(in STEREO) Cilla Black cutting "Alfie" at Abbey Road, in 1965

[cantoypiano]

J'adore la version de Cilla et cette vidéo, tout particulièrement qui offre un témoignage unique...

[wingobingo]

Stunning!!

[oLdSkOoLkisS]

PURE emotion & REAL talent....

[TheIntruders]

Great now re-dub it with the CD audio so we don't have to hear all those pops and crackles on your 45.

[morpheusatloppers]

@TheIntruders Sorry - don't have it on CD. I only originally did this for a friend - then a couple of years later, I became a YouTuber and decided to share. I never knew it would be so popular!

[cicobuffy]

Sweet. One of the very few of theirs that was better than with Dionne. Cilla nailed it and that lovely ache on the last two 'Alfie's' is beautiful.

[missgreeneyes56]

So pure.

[FINEFELINE333]

It would not surprise me at all if Cilla's version is Burt's favourite. She once said that he made her rehearse it for him until she dropped before he was satisfied ! He brought out the best in her !

[hwdhillsguy]

Burt Bacharach is a genius. And his passion conducting I could watch over and over...

[HardWarUK]

This should show youngsters. You sang the song live in front of a group/band/orchestra, it was recorded, a single was cut, and was released and we bought it in droves. No dubbing, no auto tune, no 4 track or 8 track. Just great music and songs by great composers and singers.

[morpheusatloppers]

@HardWarUK AMEN!

[dutchgoing]

@HardWarUK Umm, think there would have been a 4 track tape created & then a mix made of it in 1965, but a straight recording as you say.

[dutchgoing]

@HardWarUK Well yes there was 4 track recording in 1965 and plenty of mixing, bouncing down and editing, actually physical cuts to tape made to get things right, part of the craft of the engineer. They made CB do 32 takes of this with the idea of getting the perfect take which is the 'honest' approach. People have been making multitrack recordings where there is over-dubbing since the 1950s, Les Paul being a good example. There was some awful MOR tripe in the charts in the 60s and 70s.

[morpheusatloppers]

A note from the uploader: this piece is set to "comments must be approved" to STOP WARS between Cilla-fans and Dionne-fans before they START!

YouTube is SUPPOSED to alert me to ALL comments - but they goof up often. Hence it is sometimes a little while before I reach some comments, to approve them (YOUTUBE'S fault!)

But rest assured, provided your comment isn't trollish, it WILL appear as soon as I FIND it!

[oronsay]

Cilla is magic.I could listen to her forever.

[soshanna1]

cilla was burt bacharachs favourite singer of alfi

[davidkubit]

This is beautiful. I am from the US and never heard this before. I am amazed in the emotion in her. I could see her singing this on Broadway or in London on stage and taking down the house. And the genius of Bacharach and David. Taking music to the world with multiple singers in each country. Look at what they did with Petula Clark in Anyone Who Had a Heart - 4 languages!

[23071957jazzman]

Although I'm not really a Cilla fan, this is one of a trio of songs that for me will always be associated with her from that era, the others being Anyone who Had a Heart (another Bacarach/David song of course) and Step Inside Love (Paul McCartney) that she sang at the beginning and end of her TV show in the late 1960s (which I still remeber, even although I was about 10 at the time!). I love the first 2, but Alfie never fails to move me to tears. Simply beautiful, Thank you Cill, Burt & Hal

[bauersnarky]

If only she had cut a christmas album.

[ivycompton]

omigod - i'm on the floor.she is magnificent here!

[sopranosd]

This one of the best songs ever written. And she is rocking it. Sensitive, sweet tone, strong powerful belt. Wonderful phrasing. Didn't Cher record this for the movie theme? Something weird like that. It would have been great to have Cilla do it.

[271828183141592654]

She's great!

[shaun20483]

MArvelous! It's a rare priviledge to see"history in the making" Brava Cilla (no ONE can sing this song like you!)

[giles422]

this is spectacular. Bravo. A great job done by you, and Cilla, of course.

Thanks

[ItzMeOB]

Wow this is a much better version...geez! she's great!

[450984]

Cilla Black OWNS this song! We were bombarded with warwick's songs for years, NON-STOP! Cilla outsings her on this by a mile!

[Krzyszczynski]

@450984 : Initially reluctant to do a song about anyone with the prosaic name Alfie, BB was shown a rough-cut of the movie, immediately realised its merits, and undertook to have one ready in 3 weeks. Realising the words would have to come first, he sent Hal David a copy of the script, and got him to write them before setting them to music.

[mobydoug]

Great performance: moving, lyrical, melodic. And one of the most perfect marriages of song and movie storyline ever. Superb composition by Bachrach and I can't help thinking of Michael Caan's witty, heartrending characterization, as well.... The song and movie are inextricable, forever yoked. I wonder what the history of the lyrics is. That is, did Bachrach closely study novel, screenplay, or rough cut of film before writing this song?

[Krzyszczynski]

@mobydoug : According to Wikipedia, BB was reluctant to write a song about anyone with a prosaic name like Alfie, until he was shown a rough cut of the movie and instantly recognised its merits. Realising the music would have to serve the words, he sent Hal David a copy of the script, with a request to git writin'. HD decided "what's it all about?" from Alfie's end-of-film monologue was key to the whole thing, plus the character's need to acquire some emotional maturity. And there we are ...

[morpheusatloppers]

@henrybnyc - see above!

[morpheusatloppers]

@morpheusatloppers - make that BELOW!

[john8pies]

Come on, this is BRILLIANT (and I`m not even a particular fan of Cilla`s!).  A LIVE recording, perfect in every aspect (as stated elsewhere, this recording became the ACTUAL `definitive` record of Alfie. I know Cher has done some great songs but found her song at the end of the (original) film a bit flat and disappointing. Barbra Streisand has a truly amazing voice but even her version wasn`t quite the right interpretation of this excellent song. Well done, Cilla - great performance!

[vicsmith5000]

Her best song was Surround Yourself With Sorrow.

[normswwworld]

Great singing Cilla!!

[1966buttons]

I wish Cilla could read these compliments about her singing. She seems quite self-depricating about her singing ability these days but she had heart and I don't think people would have bought her records unless they had been moved by her emotional performances.

[dugnsuz]

Fantastic piece of footage regardless of who one regards the definitive Alfie to belong to. For me it's Cilla - so much drama in those 2mins 40 secs!! The other versions are 'flat' in comparison - in terms of emotional highs and lows.

Cheers all...

[morpheusatloppers]

@dugnsuz - I SO agree.

[TheAngelkick]

@dugnsuz it was always Cillas

[outridr]

Great song!  Burt is a Genius...only Cella can sing this song properly!!

[ivycompton]

@dugnsuz

omigod you are so right - when she breaks into those piercing high notes, it gives me chills!

[isaiah12v2]

excellent well done

[morpheusatloppers]

@1966buttons et al - This one's complicated. On the US release, the song was sung over the end credits by Cher. On the ORIGINAL UK release - I THINK the end credits only had Sonny Rollins' music. But on the film's RE-release in the UK, they put Cilla's version over the end credits.

Dionne WAS to have sung it on the US release - but they switched to Cher at the last moment. However, Dionne's RECORD outsold Cher's in the US - while Cilla's outsold Dionne's in the UK. I THINK that's all correct!

[1966buttons]

@morpheusatloppers Thank you for this it isvery interesting. I only have seen Alfie on the television in UK and those times I have seen it, Cher was singing.

[morpheusatloppers]

@1966buttons - Even though the film was British - the TV company may well have leased it through an American company.

[1966buttons]

Cher sang "Alfie" on the film as I read it on the credits coz I always thought that Cilla sang it on the film and I come from Liverpool so.... also on the film credits it says Sonny arranged the song...

[morpheusatloppers]

@1966buttons - see below!

[7777Dave7777]

So great so good, It gives me the shivers.

In Germany we say "Gänsehaut".

[perciful1]

I prefer cher singing this, if you watch the 1966 film her voice sounds great singing this.

[Soundexpert100]

My neighbor, born in London, a retired Emmy award winner sound mixer in Hollywood invited me over to listen to how he put it in his own words, "the best rendition of Alfie" . When the tape started rolling I was expecting to hear Dionne, but I was very surprised to see it was Cilla.Being born in the U.S. we were fed a steady dose of Dionne throughout the 60's. At first, she came off a little strong like E. Merman or Kate Smith, but I realized she owned this one like "Your My World".

[ivorbigunzz]

The only song Cilla can be truly proud of.

Thanks to Burt.

[morpheusatloppers]

@ivorbigunzz - Oh - what about "Anyone Who Had A Heart" with Johnny Pearson? Moody, intense, great range.

[ivorbigunzz]

@morpheusatloppers

Ahh, but who still has a great voice and is still packing them in?

[GuitarMan1117a]

@morpheusatloppers

are you kidding? here version of anyone who had a heart is a masterpiece. her version of make it easy on yourself is fantastic and she probably has many other great songs.

[lasktguy]

@ivorbigunzz wrong.You may think that way but she and tons of her fans would disagree. She has a good sized list of songs that were hits and I'm sure she was quite happy with how they came out.

[pixelsarefun]

Was actually given to Cilla and not Dionne . . funny Miss Warwick does not go on and on and on about that, like she does about "Anyone who had a heart"

Cilla is an amazing singer and may not be everyone's taste, but to say she could never sing is totally ridiculous.

[MsCrazycatlady7]

nicely done

[screenwitch]

So beautiful a version. Just lovely.

[xoffender74]

I always believed Cilla's recordings of both this and Anyone Who had a heart to be superior to Dionne's..... I do love Dionne though

[tenorismo]

So much more emotional and better sung that Dion

[morpheusatloppers]

@tenorismo - I AGREE! But that's why I made this post "comments must be approved" - 'cause right now, Warwick fans are FUMING - (not helped by you spelling her name wrong!)

[darkoanton5]

@tenorismo I disagree. Dionne Warwick's version better because she is a better singer and nothing seems forced. I'd say this more sounds more theatrical. Dionne's is more jazz club style. Still I like both and these is one of the best lyrics ever written, IMO.

[tony74741]

Thanks a million for your hard work. I love this version of the song. Best Cilla song by far.

[ziearmo]

This really shows how brilliant Cilla was as a performer. This is a really hard song to perform as it's range of techniques needed are large and Cilla not only delivers them but also injects such passion into the song to make it a classic. We sometimes forget what a truly great singer she was because of the cheesy saturday night television shows.

[swedeeepie]

watch her lip twitch at about 1:59 minutes at the pause after she sings Alfie. WOW-she was INTO this song with feelings!!

[jrgboy]

I think they used take 3 or 4 after George Martin had a word with Burt & told him it was already perfect, funnily they decided at first not to use the song in the film then had it re-recorded by actress/singer Millicent Martin who appeared in the film although in the American print it was sung by Cher..

[450984]

CILLA owns this song, it is the ultimate & consumate version of this song!The classic rendition that will never be duplicated by Warwick or anyone else!

[poopyloo6]

Gets me every time! Even though she's a good semitone sharp when she first sings "What's it ALL about" it's all part of the performance. I love Cilla, she was a great singer and a National Treasure!

[poupoukorero]

She has an amazing voice. Her and Bacharach are awesome together, he really feels her.

[ghb61]

What an amazing performance. Breathtaking. It's even more powerful when we get to watch her put so much passion into it. Bravo, Cilla!

[Shimmeringsmiley]

I love this beautiful song.. The lyrics and music are a perfect match.. The original film was just great. You want to hate Alfie, but you just can't.

I've listened to so many versions of this song, today. From Cher, Joss Stone, Dionne, Barbra, Whitney,and more. My favorite is Cilla. She just owns all parts. From the soft, the powerful vibratto and in between. She is telling us all a wise and powerful lesson. Cher's is my second favorite.She sounds like Alfie left her on a street, vulnerable.

[Shimmeringsmiley]

Is Burt feeling the music, or what? This is just beautful and the best version of many.

[shanwem]

A lorra lorra talent

[flicker66]

Just brilliant. World-class.

[ghb61]

What a voice!

[bond007collector]

I believe Cilla Black was an under-rated singer in the United States.

Her voice was brilliant, especially for such a young woman back in the early to mid 60s.

It seem Dionne Warwick recorded most of the songs Cilla had as hits in Europe, then Dionne won all the accolades for working with Burt Bacharach in the U.S.

Dionne had a great voice, but in my opinion, Cilla still beats her and many other female vocalists to this day.

[sixstring58]

I don't care what anyone says about Cilla Black, she was amazing. Alfie is not an easy melody to sing and she did a world class job. I loved her voice, vibrato, phrasing and passion and she had hits with 3 of my favorite songs of all time, Alfie, Step inside love and Anyone who had a Heart. What a Gal.

[morpheusatloppers]

@sixstring58 - Cilla's version of Anyone Who Had A Heart is one of my all time favourites. I never really rated Alfie - until I saw her SINGING it here...

[FlamingFairy]

@sixstring58 Couldn't agree more. Cilla is fantastic, one of my favourite female singers, and this is probably her magnum opus.

[creolelady182]

I think Cilla was about 17 here.

[morpheusatloppers]

@creolelady182 - Twenty-two. Two years earlier, she'd been a cloakroom attendant in The Cavern!

[lonegroover]

No stitching together the best bits from seven different takes in those days ..

[petclark1]

Introduced to the sheer power of Cilla Black's vocie rather late in life, I've always thought of her as rather the Ethel Merman of the 60's-and I do mean that as a compliment. This lady could never be accused of just "phoning it in", be it a live performance or a recording. She's REALLY one-of-a-kind. Thanks for posting this.

[patsy571]

Delivered with such passion, wow xxx

[morpheusatloppers]

@patsy571 Yes - and given that Burt had made her do it umpteen times before this take - an extraordinary demonstration of STAMINA. She STILL made it LIVE.

[esmielawrence]

@morpheusatloppers

I believe that Burt made her do many takes of the song but they decided to use her first attempt anyway !

[morpheusatloppers]

@esmielawrence - I'm not sure which take they used - but I'm pretty sure it wasn't the FIRST. THIS take was the one that went out - and Cilla looks EXHAUSTED performing it!

[FlipAl68]

@morpheusatloppers

you're right - a tv clip some years ago showed an earlier take that broke down at the quiet part near the end when Cilla hesitated. She was clearly very nervous and overawed to be singing Burt Bacharach's song as he conducted the orchestra only a few feet in front of her

[zwally1]

Bacharach & David the absolute best in this brilliant piece of work. Music & Lyric's are so good it frightens me. I listen & cry in complete awe..have for years. This version with Cilla singing is the quintessential essence the beauty of this song sings.

The emotion for myself is overwhelming.

I Thank Burt & Hal for writing a classic masterpiece. If only are troubled world would give listen. Might we see the magic unfold.

Walter zwol

[tenorismo]

Sadly the 6 or 7 minute version from the documentry was removed from youtube. The first time I saw this I fell in love with Cila Black all over again. After this version not only listening to it but seeing the emotion ,and physicality that Cila put into it. Most great singers at some point ,their eyes almost detach from and roll like a sharks when they are singing. Mario Lanzas did ie London Paladium video. Watch Cila sing.

[Shimmeringsmiley]

@tenorismo Yes, I believe you're right.. I suppose, when a shark's eyes roll, they're doing what nature intended them to do.. That was eating..as an eating machine..

Cilla is doing what she was meant to do, sing w/ all she had... Both hunters capturing the essence of what they are by doing what they do best...

[Bobbr3]

Thanks for sharing this! For quite a while, there was a version of this video that actually had the original sync soundtrack from this recording session. However, it was eventually removed from YouTube due to copyright issues or something like that. It was part of a television documentary on Bacharach that I think was produced by the Public Broadcasting Service in the USA. This a great approximation of that using the overdub of a record, but OH, what I'd do to obtain the sync-sound version!

[Tryinitonmyown]

Wow! She's great!  I'd never heard of her.

[VABkWrm]

This is my favorite recording ofd this song. Cilla's range and tone are superb!

[MsPeperonata]

I remember seeing the TV documentary on Bacharach where this was shown, and how the hairs stood up on the back of my neck listening to this. Thanks so much for sharing!

[nicodagger]

WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?????? just amazing, thank you!!!! I love Cilla and this song, but have never heard her sing it, until right now!! my god what a voice...

[Eightbanger]

Excellent job mate...thanks.

[Peacefulwater78]

THANK YOU :o)

[kckong3]

Very nice... thanks for posting this :)

Would anyone have the version sung by cher ... was told that she sung the version in the 1966 movie

[morpheusatloppers]

I THINK I have it. I have SO much stuff to go through - but when I reach it, I'll post it and link it to this (if YT doesn't BUMP it!)

[kckong3]

@morpheusatloppers thanks man! looking forward to it ;)

[shorticus1952]

@kckong3 i have alfie on an album bought years ago,,,,havent sussed how to upload yet tho, sorry

[TheNorthcountryman]

How good is this!!!! Cilla just a kid but what a voice, Bacharach so young but how talented? this is for me the best I have see on youtube thank you so much morpheus

[morpheusatloppers]

My pleasure. I originally made this for my son (before I had a computer - or YouTube was ever HEARD of!)

[classicvinylbiz]

Beautiful... thank you.

[weenyone]

Bless live recording. Alas nowadays music is assembled track by track and digitally cut and replace to erase any faults. I doubt if Brittany could record like this?

[TheVineyarder]

oh man this is such a treat! I cant thank you enough morpheusatloppers

[losgrindos]

"Without True Love, we just exist...".

There you have it - The Meaning, The Reason.

Policemen, politicians & boards of directors, please take heed.

[morpheusatloppers]

@losgrindos - this may be the best comment I've ever received...

[losgrindos]

Why thankyou Sir. A little humility and looking out for others wins in The End!

Hal David was the Master of the truly heartfelt lyric. Bless that man, and bless Burt for understanding 100%, the power of the human heart in song.

[THEBREEZED]

what a truly georgous lady

[306bad]

This is Cilla at her best , she insisted that the writer and producer Bert Back was at the recording and they all nailed it.

Yes the other singers of this track had their moments but I like the Cilla delivery of this song, raw and beautiful.

[morpheusatloppers]

@306bad - that'd be BURT BACHARACH!

[sleepypie]

GREAT version, too bad some BBC numbskull erased the original documentary. However, this was common practice until the late 1960s, here (in America), there (in the UK) and everywhere. I also love Cilla's "It's For You" from 1963, one of the best Lennon-McCartney songs the Beatles never recorded, and as far as melody and chords, the most musically complex song they had written to that date by far. And conniff44, I could not agree more with you.

[TheNorthcountryman]

That is good not just good awesome, what a piece of history and what a film

[lasktguy]

And we're all glad about that. She's just as good as Dionee Warwick. Some people may not like her style of singing but vocally she is an excellent singer.

[timdaw356]

Wonderful, the best version of this great song... Thanks for posting it and I love the fact that you dubbed your copy of the record onto the film!

[jiver222]

Yes, on a 1980's documentary interviewing George Martin he recalls the disagreement with Bacharach.He joked that the "Magic" was on take 3 .

I also remember that on Dionne Warwick's first British interview, Melody Maker or NME, she was asked abaout Cilla Black's version of Dionne's hit "Anyone who had a heart". She wasn't impressed by it and said Bacharach or Hal David, or maybe both, brought Cilla's disc to her and said "you're gonna need to sit down before you hear this!"

[morpheusatloppers]

From what I heard, Dionne was FUMING about the whole thing - but for THIS number - Cilla was the right choice.

[varietylover]

There are many interpretations of this fabulous song, but by far, and not only my personal opinion, but that of the likes of Burt Bucharach, and Sir George Martin, Cilla's is the definitive version...

[tenorismo]

What a wonderful natural singer Cilla is .

[conniff44]

What a wonderful video showing the difference between the live recording of yesteryear and todays electronic and mainly faked sound recording.

[morpheusatloppers]

Yes. It's interesting that the studio - built in 1931, when HMV bought Columbia to form EMI - is still HIGHLY-sought-after today. Particularly for recording film soundtrack scores. Film directors LOVE its LIVE feel!

[bone2pick100]

glorious

[morpheusatloppers]

According to my info, Cilla's recording of "Alfie" - and the doco on Burt - were both RECORDED in late '65. But certainly the record was not released until '66 (at the same time as the film). As for the transmission date of the Burt doco - my memory's not THAT good! I checked on the precise recording date on the Interweb, but to no avail. Anyone???

[morpheusatloppers]

Even I'M not sure now! But one thing's DEFINITE - the take on this kinescope from the '65 documentary on Burt IS the one that ended up on the record. Bacharach may have been a perfectionist, but even HE couldn't have timed two takes EXACTLY the same - and this recording matches the record PRECISELY!

[morpheusatloppers]

True, but then Dionne is no Cilla. What I mean is - "Alfie" would be as mediocre sung by Dionne as "Walk On By" would, sung by Cilla. They are two TOTALLY different singers - BOTH excellent with material that SUITS them!

[morpheusatloppers]

Yeah! I heard after umpteen takes, Cilla was flagging - and from the booth, George Martin asked Burt Bacharach what he wanted. Burt said, "That little bit of MAGIC." To which George coolly answered, "I think we HAD that in take ten." Still, it all worked out in the end!

[Pinupip]

Actually it was take three :-)

[morpheusatloppers]

Really?! I heard the story a long time ago - you may be right. In the early days, George and the Fab Four used to knock out an ALBUM in a DAY (well, nearly!)

[cantleysugar]

Considering they did so many takes, it's lucky they didn't run out of film.

[cantleysugar]

This was something like take 30. Burt had high standards.