Monday 26 December 2011

DOWNTOWN--WHERE ALL THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT


At Number 2 in the Irish Republic's charts, some 47 years after its first appearance there and  22 years after its last appearance there, it's back, proving that you can't keep a good song down. They filmed the video in Downtown Galway, she filmed it in Downtown Paris, but they met in Downtown London to record it.

8 comments:

  1. Prefer original even though it could only get to no 2 in the charts.

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  2. Yes, CH. It seems that for all its ever lastingness, it only ever makes number two (although it was No 1 in a lot of places including the USA).

    And Emma Brunton's version from 2006 only went to number two.

    I prefer it in French, where the lyric is much sadder, but much better.

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  3. O/T

    http://gedguy-roehampton.blogspot.com/2011/12/newsnet-scotland.html

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  4. O/T?

    Added your blog to the blogroll Ged!

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  5. I love the new video version of "Downtown." Thanks Tris for posting.

    I understand it was huge in the US. Wiki says No.1 in the US while No.2 in the UK, at the end of 1964.

    To this day in the US, Petula OWNS "Downtown."

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  6. Yeah Danny, it seems to have become her trademark, although it wasn't really her biggest hit here. It started her career in America, which is where the money is.

    Even in France (where Dans le Temps [In the Past] only got to No 5) and she has had FAR bigger successes, she still sings Downtown, in English, and it gets huge cheers.

    It was inspired by a trip Tony Hatch made to Downtown, New York in 1964 and Petula was invited to sing it at Ground Zero 40 years on. S

    he wrote (with my fried David Hadzis, from Switzerland) and performed, another song specially for that occasion: "Starting all Over Again" (Recommencer à Zéro).

    I'm glad you enjoyed this fun version.

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