Real as I Wanna Be is an album by Cliff Richard, released in October 1998 by EMI Records.

[2] "Vita Mia", a duet with Vincenzo La Scola was intended to be the second single over the 1998 Christmas period.

However, the record company EMI postponed its release until January, citing Richard's ill health as the reason (the ill health being a chest infection followed by laryngitis, which also prevented him from singing during rehearsals for concerts in November 1998).

Relations between Richard and EMI at the time were also strained due to the lack of promotion and lack of sales of the album, and the single was further postponed until February before being abandoned altogether.

[6][7][8] "Butterfly Kisses" had also been slated to be the third single from the album, and a video clip[9] was recorded for it, but neither materialised.