Petula Clark - Ultimate Petula Clark (21 tracks) +Album Reviews

Excellent if not ultimate...

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 06/07/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hailing from the U.K., Petula Clark was an established star there and in other parts of Europe, especially France (one should not hold that against her though) when she, paired with the songwriting talents of Tony Hatch, blasted onto the American pop charts with her signature tune "Downtown" in 1964. And she was no one-hit wonder by any means as she saw 20 more of her recordings appear in the top-100 over the next decade. Though she has been an active performer for four decades, her golden era was in the 60's and this collection from BMG gathers up her biggest hits along with a few non-pop-charting tunes. And while this piece does offer the cream of her musical pop crop, it is by no means the "ultimate", inferring a complete or comprehensive, collection. With the plethora of Clark CD's in the market, the title may merely be a way to garner attention for what otherwise would be perceived as just another PC compilation. However, as a single disc, greatest hits piece, this is top of the line. Anyone who ever had a pop station tuned in during the 60's will instantly click with such tunes as "I Know A Place", the bouncy "Downtown" follow-up, "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love", "My Love", the multi-Grammy nominated "Don't Sleep In The Subway" and the heart-wrenching bittersweet "Kiss Me Goodbye". While some of her lesser-charting tunes are absent here, there are so many superb tracks here that the avid fan and casual listener alike can enjoy the entire disc without tiring of the music. Adding to the qualities here is the excellent sound quality encouraging the listener to relish every nuance of these performances. Finishing up the package is a 16-page liner notes booklet with the artist's history, track details and pics. As such this piece represents about the best single-disc collection of this icon of 60's adult pop music. A definite buy."

All the American sixties hits on single CD

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 05/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

+ 1/2 stars...All the Top 40 US Hits

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 08/29/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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

"

FINALLY . . . ALL THE U.S. HITS ON ONE COMPILATION CD

Thomas C. Rizzo, Jr. | Largo, Florida | 04/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Petula Clark was not only the first British female vocalist to top the U.S. charts when "Downtown" hit #1 in early 1965, but she was the most successful as well. Over the next few years, she followed her introduction to American audiences with fourteen more titles that registered in the Top 40, and for the first time ever, all of them have been compiled on one CD. Those not familiar with Clark's work beyond "My Love" and "This is My Song" may be surprised to find included here songs more commonly associated with the Vogues and Chris Montez - but Clark not only recorded "You're the One" and "Call Me" for her "I Know a Place" LP, she also co-wrote the former. Kudos to Sony Music Studios in NYC for mastering the originals, giving them a crystal clear quality that perfectly showcases Clark's distinctly impeccable phrasing. This is the perfect collection not only for long-time fans who still follow Clark in her 64th year of entertaining - having just hit the Top 20 in France with a new release there, she holds the record for the longest span on international music charts, an astounding 49 years - but for those who want a definitive compilation of hits from the most successful British female vocalist in recording history."

Petula Clark's American Hits

masterbill | Long Island, New York | 04/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

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