Cliff to unveil surprise in show

Sir Cliff Richard is springing a surprise for his Filipino fans in a pre-Valentine’s Day concert at the Araneta Coliseum on Feb. 13.

Aside from his greatest hits and new songs from his latest album Two’s Company, Sir Cliff will sing a tribute to the late Matt Monro who was a popular British balladeer and a frequent Manila visitor until his death in 1985.

Sir Cliff isn’t revealing the song he will sing in Monro’s memory but it will probably be Softly As I Leave You. Another candidate is Let There Be Love, an overdubbed Sir Cliff-Monro duet featured in the pop icon’s latest album Two’s Company.

"I will do a song that’s not jazz exactly but it’s more like a Sinatra song and I will do it with one of my singers," said Sir Cliff, quoted by Pia Barchet. "We had a very famous singer in Britain named Matt Monro. Sinatra called Monro the best singer in the world. We are paying tribute to him. It’s not jazz but an older form of music. I want to do everything that I can on stage that’s exciting, different and interesting."

On his sixth decade as a performing artist, Sir Cliff has been an enduring figure in show business because he is so unpredictable on stage. Of course, his repertoire is a treasure chest of classics, hitmakers and all-time favorites that are familiar tunes with Baby Boomers and New Generation rockers alike.

Sir Cliff said his rapport with the audience is the secret to his longevity as a live performer.

"People come to the front of the stage and they speak to me and the rest of the audience doesn’t know what they’re saying to me," said Sir Cliff. "So sometimes, I make up things so that the public thinks they know what the other people have asked and really, I’m telling lies. But I make it funny."

Why his shows are so much in demand, however, remains a mystery to Sir Cliff who opened his 2006-07 world tour with a sold-out concert at Wembley Arena in London last November.

"Every year, I wake up and I think, ‘This is going to be the last year’ and then it’s not the last year," he said. "Maybe, the reason why my show is in demand is because I’m prepared to do things that aren’t normal. As a pop/rock singer, you don’t just have to sing rock ‘n roll, rock ‘n roll is not a tempo. It’s a culture — a musical culture."

With his 50th anniversary as a singer coming up in August next year, Sir Cliff said he is privileged and humbled to have survived the test of time.

"I always feel very privileged, really, because I’ve been singing for 48 years," he said. "The fact that this kind of thing still happens makes me feel very humble, that after all these years, there are some people who would do that. I feel very humbled that anybody would spend so much time to buy tickets for my concert."

Sir Cliff will treat his Filipino fans to a night of nostalgia with hits like The Young Ones, Summer Holiday and Bachelor Boy and a show for all ages. A musical living legend, he has sold over 250 million records in England and scored 14 No. I hit singles.

Media Source is bringing Sir Cliff to Manila for the one-night show which is bound to surpass attendance records for a foreign act. Tickets are available at Ticketnet outlets, the Araneta Coliseum ticket booth and SM Department Stores. Tickets are priced at P8,500, P7,500, P6,500, P4,000 P2,000 and P500. For details, call 911-5555.