Petula Clark--Downtown (1964)

     Petula Clark had grown up in front of the British public. By the age of 12 she was being cast in films and not many years later was recording as well, being called, "The British Shirley Temple". As she grew into an adult her success began to shift to the UK charts and then to France and Germany where she sang in those languages to the delight of her listening public. She loved France to the point that she moved to Paris, married and in quick succession had two children by 1964. 
     Her record company brought her some material by way of composer Tony Hatch. She was not impressed with any of the material he brought, but while tinkering around on her piano he started playing the chords to a song he had just begun writing based on a first time trip he had taken to New York City. Clark heard it and told him that if he could write lyrics for the song that was as good as the melody that she would record it. The song became her signature, and her first hit in the United States. It also became a launching point for the career of Hatch as he composed a string of 15 straight top 40 hits for the US market as well.