A Sing Of The Times
April 27th, 2008
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! 
Another track from the same LP is a Pet-penned autobiographical tune, “Two Rivers.”
Filed under: All Posts, Petula Clark
Tags: Petula Clark
6 Comments Add your own
1. jeanie beanie | April 28th, 2008 at 6:33 am
I love this song! I wonder if Tony Basil choreographed this. Now I’m in the mood for that “Daddy Song” with Davy Jones again. Please?
Recently you posted somebody singing with background dancers who were wearing LONG go-go boots. I was having trouble with my server and couldn’t comment on that. I think I like the LONG go-go boots even more.
One more point: all those fashions, at least the fabrics and color designs, are coming back! Spend a few hours shopping with your pre-teen daughter and it’s like you’ve been gone back in time 40 years! However, big, long tunics are in right now. Makes your 12-year-old look pregnant.
2. DOuG pRATt | April 28th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Hmm… trying to think of what other post you’re referring to. As was discussed in the previous post of this video, Toni was based in LA, and with the Ed Sullivan Show in NY, it seems somewhat unlikely, although possible, that Toni Basil did the choreography. She was hired by George Lucas to do the high school dance scene in “American Graftiti.”
3. jeanie beanie | April 29th, 2008 at 6:52 am
I remember! It was Harry Belefonte singing “A Little More Night” or whatever right before his duet with our Pet. He seemed awkward doing that, but man, those long go-go boots on the dancers are GROOVY! Hint: I’m a size 8 1/2, if you should ever find a cheap pair of originals on e-Bay. JUST KIDDING!
4. Dave | April 29th, 2008 at 11:36 am
A propos of the second clip, apparently Petula wrote a new verse including the Hudson, for her North American audience.
I remember that on her 2002 tour of the UK and Ireland, she reintroduced the song as her “at the piano” number. It has disappeared now in favour of either “La vie en rose” or “I wanna hold your hand”, depending on the night… or I suppose her mood. She was quipping recently that Paul needed the royalties. (Apparently they are buddies.)
Often in the UK there are French people in the audience (more of that in a minute), and she often sings a little bit in French for them. So if she knows that there are French people in she will do “La vie en rose”.
Last time I saw her was in Bradford about a year ago, there was a dad and his son from Cote D’Ivoire in the audience, (and some other French speakers too). She sang her 1961 hit Marin/Sailor, half in French, half in English. The wee lad was only 8, and he had come from Africa to see his hero. He was put up on stage with her at the end, and you shoulda seen his face… wow, was he a happy little boy. Some place on the Petnet site there is a photo of them together after the show.
5. DOuG pRATt | April 30th, 2008 at 12:35 am
Petnet? Oh, I like that!
Good joke about Paul Mac needing money. She didn’t need him, she didn’t feed him, when he was 64!
6. DOuG pRATt | April 30th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
It’s a dress! Or maybe it’s a coat! Whatever it is she’s wearing, she’s adorable in it.
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