any more Down the road Dont dilly dally 7 Down by the old mill stream Row row row Paddlin Madeline home 8 The way we were 9 Sing something simple

 

 

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Sing Something Simple - Cliff Adams Singers

Audio  BBC

 

 

Rest in Peace

Steve Wright

 

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