Category: Music

Petula on Steve Wright’s The Big Show

Steve Wright on BBC Radio 2 promised back here that Petula Clark would be on his show, and indeed she was, last Monday. I missed Cilla Black’s appearance, unfortunately, and if you go back to my Cilla post, you’ll notice “Anyone Who Had A Heart” is almost conspicuous in its absence. That’s because Wright played it shortly before chatting with Petula, and I was saving it for now.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/SteveWrightCillaBlack.mp3]

I let the recording run into the next song, to provide some flavor (excuse me, flavour) of the show. BBC Radio 2 is the only place I can go that gives me the same fun feeling I had as a kid listening to the legendary station Musicradio 77WABC in New York.

OK, so there’s Cilla Black’s cover of Dionne Warwick’s “Anyone Who Had A Heart,” produced by George Martin. That’s an excellent piece of work. Whether or not you consider this recording to be too close to the original, as a vocal it easily holds up in comparison to Petula Clark and Dusty Springfield. Clearly, based on this recording Cilla had the vocal chops, and with nothing else to go on I have to assume it was the way George Martin produced her that kept Cilla Black from greater popularity in America.

So let’s get to Petula’s chat with Steve Wright, shall we?

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/JUN/SteveWrightPetulaClark.mp3]

She doesn’t like being called “Pet”?? The last thing I said when I had my two minutes with her was, “Thank you, Pet.” Yikes! But… that was my one chance. Saying “Pet” isn’t supposed to convey to her that she’s thought of as a child star, because she never was one here. Well, what’s done is done, and there’s no taking it back. I’ll know better next time.

Two British “Birds”

As the risk of being a little too obviously obsessive here, I’ll follow up on a comment I added to my Cilla Black post, about a video that shows Petula Clark’s style, that you can compare to Cilla Black, who was at the cute and coy end of the sexiness spectrum. The video is a little dark, but serviceable. At this link you can read about the TV special they’re promoting.
[flv:/Video/2008/JUN/DeanPetPromo.flv 440 330]

Pop Quiz

I would hope by now you can put names to the faces. Remember how the Beatles looked the same at first? Here you have a blond, a brunette and a redhead, so it’s easy. C’mon, you can do it!

[flv:/Video/2008/JUN/K3Promo.flv 400 300]

If you have any doubts that the three K’s really can sing, and do quiet material, this video has them singing live, with only a piano accompaniment. The song is “Je hebt een vriend” — “You Have a Friend.” The video for the original recording can be seen here on YouTube.

[flv:/Video/2008/JUN/K3FriendCabaret.flv 400 248]

Is It a Bird? A Plane? No! It’s Free Souffriau!

D.F. Rogers wants more Mega Mindy! He didn’t even have to ask, I just know. OK, so maybe I want more Mega Mindy too. She’s played by a woman with the unlikely name of Free Souffriau (SUE-free-oh). Free is quite versatile, and as you’ll hear her English is impeccable. I still haven’t heard how Karen, Kristel, and Kathleen of K3 are with English.

The first video has a live performance of the Mega Mindy theme song with a band and no lip-synching. Near the end she holds out her mic and you can hear the kids singing along. Isn’t that great? The second video on the playlist has Free out of costume, being interviewed with, and by, kids, followed by a video of a song from the show, “Toby Toby.” The last video is the most interesting, with Free as herself, free of Mega Mindy.