Huge outpourings of grief that Brits showed following recent death of Cilla Black signalled not only departure of beloved TV entertainer but that great 1960s survivors are fewer and fewer. Since Black had achieved huge success as TV host (and it went on for decades) younger audience was probably not even aware that toothy, familiar face once was one of the most important names in pop music, in fact although Black is often boxed together with Dusty Springfield, Sandie Shaw, Lulu, Helen Shapiro and Petula Clark as one of the British golden girls of 1960s, her chart success overshadow all of them by far. This 3 CD retrospective sets the record straight and shows there is more to Black than her comedy/talk shows, its quite irresistible slice of 1960s pop. It is almost as discovering that your grandmother was once cool chick.
Personally I think that none of them came even close to Springfield, but than again when Springfield recorded her masterpiece "Dusty in Memphis" who had best-selling album but Black who in the meantime charmed the socks off the TV audiences and charted hit after hit. Not that she was any particularly great singer, it was a distinctive sound but her voice was very strident and occasionally even shrill in the beginning, strangely enough it became part of her appeal and actually her most interesting recordings are singles made before she toned down that particular attack.
Girl had a extremely good luck to have been associated with certain mega-successful foursome from Liverpool who were loyal supporters and helped their old pal every step of the way. Other singers might have singing their covers but she actually got original songs written for her by The Beatles and Paul McCartney played on her demos. Two discs here cover all huge hits and selected album tracks, but most interesting is disc three with unreleased and demo tracks that provides hugely interesting peek at 1960s Merseybeat when Black was still one of the many enthusiastic, wild young faces from Liverpool. Her very beginnings (see "Love of the loved", "Shotgun") were fascinating, trashy, loud and unforgettable - once show biz beckoned, Black took to TV like her natural environment and surpassed all the competition with longevity of second career that was based on humour, sharp wit and natural-born talent for entertainment (its impossible not to like her TV appearances, she truly was incredibly charming and funny lady). In a way, she could be compared to Dinah Shore who was music star before she moved on to TV shows that eclipsed memories of the earlier chapter. Though she continued to record decades after period covered here, Black knew and understood that people will remember her for her TV work and recently even answered this question in a show celebrating 50 years of her success. It might be just a footnote in a pop history now, but its a fascinating one. She led a full life and is remembered as very likable girl-next-door who managed remarkably long career, even though she switched the gears at certain point and moved to completely another sphere.
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