Review and More

Our Review

Now incredibly 77 years young, Petula Clark has just issued her first full holiday album in the United States. The selections on This Is Christmas span 30 years--from 1969 to newly-recorded offerings in 2009. Amazing!

For those of us who know Clark primarily from her mega-hit Downtown, it is fascinating to remember just how accomplished and multi-talented this woman is. Her career began more than 60 years ago, when Clark became a BBC radio entertainer during World War II. By the time Downtown was a hit (receiving the Grammy for "Best Rock 'n Roll Record" in 1964), Clark was already in her 30s. Clark has starred in radio, TV, and movies, and may remain the most successful British female solo recording artist ever. Quite the life!

This Is Christmas opens with the title track, originally recorded in 1969. Clark has a superb voice, crystalline in the 1960s, and more textured in recent years. Regardless of time frame, Clark's voice is technically spot-on and richly emotive, and the recording quality is consistently fine throughout.

Of the 1969 issues, I particularly enjoyed her sparkling He Is Born, the Divine Child, sung in French with joyful ebullience. The next selections date from 1996. On I'll Be Home for Christmas and The Little Drummer Boy, Clark's voice has more texture and exudes a charming depth that easily impresses, especially on the latter song.

In 2009, Clark remains incredibly strong, with a warm, flexible voice that shows no signs of retirement. Her Away in a Manger is interesting on several levels; Clark sings the different melodies associated with the British and American versions, providing some narrative to explain the framework. She then proceeds to sing both approaches at the same time--clever and cool! The album closes with perhaps my favorite track; Clark sings an understated and intensely lovely version The Little Drummer Boy in French.

What may have been rock 'n roll in 1964 is definitely pop or easy listening music in 2009. Petula Clark's This Is Christmas is not just a novelty act; this impressive woman delivers an extraordinary time machine here, presenting fine holiday releases from the 1960s to today. That makes This Is Christmas a rare and wonderful addition to any holiday music collection.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2009)

More

From the liner notes:

Executive Producers: Jim Pierson & Gordon Anderson

Recordings Produced by: Petula Clark, Claude Wolff, Joseph Baker, Rod McKuen, Mike Curb & Don Costa

From the label:

When we discovered that Petula Clark has never put out a proper Christmas album, we knew what we were getting for her fans this holiday season! And, this being a Collectors Choice Music release, we ve packed it with rarities galore! The first four tracks, This Is Christmas ; Silent Night ; The Happiest Christmas , and He Is Born, the Divine Child (Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant) , hail from the extremely rare recordings she made for the Goodyear Tire Company in 1969, two of which have never been issued in the U.S. Then come two tracks, The Little Drummer Boy and Simple Gifts , that she recorded for Reader s Digest in the 90s; neither of them have ever appeared on a Petula Clark album. Two tracks written and produced by Rod McKuen, the poignant Simple Gifts and the romantic Thank You for Christmas , follow, and neither has been on an album before. We ve also included a remix of 1972's The Mother of Us All , which was arranged by the legendary Don Costa, and a bonus, French-language version of Little Drummer Boy . But perhaps the biggest gift this collection offers are the four brand-new recordings that appear here, including two written by Petula, Butterflies in the Snow and Another Christmas Without You ; a song originally recorded by none other than Cary Grant, Christmas Lullaby , which was written by Peggy Lee and Cy Coleman but never recorded by Peggy; and a new version of Away in a Manger . A holiday greeting from Petula and festive photos of her through the years make this the perfect Petula present!

From the artist's Website:

* THIS IS CHRISTMAS (previously unissued in US) recorded in 1969
* SILENT NIGHT - recorded in 1969
* THE HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS recorded in 1969
* HE IS BORN THE DIVINE CHILD (Il est ne le divin enfant)
(French recording previously unissued in the US) recorded in 1969.
* I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS recorded in 1996 for Reader's Digest
* THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY recorded in 1996 for Reader's Digest
* SIMPLE GIFTS (Issued as a single only) recorded in 2006
* THANK YOU FOR CHRISTMAS (Issued as a single only) recorded in 2006
* BUTTERFLY IN THE SNOW
(new recording) Written by Petula
* ANOTHER CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU (new recording) Written by Petula
* AWAY IN A MANGER (new recording)
* CHRISTMAS LULLABY (new recording) Written by Peggy Lee & Cy Coleman
* MOTHER OF US ALL (remix) recorded in 1972

Petula Clark

This Is Christmas

Artist link

Track List