New Zealand hype old news for Petula Clark

By MONIQUE DEVEREAUX

Her friend Mick Jagger told her all about the little country off to the side of Australia in the 1960s. Apparently, he said it was gorgeous and well worth a visit. (He must have been reserving his true impressions for his friends - he made insulting remarks about Invercargill and Bluff to the rest of the world). So even though it has taken 40 or so years, Clark is finally here to see for herself. Not Invercargill (and she seemed genuinely shocked to hear of Jagger's remarks) but at least Kaikoura and maybe a few places north of Auckland.

The weather will play a huge part in the proceedings. Outside her Christchurch penthouse suite the driving cold rain was "rather off-putting". But it did not stop Clark's travelling companions, a sister and a daughter, taking in some of the city's sights.

It is a whirlwind tour for the British singer/actress. Three nights in New Zealand slotted between appearances in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne. She says she would have come sooner but nobody asked her.

Clark is probably best known for her 60s pop hits Downtown and Don't Sleep In the Subway, but her career spans 20 years before that - and 40 years since.

Not that it shows. Her clear complexion belies her 70-plus years. Her stylishly shaggy blonde hair would not look out of place on Meg Ryan.

Her longevity in a fickle showbiz world, however, is clearly not something she wants to discuss. "I'm not interested in talking about that. I'm not interested in how long you've been doing your job either. I'm just not interested. It's old news."

Being a famous singer/actress is all Clark has ever known. It began in World War II when, as a 9-year-old, her parents took her to sing a message for the troops.

She was so impressive the organisers asked her to sing solo, and in doing so launching her career as a British Shirley Temple.

By the end of the war she had performed more than 200 shows for the Allied forces around England.

In the 40s and 50s she had her own British television show - Pet's Parlour - and made the first of about 30 movies.

By the time she hit fame in the United States, courtesy of a 1965 Grammy for Downtown, she was already cemented in British and French history as a superstar, French because she was persuaded to sing at the Olympia ("badly, I had a dreadful cold") and the crowd went wild.

Clark hadn't wanted to go to France ("who would want to live in France of all places?") but it lead to a dramatic change in her life.

After the show the promoter was trying to persuade her to record in French. She had no intention of doing so. But when the lightbulb in his tiny office broke and a handsome man stood above her on the desk to fix it, things suddenly became different.

Clark and the lightbulb man, Claude Wolff, later married. She moved to France and became a superstar in another language.

The success of Downtown launched her US career, which was bolstered by her appearance in musicals and movies. Later she became a West End and Broadway megastar as well.

In fact, over the past six decades there are few things Clark hasn't done and seemingly few people she hasn't worked with.

She turned down doing a movie with Elvis, but in another she danced with Fred Astaire. One of her biggest hits, This Is My Song, was written for her by Charlie Chaplin, and John Lennon called Clark his favourite female singer.

She has a CBE for services to entertainment and has featured on Britain's This Is Your Life three times.

Her record sales now exceed 70 million worldwide.

She has been asked to impart wisdom about staying successful in the business before, but she says it's a hard question to answer.

"I don't even know what being famous is. I've never known anything else. That does make it a little difficult for me and it's why I'm hesitant to give advice."

Clark says that she should tell people about the hard parts, the need for courage to take risks and carry on - "the things the magazines don't say because it's not sexy".

"I sometimes think that being in this business is like trying to go up a down escalator. If you want to stay in one place you still have to keep walking and if you get to the top and stand still, you come down again.

"But I enjoy that impulse, that competition.

"I find it healthy and stimulating. I think it's very dangerous to just rest on your laurels and say you've made it."

Which is why any suggestion of stopping is greeted with a look of horror.

"Do I feel like retiring, is that what you mean? Oh no. No, not yet. Not at all.

"I'm still having a lot of fun doing it, I guess that's one big reason I keep doing it. My voice seems to be stronger, better.

"And people seem to want to come and see me so I guess that's about it. I'm not a total workaholic.

"When I work it's pretty intense and I concentrate, but you know when I'm not working, I'm pretty intense about not working. I'm very good at relaxing."

* Petula Clark is at the Bruce Mason Centre tonight and the Founders Theatre, Hamilton on Sunday