Junk Box Jury

All tracks taken from the album “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” on (Pye NPL 18148) July 1966

PET: more French than les onions!

THE-INCREDIBLE-STORY-OF-PETULA-CLARK began when she toddled out before the cameras at seven years old—a skinny, tousle-haired, pixie-faced kid. Today, the kid has grown up into one of the world’s richest singers. A petite woman of thirty-three who looks ten years younger.

Under the superb guidance of the splendid Mr. Claude Wolff, her husband, Petula is a top star in America, Britain and, of course, France.

‘Success surprised me’

She has accumulated a house in Paris, a summer retreat in the South of France, and is at present passing plans for a fantastic house to be built on the shores of Lake Geneva. Between these three places she travels with her husband, her two children, Barbara and Catherine, and their nanny Helen.

When she looks back she says her own success story surprises her as much as it does anyone else.

“I went to France because I married Claude and he had his career there.” Also I felt the British public were probably getting a bit fed up with me.”

She was sitting in her dressing room waiting for rehearsals for her own TV show. Her husband was playing cards and exploding into French with a cheerful grin every five minutes.

“I never planned anything that happened. I couldn’t speak French when I arrived in France, and the French didn’t like English artists. They just thought my accent was hysterically funny.

“When my records started to sell there I realised that I had to base my career on something more than just a funny accent.”

Suddenly in France Petula was more “in” than onions, and with the release here of “Sailor” her records began to creep back into the British chart.

£100,000 deal fixed

“It always surprises me that my records are hits. Although now I think the British pop scene has settled down from the hysterical state it was in two years ago. There is room for solo artists like Dusty and Cilla.

“That’s why I’m probably enjoying the success I am here.”

Mr. Wolff waved his cigarette in the air, smiled, and said he had just completed a deal that would probably mean something like £100,000 a year to them.

When I met her Petula had just said goodbye to her two children on the plane to Paris. At the weekend she and Claude were flying out to rejoin them, after months in London.

She admitted that this time leaving Britain would be one of the biggest wrenches she has had to face.

“Usually I come on just a flying visit and have no time to feel at home. But I am feeling really dreadful about leaving for the very first time in my life.

“When you don’t live in a place all the time you appreciate it all the more. I think London is beautiful and this trip I began to remember all the places and had a chance to look round.

“We’re pleased we sent the children on because it gives me something to go back for. I HAVE to go now, but I am going to be so sad to leave.”—PENNY VALENTINE. (Disc & Music Echo, 16/07/66)

Petula Clark | I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love | (Pye)

PET says we’re giving her the cold shoulder

SOME time ago Petula Clark admitted that her greatest ambition—next to having a son—was “to be a big and really genuine success in Britain again.” For, although Pet has achieved international stardom, the British public has, in the past, tended to treat her coolly.

Petula, dressed in pink and orange striped bath-robe. was relaxing in her suite at the Savoy when I met her recently. Her husband Claude was stretched out in an armchair.

“The British public was more than just cool,” said Pet quietly. “It was almost against me. The reason for this was simply that I got married.

“You see when I was appearing in films during and after the war, I was always cast as a little girl. The film company didn’t want me to grow up.

“But I was the member of the family who married a foreigner and lived abroad.

Blamed for leaving Britain

“People didn’t seem able to forgive me for leaving Britain but the only reason I went to Paris to live was to be with this idiot, continued Pet, laughing over at Claude.

“Downtown” was a step towards Pet Clark re-establishing herself here. An even bigger step was when she flew into London earlier this year for a top of the bill spot on the Palladium TV show.

“I was really petrified,” recalled Pet, drawing on her cigarette. “To begin with the audience seemed a bit cold. There wasn’t much response at all. Then half-way through ‘The Last Mile Home’ I sensed that I was getting through to them.

“Just on the last note there was a tremendous burst of applause and everyone seemed to be on their feet. It was a great release of emotion and I really felt they were saying “Welcome home, all is forgiven.” I was deeply moved.”

I asked Pet why she no longer appeared in films—and in particular why she had turned down an offer to appear in a new Elvis Presley musical. “When my contract with the Rank Organisation expired eight years ago I realised that all the top actresses and actors were having to move out of Britain and at that time I really didn’t know which way my career was going. Tony Newley was another who found himself in the same position.

Petula Clark | I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love | (Pye)

“It’s different nowadays, of course. The quality of films is now as good if not a lot better than any other country in the world and we have top actresses here like Vanessa Redgrave and Julie Christie. But I’m still very cautious about signing with anyone.”

And the Elvis Presley film? “His films do very good business but I don’t think I would really be suitable and my agent turned down the offer.”

Now that Pet’s two daughters Barbara and Catherine are approaching school age, she has had to think about the problem of their education.

“We’ve just got a place in Geneva and I think the girls will probably go to school there,” said Pet lighting another cigarette.

“But Claude and I don’t really care where we live. We enjoy travelling and meeting all the friends we have made.”

Finally, I asked Pet whether she felt then that she had once again won the British public?

“I certainly feel that they now realise I’m a fully-grown woman and not a teenager. Record sales and the TAM ratings for my BBC-TV series must prove that they have come to accept me to a certain extent again.” (NME, 08/07/66)

One Briton who has done her best to help Continentals get better known here Is our favourite ex-patriate Petula Clark. When Pet became French, upon her marriage to Claude Wolff, It looked as though her career as an English pop singer and actress was over. As a matter of fact, it looked as though her career as any sort of singer was coming to an end: the French had no taste for English artistes and it was the optimism to expect the French public to start taking an interest in Pet just because she had taken up residence in Paris.

Petula Clark | I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love | (Pye)

But — magnifique! fantastique! —they did. She became a bigger pop attraction in France than she’d ever been in Britain. Then she started her still continuing conquest of other countries: all over the Continent, and the aforementioned USA.

While she was in London working on her recent BBC Television series Petula told me why she had chosen to have Continental guests on these shows: “I was an English girl who made it in France. I reckoned that if I could get myself a big public on the Continent there was no reason why some of the best Continental artistes shouldn’t make it in Britain, provided they got the right exposure. Travelling around Europe I’ve seen some terrific acts, very well known in their own countries but unheard by the British (with the exception of a few holidaymakers). I hope British viewers of my series have enjoyed seeing them.”

Well, it was a nice gesture, some of the acts were good (and one was hilarious), and the series was rated an outstanding success. Come back soon, Petula. (Record Mirror, 30/07/66)

Any questions and feedback about the material posted on my website let me know by using the contact form provided.

cost of record: £2
from: charity shop