Customer Reviews

Ultimate Petula Clark

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When Petula Clark burst onto the U.S. music scene in 1965 with her million-selling No. 1 hit "Downtown," most Americans had no idea that the then 32-year-old singer had already been performing and recording in her native England for the past fifteen years. Clark was no overnight sensation. Her first U.K. Top 10 hit dates back to 1954, and she had her first U.K. No. 1 in 1960 with an English language version of Lolita's German language single "Sailor (Your Home Is the Sea)."

However, the British Invasion made her one of the biggest female stars of the mid-60s, and this collection focuses on the hit years from 1965 to 1971. Her final Top 40 hit was 1968's "Don't Give Up," but the following year she reached No. 62 with "Happy Heart." The final three tracks are from 1970-71, including "I Don't Know How To Love Him," which reached No. 47 in the U.K. And although Clark's cover of the Box Top's "Neon Rainbow" was not released as a single, it is a highlight from this period.

Her best (and best known) material includes such classics as "Downtown," "I Know a Place," "My Love," "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "Don't Sleep in the Subway"--all written, arranged and produced by Tony Hatch. This single-disc collection includes all her hits and the terrific 16-page booklet is filled with pictures, album covers and an informative essay. Nostalgia buffs can't go wrong with this one. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Petula began her recording career in the forties (at a time when she was more interested in acting than singing) and continued to record in the new millennium, making her career one of the longest in popular music history. Despite some excellent recordings at other times, the sixties were her best and most productive and it is that music that forms almost the whole of this collection.

Downtown is the song that people remember Petula best for (at least in the English speaking world) and it rightly opens this collection. Other hits include I know a place, Round every corner, My love, A sign of the times, I couldn't live without your love, Color my world, This is my song and Don't sleep in the subway. You're the one is a song written by Petula, which was a hit for her in other counties, but it was the Vogues who had the American hit.

If you are looking for a single CD containing all Petula's American hits of the sixties and you're not interested in other aspects of her career, this is the ideal collection for you.

The first eighteen tracks here also formed the first eighteen tracks of the double-CD Downtown to Sunset Boulevard, a compilation that also includes plenty of songs from stage and screen as well as some of her seventies music. If you are interested in these aspects of career, you might consider buying that compilation instead.

The pairing of Tony Hatch with Petula Clark was perhaps the best composer / female vocalist match of the 1960's. This CD contains all fifteen of Petula's American top forty hits. Her vocals in these tracks are characterized by impeccable timing, finesse, and deceptive power. The #1 hit My Love, The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener, Colour My World, and Round Every Corner are playful songs with silly lyrics that are elevated by lush musical arrangements and Pet's superb vocals. Don't Sleep In The Subway is a beautiful, buoyant, up-tempo song, and Downtown and I Know A Place are 60's classics. Don't Give Up is a beautiful uplifting song with Petula's trademark jazzy improvisations and The Cat In The Window is an excellent pop/jazz blend with odd lyrics.

The other six songs display Petula's versatility. Her recording of You're the One is the equal of the Vogues version. Happy Heart and Call Me are also excellent tracks and I Don't Know How To Love Him is one of many excellent show tunes Petula has recorded during her long career.

If you like a few of her American hits, this is the Petula Clark CD to purchase. However, if you enjoy several of her songs, you will obtain more value and enjoyment from one of her multi-CD compilations which draws from her extensive, diversified catalogue of more than 1,000 recorded songs, such as Downtown To Sunset Blvd, Legendary, or the 2002 release, The Ultimate Collection.

For an all too brief period in the mid 1960's Petula Clark was a major force on both the Billboard Hot 100 and on Top 40 radio as well. I became a big fan the very first time I heard her breakout hit "Downtown" in late 1964. Over the next several years Petula Clark would brighten America's airwaves with sensational singles like "I Know A Place", "Don't Sleep In The Subway", "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "My Love" to name but a few. You will find just about all of Petula's American hits in BMG's marvelous 2003 offering "Ultimate Petula Clark". This is a collection that was long overdue but well worth the wait.
Born in Epsom England in 1932, Petula Clark made her entrance into show business at a very young age. In fact she hosted her very own radio show "Pet's Parlour" at the age of 11 and made her debut on the British charts way back in 1954. At the tender age of 22 Petula Clark would become a major recording star in Britain. She maintained a constant presence on the British charts for the next decade and was a major star throughout Europe as well. Then lightning struck in early 1965 when "Downtown" went all the way to #1 on the U.S. pop charts.
American audiences fell in love with this bouncy and multi-talented performer. And they rushed out and bought her records. "Ultimate Petula Clark" includes great tunes like "A Sign of the Times", the hard-to-find "You'd Better Come Home" as well as Petula's stunning interpretation of "This Is My Song", a tune written by silver screen legend Charlie Chaplin. I might also recommend to you a couple of other gems including "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" and of course the haunting "Kiss Me Goodbye" which peaked at #15 back in the Spring of 1968.
"Ultimate Petula Clark" offers just about all of Petula Clark's important American hit singles. These are the original Warner Brothers recordings you heard on the radio. The 16 page booklet is done with a great deal of care and I am very pleased to report that the remastering job is first rate as well. All in all, this one is a winner in every respect. Highly recommended!!!

This CD has the best sound quality and packaging of Petula's original hits from the 1960s-early 1970s. All the songs are in stereo and taken from original master tapes and the fidelity is wonderful. Plus the CD has beautiful photographs and top-notch liner notes from music journalist Paul Grein. This is the best and most complete single CD of Petula's U.S. hits.

Wow! Just finished listening to the song, "Downtown" and it still gives me "chicken skin." Amazing, still as good as I first heard it in the 60's! Wow! Petula Clark doesn't get enough credit for her singing prowess! How it makes one feel (gooood and positive).

I think I have every Petula Clark "Greatest Hits collections known to man. (Guilty Pleasure). I truly have to say this is the best of the best. Number One, the fidelity of the re-master is flawless. The selection is wonderful. If you love "Pet" like I know most do, do yourself and all you play it for a super service and click the purchase now icon. djpaulegan

This is perhaps one of the best sounding collection of Petula Clark's music available, but do note there IS a mastering error on "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" - the channels are reversed.

Compare the presentation on this disc to any other and you'll hear it.

Aside from that, they used reasonable masters and I've yet to hear a better collection on disc.

This is definately the best collection of Petula Clark hits ever assembled! I remember as a teenager in 1965 hearing "Downtown" for the first time on KYA radio in San Francisco. At that time (almost exactly) the Beatles, Righteous Brothers, Simon and Garfunkle, The Drifters, Jefferson Airplane, and several others had BIG hits at the time also. There is only one downside to THIS collection. They are remix versions of her biggest hits...and do NOT sound exactly the same as the originals. I see nothing wrong with cleaning up tape hiss etc... but this is a total remix of the original recordings. In Downtown, the original you could hear the drums very clearly. In the remix version, you barely hear them! It's not bad, but does not match the original recording. Few record producers in the pop genre at that time took any special pains in recording quality. But Downtown sounded better than the average recording at that time.

WOW... Petula truly shines here! I'm naturally a rock-n-roller, but had to get this gem from Petula Clark. Hearing these songs plants your feet into another time and place. Absolute '60s joy. May God Bless You, Petula, for your contributions to an amazing musical era! If you love the '60s, GET THIS ALBUM and join the Petula Fan Club (Hmmm... I'll have to look that up!).