Cilla Black: 'Is It Love?' (1965)

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Back while I was doing research in preparation for my Wall Street Journal interview with Sir George Martin in August, I listened to virtually everything he produced—before, during and after the Beatles. I tend to do enough research to write a book. It's just my way. [Pictured above: Cilla Black with Sir George Martin]

At any rate, while listening to all of Cilla Black's Parlophone recordings, I came across Is It Love?, a beautiful ballad written by Bobby Willis, a British songwriter who became Cilla Black's husband and manager. He died in 1999. Johnny Pearson, who orchestrated, died in 2011.

Is It Love? was released in January 1965 and went to #2 in the U.K. Most important, Black appeared later that year inFerry Cross the Mersey, a rock-and-roll musical film designed to showcase Brian Epstein's other hit-making acts from Liverpool. Interestingly, the title song by Gerry and the Pacemakers was originally written for the film before being released as a hit single in the U.K. and the U.S.

Here, from the film, is Cilla Black singing (or more likely lip-syncing) Is It Love?—my second favorite single of hers after Alfie. Dig Sir George's touch...

Used with permission by Marc Myers