Cilla Black's best loved songs remastered for new generation of fans

My personal favourite is Alfie. The first time I heard it, I loved it. It became and will always be my favourite song.

I'm not sure why - the sweeping orchestra,Cilla's soaring vocals - I just know it reduces me to tears every time.

I was able to tell Cilla Black this some years ago. I was there to talk to her about an ITV anniversary but when I mentioned Alfie was my favourite song, she happily digressed to talk about her first love; music.

She said she wanted to get back to recording more music, but it wasn't to be.

So now three years after she died, her family is reminding us where Cilla began before the TV career took over and dominated, so that generations now only knew her as a brilliant TV personality, hosting Blind Date and Surprise Surprise.

Warner Music with the support of Cilla's family, are re-releasing her best known songs but recorded to capture audiences today.

Her powerful vocals now, thanks to modern technology, have been remastered and accompany music from the Liverpool Philharmonic, with duets from Cilla's close friend Sir Cliff Richard, Sheridan Smith who played Cilla in the hit TV drama, and Liverpool singer Rebecca Ferguson who says she was inspired by Cilla.

She showed that Scouse girls could make it in the '60s pop industry says Ferguson, adding she was strong and it is out of respect for this that she is a part of the new album.

Robert Willis, Cilla's son, says his Mum would be chuffed to be doing something so "posh" alongside the Liverpool Philharmonic, and that she wanted to be remembered for her music.

Of course Cilla Black is remembered for much more.

But in what would have been her 75th birthday year, the woman who had the biggest selling single of the 1960s by a female artist, who had six top 40 albums, number ones and songs written for her by the Beatles, is being feted as a singer too, and that, says her family, would have made her very happy.