Young fans?

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:30 pm

Hi Mike---Astrud Gilberto was Brazilian-I believe -I have lots of her recordings--she is normally a very gentle quiet singer--when she sings in English she has a lovely accent -

Do you remember Petula Clark singing "The Shoemakers shop"-I think it was called --a really catchy song from way back--and hey--what happened to "Downtown "??

Now we are finding out what you get up to in your spare time

Marian

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:39 pm

I think I must have been typing as Dean was posting-hence my reference to "Downtown " Sorry all.

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:56 pm

Hi Dean - I did wander how Dutch the name Dean was! I live in Hampshire myself, and visit Portsmouth quite regulalry. Have you been recently? Its undergoing a minor renaissance! The Tricorn centre has at long last been demolished, Gunwharf Quays dominate the harbour and just keep growing. In 2009 a new John Lewis in the City Centre will replace Knight & Lee in Southsea

Think the thing in Europe is that people drink as part of socialising, and enjoy a 'kleine bier' in those small glasses whilst they talk, drink and genreally have a nice time. Whereas in the UK it is all about the getting drunk and falling over. The new drinking laws have now been in force for a year or so, and certainly the rowdiness associated with all the pubs emptying at once has been reduced. But there is still the binge drinking culture, helped by the advertising and promotion of specific drinks, happy hours etc. Not a pretty sight! It was typified, as I say, in Roermond last year by the Britsh Armys finest knecking large glasses of beer (in fact, being English, we were asked to pay a deposit for glasses!), then brawling before being sick! As I say we went toanother bar to drink with the locals rather than the squaddies and had a great time!

How is it living in Holland - if I could speak German or Dutch, we would move over there to be honest! I'm one of the people I know who supports us joining the Euro!

Thanks for the tips on Dutch music - the only other group band I know is Teach-In from 1974 Eurovision!! Oh, and I think there was that bizarre Dutch group from the 70s who did a cover of 'Can't take my eyes of you' - one women and two muscle men who just danced - badly!

Marian - I missed out Downtown on purpose really. Everyone knows her for it. I do like it, but I like it less than I used to! Like you I love Petulas annunciation - Julie Andrews did the same, and kept her English accent very prominent in her singing. And of course our own Matt did too.

The Shoemakers?? Erm - not sure. Will ask my Mum next time I talk to her - she remembers 'The Huggetts' too!!

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:14 pm

Mike---your last sentence made me feel very old suddenly-I well remember "the Huggetts" too. Oh dear

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:27 pm

Hehehe - dont worry Marian, fom reading your comments about your hotel room parties, you sound like you enjoy life to the full! Just remember - we're all getting older!

ROBERT M. · Post by **ROBERT M.** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:54 am

Just to let you know, Vikki Carr was born in El Paso, Texas, but of Mexican descent on 19th July 1941.

The Huggets, was that Kathleen Harrison, who always seemed so friendly and Mr Dixon of Dock Green, Jack Warner

jon · Post by **jon** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:49 am

I've become a late convert to Petula Clark. I used to think she had an insubstantial voice and can remember thinking when she got the part of Maria in The Sound of Music that there was no way she had the same standard of voice as Julie Andrews. However I've since changed my mind, and while she has a "small" voice", it's well controlled and effective. I particularly like "The other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" but "Downtown" is also a goodie. Never heard Vicki Carr but am now tempted.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:18 am

Strangely enough, my likeing of Pet Clarke goes 'all' the way back to my 70s childhood in Saudi Arabia (another Saudi story from mike - surely not!). Music was usually aquired via back street 'recording studios', who woud copy any LP onto the new 'compact cassette' format (it was 1972!). My dad had loads of tapes by many of the forums faves including Nancy Wilson, Jack Jones, Tony Bennett.

Mum had asked Dad to get some tapesmade for my brother and I to listen to, on our new cassestte player (we had one each!) . Having absolutely no idea of what music he should get for his 5 and 8 year old boys, he adopted a 'scattergun' approach and came back with James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Peter Paul & Mary and Petula Clark! What a selection to give a 5 and 8 yr old. My older brother loved the James Brown and Jomi Hendrvix compilation. After listening to Bob Dylan inspired anti war songs , and being traumatised by the sad song that is 'Puff the magic dragon' on the Peter Paul & Mary side of 'my tape', Petula Clark quickly became the clear favourite for me! 'Colour my world' could almost be a Eurovision song contest entry from the era, with its slightly pyschedelic 'sitar' intro, and 'the other mans grass' both give Petula to belt out a great lyric. I really like this Tony Hatch era of her career.

I was then totally put off her after admitting to classmates at infants that I hadn't watched 'The Dirty Dozen' (or some other war film), but had watched Petula Clarke with my Mum instead! The scars of the resulting ridicule were with me for many years, and it wasn't until about 6 or 7 years ago that I bought 'The Ultimate' collection. it was great to hear those old songs again that I had loved so much in my childhood !!

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 11:30 am

Hi-I believe that at one time Petula Clark also took the lead in "Sunset Boulevard" and was supposedly terrific---being an actress as well as a singer must have helped in that dramatic role. And was she also in "Blood Brothers" for a time---another very dramatic musical.

A far cry from her "Downtown" days etc.

Marian

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:13 pm

I must get more - still not seen Blood Brothers, but have heard some of the songs from it - all very powerful.

Pet certainly has a a posh singing voice normally - even when she sings 'Downtown' - she does so as BBC presenter of the 1950s would, rather than 'dah-n-tah-n' as most modern younsgters would - although there is probably good comedy value in recording this song with an Elisa Doolittle style 'estuary' English accent.

But of course that was part of the image, and upbringing of the era - she was from Surrey after all! That said, I don't recall Helen Shapiro, from Bethnal Green cor blimey, singing 'walkin' back to 'appiness - did everyone really talk better in the 60s?

DutchDean · Post by **DutchDean** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:27 pm

One of the best leading ladies in "Sunset Boulevard" has to have been Diahann Carroll who recorded on the Canadian Cast album, what a wonderful voice. She also made some wonderful albums in the late 50's and early 60's. Long before her 'Diva' days in the US soap world...

mariana44 · Post by **mariana44** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:34 pm

Hi Dean--was she married at one time to Vic Damone.?

I have heard her sing--[not in Sunset Boulevard]-and she does have a very nice voice. I wonder why we do not often hear her.

Marian

DutchDean · Post by **DutchDean** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:53 pm

michduncg wrote:Hi Dean - I did wander how Dutch the name Dean was! I live in Hampshire myself, and visit Portsmouth quite regulalry. Have you been recently? Its undergoing a minor renaissance! The Tricorn centre has at long last been demolished, Gunwharf Quays dominate the harbour and just keep growing.

I think I am the only Dean in Holland!
Ahh..dear old Pompey! How wonderful that the awful Tricorn has been removed - I remember it being ugly in the early 70's when it was new -
for those not in the know about Portsmouth, the Tricorn was an awful concrete car park and shopping centre built in the late 60's which basically became a huge public loo!

michduncg wrote:Think the thing in Europe is that people drink as part of socialising, and enjoy a 'kleine bier' in those small glasses whilst they talk, drink and genreally have a nice time. Whereas in the UK it is all about the getting drunk and falling over.

I think you are right, plus here in Holland no one seems in a hurry to get drunk, btw the 'biertje' is small but is stronger that the stuff they sell in UK pubs.

michduncg wrote:How is it living in Holland - if I could speak German or Dutch, we would move over there to be honest! I'm one of the people I know who supports us joining the Euro!

Great - we have our problems like any country, a lot is made of the Islamic 'problem', and Dutch politics has been dominated by this since the early 0's, this has caused a hardening to the public that used to be so tolerant and was now for their openess to other cultures. Unfortunately the Right wing gained a lot of ground in the last two elections but the tide seems to be changing. The Euro is good in many respects but the introduction did cause some inflated pricing....and some never went back down so it has increased the cost of living.

michduncg wrote:Thanks for the tips on Dutch music - the only other group band I know is Teach-In from 1974 Eurovision!! Oh, and I think there was that bizarre Dutch group from the 70s who did a cover of 'Can't take my eyes of you' - one women and two muscle men who just danced -badly!

Teach-In are still going strong, you will also know 'Shocking Blue' who wrote and recorded 'Venus' and of course in recent times the 'VengaBoys'
- another voice to watch for is Trientjs Oosteerhuis - a wonderful voice her new album will be a Burt Bacharach tribute! BTW if anyone is interested in hearing any Dutch artists I can send either CD-r or MP3 if required.

DutchDean · Post by **DutchDean** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:01 pm

mariana44 wrote:Hi Dean--was she married at one time to Vic Damone?

Yes she was - I actually met them once when I was working at the 'Holiday Inn' in Portsmouth - this was around 1984 / 85 and she had just been in "Dy-nasty" - they arrived ver ylate at night ( 3AM) and I had stayed on with a Chef to serve her a meal, they were both very nice.

mariana44 wrote:I have heard her sing--[not in Sunset Boulevard]-and she does have a very nice voice. I wonder why we do not often hear her.

She does record and perform still but has never had much luck with her record companies - who either fold or go bust or just lose interest...
Her last recording was on the last CD release from Olivia Newton-John.
Where she performed on a track with Olivia and Patti LaBelle.

michduncg · Post by **michduncg** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 2:32 pm

Certainly the death of Pim Fortuyn and Theo van Gough shocked me in what is normally a very tolerant society. I don't mind accepting anybody into our society as long as they respect our rights and views, and our liberty. I think that is everyones concern. When John Reid appeared in Londons East End last week to talk to a group of Muslims, some of them reportedly asked how dare he come and talk to them in their mosque about issues of Islam. The fact that he is a member of their own, and indeed Her Majestys government, the Home Secretary at that, isn't good enough for them apparently. That said, I am sure it was only a minority who expressed that view - but they are the ones who make the trouble for everyone else...

Diahann Carroll - another link to my Saudi Arabia childhood - which I don't usually mention lol. We used to get a show called 'Julia' - she was a single black mother - her husband had been killed in Vietnam. She worked as a nurse in a big city hospital, and it was quite good I seem to remember. Looking at IMDB, it was pushing the barriers of TV at the time, and was the 1st lead role of a black American actress in primetime TV. They usually give that acolade to Nicelle Nichols of Star Trek (Lt Uhura)

Wow - Teach in still going strong! I can't believe that!