POLL: Your Thoughts on Petula Clark

[saltpoint]

I was just beginning puberty when "Don't Sleep in the Subway" hit the Top 40. I still own that .45 rpm record.

Petula Clark's songs were part of the soundtrack to that period of my life. She speaks several languages, has dozens of recordings, and has starred in films, including GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS, with Peter O'Toole, and FINNEGAN'S RAINBOW.

This poll asks DUers for their thoughts on Petula Clark's career, musicianship, cultural impact, and so forth.

An 'OTHER' choice is included to allow you to say anything you feel the poll has not covered.

Which of the following poll choices best reflects your views on Petula Clark?

[saltpoint]

1. Among her other hits are "Kiss Me Goodbye,"

"Who Am I," "Don't Give Up," "A Sign of the Times," "My Love," "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener," and "I Know a Place."

[donco6]

2. THE classic voice of the 60's

In my humble opinion.

Downtown was my favorite. I still find myself humming it in my mind when I go downtown.

[saltpoint]

5. Yes. It's an infectious tune. And who is that trumpeter?

What a great part that trumpeter has in that song, especially at the very end...

[Left Is Write]

11. One of my favorite earworms.

[saltpoint]

16. Mine, too, Left Is Write. She has a recording of --

-- "We Can Work it Out" by the Beatles. Beatles purists would puke to hear me say it, but I love her version as much as theirs. Not more, but as much.

Anyway, that's the vocal that is lodged in my brain and I don't think it's ever going to come out!

[flamingyouth]

3. Love her!

A great singer :D

[saltpoint]

6. That is so nice to hear you say that.

She's only about 4'7", I believe. But she can deliver a tune with some real punch.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Petula is among the best

I "discovered" her stuff when I was about 30, in the heart of the Punk Rock era (and I was listening to a lot of Punk Rock, too). She's just about as good as it gets.

She's actually had MORE hits in French-speaking than in the English-speaking world.

As the "lounge music" movement becomes better established among a new generation of young musicians, her work is being rediscovered. I can still remember finding some of her records for a buck a piece in the early 1980s and really listening to them. Brilliant stuff!

--p!

[saltpoint]

8. Hi, Pigwidgeon. I love it that you were listening to punk --

-- but discovered Petula Clark as well. I love that!

Yes-- hold onto those recordings. I think the price tag on them is going to go way up one of these real-soon days.

[Dogmudgeon]

35. I also discovered The Association around the same time

But that's a whole different world of wonderful.

The minor label re-issues are actually going to be collectors' items sooner. A lot of acts who recorded before the international copyright agreements of the late 1970s have a whole virtual catalog of gray-market albums. They were technically legal, but not "official" releases, and the pressing runs were usually limited to 10,000 or less, especially in the early days of CDs.

--p!

[saltpoint]

40. Hardcore rock fans will wince & perhaps threaten my life --

-- but I would KILL to be able to sing like the guys in The Association.

"Never My Love" and "Along Comes Mary" are so singable (if someone has a better voice than mine, I mean) that they just stay in my head forever.

And I'm not complaining, either.

And I'd love to get my hands on some of those pre-70s gray market recordsings you mention.

[Dogmudgeon]

56. The recordings

The gray market stuff I have is all on CD, so it tends to be post-1985, and the aftermarket (mainly collectibles shops) is still loaded with them. Some are of terrible quality, but some are gems. For a long time, it was the only way to get stuff from Nancy Sinatra and April Stevens. Thank gawd for Rhino Records!

There actually have been a number of younger, more aggressive rockers who have done vocal harmony. Husker Dü is probably best known; my current new favorites are The Raveonettes. Tegan and Sara are also pretty good, even though it's all two-part matched harmony. Many "Emo" and "Kindercore" bands do harmony, and are also big fans of 1960s pop, often covering Cowsills stuff (Susan Cowsill is still a professional musician, working with the Bangles, Dwight Twilley, and Sheryl Crow).

Those hardcore fans who wince deserve what they get. Hell, most of the old-school punks love the older stuff. They single-handedly resurrected songs like Gloomy Sunday and What'll I Do.

--p!

[saltpoint]

57. Well I'm cool with that.

You must have a major collection.

Also I second your praise for Rhino. Those people should be nominated for a Nobel Prize.

Embarrassed to say I don't know most of the artists you name in your second paragraph, but I try to keep an ear out & stumble onto things now and again. Nancy Sinatra is awfully popular in San Francisco (I'm serious) and has even made some record store appearances there. She is much loved, well beyond the "Boots" recording era stuff. I still think "You Only Live Twice" is an underrated song, despite her wonderful vocal.

[BlueJazz]

7. The Musicians she played with were always First Class...

..no "3 chord Bangers"

[saltpoint]

12. Couldn't agree more, Blue Jazz. Her arrangers were --

-- Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent, who knew how to write for real musicians.

They also wrote "You've Gotta Be Loved" by the Montanas, if you've heard that one.

A really full sound with something for the musicians to DO.

[Rowdyboy]

9. Though "Isn't her husband running for president" was my favorite...

I had to go with #1....

[saltpoint]

13. Hi, Rowdyboy. Nice to see you tonight, as always.

Thanks for voting for #1 (my bias in this one is too obvious! -- that was my vote, too.)

[Crunchy Frog]

10. I really don't know much about her,

but I like the songs of hers that I'm familiar with.

She actually sounds like a very interesting person that I should learn more about.

Anyway, if her name is "Clark", that's good enough for me.;-)

[saltpoint]

14. I wondered if some of the Wes fans would respond...

(thanks, Crunchy Frog. 'appreciate it.)

---
edit: typo

[roguevalley]

15. she and Dusty Springfield. Ahhhhh....

[saltpoint]

18. "Billy Ray was a preacher's son / And when his daddy --

-- would visit, he'd come along..."

I got NO complaints about Ms. Springfield, nosirreebob.

You have good ears, roguevalley.

[Dogmudgeon]

36. I think Sylvie Vartan also recorded a French version of that

Those yé-yé girls were also "outasight"!

--p!

[ewagner]

17. She came into pop music during

the great transition. "Pop" music and rock were just taking over from the era of "crooners". She was a great legitimate musician but not at all in the "rock" style....and she was also a decent actress. Goodbye Mr Chips was a really good movie.

[saltpoint]

20. Agree about the timing of her musical career & --

-- especially about her acting skill. GOODBYE MR. CHIPS is wonderfully done, but sadder than hell! A very affecting film. She and O'toole are exactly the pros to handle it, too.

[Redstone]

19. Her version of "Oh Me oh My" is about the best

song you could ask for.

Redstone

[saltpoint]

21. Hi, Redstone. And that voice! She seems to have --

-- "cased out" the music before she begins to stylize it. Or at least maybe she does -- I have no idea, really.

But whatever it is she does, she does it to wonderful effect.

Her covers are never "filler" material -- she always tries to make them "new" in some way.

[Redstone]

37. Her main strength, I think, is the clarity of her voice.

There's a lot to be said for voices with more character, as with blues singers like Koko Taylor, for example.

But an "uncolored" voice like Clark's is perfect for the right kind of song.

Redstone

[saltpoint]

22. Wow, folks. A lot more of you than I expected have --

-- some interesting thoughts on Petula Clark. Want to thank everyone who's posted so far.

Really appreciate hearing from you on this tonight.

[Straight Shooter]

23. The oldies station here often plays "Don't Sleep In The Subway, Darling"

A lovely melody and Petula gives it just the right feeling.

Uh-oh, earworm digging into my brain ... "Don't sleep in the subway, darling, don't stand in the pouring rain ..."

[saltpoint]

24. "The night is long / Forget your foolish pride / --

-- Nothin's wrong / Now you're beside me again."

It's a GREAT song. A personal favorite.

As I posted in the Poll above, this song and my experience with puberty coincided.

In that song, there's a verse that goes:

You wander around in your own little cloude
When you don't see the Why or the Wherefore
You walk out on me when we both disagree
'Cause to reason is not what you care for

It all means nothing when it's all for who
Take off your coat my love and close the door...

-- but I was in puberty, mind you, and I heard the last line of that verse as: "Take off your CLOTHES my love and close the door."

Forgive me, Petula. I knew not what I was doing!

[Dogmudgeon]

25. One of Pet's major French-language hits

"Chariot" -- it was translated and recorded as "I Will Follow Him". If you understand any French, you'll know that the original was far superior to Little Peggy March's version (and I like LPM). The word chariot in French has a wider range of meanings than in English. The song is about following her man out west in a covered wagon.

It's one of her biggest French-language hits, so it's an easy track to find.

--p!


Chariot
Paroles et Musique: Plante, Stole, Del Roma (Paul Mauriat)
© 1962 - Disque Vogue

Chariot, Chariot, si tu veux de moi
Pour t'accompagner au bout des jours
Laisse moi venir près de toi
Sur le grand chariot de bois et de toile
Nous nous en irons
Du côté où l'on verra le jour
Dans les premiers reflets du ciel
Avant la chaleur du soleil
Sous la dernière étoile

La plaine, la plaine, la plaine
N'aura plus de frontière
La terre, la terre, sera notre domaine
Que j'aime, que j'aime,
Ce vieux chariot qui tangue,
Qui tangue, qui tangue
Si tu veux de moi
Pour dormir à ton côté toujours
L'été sous la lune d'argent
L'hiver dans la neige et le vent
Alors dis-le moi, je pars avec toi
La plaine, la plaine, la plaine
N'aura plus de frontière
La terre, la terre, verra notre domaine
Que j'aime, que j'aime,
Ce vieux chariot qui tremble
Qui tremble, qui tremble
Si tu veux de moi
De ma vie et de mon fol amour
Le long des torrents et des bois
Au cœur des dangers et des joies
Alors dis-le moi, je pars avec toi

[saltpoint]

27. I heard this recording in a Berkeley bookshop one night.

I was in California for a long sojourn and this was playing when I walked in.

I just listened respectfully and let her voice kind of hit me there in the store.

A very nice thing. And I am jealous of her many languages.

[Floogeldy]

26. Love her

She was really big time across the water.

B-) B-)

[saltpoint]

28. Hi, Floog! Yes -- awfully big in Europe.

She was even signed on to do a Plymouth commercial once in the U.S. -- while she sung fragments of "the Beat goes on."

That sounds like I'm making it up, but it's true.

[saltpoint]

29. A friend from Malaysia has just emailed me on Petula Clark --

-- and says he wants to cast a vote for her multilingualism.

That's not specifically in the poll, but I promised to make sure his input was felt in this thread.

So: thumbs up for Ms. Clark from Malaysia.

[Floogeldy]

30. I believe it!

B-)

[Floogeldy]

31. "Goodbye Mr. Chips"

I liked her a lot in that movie.

B-)

[roguevalley]

32. Her brother was Dave Clark from the Dave Clark 5.

[Dogmudgeon]

33. C'mon ... fer real?

Don't go shittin' an old shitter, man. :)

--p!

[saltpoint]

41. Is that true? I had no idea.

Was Dave Clark even British? I need some educatin' here...

[khashka]

34. I like the lady

Great voice, great songs, great personality. What more do you want?

Although I like Lulu better....


Khash.

[saltpoint]

42. Cant' ask for more than tha, Khash. You covered --

-- the bases and pushed all my buttons.

And Lulu rocks. "To Sir With Love" is a one-of-a-kind recording. She has the perfect voice for that song.

[peekaloo]

38. I used to confuse her with Lulu.

Actually I like Lulu better but Petunia, er, Petula has a nice voice and put out some nifty pop songs.

[saltpoint]

44. With those two singers, seems to me you're in a --

-- no-lose situation.

Thanks.

[El Fuego]

39. I only remember one thing

When I was a kid, I inherited a scratchy 45 of "Downtown" and I listened to it over and over and over.

[saltpoint]

45. That sort of behavior, young lady, is --

-- indication of a sound mind.

Good for you!

[CO Liberal]

43. Her Music Will Be Remembered Long After Oasis is Forgotten

:hide:

[saltpoint]

46. I don't want to incite Oasis fans to march on my house --

-- but I do think Petula Clark's recordings will survive as emblematic of a period between the crooner era and the rock era -- some pop music liminal era.

Maybe we could name it the "Don't Sleep in the Subway" era.

Appreciate your post, CO liberal.

[CO Liberal]

50. Oasis Fans

Both of them???

:-)

[saltpoint]

51. Now come on, CO Liberal -- you're going to get me in trouble.

LOL.

: )

[saltpoint]

47. It's Tuesday afternoon and I have re-read your posts --

-- on Petula Clark, people, and you all have just nailed it down.

Thanks very much for the comments and info and musings.

I've put some Petula Clark music on here in the house and will dedicate it to y'all.

Many thanks.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

48. You may love Pet, but can you do this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=1722485

[saltpoint]

53. Good lord, NSMAnymore -- that's pretty close to a --

-- masterstroke of a thread!

I loved it!

I have a "Keeper's Thread" file and with your kind permission, that one is to be added. I must not have been posting around that time because I flat-out don't recall it.

But is it every sharp. Nice goin' and thanks for putting that in front of me tonight!

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

58. you're welcome

just wanted you to know you weren't alone worshipping at the alter :D

[Floogeldy]

49. She turned down leading roles in the films . . . .

"Paradise, Hawaiian Style" (1966), "Valley of the Dolls" (1967), "Airport" (1970), and "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972).

www.imdb.com

B-)

[saltpoint]

54. Floogeldy, I did not know this. I knew that a lot of --

-- producers wanted her to do more acting but I had no idea in what films.

Those are pretty high-profile films, too.

'ppreciate it.

[HEyHEY]

52. I love her

[saltpoint]

55. Me, too, HeyHey. It's the voice and the tunes and --

-- the way the whole thing works, I guess.

I like it that you posted on this one, HeyHey. Thanks.