1962 Cliff Richard & The Shadows: The Young Ones

Now there's a title; because of my age, 'The Young Ones' for me will forever be linked to the eighties TV show that took it's name, so much so I was convinced Cliff's song opened with the 'Once in every lifetime' middle eight too. But it doesn't - 'The Young Ones' kicks off on a soft shoe shuffle and stays there for the duration. And despite that title, 'The Young Ones' seems aimed less at the younger generation proper than at their parents, a middle of the road bomb defusing exercise designed to reassure them that those darn rockin' kids aren't all about the flick knives and leather jackets. It's a safety net for those grown ups too, a song that allows them a little nostalgic wallow of their own while giving reassurance that, despite the sea changes going on in the world around them, their own values were right all along.

"I need you and you need me, oh my darling can't you see, young dreams should be dreamed together" - this isn't a shriek of 'you don't understand' frustration; Cliff's young ones were born middle aged and complete with a fully formed awareness of what true and everlasting love is when they see it. Because despite the song's call for "And young ones shouldn't be afraid. To live, love While the flame is strong", all Cliff wants his beaux to do is to recognise that they were meant for each other forever with the living and loving enjoyed in the context of settling down and having young ones of their own. Not that I'd expect him to drool a fruity tale of young lust with a teenage sex machine * - Cliff, after all, has never pretended to be Iggy Pop, but neither would you expect his initial flame of rebellion to wind up forging something so bloody mindedly square before burning out completely. Hank Marvin again tries to inject a little rocket fuel with a chime of a guitar riff, but Cliff's vocal is an all smothering wet blanket that puts a stop to any nonsense by defiantly ignoring any tune that The Shadows are actually playing, in the blink of an eye going from Britain's answer to Elvis to our very own Pat Boone.

Ah, but is preaching these core family values really such an awful thing? Well no, but just as certain elements get into a lather about Harry Potter indoctrinating the young into the satanic dark side, I call foul at a popular tune that promises much from its title but then presents a paean to youth that's one of the most conservative statements of status quo maintenance you're ever likely to hear. And besides that, it's boring as hell too.

* Sorry, writing this put me in mind of 'Teenage Head' by The Flaming Groovies:

"Got a woman, she's my hopped up high school queen.
She's my woman, she's a teenage love machine.
She knows how to turn me on and get me high and get it on and on."

Now that's my idea of how any young ones worth their salt should be behaving.