HOME | NEWS | THE SONGS | PEOPLE | ARCHIVE | CONTACT
 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

PETULA SINGS SONDHEIM  

Here's our roundup of the Stephen Sondheim songs that Petula has either recorded or performed. 

STAGE WHISPERS: Petula was offered the role of The Witch for the 1990 West End production of Sondheim's INTO THE WOODS. Petula turned down the offer because of other work commitments. Petula was also offered the role of Sally in the 2002 London revival production of FOLLIES which was mounted at London's Royal Festival Hall for a limited season. 

A LITTLE KNOWN FACT: In 2008, when being asked to select an essential Sondheim song, Petula said "I love all the music, and I just love Sondheim. When I was doing BLOOD BROTHERS in New York I was working at The Music Box Theatre on 45th Street and PASSION was just across the street - I had this lovely dressing room and could see the theatre where PASSION was playing and I used to watch the audience coming out after the performance. I was so intrigued with this show. For me, my favourite song from PASSION is called SO MUCH HAPPINESS. I adore it!"

---

1. MAMA'S TALKIN' SOFT

from GYPSY

from the 1960 album PETULA CLARK IN HOLLYWOOD. MAMA'S TALKIN' SOFT is a song that was written for the 1959 Broadway musical GYPSY with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. The song was written for the characters Baby June and Louise but was cut from the production because the staging required the little girls to stand on a platform elevated above the stage, which terrified the young actress playing young Louise and partly because the show was running too long. Petula's recording of this song was arranged and conducted by Don Ralke and was recorded in Hollywood in May 1959 at Universal Recording Studios for her second studio album IN HOLLYWOOD issued by Pye Nixa in February 1960.

 

---

2. SEND IN THE CLOWNS

from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Performed by Petula on her 1974 BBC TV special THE SOUND OF PETULA (Episode 3 - What's New) broadcast in October 1974. The tapes survive for the entire 1974 series.

---

3. LOSING MY MIND

from FOLLIES

Petula started performing LOSING MY MIND in her live concerts in 1986 and the song became a staple within her concert repertoire until 2009.

---

4. LOSING MY MIND

from FOLLIES

Performed by Petula in November 1988 on THE DES O'CONNOR SHOW broadcast on ITV (below).

---

5. SEND IN THE CLOWNS

from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC

Performed by Petula at the charity concert BEING ALIVE celebrating the genius of Stephen Sondheim at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London on 04 June 1989.

---

6. LAST MIDNIGHT

from INTO THE WOODS

Recorded by Petula in 1989 as a domestic demo. This wonderful demo recording is simple in its approach with just vocal and piano (accompanied by Paul Bateman). Petula's vocal soars on this demo recording.

---

7. SEND IN THE CLOWNS / TONIGHT

from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC / WEST SIDE STORY

Performed by Petula in 1995 as a medley with other non-Sondheim songs on the BBC TV show THE GENERATION GAME hosted by Jim Davidson.

---

8. NOT A DAY GOES BY

from MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

from the 1998 studio album HERE FOR YOU.

---

9. I NEVER DO ANYTHING TWICE

from the film THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION

from the 1998 studio album HERE FOR YOU. Petula has also regularly performed this in concert.

---

10. CHILDREN WILL LISTEN

from INTO THE WOODS

from the 1998 studio album HERE FOR YOU.

---

11. LOSING MY MIND

from FOLLIES

from the 1998 studio album HERE FOR YOU.

---

12. I'M STILL HERE

from FOLLIES

Performed by Petula in 2019 at a musical tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall) in New York City.

---

Corrections and submissions are gratefully accepted.

© 2021 www.petulaclark.co.uk

Researched, compiled and created by Steven Warner & Tim Hutton
Selected graphics by Ray Leaning @ Muse Fine Art & Design