Petula Clark

Obscure even by the standards of obscure soul singers, Alice Clark did get a break that many such artists didn't, as she managed to release an entire album when her self-titled LP appeared on 1972 on the Mainstream label. This 16-track compilation is built around that album, adding late-‘60s singles for the Rainy Day and Warner Bros labels, as well as a previously unissued outtake and the instrumental backing track to the 1969 single "You Hit Me (Right Where It Hurt Me)." Like many soul singers rediscovered by cultists, Clark fell between the cracks because her voice was good but not great, as was her material (none of it self-penned), without fitting into any certain style or trend. As such compilations go, however, this is above average, and perhaps a bit more mainstream (though not in a bad way) than most such items owing to the pop sensibilities of some of the covers.

With this box, we give a detailed overview of the most successful female popartists of the 50's. The first box of this series was dedicated to the "Rock `N`Roll Girls" whereas this box focuses on the "Ladies Of Pop Music". 160 of the 200 songs of this 10-CD-Set entered the charts, 29 songs, even hit #1. All great female voices of this era can be heard here: Doris Day, Connie Francis,Rosemary Clooney, Brenda Lee, Jo Stafford, Marilyn Monroe, Kay Starr, TeresaBrewer, Patti Page, Ruth Brown, Lavern Baker, Alma Cogan, Petula Clark, just to name a few.

With this box, we give a detailed overview of the most successful female popartists of the 50's. The first box of this series was dedicated to the "Rock `N`Roll Girls" whereas this box focuses on the "Ladies Of Pop Music". 160 of the 200 songs of this 10-CD-Set entered the charts, 29 songs, even hit #1. All great female voices of this era can be heard here: Doris Day, Connie Francis,Rosemary Clooney, Brenda Lee, Jo Stafford, Marilyn Monroe, Kay Starr, TeresaBrewer, Patti Page, Ruth Brown, Lavern Baker, Alma Cogan, Petula Clark, just to name a few.

This is the latest release in our Songwriter series. The composer of dozens of hit songs, plus many unforgettable television themes, Tony Hatch was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2013. Before being presented with his award at the star-studded New York ceremony, he took to the stage to perform some of his best-known songs at the piano, and concluded by introducing surprise guest Petula Clark to sing ‘Downtown’. “It seems as if I’ve always known Tony,” writes Petula in the CD booklet. “In fact, we met in the early 60s, a few years before ‘Downtown’, the song that forever changed both our lives. He went on to write so many more great songs – not just for me, of course. Being with Tony in the studio in London, New York or Los Angeles was always exciting. His command of the orchestra, the way he constructed those wonderful melodies and the sense of joy as I sang them made the sessions so very memorable. Needless to say, we had a lot of fun too! I will forever be in awe of Tony’s unique talent.”