Cherry Red's Strike Force Entertainment imprint is continuing its series celebrating the life and legacy of Cilla Black with the May 10 arrival of another pair of remastered and expanded 2-CD, 2-album collections.  First up is her debut album Cilla (1965) with In My Life (1974), the latter of which is making its premiere on CD in full; also released that day is Sher-oo! (1968) with another long-anticipated, new-to-CD title, Modern Priscilla (1978).  All of the previously released digital bonus tracks associated with these albums are included here, as well as further extras.

Cilla, produced by Sir George Martin and conducted by Martin, Johnny Scott, and Johnnie Spence, captures the big-voiced Liverpool lass at the height of Swingin' London.  It arrived in January 1965 following the enormous successes of the singles "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "You're My World" in 1964, and demonstrated the singer's already-evident versatility.  Playing to her strengths for both gutsy R&B and boldly theatrical balladry, Cilla presented another pair of Bacharach tunes ("Baby It's You," penned with Mack David and Luther Dixon, and the complex "This Empty Place," co-written by Hal David and originated like "Anyone Who Had a Heart" by Dionne Warwick), more uptown soul (Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein's "Goin' Out of My Head," a hit for Little Anthony and The Imperials), two Motown favorites ("Every Little Bit Hurts" and "Dancing in the Street"), a requisite Italian ballad (Luigi Coppola's "One Little Voice"), and even a trio of standards ("Love Letters" and big-band versions of "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," and "Ol' Man River."

Of the fresh songs, George Martin and Cilla's future husband Bobby Willis' "Come to Me" and Clive Westlake and Kenny Lynch's "I'm Not Alone Anymore" were strong, tricky compositions deftly navigated by Cilla.  (The latter was reportedly turned down by Dusty Springfield.)  17 bonus tracks have been added to Cilla, including the entire album in mono plus alternate takes of "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues" (from her very first session) and "You're My World"; Holland-Dozier-Holland's "(Love Is Like A) Heatwave" from the same session as "Love Letters" (dropped from the LP in favor of another Martha and the Vandellas hit, "Dancing in the Street"), and Van McCoy's "Some Things You Never Get Used To," from a subsequent March 1965 date.

Alan O'Day and Artie Wayne's song "Flashback" opened In My Life, but the album was anything but a step backward.  Owing to the unavailability of the prolific Martin, it became the first of two LPs with Australian producer David Mackay (Cliff Richard, The New Seekers).  Mackay urged Cilla in a smoother soft-rock direction, and she delivered with warm, shimmering renditions of such familiar, then-recent hits as Bread's "Everything I Own," Jim Croce's "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song," The Hollies' "The Air That I Breathe," and David Cassidy's "Daydreamer."  In My Life also included the breezy "Baby We Can't Go Wrong," the opening theme for the seventh series of the BBC's Cilla (replacing "Something Tells Me Something's Gonna Happen Tonight"), and an updated interpretation of her old friends The Beatles' "In My Life," on which she was joined by a vocal chorus also heard on tracks like the New Seekers-esque, bubblegum-styled "Never Run Out (Of You)."  Before John Travolta released Gary Benson's "Let Her In" as his debut single in 1976, Cilla sang "Let Him In" here, and she, of course, included a big Italian ballad with "I Believed It All."  She brought a lighter touch to her vocals with less belting, resulting in one of her most sweetly mellow LPs.

It's been expanded with 9 bonus cuts including previously issued outtakes, singles, and remixes.  Given her success with Bacharach and David's "Alfie," it's only appropriate that Cilla recorded "Alfie Darling," Alan Price's title track to the now-all-but-forgotten Alfie sequel.  She gave her all, but the song couldn't erase memories of its illustrious predecessor.  Another notable track here is George Harrison's "I'll Still Love You (When Every Song Is Sung)."  Harrison produced the song with Cilla at an August 1972 session during which they also attempted his "You Got to Stay with Me," but owing to the singer's pain and discomfort due to a dental appointment, the session was shelved.  She revisited the song with Mackay in December 1975, the version heard here.  The outtake "Baby We Can't Go Wrong" is heard in two 2009 mixes: a "faithful" orchestral version by Ted Carfrae, and a dance mix from Almighty.  Single sides include tracks penned by The Seekers' Bruce Woodley ("Anything That You Might Say") and The Stone Poneys' Kenny Edwards ("Little Bit of Understanding").  All told, three tracks on this 2-CD set make their CD debuts.

SFE's second two-fer presents Black's third and tenth albums, Sher-oo! (1968) and Modern Priscilla (1978).  Sher-oo!, per the artist, was so named for "a very Liverpool expression...a bit like when you go to the pub and you know, someone does karaoke and it is usually one of those sing-a-long songs and, in the middle of everything, they either go 'Well!' or 'Sher-oo!'...They can sing-a-long to any of these songs."  Primarily recorded in 1967 but unreleased until April 1968, the eclectic LP was (mostly) arranged and conducted by Mike Vickers and produced by George Martin.  Vickers, an early proponent of synthesizers, showcased the instrument on his unusual arrangement of Bacharach and David's "What the World Needs Now."  Sher-oo's pop assortment drew upon tunes from England (Fletcher and Flett's catchy "This Is the First Time," Greenaway and Cook's "Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart"), America (Joe South's "Yo-Yo" and Barrett Strong, Rodger Penzabene and Cornelius Grant's "Take Me in Your Arms in Love Me"), Italy (Daniele Pace, Mario Panzeri, and Laurenzo Pilat's "Suddenly You Love Me" with English lyrics by Peter Callender), and France (Francis Lai and Pierre Barouh's film theme "A Man and a Woman").  Cilla delivered a beautiful, restrained vocal on American folksinger Tim Hardin's "Misty Roses" (fronting a Johnny Scott arrangement), but the most famous track on Sher-oo! came from the pen of Paul McCartney.  The infectious, brash, and groovy "Step Inside Love" not only became the theme of the first four series of Cilla on the BBC, but gave the singer another top 10 hit.

While the original mono album isn't present here, a whopping 14 bonus tracks have been added - more than an album's worth.  These include an original demo/rehearsal version and first take of "Step Inside Love."  Cilla sang the former in a lower key and Paul McCartney, accompanying her on acoustic guitar, is audible as he hums over the bridge; the first take recorded later that day has a very different, bossa nova-inflected arrangement.  The song is also presented in its Italian-language remake, the mono single version, and Almighty's 2009 dance remix.  All four tracks from the Time for Cilla EP are also reprised here including George Martin and Norman Newell's underrated "Time," as well as various singles and outtakes including Cilla's version of Cliff Richard's 1967 top ten hit "All My Love" and the film version of "Work is a Four-Letter Word" which differs considerably from the "Where Is Tomorrow" B-side version.

This set then flashes forward to 1978 and Priscilla's tenth and final album for EMI: the aptly-titled, never-before-on-CD Modern Priscilla.  Producer Mike Hurst, riding high from his work with retro-revivalist pop group Showaddywaddy, was signed to helm the album which would immerse Cilla in the disco sound.  Colin Frechter joined the team as arranger.  While the productions were aimed at the dancefloor, the songs were generally a strong and melodic crop including three by Dominic King and Frank Musker (leadoff single "Silly Boy," the campily glamorous "Opening Night," and poppy "Heart Get Ready for Love") and another trio from Kenny Lynch, Steve O'Donnell, and Colin Horton-Jennings (the edgy "The Other Woman," "Keep Your Mind on Love" and "Love Lines").  A few slower numbers rounded out the set including the memorable, country-tinged "Me and the Elephant" ("...we'll never forget you!") and the attractive soft rock of "Putting It Down (To the Way I Feel)" and Lesty Pedroski's "Brooklyn."  Hurst wrote "I Couldn't Make My Mind Up," a wistful midtempo ballad.  It all adds up to a rather underrated and enjoyable LP.

A generous 7 bonus outtakes, singles, and remixes have been added to Modern Priscilla, including a trio of 1976 outtakes produced by David Mackay (among them a fine cover of Jackie DeShannon's timeless "When You Walk in the Room") and a sublime version of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's persuasive "Songs," the title track of B.J. Thomas' 1973 album.  11 tracks on these 2 CDs make their debut in the format.

This series, overseen by Cilla and Bobby Willis' son Robert Willis and produced by Stephen Munns, is top-notch in every respect.  Each title contains a full-color 32-page booklet with liner notes and vintage interviews with the late artist; a 2009 note from George Martin is featured in both titles, while Mike Hurst's recollections from 2003 are part of the Sher-oo!/Modern Priscilla package.  Cilla's close associate Ted Carfrae has made sure the sound quality is strong throughout.

Cherry Red/SFE will next continue the series (at a date to be announced) with:

• Cilla Sings a Rainbow (1966)/Day by Day with Cilla (1973)
• Sweet Inspiration (1970)/Images (1971)
• Especially for You Revisited (1980)/Classics & Collectibles

That last title has been newly announced; it promises a "revisited" version of Cilla's 1980 K-Tel album Especially for You along with what sounds like a newly-curated collection of odds and ends.  That leaves just 1985's Surprisingly Cilla (for which some have reported that master tapes are lost); 1990's rare Cilla's World; and 1993's Through the Years in need of reissuing.  In the meantime, look for Cilla/In My Life and Sher-oo!/Modern Priscilla on May 10 (and one week later, May 17, in North America) at the links below!

Cilla Black, Cilla/In My Life (Cherry Red/Strike Force Entertainment WSFE 070D, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Cilla (Parlophone PCS/PMC 1243, 1965) and bonus tracks

The Stereo Album

1. Goin' Out of My Head
2. Every Little Bit Hurts
3. Baby It's You
4. Dancing in the Street
5. Come to Me
6. Ol' Man River
7. One Little Voice
8. I'm Not Alone Anymore
9. What'cha Gonna Do About It
10. Love Letters
11. This Empty Place
12. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

Bonus Tracks

13. A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (Take 2)
14. You're My World (Alternate Take)
15. (Love Is Like A) Heatwave
16. Some Things You Never Get Used To

The Mono Album

17. Goin' Out of My Head
18. Every Little Bit Hurts
19. Baby It's You
20. Dancing in the Street
21. Come to Me
22. Ol' Man River
23. One Little Voice
24. I'm Not Alone Anymore
25. What'cha Gonna Do About It
26. Love Letters
27. This Empty Place
28. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To

Bonus Track

29. Anyone Who Had A Heart (Mono Single Version) (Parlophone single R 5101, 1964)

CD 2: In My Life (EMI EMC 3031, 1974) and bonus tracks

1. Flashback
2. I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song
3. Everything I Own
4. Baby We Can't Go Wrong
5. Someone
6. Daydreamer
7. In My Life
8. Never Run Out (Of You) (*)
9. Let Him In
10. The Air That I Breathe
11. Like a Song
12. I Believed It All

Bonus Tracks

13. Changes
14. From the Inside
15. Alfie Darling (EMI single 2278, 1975)
16. I'll Still Love You (When Every Song Is Sung)
17. Baby We Can't Go Wrong (2009 Orchestral Mix) (*)
18. He Was a Writer (EMI single 2227, 1974)
19. Anything That You Might Say (EMI single 2227, 1974)
20. Little Bit of Understanding (EMI single 2278, 1975) (*)
21. Baby We Can't Go Wrong (Almighty Definitive Mix)

(*) new to CD

Cilla Black, Sher-oo!/Modern Priscilla (Cherry Red/Strike Force Entertainment WSFE 068D, 2019) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Sher-oo! (Parlophone PCS 7041, 1968) and bonus tracks

1. What the World Needs Now Is Love
2. Suddenly You Love Me
3. This Is the First Time
4. Follow the Path of the Stars
5. Misty Roses
6. Take Me in Your Arms and Love Me
7. Yo-Yo
8. Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart
9. Step Inside Love
10. A Man and a Woman
11. I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off You
12. Follow Me

Bonus Tracks

13. All My Love
14. Step Inside Love (Demo Version feat. Paul McCartney) (Mono)
15. Step Inside Love (First Take)
16. M'Innamoro (Step Inside Love - Italian Version) (Mono) (Italian single SIR20.080, 1968)
17. I Only Live to Love You (Mono) (Parlophone single R5652, 1967)
18. From Now On (Parlophone single R5652, 1967)
19. What Good Am I? (Mono) (Parlophone single R5608, 1967)
20. Work Is a Four-Letter Word (Film Version)

Time for Cilla EP (Parlophone GEP 8967, 1968)

21. Abyssinian Secret (Mono) (*)
22. Trees and Loneliness (Mono) (*)
23. There I Go (Mono) (*)
24. Time (Mono) (*)

Bonus Tracks

25. Step Inside Love (Mono Single Version) (Parlophone single R 5674, 1968)
26. Step Inside Love (Almighty 12" Definitive Mix)

CD 2: Modern Priscilla (EMC 3232, 1978) and bonus tracks

1. Silly Boy (*)
2. The Other Woman
3. Me and the Elephant
4. Keep Your Mind on Love (*)
5. Putting It Down (To the Way I Feel)
6. Sugar Daddy (*)
7. Opening Night
8. Brooklyn
9. I Couldn't Make My Mind Up (*)
10. Heart Get Ready for Love (*)
11. Love Lines
12. Platform Rocker

Bonus Tracks

13. This Time I'm in It for Love
14. If I Could Put You in My Song
15. When You Walk in the Room
16. I Wanted to Call It Off (EMI single 2658, 1977)
17. Songs (*)
18. Silly Boy (1980 Paul Hulme Mix) (*)
19. Follow

(*) new to CD