Cliff Richard and the Drifters: High Class Baby

This new generation of Beatles fans is entitled to its enthusiasms, but it does seem to lack a sense of history. Any music that came before the Fab Four was laughable, and any groups who were around at the same time as the Beatles were trying to copy them.

So here's a rockabilly Cliff Richard from 1958 to prove there was life before Love Me Do, even if Cliff is rocking more than anyone else on this record.

The Drifters was the original name for the Shadows, who were Cliff's backing band and then became one of the most successful ever British acts in their own right.

None of the famous Shadows are playing on High Class Baby, but the guitarist is an interesting figure. Not only did Ian Samwell write this song, he also wrote Move It for Cliff and the Drifters.

That is the track of which John Lennon said:

"I think the first English record that was anywhere near anything was Move It by Cliff Richard, and before that there'd been nothing."

It also appeared on Led Zeppelin: The Music that Rocked Us - a compilation put together by the band in 2010.

Samwell later became more of a producer and manager, but he did co-write Whatcha Gonna Do About It, the single that launched the Small Faces.