Petula Clark On Tour! - At 85!

I saw her in Sunset Blvd years ago and she gave sort of a mini concert after curtain call, which I thought was generous....she was lovely.

Saw it, as well. I'm sure she doesn't have a greuling tour like the younger acts and she seems to rest quite well in her bus. She seems very active and mobile for a woman her age so I bet it's just enough for her to handle. I knew that she had been performing since she was a child but had never seen film of her.

Love those hits from the 60s.

She's been a star all her life. She was a very popular child actress. I saw her in my all time fave, Powell and Pressburger's I Know Where I'm Going - she was maybe 11.

I love her.

Petula and Dean.

She was wonderful in Blood Brothers

Julie Andrews was a child performer too. Both English, both the same age. Different kinds of career success.

R6, wasn't that with the Cassidy brothers? I love the sound of her hits....it's like the Wall of Sound of Phil Spector.

Petula said in her interview this morning on CBS that she and Julie Andrews used to travel on trains together to performances as young girls - children, r7.

I learned this in my grade school music class, back in the 60s. I'm old, so this really impresses me.

She keeps forgetting the words and at her last performance, she forgot who she was. She kept singing "To Sir With...." then she forgot those words as well..

I saw it. I was impressed -- I would have thought she's be dead by now.

Always thought she was wonderful in the under-rated film musical "Goodbye Mr. Chips", starring Peter O'Toole.

Maybe Petula can fill in for me as a part-time Vegas residency artist while I'm on holiday.

I saw her at the New York State Fair maybe 20 years ago, and she was exquisite.

Don't Sleep in the Subway, darling.

First song I learned the words to was DOWNTOWN. My kindergarten class had to sing it in the school talent show as all of the classes were singing all the popular songs that year. First grade performed GIRL FROM IPANEMA.

I thought Petula Clark and Nancy Sinatra were so cool.

Nancy Sinatra???? LOL

Nancy Sinatra has always been cool.

Apparently you've never heard Nancy's leaden vocal of "You Only Live Twice."

She's a lesbian.

Happy 86th birthday, Pet :) "I Know a Place" and "Colour My World" are STILL my faves!

Shoot, I thought she was currently on tour.

She is on tour r22 but now she's on tour in Australia after gigs in the USA.

I love her and with her own material she can still deliver, but I saw her in Sunset Blvd and she could not handle the score.

She is great with her own material but as Norma, just no.

Though I adore her, she hasn't a great range which is why I've always confined myself to her pop hits.

This is from when she WASN'T touching Harry Belafonte, April '68 "in living colour on NBC"

The anti Connie Francis mob's Queen.How many times can she sing "Put Another Nickle in"before you realize she is no Connie Francis.Hell,she is not even a Pretunia Clark hussies.

"My Love", her second #1 hit on the Billboard chart, February '66...and she HATED the song.

"I Know a Place", Pet's second big hit from March '65 . Pet was the first female vocalist of the "rock" era to have her first two songs get into the Top 3...a record she'd hold until Cyndi Lauper did better in the mid 80's. Still, she had 15 consecutive Top 40 hits which is pretty good considering the completion at the time :)

R19 I'm not a fan of Nancy Sinatra's talent but I reckon she was told to sing "You Only Live Twice" in a cold, leaden voice.

The movie is all about an insane genius called Blofeld who enjoys murder and world domination. She's playing a character who's warning Bond that he lives in a world of danger and that he should stay a stranger to love. Just like Shirley Bassey's character is warning girls that Goldfinger is a sex-pest who will enslave and kill them.

John Barry provides a lush chorus and shimmering orchestra to back up her ominous, monotonal voice and I think the resulting sound is kind of spine-tingling.

"Chariot" the French language version of "I Will Follow Him"...a huge hit for Petula en Francais.

"Downtown" was also a big hit in Italian, German...and this French version

Singing one of her many "covers" on Hollywood Palace, early '67. The mini-dress is tout-adorbs!

"Just Say Goodbye" a song she co-wrote...love the Toni Home-Perm look and the bizarre dress and matching set from her infamous '68 NBC special.

"Who Am I" from Oct. '66, about which renowned classical pianist Glenn Gould wrote an article.

"Round Every Corner" from Oct. '65

"A Foggy Day" from one of her many appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show...this one from the fall of '65

"A Sign of the Times" from the spring of '66, and an Ed Sullivan Show set of which Mary Quant would be proud :)

She's poor man's, Eurotrash version of Connie Francis. Connie's hit single "Roundabout" (written by Petula's songwriter Tony Hatch) sounded better than anything Petula ever recorded.

Introducing "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love, July '66 on Sacha Distel's tv show in Paris

So odd to see this thread. Yesterday I was going through old cds and came across her Greatest Hits. Started playing it as a lark and ended up listening to the whole thing. As a 64 year old, I was meh about her as a teenager but as a codger today I appreciate her voice, phrasing, and the fact that you can understand everything she sings. Pretty good choice of material, if a little over-orchestrated. Brava, Pet.

"Don't Sleep in the Subway", her last big hit from the summer of '67.

Jeez, is there really a Connie Francis troll and will he or she be infecting every thread with praise for Ms. Francis?

R34 Petula needed the Home-Perm look because critics said she had a mannish-jawline.

"This Is My Song", from the spring of '67, written by Charlie Chaplin.

I love her clear diction.

I long for those years when the lyrics were as important as the tune.

Another tiny little thing with a big voice. How do these small gals produce big sound?

"You're the One", from the fall of '65, which she co-wrote....The Vogues had the hit with it...her's was relegated to a track on the "I Know a Place" LP.

I was a young teen when Petula hit the scene with Downtown.

It was a huge hit before she was ever seen on US TV (on the Sullivan show?) so her first appearance was rabidly anticipated. There was a rumor at the time, at least in the little NJ suburb where I grew up, that she was French, could speak no English, and sang Downtown phonetically.

IIRC on that appearance she only sang a song or 2 and did not speak to whoever was the host that week, further fueling the rumors. Am I remembering that correctly? But then she next appeared on Hullabaloo and chatted quite amiably with whoever was the host that week and we all breathed a sigh of relief that Pet Clark was indeed British and spoke English impeccably.

Lol! We were crazy kids and this was pre-Internet when info was spare.

She didn't have the greatest voice... no match for Dusty Springfield... but her voice had character and when she sag she kept her British accent without attempting an American sound as Dusty did. She also really acted out lyrics with her facial expressions and moves. She was very cool.

Tony Hatch was no Burt Bacharach but his songs were delightful and captured the spirit of the 60s.

This is my favorite of their collaboration. Watch her delivery. What a pro.

She got across -the-board rave reviews for her films.

Finians Rainbow:

Highly praised by all was Petula Clark, whom Ebert described as "a surprise. I knew she could sing, but I didn't expect much more. She is a fresh addition to the movies: a handsome profile, a bright personality, and a singing voice as unique in its own way as Streisand's."

"John Mahoney of The Hollywood Reporter said she "invites no comparisons, bringing to her interpretation of Sharon her own distinctive freshness and form of delivery."

"In the New York Daily News, Wanda Hale cited her "winsome charm which comes through despite a somewhat reactive role."

"Joseph Morgenstern of Newsweek said she "looks lovely" and "sings beautifully, with an occasional startling reference to the phrasing and timbre of Ella Logan's original performance."

"Variety observed, "Miss Clark gives a good performance and she sings the beautiful songs like a nightingale.""

Similar raves for Goodbye Mr Chips.

[quote]Connie's hit single "Roundabout" (written by Petula's songwriter Tony Hatch) sounded better than anything Petula ever recorded.

No one was writing for Connie Francis.

A second-best Tony Hatch song rejected by Petula Clark was probably the best she could get.

The song peaked at #80. I guess that's why she was never offered another one.

She broke my heart in ‘Goodbye Mr. Chips’.

She's touring Australia at 85 years of age.

I imagine Barry Humphries' mother whispering very loudly 'Isn't it pathetic at her age?'.

Mt the Connie Francis troll certainly does scour and comment in many threads. Hey CF Troll, at least Pet's not auctioning off her mentionables (and some unmentionables?) to pay the rent! Ha!

oops R55 should have started, "My the Connie Francis troll..."

"Eternally", another Charlie Chapin song from The Ed Sullivan Show, Sept. '67

"Fool on the Hill" from The Ed Sullivan Show, Nov. '69. Poor Pet tries to get jiggy with it :)

I found myself in a cab line with Petula Clark at the San Diego airport just a couple of years ago. She looked unbelievably pretty and healthy.....quite impossible to be believe she was 80-something.......and was totally patient just standing there with all of us schlubs.

I don't know if anybody else recognized her but nobody bothered her. She was wearing a tailored jacket, fitted slacks and heeled boots and her posture was perfect. Lovely!

I love Petula Clark. She has an incredible catalogue of songs. Those Tony Hatch-produced songs are some of the best pop songs of all time, up there with Bacharach/David, Motown, etc.

I absolutely adore her version of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" - very sensual, great vocals.

And agree that she was wonderful in "Finian's Rainbow" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips". She had the misfortune of both musicals being released at a time when musicals were going out of vogue.

Petula Clark at Expo ‘67 in Montreal. Great pop voice, diction, and poise. Love her!

For r60 as I adore her " I Want to Hold Your Hand" too. In fact, it's my favourite LP track :) "Life" magazine referred to this as the most sensual take on a Beatles song.

There was another thread that had her singing as an 80-something. She sounded dreadful but her fans thought she was doing great.

Clark was very much of her time during her heyday (unlike Connie Francis, who performed all that old stuff) and appealed to a wide variety of ages. She really couldn't chart once music changed in the later 60s and the music business became more focused on youth and simpler orchestrations for vocalists.

I last saw her perform in Toronto nine years ago and I decided then I'd rather remember her while she could still hit the majority of the right notes and won't see her perform again. I adore her and have done for 40 years but don't understand the rave reviews she's still getting. God knows she doesn't need the $$$ but sadly, I've ofter heard her remark that the only place she feels truly at home is up on the stage.

She couldn’t sound worse than Diana Ross at this point.

She performed near me (Canton, Ohio) a couple of weeks ago. It was advertised on printed signs stuck alongside roads as if for a yard sale. I wasn't sure how old she is until reading this thread. Considered going to see her but decided against it in favor of preserving my misty water color memories. Glad to hear she's apparently well and happy.

Does any one know if she performs "London is London" and "The Morning of My Life" from "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" in concert? I love those as much as her big 60s hits.

Very much doubt it, R66.

Here's Petula in my favorite film.

She would have made a great Eliza in "My Fair Lady". Warmer and more fun than Julie Andrews and much more right for the role than Audrey Hepburn.

For someone in the public eye for 6 decades, including the height of her fame in the 1960s, she has led a remarkably singular scandal-free life. That's saying something.

R70 There was some ill-feeling rather than scandal in the 60s.

Some British people were upset that 'Pet' abandoned them and married a Frenchman.

(they were the same people who felt betrayed that Gracie Fields left them and married an Italian)

At least as Norma she could belt the word ME appropriately.

Good for her, but, GOD, that new(ish) song of hers, Living For the Day, in OP's link is awful. A total embarrassment.

BUT, four or five years ago she released a MUCH better song that sounded genuinely modern and progressive while still authentic to her. She should work with the songwriters/producers she did back then. Not many 80-year olds could make something like this work...

And she did it nicely live, too...

R7 I'm thinking about your linking Petula Clark with Julie Andrews..

I suspect Julie was more vocally-agile. And I don't think Julie would have liked doing the Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent pop songs where Petula has to belt out the lyrics using a rather harsh, brassy voice.

And Petula Clark got her two major film roles in the 60s because Julie Andrews rejected them.

R3 Why do you say 'I Know Where I'm Going' is your all time fave?

The script, the photography, the quirkiness, Wendy?

Are you a woman?