Rare & Hard-To-Find Audio CDs (series)

Live at the Royal Albert Hall

by Petula Clark

Product Description:

LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL--and unlike Dylan's infamous "Royal Albert Hall" concert, this one was actually recorded in the titular venue--is a 1972 set showcasing Petula Clark in the midst of the middle-of-the-road easy listening phase of her career. Unlike some of her live albums from this period, though, LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL includes renditions of some of her Tony Hatch-era hits.

These versions of "Don't Sleep in the Subway," "Call Me," "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and her signature song "Downtown" are MOR adult pop at their finest, string-heavy, with a more gentle swing and jazz-like approach than the original pop hits. While the version of "Hey Jude" is a bit gloppy, the medleys from HAIR and MY FAIR LADY indicate the course Clark's career would take over the next two decades. The graceful opener, Bacharach/David's "This Girl's In Love With You," is a delight.