Live at Caesar's Palace
September 1971

Hollywood Reporter
September 21, 1971

Songstress-actress Petula Clark is back at Caesar's Palace, and again she's part of one of those off-beat mixtures of co-stars. Last time, Petula was paired with country star Roy Clark; this time it's with Brazil's Sergio Mendes. Sandwiched between the star is comedian Guy Marks, who manages to score his usual solid hit despite the brevity of his stint.

Petula Clark is a magical, theatrical and a highly exacting actress-singer. Pet wrings the most out of a song - her rendition of "Fool on the Hill" is a showstopper - and her program varies nicely from Beatles medley to her own hits to her treatments of "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Goin' Out of My Head," "I Want to Make it with You," etc. Petula's a charming and gracious hostess and displays a nice flair for comedy touches, wry humor, and a fluid mobility using the huge Caesar's stage. Pianist-conductor Frank Owens and the Nat Brandwynne orchestra aid and abet with unstinting vigor.

Variety
September 22, 1971

Petula Clark has put it all together this trip to score her best impression to date at the Palace. The additional lures of Sergio Mendes & Brasil '77 and Guy Marks help to make this three-framer a hot spot for post-Labor Day visitors.

Miss Clark has never looked the way she sings. Her gowning is often unflattering and coiff styling is a zero, all of which she herself deprecates in a rather mewling fashion during the course of the vocalog. The latter is powerful, however, offsetting whatever impressions not gained by her jejune appearance. Just about every tune she essays is greeted with bursts of applause, the light of recognition extending to the songs not strictly identified as disk hits, yet possessing that certain undefinable style attributed to Petula Clark.

Case in point would be the Beatles collection, in which "Fool on the Hill" is one of the more potent deliveries of the song heard in a long time (she's done it here before). Although Mendes & Brasil '77 had whipped through this same canto earlier, the Clark rendition was a totally new experience of lyric and melody. The topper to her solid repertoire is "I Don't Know How to Love Him," which could become a definitve one, insofar as a nitery presentation would suffice.

The Nat Brandwynne phalanx of musickers is outstanding in all support, with Frank Owens at the keyboard and conducting for Miss Clark. She also uses a femme trio stashed within the string section for more backgrounding effects.