CLIFF RICHARD's two sold-out shows at the Manchester Evening News Arena are just part of one of the most amazing weeks Manchester has ever seen for big-name stars playing in town.
Apart from Cliff, there was the
Smash Hits Poll Winners Tour at the MEN Arena on Sunday, featuring Samantha Mumba, Romeo, Darius, H & Claire, Blazin' Squad, a1, Sugababes and Dannii Minogue; Bryan Ferry and ZZ Top at the Manchester Apollo; and Alison Moyet and Ray Davies at the Bridgewater Hall. Phew!
But most of them have interests outside pop - the members of ZZ Top, for instance, are respected patrons of the arts - but Sir Cliff is, to our knowledge, is the only one to be in business as a wine producer. The so-called Peter Pan of Pop, who claims he has only ever been drunk twice in his life, has nonetheless produced 27,000 bottles of plonk, called Vida Nova (or New Life).
Vintage model
Sexagenarian Sir Cliff got his first taste of the wine-making industry six years ago when he bought a 25 acre vineyard in Portugal and has observed that the Algarve "is not noted for its vineyards and some of the guidebooks say Algarve wine `bottles up' headaches for tourists. But I've called the wine `New Life' because I hope to introduce some new life into the wine industry in the Algarve.
"Just like music, wine is so subjective, so it's a thrill that people like my wine," says the ever-popular singer who has now enjoyed pop hits over six decades since his first hit Move It back in 1958.
He recently observed however that he wants to "slow down. I'm thinking of retiring and wine-producing is a project I can do for the next 20 years. Maybe this has come at the right time."
That will be tragic news for the loyal fans such as the ones who camped out for a week to ensure they got good seats for next week's shows when they went on sale back in February, braving blizzards and gales to make sure they witness his first Manchester shows in 14 years. Sir Cliff last toured the UK in 1994 but missed out Manchester.
"I'm amazed that I still have any success in music because it's against all the odds now," he observed when picking up yet another Gold Disc, this time for sales of his Wanted album. "I don't think it's ever been tougher, there are so many talented people out there. But I'm the first of the bubblegum singers, so I have no problem with the pop acts of today.
Nostalgia
"When I look back, in terms of rock'n'roll and pop I see myself as some kind of radical. I did not do what everyone else did. It's hard to be different," he points out of his `squeaky clean' image. "When I sing a song now I know that someone will remember the time they got engaged or were married or had their first baby.
"I've seen people in the front row knowingly nudge each other as I start a song because it brings back a special moment. Some give up their holidays to follow me on tour and often before a show I will take a peek at the audience and see familiar smiling faces and reunions going on."