Live at the Paris Olympia [Live]

Petula Clark's first appearance at the Olympia in Paris in the late 1950s resulted in two long-term relationships - marriage to producer Claude Woolf and a love affair with the French record-buying public that eclipsed their admiration for Edith Piaf and, as evidenced by the audience reaction heard during this concert recorded in September 2003, continues to this day.

This collection includes contributions from every phase of Clark's sixty-five year career - the French pop tunes from composer Serge Gainsbourg, the mid- to late-60s international hits ("Downtown," "I Know a Place," "This is My Song," "Kiss Me Goodbye," "Don't Sleep in the Subway," "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love"), selections from her films "Finian's Rainbow" and "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," and the stage productions in which she starred - "Blood Brothers" and "Sunset Boulevard" - and one in which she didn't - a rousing rendition of "Vivre" from "Notre Dame de Paris."

The CD opens and closes with two compositions by Clark herself - "I'm Not Afraid," in which she explains how singing became a form of self-expression that overcame her shyness, and a bonus track - a studio recording of "Starting All Over Again," inspired by the events of 9/11.

Kenny Clayton, her longtime musical director, deserves special mention for his vibrant arrangements, especially those that infuse the old hits with exciting new life.

Clark's voice is as strong and rich as it was forty years ago, when "Downtown" first hit pop charts worldwide - her enunciation is so perfect you can hear her dot her "i"s and cross her "t"s, and she not only hits all the high notes, but holds them for several measures as well. It's obvious that her dynamic performance here thoroughly captivated the sell-out Olympia crowd, as it will anyone who invests in this recording of that magical night.

I was one of the Petula fans who was much disappointed in her last "live" concert CD ("Sign of the Times") - I was pretty much sure the Petula "magic" that I had loved for decades had peaked & gone... I was actually a little afraid to get this CD - certainly it's the first Petula CD I've ever bought that I let sit for several days before finding the right time to play it... Then, when I DID play it? Well, all I can say is:

SHE'S BACK!!!

Man, if I sound like a school kid gushing, from this point forward, it's for good reason.

This is one recording Petula should be very proud of - one recording all of us fans should rejoice in owning. Her voice is in amazing condition - her pitch is right on - her vocal range still impressive... Her low notes are oh-so-rich & smoldering... Her top belt is still perfectly in tact... On top of it all, she sounds like she's having a blast onstage - that this is where she really wants to be, and loving every minute of it.

True - there are some songs on this CD that I'm not crazy about hearing again ("Don't Sleep in the Subway" for instance - even tho' it's one of her trademark songs), but there are PLENTY of songs that either give me goosebumps - or simply make me smile.

ALL the French songs are terrific. Petula's voice (to me, anyway) has always sounded even more beautiful when singing French, and that holds true to this recording, too. I'd read other reviewers saying that the French "Needles & Pins" was incredibly beautiful, and I found that hard to believe (never having liked the song to begin with) - BUT... THEY'RE RIGHT! "Needles & Pins" is definitive Petula. Fantastic vocals on that track.

Other favorites? The "Prends Mon Coueur" medley, the "Chanson de Gainsbourg" medley, "Look to the Rainbow" - there's plenty here to like.

Interesting to me - as much as Petula loves the dramatic songs, it's when she got back into the "Ya Ya Twist" & "Chariot" era, her voice really sparked. She may not really enjoy singing that stuff anymore, but man - NO ONE does it better than she does when it comes to singing these songs from this era. "Marin" started playing, and my partner (who had been standing, listening to this medley) started swaying to the beat. By the time Petula got into "Chariot"? We were dancing - and smiling.

What a wonderful recording - an amazing documentation of a woman eternally young and vibrant.

Silva America presents "Petula Clark:Live at the Paris Olympia", featuring many of her pop, rock and musicals from stage and films...interpretation is the name of the game with Petula...she is right on with all her cues...she is truly amazing at the young age of seventy.

Stand outs, and there are many ~ "LOOK TO THE RAINBOW (from Finian's Rainbow)", "DON'T SLEEP IN THE SUBWAY", "THIS IS MY SONG", "TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE" (from Blood Brothers)", "I KNOW A PLACE", the audience is completely engulfed with this one, "SIGN OF THE TIMES", she rocks the place and leaves the crowd wanting more, "DOWNTOWN", the song that started it all, and the audience joins in with the lyrics, "KISS ME GOODBYE", tender loving melody with touching interwoven moments, "STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN" (studio version), beautiful arrangement and Petula's voice is still in great shape...her delivery is on perfect pitch...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 69:52 on 17 Tracks ~ Silva America 1169 ~ (11/09/2004)