In Praise of Petula Clark
Aug. 16th, 2004 06:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
stoutfellowThe next time you get a chance, listen - really listen - to Petula Clark singing "Downtown". Pay special attention to the instrumentation.
It starts with an understated piano, nothing else. After about four measures, Petula comes in, softly: "When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go / Downtown". On the word "go", there's a single tap from a triangle. (A freaking triangle. How often do you hear one of those being effectively deployed?) On the last word, the backup singers come in and there's a soft drum riff in the background. The second line follows the same pattern: "When you've got worries all the noise and the hurry seems to help I know / Downtown". Then Petula amps up the volume, the drum starts to beat steadily (but still rather softly), and the background singers set up a continuing "ooh-ooh": "Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city / Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty" (a fast and heavy drum riff on "city"). The background singers and drums drop out, and it's just Pet and the piano: "How can you lose / The lights are much brighter there". The triangle (!) and the snares come in fast and heavy: "You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, so go" (and now she's belting it out, the background singers return, the horns come in and the drummer goes crazy) "Downtown, things'll be great when you're/ Downtown, no finer place for sure / Downtown, everything's waiting for you". Petula lets the background singers carry it for a couple of measures before the second verse begins. It follows the same pattern, but there's a little stringwork and percussion throughout this time. We bridge to the third verse with horns, drums, and background singers, all letting out all the stops. The third verse is truncated but vigorous, and the horns show her out for the big finish.
That, friends, is music.
Now go listen to "I Know a Place". "Who Am I". "You'd Better Come Home". "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener".
Good times. [contented sigh]
It starts with an understated piano, nothing else. After about four measures, Petula comes in, softly: "When you're alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go / Downtown". On the word "go", there's a single tap from a triangle. (A freaking triangle. How often do you hear one of those being effectively deployed?) On the last word, the backup singers come in and there's a soft drum riff in the background. The second line follows the same pattern: "When you've got worries all the noise and the hurry seems to help I know / Downtown". Then Petula amps up the volume, the drum starts to beat steadily (but still rather softly), and the background singers set up a continuing "ooh-ooh": "Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city / Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty" (a fast and heavy drum riff on "city"). The background singers and drums drop out, and it's just Pet and the piano: "How can you lose / The lights are much brighter there". The triangle (!) and the snares come in fast and heavy: "You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares, so go" (and now she's belting it out, the background singers return, the horns come in and the drummer goes crazy) "Downtown, things'll be great when you're/ Downtown, no finer place for sure / Downtown, everything's waiting for you". Petula lets the background singers carry it for a couple of measures before the second verse begins. It follows the same pattern, but there's a little stringwork and percussion throughout this time. We bridge to the third verse with horns, drums, and background singers, all letting out all the stops. The third verse is truncated but vigorous, and the horns show her out for the big finish.
That, friends, is music.
Now go listen to "I Know a Place". "Who Am I". "You'd Better Come Home". "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener".
Good times. [contented sigh]
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Date: 2004-08-19 07:35 am (UTC)