Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Doodle Oodle Day
2. It's Not For The Want Of Trying
3. House In The Sky
4. Put Your Shoes On Lucy
5. I'll Always Love You
6. Clancy Lowered The Boom
7. Two Lips (The Kiss Sing)
8. You Go To My Head
9. Out Of A Clear Blue Sky
10. Music Music Music
11. Blossoms On The Bough
12. Silver Dollar
13. Talky Talky Talky
14. Fly Away Peter Fly Away Peter
15. Who Spilt The Coffee On The Carpet
16. You Are My True Love
17. You're The Sweetest In The Land
18. Beloved Be Faithful
19. Tennessee Waltz
20. Sleepy Eyes
21. Teasin'
22. Black Note Serenade
23. May Kway (Rose Rose I Love You)
24. Clickety Clack
25. Mariandl
26. Broken Heart
27. That's How A Love Song Is Born
28. Cold Cold Heart

Disc 2:

1. Tell Me Truly
2. Song Of The Mermaid
3. Card
4. It Had To Be You
5. Boy In Love
6. Boy In love
7. Where Did My Snowman Go
8. Anytime Is Tea Time Now
9. Made In Heaven
10. Temptation Rag
11. Made In Heaven (Rank Film Music)
12. My Love Is A Wanderer
13. Take Care Of Yourself
14. Christopher Robin At Buckingham Palace
15. Three Little Kittens
16. Poppa Piccolino
17. Who Is It Song
18. Little Shoemaker
19. Helpless
20. Meet Me In Battersea Park
21. Long Way To Go
22. Smile
23. Somebody
24. Christmas Cards
25. Little Johnny Rainbow
26. Majorca
27. Fascinating Rhythm
28. Romance In Rome
29. Chee Chee O Chee
30. Pendulum Song
31. Crazy Otto Rag
32. How Are Things With You
33. Tuna Puna Trinidad

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #114004 in Music
• Released on: 2007-02-26
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .27 pounds

Customer Reviews

Young Pet has never sounded better
I may be somewhat biased in reviewing this collection, as it was me who conceived, compiled and annotated it. That doesn't stop me giving an honest review though, and I honestly think that this is any essential purchase for any fan of Petula Clark, or anyone who likes the music of the era.

Pet started singing aged 10 in 1942, yet it wasn't until 1949 that a record company put her on disc. That's where it all started, long before Downtown and that malarky. The bulk of material here has been re-issued before. So why do it again? For the simple reason that in the past, the sound quality was appalling on around half of it. When Polygon, the label that originally issued most of this material, were bought by Pye and became Pye Nixa, they demolished a whole load of master tapes. Historical artifacts gone forever. Then in the 90s, 78rpm copies were found, poorly engineered and released by RPM. Those who didn't much care for the music would be put off trying to re-assess upon repeated listening. And those who really did enjoy it, couldn't really enjoy it.

Hence this project. Mint - or excellent condition 78s were sought after, to be engineered by experts in remastering. The best possible job was done on each track. Many of the 78s were poor pressings, so sound does have limitations - but all the tracks are very listenable, and most sound pristine. Pet's voice and the orchestra have never sounded this clear.

So here we get every 78 issued by Petula before she joined Pye Nixa. The previous issues of this material only included Polygon tracks. Now we get the three that preceded the Polygon era: two 78s from EMI Columbia, and one side from British Decca. And it's not just British singles - Australian and Danish-only releases are included. There's also three Rank Film Music promo-only recordings, though these are just taken from the films they featured in. As a bonus, there's a newly discovered take of 'A Boy in Love' (a beautiful torch ballad).

All presented in chronological order by original release, we get to chart Pet's rising vocal talents. On the first few tracks she still sounds a bit like a little girl; by the time we get to 'Fascinating Rhythm' near the end, she can deliver a knock-out performance.

Unlike other singers of the era, and possibly due to the label she was on, Pet didn't just stick to one type of material. Back then, it was either ballads or novelties. She does both these - there are beautiful songs such as 'Tell Me Truly' and 'That's How a Love Song Is Born'. If you like novelties, you'll be more than satisfied. Starting with 'Where Did My Snowman Go', Pet was children's choice. 'Christopher Robin', 'Poppa Piccolino', 'The Little Shoemaker' (her breakthrough hit), 'Little Johnny Rainbow' and others were in constant rotation on Uncle Mac's Children's Favourites radio show. Pet's sweet and innocent vocal style was ideally suited to such numbers, and they'll be enjoyed by anybody who's more than a little young at heart.

Pet is ever changing here. She's Irish on 'Clancy Lowered the Boom'; ragtime on 'Temptation Rag'; calypso on 'Tuna Puna Trinidad'; jazzy on 'It Had to Be You', and like a female Noel Coward on 'The Card'. I could go on. She sings anything and everything, and in every style going. For sheer rarity value - and the horror of Our Pet being a gin drinker - 'Who Spilt the Coffee on the Carpet' really demands your attention. But I wouldn't be lying if I said that nothing here doesn't demand your attention.

The sleevenotes give you a track-by-track commentary, as well as a whole load of technical information: titles EXACTLY as they were on the records, catalogue numbers, matrix numbers, release and recording dates (precise or approximate), and accompaniments. For the first time you can find out just which tracks feature future 'Avengers' theme composer Laurie Johnson! The backings, incidentally, are all first class, especially those of light music legend Frank Chacksfield.

I would have liked more pictures in the booklet, but at the end of the day I'm just glad to have these rarities in great sound. It really makes one yearn for the innocence of those bygone days...

It Has To Be Petula
There are 61 tracks on this beautifully presented 2 cd set. The first 2 songs are 'Doodle-Oodle-Day' and 'It's Not For The Want of Trying' which are from 2 of Petula's 1949 films, 'The Huggetts Abroad' and 'Don't Ever Leave Me'. I've never come across these on cd before and they are a real pleasure to have as they are both charming songs. Another gem that shines out is a duet with Benny Lee 'Two Lips'.
The quality of this set is superb and outshines other re-issues of Petula's early recordings. If you are a Petula fan you definitely need this collection, and if you're not a fan already, you will be after listening to this. It's a real must-have, and fantastic value too. Highly recommended.

It has to be this cd
If, like me, you are not really a fan of Petula's earliest work, and therefore never really listenend to the rather scratchy 78s, and album and cd tracks that have been made available, then I suggest you buy this cd, and give these 60+ songs a listen. The sound quality is superb. This is what I call remastering. There is virtually no background noise on these tracks which gives you the chance to listen to Petula's voice and the orchestrations. This is not the Petula of Ya Ya Twist or Romeo, not the swinging 60s chick, nor the chic of the sophisticated Petula of Las Vegas of the 70s, not the Petula of Blood brothers and Norma Desmond fame in the 90s, nor is it the magnificent concert-giving Petula of today, but it is a signpost to the greatness that was to come. The quality of the sound means that you can hear the intonations, the soul, the jazz in Pet's voice which were to make her the international superstar that she became. As a life long fan, I have to say that I'm thrilled to have found 60 new Petula Clark tracks, that I had previously dismissed as pretty unlistenable....