Can Cliff Richard revive his music career?
Singer announces new album, called Rise Up, inspired by BBC raid ordeal
Sir Cliff Richard is hoping to revive his music career with a new album about his legal battle with the BBC.
Following a 14-year recording hiatus, the 77-year-old singer has announced the upcoming release of a new collection called Rise Up, which will explore the “bad period” he has endured in recent times.
Richard won a privacy case against the BBC earlier this summer, four years after the broadcaster aired footage of a raid on his Berkshire home by police investigating historical child sexual assault claims. Richard was never arrested or charged and was subsequently awarded hundreds of thousands of pounds in damages.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Despite the bad feeling with the BBC, the 16-track album’s title song will debut today on Radio 2, at around 11.25am, reports The Guardian.
“I chose Rise Up as the title track because, after the bad period I went through in my life, I’ve managed to rise up out of what seemed like a quagmire,” Richard said.
“I love the lyric ‘They’re never gonna break me down, they’re never gonna take me down, they know I’m gonna rise up feeling stronger.’
“It is always great to sing lyrics you can feel and I really felt those words.”
Richard, who is the only singer to have had No. 1 singles in five consecutive decades, from the 1950s to 1990s, added: “I’m hoping that it will be a revival.”
It appears that he needn’t worry. Tickets for his upcoming 17-stop tour of the UK and Ireland have nearly sold out, and his legal woes have done little to deter fans. Thousands of his supporters - some of whom have been known to sport Cliff Richard handbags and rosettes and to carry life-sized dolls of the singer - continued to back him during his four-year legal fight.
A 20-strong group of fans even attended the court case, popping Champagne and singing Congratulations when the ruling was announced.
Richard’s new album is due out on 23 November. He made the announcement at London’s Abbey Road Studio, where he recorded his debut single Move It, released exactly 60 years ago, on 29 August 1958.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light – still a 'crown jewel'
The Week Recommends This 'superlative' Tudor drama returns to BBC One and remains 'appointment weekly viewing'
By Adrienne Wyper, The Week UK Published
-
Threads: how apocalyptic pseudo-documentary shocked a nation
In the Spotlight The rarely shown nuclear annihilation film will reappear on TV screens this week
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
'Ludwig': David Mitchell's new quaint and quirky British detective drama
The Week Recommends The BBC's new cosy crime drama is the 'role of a lifetime' for Mitchell
By The Week UK Published
-
Mishal Husain: BBC journalist shares her six favourite books
The Week Recommends Newsreader and Radio 4 presenter picks works by Louisa May Alcott, Jamil Ahmad and more
By The Week UK Published
-
The Jetty: Jenna Coleman is 'magnetic' in 'claustrophobic' crime thriller
The Week Recommends BBC's new four-part show keeps viewers 'hooked' until the end
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK Published
-
Michael Mosley 'collapsed' during holiday hike
Speed Read Tributes paid to 'national treasure' who did so much to popularise science
By Hollie Clemence, The Week UK Published
-
Aitch or haitch: the linguisitic debate that 'matters a lot'
Talking Point 'University Challenge' host Amol Rajan has promised to change the way he pronounces the letter 'H'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The Secret Army: the IRA propaganda film forgotten for almost 50 years
Why Everyone's Talking About 'Chilling' BBC documentary reveals how US TV crew documented the inner workings of paramilitary group in 1970s
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published