Category: Flashbacks

Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have had a lot of hits together but none have been bigger than their current smash, “Downtown”

 

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She liked it. “Petula Clark was more knocked out with ‘Downtown’ than I was,” said Tony Hatch. “I’d only written the first three lines and the bridge, but she told me to go home, put some lyrics to it, and then she would fly to London and record it.”

Tony Hatch, at 25, is the brilliant young man behind the success of “Downtown“.
He’s a writer, producer and arranger, and has been associated with Pye Records and Pet Clark for the past four years. Quiet, modest and unassuming, he played drums with the Queen’s Royal Guards before signing with Pye, and eventually became one of Britain’s most important personalities in the music industry. Among his credits, he can list the British lyrics to Peggy March’s “I Will Follow Him,” as well as composing, arranging and producing Bobby Rydell’s “Forget Him.” In fact, in the latter part of his term with Cameo, Bobby refused to record with anyone but Hatch, and made several trips to London purely for this purpose.

Produces Searchers. A more integral part of Tony’s recent activities has been The Searchers. He’s produced every one of their sessions, and works closely with the group in their selection of material, in addition to helping them arrange it. They, in turn, don’t feel happy unless he’s at the controls, and having attended several of their sessions, take it from me that Hatch and the group augur very well together.

In the past four years, Tony Hatch and Petula Clark have come up with several British and Continental smashes.

“It’s really since Pet moved to Paris and expanded both her activities and
talent,” says Tony. “She’s improved tremendously in that time, and today, can turn her hand to anything and still come up with a great sound. We recorded Downtown’ on October 23.”

Trips to Paris. “I go to France every three or four months armed with a selection of material for Pet to run over. She makes her choice, and then comes to London to record. We always cut at least three or four songs, which we keep in the can for future releases, and she generally records in both French and English.

“On my most recent trip I went to Paris with three songs. We tried them out, but Pet wasn’t terribly happy. She asked if I had anything else, but I was a bit loath to mention ‘Downtown’ as it wasn’t completed. Anyway, she persuaded me to play it, and when she heard what little there was, she made up her mind to record it.”

Double rhyme lyrics. “I returned to London and began work on the lyrics. It took three weeks to complete the song. Anyone who knows the words will see that they rhyme in the middle as well as the end. When it was finished, I arranged it, and Pet flew into London to record it. “Its entirely different from anything else Pet has ever recorded. It does have a little rhythm and blues in it, but more so in the arrangement than the actual song. It’s established Pet in a new groove, and of course we were both delighted when it became an American hit, especially as it had been a smash all over Europe.

Worried about covers. “Without trying to sound self important, I think ‘Downtown’ would have been an American hit anyway. At the time of release, my big problem was the fear of an American artist covering it, as I feel it would have been a good song for a group like the Drifters.

“Personally, though, I think the British boom is coming to an end there. America went through a phase of accepting everything and anything that was British, and for a time, I thought the market had no discernment. It seems to be tailing off now, and I think ‘Downtown’ made it on its merit.”

Both due here. Tony is naturally delighted with the long standing success of The Searchers in this country, particularly when he learned that “Love Potion #9” is their biggest hit to date. He was due to arrive here on Friday (January 15), for talks with both Kapp and Warner Brothers, and at the same time will attend sessions, even though he doesn’t intend to produce anything himself.

Petula Clark arrives this coming week from Canada, for talks with Warner Brothers about the follow up to “Downtown,” which has already been recorded, but remains on the secret list until the green light is given. She will also do a few promotional shots during her stay here, including a scheduled “Hullabaloo” TV appearance.

Three language lass. Pet is a singer of rare fine quality and performance, and is able to tackle any song in at least three languages. She is in tremendous demand all over Europe for top drawer night club, television and gala performances. Because she was accepted as a child star in England, she found it tough to crack the adult market, and finally moved to Paris about four years ago, where through a succession of breaks she became one of Europe’s leading stars. Eventually England accepted her talents on an adult basis and she is in constant demand for such shows as “Sunday Night at the London Palladium.”

A number one with “Downtown” is the greatest welcome she could receive in America. END

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 Information, credit and news source: Music Business; January 23, 1965