Category: Petula Clark

The One and Only Miss Petula Clark!

A Sing Of The Times

I’m going to do one of my rare reruns. It’s a video that’s so much fun it’s worth watching again. It’s Petula Clark’s 1966 appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, performing the Tony Hatch song, “It’s A Sign Of The Times.” The set, the clothes, and the colors really are signs of those times. I remastered the video yet again, for bigger and better quality than the one I did before.

As I’ve long joked, in a perfect world Petula Clark, Julie Andrews, and Diana Rigg would all have been on the American scene at the same time, each dominating their respective fields of entertainment. Oh! Wait! They were! They did! 😉

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I particularly love the way the music moves along when Pet sings the lyric, “Maybe my lucky star, at last decided to shine… maybe somebody knows how long I’ve waited to make you mine.” This is pop music perfection. As a bonus, this time I’ll toss in the original studio recording of the song, taken from a well-worn LP.

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/APR/SignOfTheTimes.mp3]

Another track from the same LP is a Pet-penned autobiographical tune, “Two Rivers.”

[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/APR/TwoRivers.mp3]

Pet Pitches For Coca-Cola

It’s already been over a year since the PBS program The British Beat, hosted by Petula Clark, first aired. Take a look at this video clip I posted, and you’ll see what Comcast analog cable TV looked like, and why I switched to Verizon FiOS digital.

That show wasn’t the first time Pet had been paired, in a sense, with legendary New York DJ Bruce Morrow, aka: Cousin Brucie. Pet did some radio spots for Coca-Cola in the sixties, with Cousin Brucie doing the intro.

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I know that Pet greatly admires the late Dusty Springfield, but as a kid I had a hard time recognizing Dusty’s new songs. Versatile to a fault, is how I would now describe her work. In this regard Springfield was similar to Bobby Darin.

Petula Clark, on the other hand, has a distinctive and immediately recognizable sound that’s all her own, whether she’s belting out a pop tune or a love song. She’s done it all, from small French cabaret performances to lavish Broadway productions. For myself, growing up when I did, Pet represents the same thing the Beatles do — the absolute finest in popular music.

Mr. Brown You’ve Got A Lovely “Daughter”

The interracial Star Trek kiss between Captain Kirk and Lieutenant Uhura is a famous moment in 60’s TV. Petula Clark reversed the genders in her own famous 60’s interracial TV moment, and thereby raised an even bigger ruckus. The director of the show, Steve Binder, tells what happened in this Archive of American Television interview. Thanks to my twinster Jean for spotting this.

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And here is the scene itself, from Petula, April 9, 1968. Binder also directed the famous Elvis comeback special later in ’68, and ten years later he directed yet another legendary hour of TV, the Star Wars Holiday Special!

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On Friday, not far from here, in Boston, UK PM Gordon Brown will be giving the only speech of his visit to the United States. Mr. Brown, could you please request that Her Majesty The Queen grant British-born Pet the well-deserved title of Dame? Speaking of the PETition, there’s a new one worth noting. A request that the Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, be formally commemorated.

This Is Her Song

Tickets for Petula Clark’s appearance on Mother’s Day at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, a mere 80 miles from here, go on sale today at 10am.

 

P.S. I have my tickets! Ordered them online, and I have a link that lets me print them myself. Also, our man in Scotland, Dave, reports the following has been posted by the British government at this link.

Read the Government’s response

Thank you for your e-petition.

Petula Clark’s achievements in music are well known and respected. It is easy to see why so many people want to see her record formally recognised. This is underlined by the fact over a thousand people have signed the e-petition on the No 10 website calling for her to be made a Dame. Your support has been carefully noted.

This is only acknowledgment that the PET-ition has been noted, not that it is being acting upon. The whole concept of petitioning the UK gov’t online is new, so there’s no way of knowing if this is the standard response. I would point out, however, that there’s no mention of Pet being such a trouper for the troops during WWII. My feeling is her contributions to morale during the war in and of themselves warrant the title of Dame. And of course she’s had such a wonderful career ever since then!

PET-ition Final

The final tally for the PET-ition is 1,129. Thank you to all British citizens and residents who signed.

This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to recommend a Damehood for Petula Clark – which is long overdue.

Submitted by Irene Seaton – Deadline to sign up by: 12 March 2008 – Signatures: 1,129