Completely Cilla [1963-1973] [DVD Included] [Box set]

This wonderful CD-DVD collection really shows just what an under-rated singer Our Cilla is. A magnificent set that shows her at her very best. If you're thinking of buying this, do yourself a favour and just BUY IT. Easily the best Cilla collection to date. You can tell it's a real labour of love. Everything Cilla did with George Martin between 1963 and 1973 in chronological order spread over 5 CDs. All her A sides, B sides, Ep's, Album tracks and other rarities. The stand out tracks to me are 'Liverpool Lullaby', 'Where Is Tomorrow', McCartney's 'Junk', Lennon & Ono's 'Oh My Love' and the fabulously camp 'Follow Me'.
The bee in the bonnet however is the amazing DVD featuring approx 20 previously unreleased recordings mainly from her own 'Cilla' TV show. We see Cilla in the 60's when her dresses didn't dare get any shorter and into the 70's with chokers and frocks down to her ankles. Yet, it's that voice that gets you. Don't just remember the 'foghorn' effect she's remembered for in 'Anyone Who Had A Heart', most of this collection shows how versatile her voice was and how beautiful she sounds when she sings softly.
The only thing I can fault this collection on is the ommission of the greatest Cilla performance yet to see a release on DVD. Where is that fabulous duet of 'Life's A Gas' with Marc Bolan?
The booklet says it's a precursor to her 50th anniversary in showbusiness next year, so let's hope for her entire 'Cilla' shows to be released on DVD in a giant boxed set. 'Cilla' Uncut on DVD next please.
But for now this will do very nicely indeed.

Of all the great Pop Singers from the 1960s "Cilla Black" is the most underrated! People tend to forget that before her days of entertaining millions on some of Britain's most iconic television shows (e.g. Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise) she was during the '60s our biggest selling female star of the pop world. This was quite an achievement when you consider what a highly competitive decade it was featuring some of the most amazing British talent of all time - each fighting for the top spot on the UK music charts. Cilla however "effortlessly" enchanted millions of music lovers and achieved 18 "Top 40" hit singles during this decade - including two back to back #1 singles ("Anyone Who Had A Heart" and then "You're My World").

The red-haired, Liverpool born legend celebrates her 50th anniversary in show business during 2013. This set is released by EMI as the prelude to those celebrations and my oh my it certainly acts as a great reminder to why Great Britain, Europe and Australia first fell in love with her!

What you get in EMI's bumper boxed set are 6-discs offering you Cilla Black's finest work as a recording artist - that's every A&B side single, EP & album song she released between 1963 and 1973. Contained are a staggering 139 "digitally re-mastered" songs all sequenced in original recording date order - this gives the listener a good feel for how she grew and developed as an artist during her signing to the Parlophone label. All the 139 songs were also "quality controlled" by the legendary producer Sir George Martin - he was responsible for many of The Beatles' biggest hit albums and singles. When hitting play prepare yourself for lushly orchestrated power ballads, delicate soft jazz numbers, soulful pop tunes and gospel extravaganzas - all demonstrating Cilla's incredible vocal range!

As a bonus the 5CDs come with a NTSC 'Region 0' DVD (playable in North America) of performances from the BBC TV archive - this is going to especially appeal to any SUPER FANS who already own everything Black related in their collection. These videos make for fascinating viewing as now you get to see "Cilla the Live Performer" do what she did best on her sell-out concert tours and top-rated TV variety shows of this era. 22 previously unavailable music performances are included with my personal highlights being stunning performances of "I Don't Know How To Love Him" (from musical 'Jesus Christ Superstar') and the Lennon/McCartney classic "Norwegian Wood".

Still unsure if this set is worth the money? Well you also get an extensive 36 page booklet featuring some previously unpublished photographs, detailed track information and the icing on the cake are the recently acquired anecdotes from Cilla and many of the key people who were involved in her pop career during the time period of the set. This includes new contributions from 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 her music arrangers John Scott, Mike Vickers and Chris Gunning. It's all fascinating stuff and an eye opener to how the creative process worked.

There may have been Lulu, Dusty, Sandie and Shirley who were all undeniably awesome singers (and ones whose CDs I own) but until you have experienced the magic of CILLA BLACK your music collection is incomplete. So if you only ever buy one "CILLA BLACK" release in your life then this set has to be the one to get as with all its high points it reaffirms Cilla as the "ULTIMATE" Queen of Sixties Brit-Pop!

YES - it is true what they say "ONCE YOU'VE TRIED BLACK THERE'S NO TURNING BACK!".

TRACK LISTING:-

CD1
01. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues
02. Shy Of Love
03. Love Of The Loved
04. Anyone Who Had A Heart
05. Just For You
06. You're My World (Il Mio Mondo)
07. This Empty Place
08. Suffer Now I Must [Mono]
09. It's For You
10. He Won't Ask Me
11. Is It Love?
12. (Love Is Like A) Heatwave
13. Love Letters
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 Any More [Stereo Version]
20. One Little Voice (Uno Di Voi)
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 [Mono]
30. When I Fall In Love
31. (There's) No Place To Hide

CD2
01. The Cherry Song
02. Shotgun
03. Anytime You Need Me
04. Please Don't Teach Me To Love You
05. Yesterday
06. In A Woman's Eyes
07. Baby I'm Yours
08. The Real Thing [Stereo Version]
09. One Two Three
10. Make It Easy On Yourself
11. Love's Just A Broken Heart (L'amour Est Ce Qu'il Est)
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 (Ti Vedo Uscire)
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

CD3
01. What The World Needs Now Is Love
02. Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me
03. This Is The First Time
04. I Only Live To Love You (Cosa Si Fa Stasera)
05. Suddenly You Love Me (Uno Tranquillo)
06. From Now On
07. I Couldn't Take My Eyes Off You
08. A Man And A Woman (Un Homme Et Une Femme)
09. Yo Yo
10. Follow The Path Of The Stars
11. Work Is A Four Letter Word (Film Version)
12. Something's Gotten Hold Of My Heart
13. Step Inside Love
14. Where Is Tomorrow? (Non C'è Domani)
15. Work Is A Four Letter Word
16. Your Heart Is Free (Just Like The Wind) (Le Vent Et La Jeunesse)
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 (Prigioniero Del Mondo)
25. London Bridge
26. Aquarius
27. Red Rubber Ball
28. You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart)

CD4
01. Words
02. Conversations
03. On A Street Called Hope
04. For Once In My Life
05. Little Pleasure Acre
06. I Can't Go On Living Without You
07. It Feels So Good
08. If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind
09. Black Paper Roses
10. Rule Brittania
11. Sweet Inspiration
12. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
13. The April Fools
14. Both Sides Now
15. Mysterious People (Det Gatfulla Folket)
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

CD5
01. (They Long To Be) Close To You
02. Make It With You
03. Rainbow
04. Our Brand New World
05. Bridge Over Troubled Water
06. Just Friends
07. Down In The City
08. Help Me Jesus
09. 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. Gypsys, 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 - Many of the performances are taken from the BBC TV Show CILLA of the late 1960s and early 1970s
01. Suddenly You Love Me (Uno Tranquillo) [1968]
02. One Two Three [1968]
03. Step Inside Love [1968]
04. Misty Roses [1968]
05. Love's Just A Broken Heart (L'amour Est Ce Qu'il Est) [1968]
06. Where Is Tomorrow? (Non C'è Domani) [1968]
07. You'll Never Get To Heaven (If You Break My Heart) [1969]
08. Surround Yourself With Sorrow [1969]
09. Mysterious People (Det Gatfulla Folket) [1970]
10. (They Long To Be) Close To You [1971]
11. Sing A Rainbow [1971]
12. What The World Needs Now Is Love [1971]
13. The World I Wish For You [1972]
14. You You You [1972]
15. Winterwood [1973]
16. The Long And Winding Road [1973]
17. I've Still Got My Heart Joe [1973]
18. Oh My Love [1973]
19. Day By Day [1973]
20. I Don't Know How To Love Him [1973]
21. Baby We Can't Go Wrong [1974]
22. I'll Have To Say I Love You, In A Song [1974]
23. Flashback [1974]
24. He Was A Writer [1974]
25. (I Wanted To Call It) Off [1977]
26. DVD EXTRA : Desert Island Disc Interview By Roy Plomley (audio only) [1964]
27. DVD EXTRA: Passing Strangers (with Cliff Richard) [1968]
28. DVD EXTRA: Norwegian Wood (Accompanied By Marvin, Welch & Farrar) [1971]
29. DVD EXTRA: Something Tells Me - Opening sequence to BBC TV Show 'Cilla' [1973]

This is a fantastic set - especially those of us old enough to remember when it was all so new! The DVD is amazing - long lost excerpts from a range of TV shows. Pure nostalgia. As well as all the old Cilla favourites there is a batch of tracks not previously available. A fantastic collection from a hugely underrated diva from the 60s and 70s. Pure gold from start to finish.