“I’m gonna give you Forty Days … to get back”

Cliff Richard’s recording of ‘Forty Days’ in 1961, which was a cover of Chuck Berry’s ‘Thirty Days’ from 1955, became an anthem in South Africa among the army guys, and was also adopted by many students as well.

Music Collector extraordinaire Tertius Louw has created a list of versions of Forty Days covered by South African artists.

  • Forty Days – Billy Forrest with Little Archie and the Twisters, Continental PD 7-8629, 1962
  • Forty Days/Twist and Shout medley – Dickie Loader and the Blue Jeans from the Album ‘Please come to my party’ Parlophone PMCJ 12021, 1964
  • Forty Days – Gene Rockwell Brigadiers BR 3038, 1971
  • Forty Days – Neil Herbert and the Settlement from the album ‘Neil Herbert and the Settlement’, MVN MVC 3701, 1976
  • Forty Days – Suzie Smith, EMIJ 11149, 1979
  • Forty Days – Suzie Smith from the soundtrack album ‘Forty Days’ EMI EMCJ M0 11561, 1979
  • 40 Days (note spelling) – Paul Buckby (Various Artists) from the album ‘Troopie Tunes’ Vonk Music Vonk 006, 2009
  • 40 Days – Various Artists from the album ‘Lekker Jol Treffers’ Fantastic Music FANCD 046, No Date
  • Fourty Days (note spelling) – Various Artists from the album ‘Stofpad Treffers vol 8’ Stofpad Musiek Stof 017, No Date
  • Forty Days – Clive Bruce, from the album ‘Bapsfontein Country Legends’, Leo Music LEOCD 242, 2010