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(Airdate: February 18, 1970) Anyone who could fail to like Petula Clark is a crab. As hostess and star of the Kraft Music Hall, she had the presence to overcome some ineptly chosen material, and to shine when the material was right. The hour was well-structured, wisely limiting itself to just three performers (Anthony Newley and Lou Rawls were her guess), each of whom had a solo stand, plus a bit with the others. What was disappointing was the fact that the program was better conceived than executed. Petula's opening and closing songs - "I Couldn't Live Without Your Love" and "It's a Sign of the Times" - formed stunning parentheses around material that did not make the best use of her talents. Although she projects well, she is not a blues shouter or soul singer, and her version of "Natural Woman," however professional, was pointless. |
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Same time, different station, another distaff dynamo was also delivering superior entertainment. That was Petula Clark, doing a one-woman, six-man show on NBC's Kraft Music Hall, with an "old friend," Anthony Newley, a "new friend," Lou Rawls; and - for a wacky opening - a cavorting quartet of long-handled brush-wielding janitors. The hour consisted mostly of songs, solo, duo and trio, including a collection of Newley-minted tunes and a batch of the blues. All three vocalists were in good voice, British, Cockney and American accented. Pert Petula and "enormous ego"-confessing Tony reminisced about joint rock -n- roll rendering days and teamed amusingly in an on- and off-stage "love birds" Music Hall sketch more than a little reminiscent of Noel Coward's "Red Peppers." Miss Clark climaxed the pleasant proceedings with some solo concertizing that impressively demonstrated why Pet's a pop music pet. |
