In 1964, British composer Tony Hatch and singer Petula Clark gave the world "Downtown" and it instantly became one of the most popular records anywhere at any time. She recorded it in English…
She recorded it in Italian…
She recorded it in French…
She recorded it in German…
And in the countries for which she didn't record it, many others did. It really was an amazingly popular song — amazing because it was so simple. In 2018, my friend Shelly Goldstein and I went to see Ms. Clark in concert and she sang it — and all her hits — and it was also amazing that she still sounded pretty much like she did when they first came out. Could I possibly have made a mixtape without this song?