Barry Mason
John Barry Mason (12 July 1935 – 16 April 2021) was an English singer and songwriter. A leading songwriter of the 1960s, he wrote the bulk of his most successful songs in partnership with Les Reed. Mason gained many gold and platinum awar ...
composition recorded in 1968 by
Petula Clark
Petula Sally Olwen Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932) is an English singer, actress, and composer. She has one of the longest serving careers of a British singer, spanning more than seven decades.
Clark's professional career began during the ...
.
Background
After recording the Reed/Mason composition "
The Last Waltz
''The Last Waltz'' was a concert by the Canadian-American rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. ''The Last Waltz'' was advertised as The Band's "farewell concert a ...
" for her 1967 album ''
The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener
"The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent which was a 1967-68 hit for Petula Clark.
After working exclusively with producer/songwriter Tony Hatch following their 1964 breakout collaboration "Downt ...
'', Clark had rendered that song as "La derniere valse" for release in France to serve as the follow-up to her #1 hit " C'est Ma Chanson".The success of "La derniere valse", which reached #2 in France in January 1968, encouraged Clark to record another original Reed/Mason composition, "Kiss Me Goodbye".
The recording session took place at
Pye Studios
Pye Records was a British record label. Its best known artists were Lonnie Donegan (1956–1969), Petula Clark (1957–1971), the Searchers (1963–1967), the Kinks (1964–1971), Sandie Shaw (1964–1971), Status Quo (1968–1971) and Brotherhoo ...
in
Marble Arch
The Marble Arch is a 19th-century white marble-faced triumphal arch in London, England. The structure was designed by John Nash in 1827 to be the state entrance to the cour d'honneur of Buckingham Palace; it stood near the site of what is toda ...
and was produced by
Tony Hatch
Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer.
Early life and early career
Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...
, although the arranging/conducting duties were assigned to Les Reed, who played piano; the track also featured
Big Jim Sullivan
James George Tomkins (14 February 1941 – 2 October 2012), known professionally as Big Jim Sullivan, was an English musician whose career started in 1958.
He was best known as a session guitarist. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was one of t ...
on guitar. Hatch also produced the B-side, "I've Got Love Going For Me', a composition by Clark herself, with Hatch's then former assistant Johnny Harris as arranger/conductor.
Reception
Released in February 1968, "Kiss Me Goodbye" rose swiftly up the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 to enter the Top 20 at #16 on the chart dated 23 March 1968 representing a considerable comeback for Clark whose last two U.S. singles had been Top 20 shortfalls. However, "Kiss Me Goodbye" would rise no higher than #15 — although the track was ranked as high as #12 in ''
Cash Box
''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...
'' and #10 in ''
Record World
''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record W ...
'') — and would mark Clark's final appearance in the Top 30 of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 where the follow-up "Don't Give Up" would peak at #37. ("Don't Give Up" would peak at respectively #27 and #23 in ''Cash Box'' and ''Record World'': in all three trades it would be Clark's last Top 40 hit.)
The ''Billboard'' magazine review of the single stated: "Miss Clark has another 'This is My Song' in this beautiful ballad, penned, arranged, and conducted by Les Reed. Exceptional performance is matched by Tony Hatch's production work." Warner Brothers advertised the single in both ''Billboard'' and ''Cash Box'' with the line "Continuing the industry's most enduring affair of the chart."
In the UK, "Kiss Me Goodbye" just reached the Top 50 dated 9 March 1968, effectively punctuating Clark's British hitmaking career.
In Belgium "Kiss Me Goodbye" almost afforded Clark her final #1 hit on the chart for any major territory, rising as high as #2 on the Flemish hit parade, its ascendancy blocked by another Reed/ Mason number: "
Delilah
Delilah ( ; , meaning "delicate";Gesenius's ''Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon'' ar, دليلة, Dalīlah; grc, label= Greek, Δαλιδά, Dalidá) is a woman mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. She is loved ...
" recorded by
Tom Jones
Tom Jones may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer
*Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist
*''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...
leaving "Don't Sleep in the Subway" as Clark's final #1 hit, based on "Don't Sleep in the Subway" having topped the Australian chart. "Kiss Me Goodbye" also afforded Clark a hit on Belgium's Francophone chart with a #13 peak.
"Dis-moi au revoir", Clark's rendering of "Kiss Me Goodbye" for the French market (with lyrics by
Pierre Delanoë
Pierre Delanoë (16 December 1918 – 27 December 2006), born Pierre Charles Marcel Napoléon Leroyer in Paris, France, was a French lyricist who wrote thousands of songs for dozens of singers, including Dalida, Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Pet ...
), rose as high as #15 on the hit parade for France. Clark also recorded a German-language rendering (with lyrics by
Hans Bradtke
Hans may refer to:
__NOTOC__ People
* Hans (name), a masculine given name
* Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician
** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans
** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
) which retained the original English-language title "Kiss Me Goodbye", and this version reached #36 in Germany, Clark's final chart single there (except for the 1988 remix of "
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
"). In
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, a version which retained the lyric "kiss me goodbye", but otherwise featured Italian lyrics written by Misselvia, was released as "Kiss Me, Goodbye" and assisted by the Clark's performance on Italian television provided the singer with her final Italian chart entry at #26.
"Kiss Me Goodbye" reached #12 in Australia becoming Clark's last Top 20 hit of the 1960s in that nation. In Malaysia "Kiss Me Goodbye" matched the #2 chart peak it had achieved on the Flemish hit parade.
"Kiss Me Goodbye" was included on the album '' Petula'' released September 1968.
Charts
1988 remake
Having remade "Kiss Me Goodbye" and several other hits for her 1986 Jango CD ''Give It a Try'', Clark cut the similarly styled ''This Is My Song Album'' for the Dutch Dino label in 1988 and that album's version of "Kiss Me Goodbye" - entitled "Kiss Me Goodbye 88" - became a hit in the Netherlands reaching #13 that spring remaining the most recent appearance of a first-time release by Clark on a major singles chart until "
Downtown
''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
" by
the Saw Doctors
The Saw Doctors are an Irish rock band. Formed in 1986 in Tuam, County Galway, they have achieved eighteen Top 30 singles in the Republic of Ireland including three number ones. Their first number one, " I Useta Lover," topped the Irish charts ...
featuring Petula Clark reached #2 on the Irish chart in December 2011. (In the autumn of 1988 Clark did have an international hit with "Downtown 88" which was a
remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
of the original 1964 recording of "Downtown".)
Other versions
In 1968,
Jim Nabors
James Thurston Nabors (June 12, 1930 – November 30, 2017) was an American actor, singer, and comedian, widely known for his signature character, Gomer Pyle.
Nabors was discovered by Andy Griffith while working at a Santa Monica nightclub, an ...
covered "Kiss Me Goodbye" for an album on which it served as title cut. That same year the song was featured on albums by
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.
Biography
Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...
(''Honey''),
Michele Lee
Michele Lee is an American actress, singer, dancer, producer, and director. She is known for her role as Karen Fairgate MacKenzie on the prime-time soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1979–1993), for which she was nominated for a 1982 Emmy Awar ...
(''L. David Sloane''),
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap (initially credited as The Union Gap featuring Gary Puckett) was an American pop rock group active in the late 1960s. The group, formed by Gary Puckett, Gary "Mutha" Withem, Dwight Bement, Kerry Chater and Paul Wheat ...
('' Young Girl'') and Inga Sulin ( fi) (in Finnish as "Suutele Minua Hyvästiksi") (''Niinkuin Jokainen''). Also in 1968, The Mystics (
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
pop group) covered it on their LP album ''Now'', and Ana Štefok ( hr) recorded a Croatian rendering of "Kiss Me Goodbye" entitled "Poljubi me za kraj".
Connie Francis
Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937),
known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
recorded "Kiss Me Goodbye" for her ''Connie Francis Sings the Songs of Les Reed'' album which featured Reed as producer and pianist; the album was released in November 1969.Connie Francis, ''Connie Francis Sings the Songs of Les Reed'' Retrieved 28 September 2011 Also in 1969
Karel Gott
) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine CharlieVirginia Lee ( af) recorded "Kiss Me Goodbye" for her 1970 album ''Poem of Love''.
Red Hurley
Brian "Red" Hurley (born 11 November 1949) is an Irish singer. Hurley's career includes singing lead for bands such as The Colours, The Wheels, and The Nevada (né The Nevada Showband). He had a series of number one records in the 1970s while p ...
and the Nevada had a #1 hit on the Irish charts in 1971 with a remake of "Kiss Me Goodbye": released that October, this version reached #1 on 18 November 1971 returning to #1 on 2 December 1971. ("Kiss Me Goodbye" by Red Hurley and the Nevada was succeeded at #1 on the Irish charts by another local version of a Top 50 UK hit for Petula Clark, specifically "
I Don't Know How to Love Him
"I Don't Know How to Love Him" is a song from the 1970 album and 1971 rock opera ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics), a torch ballad sung by the character of Mary Magdalene. In the opera ...
" by
Tina
Tina may refer to:
People
* Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina''
Places
* Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran
* Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia
*Tina, Guadalcanal, Solom ...
& Real McCoy.)
Bamse
''Bamse – Världens starkaste björn'' () is a Swedish cartoon created by Rune Andréasson. The highly popular children's cartoon first emerged as a series of television short films as well as a weekly Comic strip formats#Half page, half-page ...
remade "Kiss Me Goodbye" for his 1977 album release ''Din Sang'', himself writing lyrics for a Danish rendering entitled "Kys Mig Farvel."
Wendy Van Wanten ( nl) had a #4 hit on Belgium's Flemish chart in 1995 with her version of "Kiss Me Goodbye" which retained the English title for a Dutch rendering of the song by lyricist Yvan Brunetti.
The 2007 compilation album ''Try to Remember'' by Heidi Brühl features the singer's version of "Kiss Me Goodbye" recorded in 1969 with the Les Humphries ( de) Orchestra.
"Kiss Me Goodbye" has been a favored
cover version
In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song relea ...
item for
Cantopop
Cantopop (a contraction of "Cantonese pop music") or HK-pop (short for "Hong Kong pop music") is a genre of pop music written in standard Chinese and sung in Cantonese. Cantopop is also used to refer to the cultural context of its production ...
the Chopsticks
The Chopsticks was a short-lived female duo in Hong Kong. They were the first all-female modern music singing group to be marketed and launched from Hong Kong.
They started singing in the late 1960s with HK English pop songs and were contracted ...
(album ''All of a Sudden''/ 1971),
Chelsia Chan
Puan Sri Chelsia Chan, also known as Chan Chau Ha is Hong Kong based actress and singer-songwriter. Chan joined the music industry after winning the first prize at an amateur creative singing contest in 1975 in Hong Kong with the English song " ...
(album ''Dark Side of Your Mind''/ 1975),
Tracy Huang
Tracy Huang (; born 29 August 1951) is a Taiwanese singer.
Huang began her career in music with the Thunderbird Choir, alongside Su Rui. After she left the group, Huang spent two years in Taichung, at an American military base, where she learn ...
(album ''Mississippi''/ 1977), Susan Wong (album ''These Foolish Things''/ 2005), and
Irene Ryder
Irene Ryder (; born 1949) is a popular Eurasian Hong Kong English pop singer and actress in Hong Kong during the 1960s.
Career
In 1966, Ryder attained the unofficial title of Go Go Queen after winning a talent quest.Daily Information Bulletin W ...
(date unknown - on compilation album ''The Legend''/ 1998).