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SONG HOME YOUR VIEWS 31  | Top 100 Downtown Petula Clark Composer Tony Hatch approached Petula Clark with the chance to record a new song he had high hopes for, called Downtown. Inspired by Tony Hatch’s first walk down Broadway In New York, Downtown became a huge hit across Europe, going on to sell over three million copies. It also enjoyed a number one the following year when released in the US, enabling Pet Clark to achieve a Grammy Award for the best rock ‘n’ roll single. The song also enjoyed further chart success in 1989, when an acid house version, complete with Pet’s original vocal, reached number 10 in the UK charts. Song facts Composer Tony Hatch Genre Pop Year of Release 1964 UK Chart Position 2 Songwriter comments Tony Hatch talks about getting Petula Clark to sing Downtown and finishing the song in a hurry. Audio help Other versions Listen to Marianne Faithfull performing Downtown. A sassy song which did so much to promote British music in the USA Phil Edwards READ MORE COMMENTS... Make a comment Your Name and Town/City: Your Message: Songwriting tips Find out more about writing lyrics Test your knowledge Test your knowledge of Downtown and Petula Clark. TAKE THE CHALLENGE! 30Wuthering Heights 32Streets Of London Newsletter sign-up Sign up for updates on new songs, documentaries and live events Like this song? Try these... DON'T MISS Doves Special guests on Dermot's show this week What's on Radio 2 Documentaries Find out more about current and forthcoming documentaries on Radio 2.

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