Cliff and Friends

Read more about the clip here: http://www.gerryanderson.co.uk/thunderbirds-go-cliff-richard-and-the-shadows-test-footage/

One unusual piece that was uncovered last year was this test recording made in 1966 at an ATV television studio. Found in the collection of a retired cameraman, the footage which was identified on the soundtrack as ‘A.P. Films test recording’ turned out to be something very interesting indeed. The owner surmised that the film was a recording of a Thunderbirds pop promo, but when we saw the film (and recognised the unmistakeable voice of Gerry Anderson) we knew immediately its significance.

The footage features five takes of Cliff Richard and the Shadows miming to a recording of Shooting Star, the song which they recorded for their puppet counterparts to perform to in the dream sequence of Thunderbirds Are Go. The first take features a shot of the whole group, whilst subsequent takes focus on individual members of The Shadows (Brian Bennett, John Rostill, Hank Marvin and Brian Welch). Whilst we have no concrete evidence about the film’s intended use, given that certain movements (noticeably the simple side to side dance) were replicated by the marionettes in the film, it seems likely that this 16 minute recording was made for the puppeteers to study the performances of the individual musicians.

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