Now here’s an unlikely duet. Former Happy Mondays bassist Paul Ryder, brother of Shaun and now frontman of his own band Big Arm, is set to team up with Downtown singing legend Petula Clark.
It all happened after a chance encounter in Florida, where Paul was on holiday with his family when he noticed Petula was performing nearby.
“I’ve loved her ever since Downtown was a hit when I was a kid,” Paul says.
“We all went to see her and she was simply stunning. She looks amazing for her age and her voice is even better than on the recordings. She put on an amazing show with a full band and sang all the old hits. I was spellbound.”
Paul met Petula after the show and was staggered to learn that she had heard of his band, as his album has been released in France where she has a home.
“We got on really well – we both have houses in France and we were talking about that, then I plucked up the courage to ask her if she would sing on a song on my new album and she said she would. So I really can’t wait. She’s such a legend.”
Hopefully the fruits of their labour will be on Big Arm’s follow-up to their debut album, Radiator.
