bobbo428's Full Review: Downtown: The Greatest Hits of Petula Clark by Pet...
Today is Petula Clark's b-day (68th?), so I decided to review this album by her. I remember most of her hits from my childhood--the mid-to-late 1960s. Her sound combined optimistic vocals with brassy instrumentation, making almost all of her songs sound like spring hits.
Petula, born and raised in Scotland, was a star in Britain long before she broke through in America in the mid-1960s. And what a breakthrough--"Downtown was one of those songs that has always brought a smile to my face. I was only three when it came out, but I remember hearing it when I was that age--it was that irresistible. The song soared to #1 in January 1965.
Her followup, "I Know a Place," continued in the same vein; it was a song about having something to look forward to at the end of the day, forgetting all your cares, and simply hanging out with the gang. Petula Clark sounds like a friend to all of us in her first two hits, and you can't help but to feel happier when this song come on.
"My Love" was Clark's second #1 hit, in early 1966. This is a paean to unconditional love, and the song shares its title with a 1973 ballad by Paul McCartney, as well as a weepy 1983 ballad by Lionel Richie.
"A Sign of the Times" was a springtime hit in 1966--the brassy bombast gives the song an irresistible hook. The lyrics tell of a relationship that is on the upswing after troubled times. Her lover is treating her better, and the singer is awestruck that he's improved so much.
"I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" was another song about a relationship--this one tells of a woman who didn't care much for her lover at first:
"Didn't like you much when I first met you,
but somehow I couldn't quite forget you"
This is about a late-blooming romance, the antithesis to the love-at-first-sight-then-shun-forever syndrome. As always, the hook builds from a cautious piano intro to the familiar brass section kicking in toward the middle.
"Color My World," her final hit of 1966, was popular when I myself was learning the colors. I can just see myself examining each crayon in my Crayola box--each shade and hue--while this song was a hit. In addition, I was addicted to Play-Doh in the mid-1960s, and it came in four colors. I used to think these were the only four colors in the world--red, blue, green, and yellow. I soon discovered that there were hundreds of other permutations. This Petula Clark song was an excellent backdrop to my learning the various tints and shades of the world.
"This Is My Song" was a slow, reflective ballad which reached the top five in the spring of 1967. It was from a movie (about a countess, I believe). I used to think it was called "Song of Serenade" for the longest time.
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" was one of my personal favorites. It was a hit in the month of June, around the time kids get antsy and anxious for the school year to end. The song, for some reason, reminded me of a rollercoaster ride. The lyrics admonish a stubborn guy to swallow his pride and stay with her. The couple had just had a fight, and the guy pretended he had somewhere to go. This was one song that had the usual carefree melody but had more combative lyrics.
"The Other Man's Grass" was another of my favorites. It was not a big hit, but the advice was timeless:
"Some are happy, some are not--
but just be thankful for what you've got."
This song tells of a woman who reflects on what life would be like if she was rich--she'd imagine that life would be carefree, and she'd be able to sleep in every day. However, in this song, she's grateful for the simple life she does have. Ironically, this single was released around Thanksgiving, 1967.
"Kiss Me Goodbye," Clark's last top-20 hit, was a plaintive ballad that was released in early 1968. She knows that she and her boyfriend do not love each other anymore, and she wants that final kiss to last. Petula does a good job of bringing out the sadness without being overwrought. This is the sort of love song that works best--a lot can be conveyed by understatement--the less you say, paradoxically, the more you say. Phil Collins has a new single, "Can't Stop Loving You," that has a very similar melody, especially in the verses. Collins' song reminds me of a woman I met in January 2003, Fran, whom I liked right away.
Unfortunately, the set didn't include "Don't Give Up," her last top-40 hit, from the summer of 1968. This uplifting gem wasn't one of her top hits, but I recall it quite well. You can't win 'em all, I guess.
In summary, this is a good summation of the career of a singer that had a lot of hits in the mid-to-late-60s. It was a stormy time in our history, but Petula Clark helped us navigate those storms.
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