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ON THE CONTINENT contains music sung in German, Spanish and French. Recorded between 1961 and 1974. Contains 102 tracks. Personnel: Cliff Richard (vocals); Hank Marvin (guitar); Norrie Paramor (piano); Tony Meehan, Brian Bennett (drums). Recording information: Barcelona, Spain (12/05/1960-06/24/1974); Chappell Studio, London, England (12/05/1960-06/24/1974); EMI Abbey Road Studios, London, England (12/05/1960-06/24/1974); Estudios, Valentim, De Carvalho, Lisbon, Portugal (12/05/1960-06/24/1974); Jubilee Hall, Blackpool, Lancashire, England (12/05/1960-06/24/1974); Morgan Studios, London, England (12/05/1960-06/24/1974). Illustrators: Manfred Günther; Jürgen Brückner; Gerd Zienke; R.A. Andreas. Photographers: Manfred Günther; Jürgen Brückner; Gerd Zienke; R.A. Andreas. On the Continent brings together every single track Cliff Richard recorded for exclusive European release -- that is, those he recorded in each of the four foreign languages deemed representative of his biggest non-English markets: German, French, Italian, and Spanish. And if the idea of hearing "Congratulations" rendered into any one (or, in fact, all four) of those tongues does not immediately strike you as compulsive entertainment, then you probably don't need to know that the collection does not end with released material. Outtakes and alternates also creep in, for a total of 102 tracks spread across four discs (the fifth recalls an early-'60s interview with the German magazine Bravo). And there is also a beautifully designed 96-page hardback book, recounting the singer's European adventures in words, pictures, and record covers, plus a full sessionography covering the collection's contents. It was EMI's German office that first suggested, in December 1960, that Richard record a unique German language version of his latest hit, "Fall in Love With You," as a gift to his local fans; it was the immediate success of the venture that prompted a follow-up just three months later, "Theme for a Dream." Both of these singles, in their original form, have remained Holy Grails of a kind for collectors: "Fall in Love" for its totally rearranged backing track; "Theme" for its exclusive B-side, "Vrenelli." And both remained isolated offerings for another couple of years -- it would be 1963 before Richard again attempted a foreign language, when the unprecedented continental success of Summer Holiday demanded a slew of immediate follow-ups. Comprising a mixture of both new material and re-recordings of familiar hit songs, When in Spain was performed completely in Spanish, When in France in French, and When in Rome in Italian. All three sets are presented here in their entirety, each rounded out by a string of singles recorded and released in their respective territories toward the end of the 1960s: "Questions" (French), a re-recording of "On the Beach" (Italian), and the eternal "Congratulations" included. The performances are, generally, superb. Unlike such misbegotten renderings as the Beatl
