What's it all about, Cilla?

Though "Alfie" and "Anyone Who Had a Heart" are very much the property of Ms. Dionne Warwick in the United States, Liverpool's Cilla Black can fairly stake claim to them across the pond.  Born Priscilla Maria Veronica White, the protégé of Brian Epstein and close Beatle pal scored a string of beloved hit singles at the height of Swinging London, though her profile has long remained under the radar in America.  Well, not if The Second Disc has anything to say about it!  In anticipation of the 50^th anniversary of Cilla's show business debut in 2013, EMI U.K. will release Completely Cilla: 1963-1973, a whopping 5-CD/1-DVD box set, on April 23.  Featuring 139 recordings all produced by Sir George Martin, Completely Cilla will introduce twelve tracks to CD, and will also premiere long-unseen BBC footage of the singer covering the period of 1968 to 1977.  The tracks are presented, for the first time, in chronological session order.

During her 15-year tenure at Parlophone/EMI, Cilla Black scored nineteen Top 40 singles (including two Number Ones in 1964), released ten studio albums and became Britain's biggest-selling female artist of the 1960s, which is no small feat when one considers Black's contemporaries.  Black's "Anyone Who Had a Heart" is, according to BBC Radio 2, the U.K.'s biggest-selling single by a female artist in the 1960s.  Completely Cilla is a particular boon for collectors, as Black's catalogue (including the seven George Martin-helmed albums) was remastered in 2009 for a digital-only initiative.

After the jump to explore Completely Cilla and the career of Cilla Black OBE with newly updated information!

It may not be Schwab's Drugstore, but the Cavern Club was the site of Cilla Black's discovery.  Working the cloakroom while the likes of The Beatles performed, Cilla would reportedly serenade patrons with impromptu performances.  Paul McCartney recalled, "It was a special moment when the so-called 'Cloakroom Girl' got up and sang and wowed us with her great performance!"  She also performed as a guest with bands like Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, befriending the young Ringo Starr in the process.  At the urging of John Lennon and with the Beatles as the backing band for her audition (!), it wasn't long before NEMS impresario Brian Epstein took an interest in Cilla.  Though that first audition went disastrously, Epstein gave the young singer another shot, and he soon signed Priscilla White, about to undergo a change of color in her surname to become Cilla Black.  Brian Epstein, in turn, introduced Cilla to George Martin, who took her under his wing at Parlophone.  Keeping things all "in the family," John Lennon and Paul McCartney supplied Black's debut single, 1963's "Love of the Loved."

But it was with her next release that Cilla Black's career took off.  George Martin felt that the Burt Bacharach/Hal David "Anyone Who Had a Heart," penned for Dionne Warwick, would be perfect for the young singer.  With an arrangement by Johnny Pearson that hewed closely to Bacharach's original, Martin ushered his charge into the studio.  Black's version stopped the Warwick original in its tracks, climbing to No. 1 while Dionne's stalled at No. 47 on the U.K. charts.  To this very day, Dionne Warwick will (good-naturedly?) jab Black in concert, asserting that had she [Warwick] coughed while recording her vocal or had the organist hit a wrong note these features would have been replicated on Black's cover. In fact, there are lyrical alterations as well as different instrumentation on the Black version, but she's long remained aware of Dionne's frustration, stating, "Dionne was dead choked and she's never forgiven me to this day."

From that moment on, Black's star was shining brighter than ever.  She followed "Anyone Who Had a Heart" with an English translation of an Italian song.  When "Il Mio Mondo" became "You're My World" in Black's hands, the artist was rewarded with her second No. 1.  The Beatles gifted her "It's For You," with Paul McCartney playing on the original record.  One of Black's biggest chart curios was her version of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," which was kept only from the top shot by the Phil Spector-produced original!  During this fertile period for pop songwriting, Black recorded songs by Randy Newman, Tim Hardin and Paul Simon, as well as standards, Motown favorites and more compositions by two teams special to her: Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Even post-Beatles, Cilla would make songs such as McCartney's "Junk" and Lennon's "Oh, My Love" her own, and Ringo Starr and George Harrison's "Photograph" was said to have been written with her in mind.  (Later tracks on the new set include songs by The Bee Gees, Elton John, Graham Nash, David Gates, Jackie DeShannon, Stephen Schwartz and other notables.)

Another career highlight came in the form of Black's 1966 recording of "Alfie," which was arranged and conducted by Bacharach himself, with George Martin overseeing the grueling session that occurred in fall 1965.  Though the song became associated with Dionne Warwick, she was hardly among the first to record the song, unusual for a Bacharach composition of this period.  Black, Cher and even Dionne's sister Dee Dee all tackled the song before Dionne got around to cutting it. Black recalled, "I said I'd only do it if Burt Bacharach himself did the arrangement, never thinking for one moment that he would. [When] the reply came back from America that he'd be happy to...I said I would only do it if Burt came over to London for the recording session. 'Yes,' came the reply. Next I said that as well as the arrangements and coming over, he had to play [piano] on the session. To my astonishment it was agreed that Burt would do all three. So by this time, coward that I was, I really couldn't back out."  The single went Top Ten.  Bacharach wrote in 2003, "I put her through hell - countless takes, but she never showed impatience or lost her wonderful sense of humor...P.S. She sang great!"

The television program Cilla reunited the singer with Paul McCartney when the Beatle wrote the groovy "Step Inside Love" for the show's theme song, resulting in another Top Ten hit in early 1968.  The small screen would play a major part in Black's future, and she eventually became the highest-paid female presenter in the history of British television, hosting such series as Blind Date (1985-2003) and Surprise Surprise (1984-2001).  Even with major changes occurring in the music industry in the 1970s and 1980s, Black continued to record, and she sporadically does so to this very day.  Despite triumphs on stage, record and television, Black never "broke" in America, despite Epstein-engineered appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and performances at prestigious cabarets.

Completely Cilla is the artist's first major catalogue initiative since 2009.  On September 7 of that year, a total of 13 original studio albums recorded between 1963 and 2003 were released for digital download, including rare bonus tracks.  A remix collection, All Mixed Up, was also issued in the digital realm.  The Definitive Collection (A Life In Music) was the physical tie-in to the digital campaign, a 2-CD/1-DVD set offering all of the artist's Top 40 hits plus six unreleased songs and BBC video footage.  Completely Cilla celebrates the partnership between Black and Martin, and compiles effervescently sung and immaculately arranged slices of the great pop songbook.  This is one set that looks not to be missed.

UPDATE 4/23: We can now reveal full details about the DVD component of this exciting set!  The Live at the BBC DVD will be presented as a Region Free NTSC disc, playable on all standard U.S. DVD players.  Including bonus material, it contains 28 songs, of which 22 are previously unreleased!  All are presented in 4:3 aspect ratios.  Those bonus songs include a duet with Cliff Richard and audio from a 1964 installment of Desert Island Discs!  Selections have been taken from programs such as Top of the Pops and Cilla (first, second, fifth, sixth and seventh series), as well as specials such as Engelbert with the Young Generation and Christmas Night with the Stars.  You'll find full source annotation for this disc just below!

It's packaged with a 36-page booklet containing testimonials from songwriters, producers, arrangers and friends including Sir George Martin, Sir Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Sir Cliff Richard, Randy Newman, Jimmy Tarbuck OBE, Roger Greenaway, Les Reed OBE, Tony Newman (of Sounds Incorporated), Margo Quantrell (of The Breakaways), Tony Barrow (Cilla's press officer), John Lyndon (director of Cilla's live productions) and John Scott, Mike Vickers and Chris Gunning (arrangers).

Completely Cilla begins shipping today in the United Kingdom, and an order link can be found just below for Amazon U.S.!  You'll also find an album discography for all seven Parlophone releases contained in full in this set.

Cilla Black, Completely Cilla: 1963-1973 (EMI U.K., 2012)

CD 1

1. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
2. Shy Of Love
3. Love Of The Loved
4. Anyone Who Had A Heart
5. Just For You
6. You're My World (Il Mio Mondo)
7. This Empty Place
8. Suffer Now I Must
9. It's For You
10. He Won't Ask Me
11. Is It Love
12. (Love Is Like A) Heatwave
13. Love Letters (With The Sounds Incorporated)
14. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
15. Ol' Man River
16. Every Little Bit Hurts
17. Come To Me
18. Baby It's You
19. I'm Not Alone Anymore
20. One Little Voice
21. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
22. Goin' Out Of My Head
23. Dancing In The Street
24. Whatcha Gonna Do 'Bout It
25. Some Things You Never Get Used To
26. I've Been Wrong Before
27. I Don't Want To Know
28. My Love Come Home
29. Poor Boy
30. When I Fall In Love
31. No Place To Hide

CD 2

1. The Cherry Song
2. Shotgun
3. Anytime You Need Me
4. Please Don't Teach Me To Love You
5. Yesterday
6. In A Woman's Eyes
7. Baby I'm Yours
8. The Real Thing
9. One Two Three
10. Make It Easy On Yourself
11. Love's Just A Broken Heart
12. A Lover's Concerto
13. Everything I Touch Turns To Tears
14. Alfie
15. Night Time Is Here
16. Sing A Rainbow
17. Don't Answer Me
18. The Right One Is Left
19. A Fool Am I (Dimmelo Parlami)
20. For No One
21. Abyssinian Secret
22. Trees And Loneliness
23. Time
24. There I Go (Se Per Te C'e Soltanto Quell'uomo)
25. Only You Can Free My Mind
26. What Good Am I
27. Over My Head
28. Misty Roses
29. All My Love (Solo Tu)
30. Follow Me

CD 3

1. What The World Needs Now Is Love
2. Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me
3. This Is The First Time
4. I Only Live To Love You
5. Suddenly You Love Me
6. From Now On
7. I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off You
8. A Man And A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme)
9. Yo-Yo
10. Follow The Path Of The Stars
11. Work Is A Four Letter Word
12. Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart
13. Step Inside Love
14. Where Is Tomorrow?
15. Work Is A Four Letter Word
16. Your Heart Is Free (Just Like The Wind)
17. It'll Never Happen Again
18. Liverpool Lullaby
19. Without Him
20. Forget Him
21. Think Of Me (Siamo Qui)
22. I Am A Woman
23. Surround Yourself With Sorrow
24. Only Forever Will Do
25. London Bridge
26. Aquarius
27. Red Rubber Ball
28. You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)

CD 4

1. Words
2. Conversations
3. A Street Called Hope
4. For Once In My Life
5. Little Pleasure Acre
6. I Can't Go On Living Without You
7. It Feels So Good
8. If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind
9. Black Paper Roses
10. Rule Britannia
11. Sweet Inspiration
12. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
13. The April Fools
14. Both Sides Now
15. Mysterious People
16. Dear Madame
17. Oh Pleasure Man
18. Across The Universe
19. Your Song
20. It's Different Now
21. Sad Sad Song
22. Child Of Mine
23. Faded Images
24. That's Why I Love You
25. Junk
26. The First Of May

CD 5

1. (They Long To Be) Close To You
2. Make It With You
3. Rainbow
4. Our Brand New World
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water
6. Just Friends
7. Down In The City
8. Help Me Jesus
9. Sleep Song
10. Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight)
11. The World I Wish For You
12. La La La Lu
13. Thank Heavens I've Got You
14. I Hate Sunday
15. I've Still Got My Heart Joe
16. I Don't Know How To Love Him
17. Gypsies Tramps And Thieves
18. Oh My Love
19. Without You
20. The Long And Winding Road
21. Winterwood
22. Day By Day
23. You You You
24. Silly Wasn't I

DVD:

1. Suddenly You Love Me (Uno Tranquillo) +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (Daniele Pace, Mario Panzeri, Laurenzo Pilat & Peter Callander)
   Original Broadcast Date: 13 Feb 1968
2. One Two Three +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (John Madara/David White/Leonard Borisoff )
   Original Broadcast Date: 05 Mar 1968
3. Step Inside Love
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
   Original Broadcast Date: 05 Mar 1968
4. Misty Roses +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (Tim Hardin)
   Original Broadcast Date: 12 Mar 1968
5. Love's Just a Broken Heart (L'Amour Est Ce Qu'il Est)
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (Mort Shuman/Michele Vendome/Kenny Lynch)
   Original Broadcast Date: 12 Mar 1968
6. Where is Tomorrow? (Non C'e Domani)
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Top Of The Pops')
   (Umberto Bindi/Mason)
   Original Broadcast Date: 06 Jun 1968
7. You'll Never Get to Heaven (If You Break My Heart) +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 2)
   (Burt Bacharach/Hal David)
   Original Broadcast Date: 19 Feb 1969
8. Surround Yourself with Sorrow +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 2)
   (Bill Martin/Phil Coulter)
   Original Broadcast Date: 19 Feb 1969
9. Mysterious People (Det Gatfulla Folket) +
   (From 'A Royal Television Gala Performance')
   (Olle Adolphson/Hal Shaper)
   Original Broadcast Date: 24 May 1970
10. (They Long to Be) Close to You +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Berlin Special' - Series 5)
    (Burt Bacharach/Hal David)
    Original Broadcast Date: 20 Nov 1971
11. Sing a Rainbow (with Children's Chorus) +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Scandinavian Special' - Series 5)
    (Arthur Hamilton)
    Original Broadcast Date: 27 Nov 1971
12. What the World Needs Now is Love +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Scandinavian Special' - Series 5)
    (Burt Bacharach/Hal David)
    Original Broadcast Date: 27 Nov 1971
13. The World I Wish for You +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Engelbert With The Young Generation')
    (Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway)
    Original Broadcast Date: 27 Feb 1972
14. You, You, You
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Christmas Night With The Stars')
    (Geoff Stevens/Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway)
    Original Broadcast Date: 25 Dec 1972
15. Winterwood +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (Don McLean)
    Original Broadcast Date: 10 Feb 1973
16. The Long and Winding Road +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
    Original Broadcast Date: 10 Feb 1973
17. I've Still Got My Heart, Joe +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway/Tony Macaulay)
    Original Broadcast Date: 17 Feb 1973
18. Oh My Love +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (John Lennon/Yoko Ono)
    Original Broadcast Date: 17 Feb 1973
19. Day by Day
    (From the Musical 'Godspell')
    (From the BBC TV show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (Stephen Schwartz)
    Original Broadcast Date: 17 Feb 1973
20. I Don't Know How to Love Him +
    (From the Musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar')
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
    (Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber)
    Original Broadcast Date: 24 Feb 1973
21. Baby We Can't Go Wrong
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 7)
    (Jimmy Dunning)
    Original Broadcast Date: 9 Feb 1974
22. I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Bank Holiday Special')
    (Jim Croce)
    Original Broadcast Date: 26 Aug 1974
23. Flashback +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Bank Holiday Special')
    (Alan O'Day/Artie Wayne)
    Original Broadcast Date: 26 Aug 1974
24. He Was a Writer +
    (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Boxing Day Special')
    (Gloria Sklerov/Molly-Ann Leikin)
    Original Broadcast Date: 26 Dec 1974
25. (I Wanted to Call It) Off  +
    (From BBC TV Show 'Top Of The Pops')
    (W.S. Stevenson/Richard Henn)
    Original Broadcast Date: 14 Jul 1977

Bonus Material:

1. Desert Island Discs: Cilla Black +
   (BBC Radio - Audio Only Interview with Roy Plomley)
   Original Broadcast Date: 24 Aug 1964
2. Passing Strangers (with Cliff Richard) +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 1)
   (Mel Mitchell/Rita Mann)
   Original Broadcast Date: 12 Mar 1968
3. Norwegian Wood (with Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch & John Farrar) +
   (From the BBC TV Show 'Cilla: Scandinavian Special' - Series 5)
   (John Lennon/Paul McCartney)
   Original Broadcast Date: 27 Nov 1971
4. Something Tells Me (Something's Gonna Happen Tonight) +
   (Opening Sequence for the BBC TV Show 'Cilla' - Series 6)
   (Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway)
   Original Broadcast Date: 24 Feb 1973

+ Previously unissued on DVD

CD 1, Tracks 7, 13-20, 22-24 from Cilla (Parlophone LP 1243, 1965)
CD 1, Tracks 28, 30-31 & CD 2, Tracks 5-13, 16 from Cilla Sings a Rainbow (Parlophone LP 7004, 1966)
CD 2, Tracks 28, 30 & CD 3, Tracks 1-3, 5, 7-10, 12-13 from Sher-oo! (Parlophone LP 7041, 1968)
CD 3, Tracks 17-24, 26-28 & CD 4, Track 1 from Surround Yourself with Cilla (Parlophone LP 7079, 1969)
CD 4, Tracks 4-6, 9-18 from Sweet Inspiration (Parlophone LP 7103, 1970)
CD 4, Tracks 19-21, 23, 25-26 & CD 5, Tracks 1-6 from Images (Parlophone LP 7128, 1971)
CD 5, Tracks 8-9, 13-15, 17-22, 24 from Day by Day with Cilla (Parlophone LP 7155, 1973)