Sunday I rang up Colin Pryce-Jones, still floating on British Beat Cloud Nine, for his reaction to The Rapiers' impromptu rendezvous with Sir Cliff Richard Friday at a charity benefit for the Caron Keating Foundation in Egham, Surrey.
GO: Colin, I know the evening was billed as 50 Years of Cliff Richard and The Shadows, but did you expect Cliff to show?
CP-J: Not at all. How many times over the past 20 years have we heard, "Cliff might turn up tonight!"—only to have nothing happen. But then to have him appear... and ask to play with us—he just doesn't do that.
GO: He was there to present... a guest of Gloria Hunniford, who founded the charity in memory of her daughter Carol.
CP-J: Yes, when he arrived he was ushered into our dressing room, surrounded by a crush of paparazzi, cameras. As you mentioned, he was asked to do a number, asked who we were, said "no problem". He told John [Tuck], "We'll do The Young Ones, the original '60s version."
GO: He knew you, but had he seen you perform? Had you ever met him?
CP-J: No. Once, at Tony Meehan's funeral.
GO: What happened next?
CP-J: He told us to come up after his presentation. We did, behind him. But then he said, "I'm going to sing a number in memory of Caron, Miss You Nights." If I'm not mistaken, he sang it at her funeral years ago. He did the song acapella, just clicking his fingers. Amazing. He brought the house down—it was like a light show with all the bulbs going off. He's got a superb voice. I was very impressed.
GO: Were you nervous starting The Young Ones?
CP-J: We didn't have time to think about it, didn't have time to be jittery—we were too excited. And we've played that song hundreds of times. He sang it exactly like the record.
GO: Proud probably doesn't begin to convey the feeling.
CP-J: To say "Cliff and The Rapiers" in the same breath and to do that song, I'm just absolutely delighted. Neil [Ainsby] was very excited, too!
GO: What else about the night?
CP-J: Vernons Girl Maggie Stredder was delightful as the compere... For the auction, Barry Gibson graciously donated a 12-string green sunburst Burns guitar, signed by Cliff after we came offstage. Someone has a great photo of Cliff and Jan [Pryce-Jones] trying to remove the tags on the guitar for the picture... Faith Brown, a former '60s singer now a TV personality—she was on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!—led the auction. Believe it or not, I worked with her in 1969. She didn't remember that, but did remember the club we played!
Hi Colin
I'm so pleased you enjoyed the night of the Ball, it was great to see you backing Cliff had a email from Cliff's office he had a good time too and we all raised about £8,000 for the Caron Keating Foundation
Joy Passman
event organiser
Posted by: Joy Passman | 12 July 2008 at 08:17 AM
Hello, Joy! Thank you for the great note. Alas, Colin isn't online (still), so I will pass your comments to him next time I speak with him over the phone.
So glad to hear the event went so well. You must be very proud. I've heard nothing but praise for you.
Greg O.
Posted by: Greg O. | 12 July 2008 at 08:29 AM
Hi Greg O
lets do it again sometime !!
Joy
Posted by: Joy Passman | 22 July 2008 at 03:33 PM