2 CD, 50 greatest hits. Petula Clark, Joan Baez, Brenda Lee, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Linda Ronstadt, Nina Simone, Connie Francis, Carole King, Cher, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Gloria Gaynor, Shirley Bassey, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Barbra Streisand, Sarah Vaughan, Olivia Newton-John, Judy Garland, Billy Holiday, Mahalia Jackson and more, and more…

On reading the story of Petula Clark for the purposes of these short notes we couldn’t help but be astounded by the length and breadth of her achievements! She truly is a National Treasure and should actually be treated as one while she is still with us at the grand old age of 91 years of age! Born in Ewell in 1932 Petula was thrust upon the showbiz world at the incredible young age of seven by her enthusiastic father who not only tutored her but took charge of promotions as well! At age nine she made her radio debut and was singing for the troops during the war and by the end of the 1940s was an established singing star. She had early hits in the 1950s and of course went on to much greater success in the sixties with “Down Town”, “This Is My Song” and “Don’t Sleep In The Subway” and many other classics. In the 1950s she became a singing sensation on the continent especially in France where she had married a French man and would settle down to live. In 1965 she conquered America, (something even Cliff never did) with “Downtown” and “I Know A Place” and in fact Pet was to hit the Top 40 fifteen times in three years! Petula was also a film star appearing in many films in the 50s and 60s working with the likes of Alec Guiness, Anthony Newley and Peter Ustinov. Our five classic albums feature the early career of the wonderful Petula Clark and includes her very early hit “The Little Shoemaker”. Beautiful singing, playing and orchestration by the likes of Billy May make these albums essential listening for those who enjoy classic songs sung by a wonderful and perhaps under-rated singer and now living legend, poised as she then was, at the beginning of yet another chapter in a wildly successful singing career Miss Petula Clark! As with all AVID releases, we hope you enjoy this classic set and check out our extensive catalogue for more great music across Pop, Easy Listening, Rock n Roll, Jazz, and many other musical genres.

With her strong, bell-like voice, perfect timing, clear diction and unique phrasing – not to mention natural acting talent – Petula is the perfect duet partner, especially for warm male voices like Dean Martin, Perry Como, Matt Monro, Andy Williams and even Michael McDonald.However, Petula shows she can also blend quite nicely with the ladies too. She and Peggy Lee team up on a powerhouse rendition of "I'm A Woman" and Peggy mentioned years later how much she adored working with Petula. Probably most historic on this album of material – nearly all of which is not available elsewhere – is the pairing of two 1960s icons – Petula with Dusty Springfield. Legendary producer Brooks Arthur signed off on the completion of Dusty's unfinished 1974 recording of "Corner of The Sky" – the soulful favorite from the Broadway musical "Pippin'" (written by Stephen Schwartz), with Petula singing the missing parts as well as harmonizing with Dusty. An incredible moment in pop music.

There are almost more Petula Clark collections than there were actual songs (that's saying something), and Sanctuary's three-disc Songs of My Life: The Essential Petula Clark is one of the better ones. Split into three themes, "Swinging Times," "Mellow Moods," and "Beautiful Sounds," Songs of My Life relies heavily on the English pop sensation's peak '60s and '70s output. All of the key radio hits are here ("Downtown," "I Know a Place," "My Love," "This Is My Song"), as well as countless ballads, uptempo pop gems, and choice covers. Fans looking for a decent career overview (sadly, none of Clark's vast arsenal of French hits are here) may find the 78 tracks that populate Songs of My Life a bit overwhelming, but they're well worth spending some quality time alone with.

2008 compilation from the British vocalist, spanning over 50 years from the 1957 track 'With All My Heart' to the 2008 recording of 'To Memphis'. Then & Now features numerous international hits including 'My Love', 'Downtown', 'Sailor' and 'Don't Sleep in the Subway'. Boasting 25 tracks in total, Then And Now also includes six unreleased songs. The American recording industry has honored Petula with two Grammy Awards. One for 'Best Rock & Roll Record' in 1965, (making her the first female to ever win a Grammy). And the second for 'Best Contemporary Female Vocal Performance' for the track 'I Know a Place'. UMTV.

Surprise Party is a 2014 compilation of some of the most influential party tracks in rock & roll. Originally a 5CD box set, this is an edited version done digitally so it would be limited to about two compact discs worth. This was released by Wagram, with some of the tracks targeting the label's French audience.