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Thread: Downtown - Tony Hatch (Petula Clark)

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    335

    Default Downtown - Tony Hatch (Petula Clark)

    "Downtown" is a 1964 composition by Tony Hatch and was inspired by a visit to Times Square in Manhattan, which Hatch incorrectly thought was downtown. He introduced the song to Petula Clark a few weeks later and she immediately recorded it. The recording became a mega-hit by the beginning of 1965. The tune itself is notable in not having a standard 32-bar form. Rather it has a non-symmetric ABA form with 8 measures in each A section and 9 measures in the B section. This is reflected in the chord chart by having two measures in the B section taking up two spaces rather than the ususal four, in order to improve the ease of reading.

    The lyrics reflect the optimism of the early 1960s and refer to the Bossa Nova craze of the time.

    This tune has a pop-rock beat but I don't like the way it sounds with the Pop - Rock style. Rather, as I do for other light rock tunes, I use the Jazz - Bossa Nova style (and not the Latin Bossa styles) at 125 bpm.

    Downtown - Tony Hatch
    Last edited by pdxdjazz; 11-30-2015 at 04:57 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    7

    Default

    Thanks! Had this as a request for an upcoming performance!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Posts
    335

    Default

    You're welcome! I regularly play this tune on gigs. My listeners seem to enjoy it, as well as other light rock tunes of the 1960s.

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