Got To Get You Into My Life / Baby Each Day

Cliff Bennett records new Beatles song

Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers have cut a track from the forthcoming Beatles LP as their next single. Titled “Got To Get You Into My Life”, it is released by Parlophone on August 5, the same day as “Revolver”. It is understood that John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the composers of the song, invited Cliff to record it.

Another NEMS artiste, Cilla Black, has recorded a new EP containing “Don’t Answer Me”, “Alfie”, “The Right One Is Left” and “Night Time Is Here”. She guests on BBC-Light’s “Saturday Club” on August 6.

For technical reasons, Billy J. Kramer’s new single, originally scheduled for July 22 release, has been held back.

From Record Mirror – July 23, 1966

Cliff Bennett – “Got To Get You Into My Life” / “Baby Each Day” (Parlophone)

WHEREAS the original version is somewhat jazz-tinged, this has a strong r-and-b flavour — with the Rebel Rousers injecting fast-moving stamp beat, and Cliff’s hoarse voice belting energetically. It isn’t the most tuneful of John and Paul’s compositions, but Cliff has admirably adapted it to his style. Gives you quite a lift to listen to it.

FLIP: Cliff wrote this himself. It has a pleasantly relaxed jog-trot beat, with some brittle brass work enhancing the vocal. An enjoyable B’ side.

From New Musical Express – August 5, 1966

PAUL McCARTNEY produced hit disc for happy CLIFF BENNETT

CLIFF BENNETT, that well-known Cockney about Uxbridge, has made a welcome return to the NME Chart, courtesy of Lennon and McCartney’s “Got To Get You Into My Life,” after an absence lasting ten months and five singles.

“Paul McCartney actually produced the disc for me,” Cliff revealed to me. “I’ve never had such encouragement during a session — he showed incredible interest in the disc.”

I found Cliff down at RSG last Friday, seated at a table in the canteen with such personages as Andrew Loog Oldham, resplendent in bright orange, zippered shirt which vied with his sunburnt face, but worn with nonchalance which suited him more than the violent pink blouse worn by Who-star Pete Townshend opposite.

Manfred Mann’s road manager Billy held forth with lurid tales of the Carrousel Club in Copenhagen, where personal manager, Bernard Lee, they had just played, and Cliff’s listened tolerantly by his side.

Cliff proceeded with his story of how he came to obtain a much-coveted Beatles composition. Some weeks ago he had been playing with the Beatles on their German tour and during the Essen concert, he wandered into the group’s dressing room and banteringly asked about the number John and Paul had promised to write for him three years ago. “Now it just so happens…” smiled Paul and played him an acoustic guitar version of one of the tracks for their new LP without another word. At the end, Paul said: “Like it?“

“Love it!” replied Cliff. So a demo disc was immediately dispatched from EMI, London, to Germany for him to get the full benefits of “Got To Get You Into My Life.” When Cliff came to do the disc at EMI’s St. Johns Wood studios about four weeks ago he was knocked out to find Paul there to assist.

“He just spun about the studios mixing rhythm tracks, adding brass and doing things with limiters that neither you or I would understand,” raid Cliff enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, Paul had to leave the studio before Cliff put the vocal on and next morning there was a phone call from “McBeatle,” who had just heard the finished product.

“You can do better than that,” Paul declared firmly. “Be at the studios at ten o’clock.“

Obediently, Cliff trotted down to the studios to find McCartney waiting for him in his bedroom slippers.

“He played the number for me on the piano and showed me how to bend the notes,” explained Cliff. “Then I did the vocal with Paul in the control box conducting me by waving his arms about like mad. I was absolutely knocked out. He must have been the most expensive arranger-MD In the business.“

At this point, RSG executive Francis Hitchens passed the table to tell us that, at the last count, Keith Moon had put his ninth snare drum on stage and they were running out of space! With an air of one accustomed to dealing with this kind of problem, Pete removed his face from his yoghurt and strode off to view the situation.

Germany is still uppermost in Cliff’s mind and he related to me his visit to composer Bert Kaempfert’s Hamburg house. “He’s got this fabulous garden with a river running through it and a study packed with fishing souvenirs, like the swordfish he caught which is placed on the wall. He’s promised to take Sid, Chas and Roy fishing to his lodge on the next visit,” he added, referring to the Rebel Rousers. “He talked most of the night about Frank (Sinatra) and Dean (Martin) in a kind of name dropping competition. I tried to keep my end up by referring to “Eppy” and Paul.“

“Do you know- that over 140 artists have recorded versions of Bert’s song ‘Strangers In The Night’? Imagine the royalties! No wonder he celebrated! I left him doing a kind of raving version of the Highland fling on the city pavement at around 5 am! He’s a great bloke.“

Discussion over the clubs in Hamburg turned to stories about the Carrousel in Copenhagen, where Cliff had just been playing. He indicated a small scar under his lower lip. “That’s my souvenir from the Carrousel,” said Cliff, “Some maniac waitress hit me with a tray. My shirt was soaked in blood and I had to get the manager. I demanded a new shirt and that he get rid of the girl. He pointed at the girl and said ‘You’re finished!’” Which gave Manfred’s road manager that memorable punch line “Then she said to him: ‘No, I’m not. I’m Danish!” At which point Andrew Oldham hastily ordered his third cup of tea.

Manager Bernard Lee and I retired to the viewing room to watch Cliff in his usual polished performance on the TV set. Cliff was less happy when we saw him later. ”I got all the verses in the wrong order,” he moaned. “As soon as that bloke stuck me on the stage my mind went a complete blank — I just blew the bottle.“

Having hitched a lift back to London in his blue Jaguar, I asked Cliff en route whether he had been at all worried by his lack of a hit in the last year. “Not really worried,” said Cliff, “because we’ve always worked four or five nights a week, and there’s plenty of demand from the Continent.” Apparently what concerns Cliff more these days is the decline in the old rock ‘n’ rollers. “Little Richard, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis seemed to have faded right out,” said Cliff. “I’d like to see them come back strongly again. Some of the old numbers were really good — Larry Williams recently released a new version of ‘Boney Moronie,’ which was great. The only people who seem to be doing the good old rock excitement are groups like the Troggs.“

From New Musical Express – August 26, 1966