The One and Only Miss Petula Clark!
Got something neat in the mail today. Yes, that’s an original autograph, guaranteed authentic.
The DVD, just released, is of Petula Clark’s 1968 TV special. Same year as Elvis’ big comeback special, and in fact both shows were produced and directed by the same guy.
The always wonderful Miss Petula Clark will be appearing in concert Saturday night, in San Francisco.
Before I post another video with Pop songtress supreme Petula Clark, let’s back up a little to 1955-56 and put her career into perspective. Rock and Roll was on the horizon, and the Skiffle music craze was huge in England. Pet’s style obviously wasn’t going to mesh with that.
Skiffle was popularized by Lonnie Donegan, who had a huge influence on British kids, including John Lennon. Donegan seemed to have a wide range of musical interests and influences, including Woody Guthrie, who was later a primary inspiration for Bob Dylan. Donegan performs Guthrie’s “Grand Cooley Dam” in this video:
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/FEB07/LonnieDonegan.flv 320 235]
Donegan had a gigantic hit with “Rock Island Line,” a song that he apparently first heard on an old record by Leadbelly. It was such a big hit for Donegan that it crossed over to America, and Stan Freberg did a parody of it.
The audio player has Donegan’s “Rock Island Line”, along with a follow-up hit, “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour On The Bedpost Overnight?”
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/FEB07/RockIslandLine.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/FEB07/ChewingGum.mp3]And here is Leadbelly doing “Rock Island Line”, along with Freberg’s parody of Donegan:
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/FEB07/Leadbelly.mp3,http://www.dograt.com/Audio/FEB07/StanFreberg.mp3][flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/JAN07/ILoveAViolin.flv 400 300]
In 1959 Pet was given yet another persona, going from Pop to schmaltz. “I Love a Violin” is from 1959, although I would guess this video is probably from 1960 or ’61.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/JAN07/BabyLover.flv 352 240]
From 1958 to ’59, Pet was swung around so hard from one image and style to another it’s a wonder she didn’t get whiplash. First, she was a Pop singer, doing a movie tune that sounds like a variation of “Little Darlin’.” It’s called “Baby Lover”.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/JAN07/Pet1954.flv 400 320]
Here’s a big 5-year jump from the last post. I wish there were more material available from the years in between, because I’d like to know exactly when Pet was put on the wrong track after she outgrew her singing sweetheart days. Most likely it was the fault of her domineering manager-father.
Everything about the way Petula is presented in this 1954 film, with the unfortunate title “Gay Dog,” doesn’t work. She looks 30, not 21. The dress and the hair were undoubtedly the style de rigueur, but the look doesn’t suit her. Based on this clip alone it’s apparent her movie career was going to stall in England.
