Don't Talk to Him

"Don't Talk to Him" is a song by Cliff Richard and The Shadows, released as a single in November 1963. It peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and received a silver disc for 250,000 sales.[3][4]

"Don't Talk to Him"
Single by Cliff Richard and The Shadows
B-side"Say You're Mine"
Released1 November 1963 (1963-11-01)
Recorded13 October 1963[1]
StudioEMI Studios, London
Genre
Length2:53
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Norrie Paramor
Cliff Richard and The Shadows singles chronology
"It's All in the Game"
(1963)		 "Don't Talk to Him"
(1963)		 "Maria No Mas"
(1963)

Background and release

The music for "Don't Talk to Him" was composed by Shadows guitarist Bruce Welch. He then asked Richard if he would write the lyrics. However, Richard has said that he was "sort of scared of writing", but agreed to "have a go". He recalled he "took it back to the cottage where I was staying. We were in Blackpool. And I sat down one night and played it through on my guitar and came up with the lyrics".[1]

It was recorded at Abbey Road Studios, then known as EMI, whereas the B-side, "Say You're Mine", written by Tony Meehan and Norman Stracey, was recorded whilst the group were in Blackpool, at the Jubilee Hall.[5] Both tracks were included on the EP Cliff Sings Don't Talk to Him, released in March 1964.

Richard also recorded a German-language version of "Don't Talk to Him", titled "Sag' "no" zu ihm", with German lyrics by Carl Ulrich Blecher and backing vocals by the Botho-Lucas-Quartett. It was released as a single in Germany in April 1964 as a double A-side with a German-language version of "I'm the Lonely One", titled "Zuviel allein".[6] However, "Sag' "no" zu ihm" was more successful than the other side, becoming a top-ten hit in Germany and top-twenty hit in Austria.

Reception

Reviewed in Record Mirror, "Don't Talk to Him" was described as a "beaty sort of catchy number with Cliff singing very well indeed on the cleverly arranged number which is slightly reminiscent of the oldie "It's Magic"".[7] Another reviewer wrote that "in sharp contrast to It's All In The Game comes a haunting melody in slow cha-cha tempo", which is "ideal for dancing and makes easy-on-the-ear listening".[1]

Track listing
  1. "Don't Talk to Him" – 2:53
  2. "Say You're Mine" – 2:34

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1963–64) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[8] 3
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 7
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 31
Canada (CHUM)[11] 14
Denmark (Danmarks Radio)[12] 3
Germany (Official German Charts)[13] 2
Ireland (IRMA)[14] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] 5
New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[16] 5
Norway (VG-lista)[17] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 9
UK Singles (OCC)[3] 2

"Sag' "no" zu ihm"

Chart (1964) Peak
position
Austria (Podium)[19] 12
Germany (Official German Charts)[20] 2

References
  1. "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Don't Talk to Him)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
  3. "Cliff Richard: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  4. "Four silver discs won this week" (PDF). Disc. 14 December 1963. p. 7. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  5. "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Say You're Mine)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. "Cliff Richard Song Database - Song Details (Sag' "no" zu ihm)". www.cliffrichardsongs.com. Archived from the original on 2 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. "Up-beat Cliff" (PDF). Record Mirror. 2 November 1963. p. 9. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book 1940–1969. Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd, Turramurra, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  9. "Cliff Richard + the Shadows – Don't Talk to Him" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. "Cliff Richard + the Shadows – Don't Talk to Him" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  11. "CHUM Hit Parade Week of February 17, 1964". 17 February 1964. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  12. "danskehitlister.dk". 9 April 2016. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  13. "Cliff Richard + the Shadows – Don't Talk to Him" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  14. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Don't Talk to Him". Irish Singles Chart.
  15. "Cliff Richard + the Shadows – Don't Talk to Him" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  16. "Lever Hit Parade". flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  17. "Cliff Richard + the Shadows – Don't Talk to Him". VG-lista.
  18. Johansson, Carl-Owe (1980). Rock Around the Clock - Saturday Night Fever 1955-1978. Vara, Sweden: Dominique muzic-club.
  19. Whitmann, Wolfgang (1984). Österreichisches Hitlexikon. 1956-1983/84. DBV Verlag, Graz. OCLC 144800830.
  20. "Cliff Richard – Sag "no" zu ihm" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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