(25th February 1961)
Never a chore to hear a harmonica, but otherwise “Sailor”s easy tempo becalms the track too easily. A snoozer, and an oddly archaic one from such a young singer: Petula’s stout-hearted vocals and massed backing seem to hark back to the early 50s and the likes of Vera Lynn. The cowpoke arrangement just doesn’t fit her style well (and it isn’t terribly nautical either). A curio at most. 4
Written by Tom on Tuesday, June 15th, 2004 | 2,190 views |
The UK's 1000+ Number One Hits since 1952, reviewed, in order, irregularly, for as long as I can bear to keep doing it. A history of pop in the shape of a chart.
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FT's Doctor Mod on July 31st, 2006
So this was a Number One? I sort of knew about this song, but I didn’t associate it with Pet. I faintly member this from childhood (but how old was I?) but I thought it was some woman who didn’t sing in English. German?
Could it have been that Pet Clark was on US radio a long time before “Downtown”?
Mark M on July 31st, 2006
“an oddly archaic one from such a young singer”
Yes, except although she was 28 when this came out, Pet Clark had been around forever by this point – she had been child star during the war (”Britain’s Shirley Temple”). So, in a way, she was a contemporary of Vera Lynn. But she was also young enough to adjust to the times to some extent, and have some excellent 60s hits (Downtown, Don’t Sleep In The Subway…
bramble on September 8th, 2006
Sailor was also done by Anne Shelton and I think there was a German version. At that time when foreign travel was out of the question for most people except at time of war, the roll-call of names-Capri, Amsterdam, Honolulu, Siam-had a magic to them. Petula Clark had already had a long career by then -in films and as a singer- and by the time of her revival post-Downtown she seemed generations ago.
Monty Tarr on December 30th, 2006
For years I have been trying to find out something about this song which was very popular in Illinois, USA, probably in 1954, 55, or 56. I was young at the time but remember the song was sung in English and German. I cannot remember if I have ever heard the Pet Clark version. (I most certainly remember when Downtown hit the airwaves.) Does anyone remember the English and German version? who the artist is/was?
newjerseybt on March 13th, 2007
Anne Shelton did the early American version and the German version was Seemann, Deine Heimat Ist Das Meer by Lolita.
I never heard the Pet Clarke version till recently on AM740.CA on a nightly radio “skip”.
The song is just wonderful IMO as it reflects America as it used to be. If you are over 50, you can probably make that connection. It also has historical significance. I understood every word of the lyrics the very first time I heard it in English. If you are into “rap”, most likely you won’t make a connection as it probably registers as space noise from another galaxy.
FT's richard thompson on June 7th, 2008
This is the sort of record my grandma liked, she was 58 back then.