Petula performed the following songs at the MaxProms concerts (that were telerecorded on Saturday 13th December to be broadcast on NED 2 on December 23 and 25th at 17:35):
This is my song
Don’t sleep in the subway
I couldn’t live without your love
Downtown
Smile
Edelweiss
Photos from the event:
More details about this event here
I am a lifelong Petula Clark fan and in the past have helped compile official and legal issues for Sanctuary Music, their predecessors (Castle, Knight, Sequel) of Petula’s and other artists (Sandie Shaw, Gary Miller, Cleo Laine etc). I thus have had contact over the years with various staff from Sanctuary and allied labels.
Some months ago I was contacted by Roger Dopson (who I had not been in contact with for some years) who stated he had moved from the now virtually defunct Sanctuary label to a new label Acrobat, which was being run , he said, by Bob Fisher who I had contact with previously.
He asked for my advice on an EARLY YEARS public domain boxed set which I stated I would give. I suggested that a double CD of Petula singing public domain standards would sell best in my opinion.
He then said that Acrobat also owned rights to a Petula Clark album but they were unsure of its release history (i.e., really had no idea what it was). I got him to read me the track listing and it included thesongs GIVE IT A TRY and MAD ABOUT YOU. I thus knew that this was the Jango sessions. I asked him if he was certain Acrobat had the rights and he assured me this was so. I have no idea whether or not this is true.
I told him the history of the set and he said that Acrobat were going to issue it and he asked if I had the original issue. I of course did and agreed to lend it to him so that Acrobat could scan the original pictures and issue it as it had been intended. Many companies have issued this with completely misleading photographs (mainly 1960’s but occasionally 1950’s and some snap shots that were not flattering). I duly lent him the CD by post so that he could scan it (he assured me they had master tapes).
Not long after Roger Dopson sent me a tracklisting of a boxed set which dismayed me. It was clearly a joining up of well researched prestigious releases on the Jasmine and Sepia labels (even the titles were annotated in the same way as on these releases). There were certain very rare tracks that could only have been sourced from existing releases. I was dismayed. In particular he has listed a song from THE HUGGETTS ABROAD film which had never been issued commercially and which had Petula’s co-stars chatting in the middle of it . This was to start the first CD.
I felt this a very poor commercial choice and felt they had not sourced the song from the film but had merely copied the now issued copy from the recent CD on Jasmine.I emailed Acrobat and told them my feelings regarding the CD. Their reply was that they were the experts and that they did not want or need my help. Very strange considering they had traced me (my email having changed) and had specifically requested my advice.
I told them I wanted nothing to do with them or their label and that in no way was I to be mentioned on their releases. I also asked for my GIVE IT A TRY CD to be returned. Over several months I emailed Roger Dopsonabout 8 times demanding its return. I then contacted Bob Fisher several times by email. From Mr Dopson I got no reply but Bob Fisher did reply.
Eventually about 2 weeks ago after many more emails I got my CD back in the post. The following day I got an email from Roger Dopson, somewhat hysterical in nature, stating that Acrobat was going out of business except as a download only company. I can forward this email to you if it will be of interest.
I am the owner of an acetate from the 40’s which had no issue until 1994, when I gave rpm records permission to use it for three years. This is its one and only issue – the track is called GET WELL SOON. I notice that Acrobat have issued this on their boxed set and I repeatedly asked for an explanation. Eventually Bob Fisher admitted in an email that they had sourced it from the rpm CD. He stated this was legal as the track was public domain. Not so – the publication date is 1994.
On their box set they quite childishly state in the notes (largely borrowed from ones written me for other sets – without any permission from me to use them ) that Harry Richards did not want to be mentioned. (My name being Richard Harries). As opposed to not mentioning me as required by me. Most offensive. I feel that this company have acted in a disgraceful and reprehensible way. If I had realised the sort of business they were I would not have had any contact with them .
Yours Sincerely
Richard Harries
Petula’s musical director Kenny Clayton will be peforming his one-man-show at the prestigious Old Market in Brighton (UK) on November 14th starting at 7pm. There are a still a few tickets remaining, price includes meal. Book online here>>
Kenny recently suffered a fall breaking his foot! He will be pleased to disgard his cruches and for those of you who have emailed, Kenny is making a speedy recovery!
This concert appearance by Kenny is presented by Sarah Kingham.
On January 27, 2009 Warner Home Video will make sure Cupids everywhere have their choice of inspiration with the introduction of two different groups of highly demanded, all new-to-DVD romantic film favorites.
The magnificent Peter O’Toole earned a Best Actor Oscar® nomination, and won a Golden Globe® Best Actor award for his portrayal of the title role in this 1969 musical adaptation of the famed James Hilton novel. O’Toole and his leading lady Petula Clark are a beguiling romantic duo taking on the roles first established on the screen by Robert Donat and Greer Garson in 1939 original. Herbert Ross (The Turning Point, The Goodbye Girl) directed the Terrence Rattigan screenplay which is embellished by the memorable music and lyrics of Leslie Bricusse (Stop the World, I Want to Get Off). This release presents the film in its original full-length roadshow version.
| Petula Clark dazzles Manila Hotel crowd |
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Everyone who was at the Manila Hotel Tent City last Sept. 12 had great nostalgic fun listening to Petula Clark’s rendition of songs of the 60’s and 70s which she popularized during her heyday as Britain’s most successful female singer who also later became America’s No. 1 vocalist during the British musical invasion of the US in the 60’s. It was admirable that at her age, Petula’s voice has remained powerful, and her style easy and comfortable, sounding the same even after several decades of performing. She proved to all and sundry that her being a Grammy Hall of Famer has not lost luster and that she still could command an audience to sit down and listen. And be awed by the legend that she is.
Starting off the concert at the packed Tent City (the rather inclement weather didn’t deter people from trooping to the Manila Hotel that night) was fast-rising classical-pop quarter Angelos who sang “Canto Alla Vita,” a staple on their repertoire which they have performed in shows here and abroad. After them, the Three Tenors (former Sen. Joey Lina, MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando and DoE Sec. Angelo Reyes) went onstage to dish out lively numbers like “Volare” and “Amor, Amor, Amor.” Each of the Three Tenors also came up with impressive solo numbers: BF sang “Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes,” Reyes belted out “Let Me Try Again,” and Lina rendering “Climb very Mountain.”
As to Petula, she began her repertoire with “Who Am I,” followed by “This is My Song,” “Sign of the Times,” “Answer Me,” “You and I,” and “Kiss Me Goodbye.”
It was Petula’s first visit to the Philippines, and so she introduced herself as British, then went on to explain that she developed her love for singing because her mother was Welsh. The Welsh, apparently, love to sing. She also noted that famous singers and actors were Welsh like her, such as Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Richard Burton.
She also reminisced working with the legendary Fred Astaire on “Finian’s Rainbow.” She related how nervous she was dancing with him that she was surprised to find out that he was just as nervous singing with her. Then she went on to sing “Look to the Rainbow,” which she said always reminds her of Astaire.
Towards the end of the show, Petula called back onstage the Three Tenors and together they sang “Let it Be Me” and “Smile.” The number turned out beautifully, even though Lina kept on insisting that they had “no talent.” Petula enjoyed it though, even kidding BF that she’s going to vote for him (but as to be winner of the “Celebrity Duets” or president of the land in 2010, she didn’t elaborate though).
Of course, the show wouldn’t be complete without Petula’s signature song “Downtown,” which the crowd gamely sang along to. The night ended with the song “I Couldn’t Live Without You Love” to which the audience gave a roaring applause.
Moments after the end of the show, Clark who didn’t seem tired at all, came out to sign autographs for fans who bought her “Greatest Hits” CD and even brought their old LPs which were in mint condition. For a great show and an up-close encounter with Petula Clark, it was all worth it for Filipino fans of the 60s.
“Petula Clark…Downtown” at the Manila Hotel Tent City was produced by Beth Sison-Tagle of Newsmakers and presented by Smart Communications. Other sponsors included the LT Group of Companies, Absolute Distilled Drinking Water, and Agatha of Salon Isabel.
Proceeds of the concert will go to the following beneficiaries: The livelihood projects of Bayanihang Pilipino, Inc., the feeding programs of the Rotary Club of Manila 101, and the day care centers and feeding programs of the Inner Wheel Clubs of the Philippines, Inc. |
Your fans are excited that you’re finally coming to the Philippines for a concert.
“You know, I’ve never been to the Philippines and I’m just as excited. It’s a first for me and I’m glad to hear that Filipinos are just as excited, too.”
What have you heard about the Philippines?
“Oh, I have Filipino acquaintances here in Switzerland, in the UK and in France. I heard that the Philippines is a beautiful country and that the Filipinos really love music.”
You are the first successful female artist to have come from England and you are said to define the term “international superstar.” How do you feel about it?
“Oh, I don’t know…I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about it.
You know, I started singing when I was a child, at the age of about eight. It’s not like I became a star when I was 18.”
Was it hard to start a career at that age and last this long?
“I suppose to. I enjoyed singing when I was a child and I enjoy it now…just as much now, actually. You know, I did have some problems during my adolescence but I guess that every adolescent has problems. My problems were perhaps more difficult because I was growing up in public. But apart from that, no problem. I love singing and it’s a great joy to be able to do something that you like so much.”
You started at eight years old. Don’t you think that you missed part of your childhood?
“Let’s put it this way. I had a different childhood. I didn’t have a normal childhood; I don’t know what a normal childhood is. Childhood is a magic time and it happens very fast. Other children might have been going through the different stages of childhood and I must have been going through the same experience but only on a different level.”
Of course, your voice at age eight was different from your voice now. How do you adjust your vocal cords to the type of music you’re doing as you grew up?
“I really don’t know. But it seems that my voice hasn’t really changed since I was a child. It sounds the same to me and, I hope, to other people. I don’t think my voice has changed much at all. I still sing the same songs, like Downtown and Don’t Sleep in the Subway, in the same key as when I recorded them.”
Who influenced you to be a singer? Is anybody else in the family into singing?
“Not really. My mother was Welsh. I don’t know much about the Welsh people but I guess they are very, very musical. They love to sing, like the Italians. Tom Jones is Welsh, and so is Shirley Bassey. Among the actors, Anthony Hopkins is Welsh. You know, music is in our veins but I didn’t really come from a musical family at all.”
Would you remember the very first song that you ever learned how to sing?
“Yes, I do. It was a song called Mighty Like a Rose and, in fact, I first sang it when I was six years old. At age eight, I was already famous and I continued singing that song.”
In the ’60s, you became a superstar along with, among others, The Beatles.
“You know, I worked so hard on my career. I married a Frenchman and we moved to France, and I became France’s No. 1 singer. That was before 1964 when Downtown was recorded. The ’60s were a special time for me. The Beatles made it much easier for British singers to be played on the radio. Downtown became a hit in America and I did a lot of hits after that.”
Were your songs inspired by real life? You know, when you’re alone and life is making you lonely you can always go, downtown.
“You know, I have my downtimes as well like everybody else and in times like that, I take my mind away from it, and get out and see the rest of the world.”
Do you still go downtown?
(Laughs) “Oh yes, I do.”
When you look back at the ’60s and ’70s, what are your fondest memories?
“I have many, many fond memories. You know, they were wonderful years. They were also complicated years because, you know, I was married and I had two children then. We have now three children.
I was traveling all over the place and I was trying to be a good mother and a good performer. Luckily, I was working with amazing people.”
Do you listen to the new breed of singers? How different the singers today from those of your time?
“I think you know the answer to that. Hmmmm…You know, there are good and there are bad. There were good singers and bad singers then, and there are good singers and bad singers now. The world has changed a lot and so has the music industry and the people. People don’t seem to buy records as much as people back then did. That’s one thing I don’t like about it.”
You sang for the Allied Forces during World War II, earning you the title “Singing Sweetheart” for American soldiers abroad. Wasn’t it very risky singing near the frontline?
“Ahhh, I was never allowed to go on the frontline. There was another little girl who was also singing at that time. Her name is Julie Andrews.”
Oh, Julie Andrews! I interviewed her a few years ago in Hollywood for the movie Princess Diaries. She’s a very nice lady like you.
“Julie is a very, very, very nice lady. We used to perform for the troops but in different camps.”
Were you rivals?
“Hmmm…We were not exactly rivals. We both just like to sing.” (Adding with a laugh) “But I think our parents were rivals.”
You also appeared in movies, one of them Finian’s Rainbow, with Peter O’Toole as co-star, for which you got an Oscar nomination. And you did Broadway (Sound of Music, etc.), too. Do you consider yourself more of a singer than as an actress?
“I enjoy acting as much as I enjoy singing. As a little girl, I also wanted to be an actress; I didn’t think of myself as being a singer. Singing and acting are very closely related. When I’m doing a show, it’s wonderful because I have to act and feel what I am singing. To me, that’s perfection. When I do a concert, as I am doing in Manila, every show is like a play in my mind. So I use acting when I sing and vice-versa.”
Petula, when you come to Manila, please sing your old songs. We’d love to hear them all over again. (Such as Love This is My Song, I Know a Place, I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love, A Sign of the Times, Kiss Me Goodbye and many others.)
“Oh yes, I will.”
I understand that you live in Geneva. How’s your life in Geneva?
“My family has been away in Turkey and I was left home with the dogs. To be honest with you, I don’t really live here; I go to many different places. Geneva is a nice place to come back to when you’re away for long. It’s a very relaxing place.”
What do you do to relax? Do you listen to music?
“I write music. I play the piano. By the way, can you tell me…does everybody speak very good English in the Philippines?”
Oh yes. English is our second language.
“Oh, that’s good because during a concert I also love to talk. It’s not just about singing, it’s about talking to the audience. I’m really looking forward to performing in the Philippines.”
What have you been busy with these days, aside from doing concerts?
“That’s about it. I did a UK tour at the beginning of summer. I’ve been writing, writing, writing. I also spend time in the French Alps where we have a house. After Manila, I’ll be in Vancouver, then New York and then Rome.”
Where are your children?
“Well, we are a very unusual family. We’re not always together. I have a daughter who lives in New York. She has two beautiful children. I have another daughter who lives in Paris; she’s not married. Last night, I had dinner with my son who got married three weeks ago; he lives in Geneva. We are living in different places, all right, but we try to see each other as often as we can. We are probably a much closer family than most people I know.”
Did you sing your children to sleep when they were kids?
“Yes, I did. I wish I could do the same thing to my grandchildren. They think I’m a pretty cool grandmother because I usually ride around in limousines and they see me singing in fine hotels. I’m not the usual grandmother.”
Petula, what song do you want to be remembered for?
“Ahhh…that’s difficult. Let me think…Tony Bennett is best remembered for I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Yes, I want to be remembered for Downtown.”
Delta Music (UK) are issuing a 54 track (over 2 CDs) collection of Petula’s public domain recordings. This collection (pictured) is to be released on October 6th, 2008. The Delta Music website is offering the CD ahead of its release date with free delivery within the UK. Tracks listing is as follows:
CD ONE
With All My Heart / Gonna Find Me A Bluebird / Alone (Why Must I Be Alone) / Long Before I Knew You / The Little Shoemaker / Majorca / Suddenly There’s A Valley / It’s Foolish But It’s Fun / Sonny Boy / Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart / I Yi, Yi, Yi, Yi / As Time Goes By / You Are My Lucky Star / Goodnight My Love / I Wish I Knew / Slumming On Park Avenue / It’s The Natural Thing To Do / Afraid To Dream / Sleepy Eyes / The Sky / Who Needs You / Temptation Rag / Three Little Kittens / A Long Way To Go / A Million Stars Above / Another Door Opens / Band Of Gold
CD TWO
Chee Chee Oo Chee (Sang The Little Bird) / Christopher Robin At Buckingham Palace / Cold Cold Heart / Crazy Otto Rag / Fascinating Rhythm / Fortune Teller / Helpless / How Are Things With You? / Little Johnny Rainbow / Meet Me In Battersea Park / My Love Is A Wanderer / Poppa Piccolino / Romance In Rome / Smile / Somebody / Tennessee Waltz / The Pendulum Song / The Who-Is-It Song / To You My Love / Tuna Puna Trinidad / Where Did My Snowman Go? / Who Spilt Coffee On The Carpet / You Are My True Love / You’re The Sweetest In The Land / Broken Heart (With Jimmy Young) / Mariandl (With Jimmy Young) / I’ll Always Love You
Tickets for the 3 concerts in Holland which headline Petula, will go on sale on August 13th, 2008 and can be purchased from that date onwards from the following official ticket vendor: ticketpoint.nl or are available by calling: 00 31 900 0900 8000.
These concerts are being performed at the Jaarbeurs Convention Centre, Utrecht (30 miles south of Amsterdam) on December 12th and 13th @ 8:00pm and on December 14th @ 2:00pm. Other artistes will also perform at this event including The Inspirational Community Gospel Choir, Guido’s Orchestra and Band and Anita Meyer. The concerts will last for approximately 2h:45 with an interval.
These concerts are the 5th MaxProms. In previous years Dionne Warwick (2007) and Rod McKuen (2006) headlined. Questions? Please email the webmaster at: info@petulaclark.co.uk
Where do our values come from? Are they taught or caught? Do the values and beliefs we have at seven years old carry through to adulthood?
Phil George talks to people from all walks of Welsh life about how they developed their values. Have their ideas changed and how do they influenced the way they live their lives?
On Monday August 4th, 2008 @ 18:30 Petula Clark talks to Phil George about the values that have sustained her as an internationally successful singer, actress and composer.
Listen live via the BBC Radio Wales website>>
Or listen again for the next 7 days via the BBC iplayer
Booking will soon open for 3 concerts to take place in Holland. Petula will perform with a 50 piece orchestra and her appearances are part of the Max-Proms. The concerts are to be held at the Jaarbeurs Convention Centre, Utrecht (30 miles from Amsterdam) on December 12, 13 @ 8pm and on the 14th @ 2pm. Please check back for further updates and ticketing links.
The convention centre is well served by a courtesy bus from Amsterdam airport and this is a wonderful opportunity to take an inexpensive short break or even a day trip from the UK.
More news on this to follow . . .
PETULA CLARK 