The Shadows | Members, Songs, Music, & Facts | Britannica

About the Song

“Don’t Talk to Him” is a song by British singer Cliff Richard and his backing band The Shadows. It was released in November 1963 as the third single from Richard’s fifth studio album, Summer Holiday. The song was written by Bruce Welch and Hank Marvin, two members of The Shadows.

The song is a pop ballad about a young man who is warning a girl not to talk to his rival. The song’s lyrics are simple but effective, and the melody is catchy and memorable. Richard’s vocals are strong and passionate, and The Shadows provide excellent backing with their distinctive guitar sound.

“Don’t Talk to Him” was a commercial success. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one in Australia. The song was also a critical success, with many critics praising Richard’s vocals and The Shadows’ musicianship.

The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including:

  • The Beatles
  • The Rolling Stones
  • The Beach Boys
  • Roy Orbison
  • Elvis Presley

“Don’t Talk to Him” is a classic pop ballad that has stood the test of time. It is a song that is sure to continue to be enjoyed by listeners for many years to come.

Here are some additional details about the song:

  • The song was recorded in London, England.
  • The song was produced by Norrie Paramor.
  • The song’s B-side was “Do You Want to Dance”.
  • The song was a commercial success, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart and number one in Australia.
  • The song has been covered by many artists, including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Beach Boys.

Here are some interesting facts about the song:

  • The song was originally written for Cliff Richard’s film Summer Holiday.
  • The song was inspired by the film’s plot, which features a love triangle.
  • The song was a major hit in the UK and Australia, and it helped to establish Cliff Richard as one of the most popular singers in the world.

The Shadows interview: 'Cliff Richard was always one of us'

Video

Lyrics: Don’t Talk to Him

If some guy tells you, I don’t careAnd tells you lies, while I’m not thereDon’t talk to him
And if he tells you, I’m untrueThen darling, here’s what you must doDon’t talk to him
And if he tells you, I’ve been seenWalking round with Sue and JeanHe’s lying again (lying again)
Do anything that you want toBut darling, this I beg of youDon’t talk to him
If you hear the words he has to sayHe’ll break your heartLet your love for me prove strongWhile we are far apart
So just remember what I sayAnd trust in me, while I’m awayFor I’ll be true
And just rememberMy true love is brighter than the moon aboveFor only you
And if this guy should try to sayMy love for you is only playMerely a whim (merely a whim)
Just close your eyes and count to tenThink of me againBut don’t you talk to him
And if he tells you, I’ve been seenWalking round with Sue and JeanHe’s lying again (lying again)
Do anything that you want toBut darling, this I beg of youDon’t talk to him
If you hear the words he has to sayHe’ll break your heartLet your love for me prove strongWhile we are far apart
So just remember what I sayTrust in me, while I’m awayFor I’ll be true
And just rememberMy true love is brighter than the moon aboveFor only you
And if this guy should try to sayMy love for your is only playMerely a whim (merely a whim)
Close your eyes, count to tenThink of me againBut don’t you talk to him

You Missed

MINNIE PEARL WALKED ONSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY FOR 50 YEARS WITH A $1.98 PRICE TAG ON HER HAT — AND THEN ONE NIGHT, SHE JUST COULDN’T ANYMORE. Here’s something most people don’t think about with Minnie Pearl. That price tag hanging off her straw hat? It wasn’t random. Sarah Cannon — that was her real name — created it as a joke about a country girl too proud of her new hat to take the tag off. And audiences loved it so much that it became the most recognizable prop in country music history. For over fifty years, that tag meant Minnie was here, and everything was going to be fun. So imagine what it felt like when she couldn’t put the hat on anymore. In June 1991, Sarah had a massive stroke. She was 79. And just like that, the woman who hadn’t missed an Opry show in decades was gone from the stage. But here’s what gets me. She didn’t die in 1991. She lived another five years after that stroke, mostly out of the public eye, unable to perform, unable to be “Minnie” the way she’d always been. Her husband Henry Cannon took care of her at their Nashville home. Friends visited, but they said it was hard. The woman who made millions of people laugh couldn’t get through a full conversation some days. Roy Acuff, her old friend from the Opry, kept her dressing room exactly the way she left it. Nobody used it. The hat sat there. She passed on March 4, 1996. And what most people remember is the comedy. The “HOW-DEEE” catchphrase. The big goofy grin. What they don’t remember is that Sarah Cannon was also a serious fundraiser for cancer research. Centennial Medical Center in Nashville named their cancer center after her — not after Minnie, after Sarah. She raised millions and rarely talked about it publicly. There’s a story about the very last time Sarah tried to put on the hat at home, months after the stroke, and what her husband said to her in that moment — it’s the kind of detail that makes you see fifty years of comedy completely differently. Roy Acuff kept Minnie Pearl’s dressing room untouched for years after she left — was that loyalty to a friend, or was he holding a door open for someone he knew was never coming back?