Petula Clark IS Pop: Maxine Linehan Has New Proof for 2010

MIDTOWN, MANHATTAN: We never considered ourselves big-time fans of Petula Clark – until we ran into Maxine Linehan, that is. Then, during a private concert at Manhattan’s Tainted Blue studios, Clark’s deep catalog of eternally satisfying pop songs, which include classics like “Downtown”, “Call Me”, and “Don’t Sleep on the Subway” started to make a whole lot of sense.

The NYC-based Linehan and an inspired live band were taking the wraps off What Would Petula Do?, a living/loving new tribute to one of the most successful pop songwriters and performers of the 20th Century. An Irish-bred law school grad who switched career tracks to singing, Linehan’s recent tour with the Lincoln Center’s production of South Pacific proved without a doubt she had the vocal chops to do justice to her idol.

“My Mom was a huge Petula fan and she passed on the obsession!” Linehan explains of how she got the PC bug. “Petula is a really unique artist whose talent is limitless, it seems. You can count on one hand the artists who excel in the recording industry, the movie industry and on stage. Not to mention her ability to do all this in many languages, she is truly remarkable and her career is so inspirational. I’m taking a leaf out of her book — stage was my first true love, but now having had a taste of the recording arts I want to learn more.”

In music – just like in life – one thing leads to another. The extremely positive response to a performance of a live Petula tribute in New York’s Lauire Beechman Theatre in 2009 planted the seed for the 11-track WWPD? “My producers, Andrew Koss and Gerald Stockstill get all the credit for the sound of the album,” says Linehan. “They are brilliant and managed to take some very famous hits and renew them with a contemporary sound, while still remaining true to the genre. We were all adamant that the album be a tribute and not in anyway an impersonation — no one can ever compare to Petula Clark. I’m just a humble fan hoping to breathe new life into her incredible music and hopefully introduce a new audience to the music at the same time.”

Linehan, Koss and Stockstill recorded the high fidelity tracks at Koss’ Tainted Blue penthouse facility at 723 7th Avenue, a studio-heavy address which is becoming an ever-busier beehive of audio activity. “There are a lot of studios in New York,” notes Linehan, “but Tainted Blue is intimate, comfortable and has the most wonderful people working there. The process was a little unique as I had started rehearsing for South Pacific and my schedule was very tight. We ended up putting all the lead vocal tracks down in just a few days, and then I left my trusted producers in charge. We have everything on the album from horns, to mandolins to accordions — everyone worked so hard to produce the superb sound.”

The mix, performed by upstate-based Chach , stays true to the classic Petula Clark pop sound while sharpening it for 2010. “It was important to find an engineer who had experience with more traditional styles of music and Chach has years of mixing experience in so many genres, we knew he would understand how to help blend both the classic and modern sounds we were going for on the album.

“He was able to let the subtleties in the music come through, without overdoing it on the mix side. He happened to really love the sound of my voice so he really wanted to put the vocals front and center.  We spent a lot of time on the tracking side and Chach really allowed that hard work to shine.”

There will be those who think they’re way too hip to dive into a disc of Petula Clark covers. That’s too bad, because they’re missing out. With cut after cut of unforgettable hooks and elite arrangements, WWPD proves that looking back can be just the thing to move forward – for everyone involved.

“A singer alone does not an album make!” Linehan points out. “It was such a team effort from arrangements and orchestrations, right through to mixing and mastering. For me the most challenging thing was relinquishing control — not something I do easily. Praise from Petula herself was pretty special, and hearing from people on Facebook from around the world telling me how much they enjoy the music is also very rewarding.”

Maxine Linehan confirms that What Would Petula Do has the SonicScoop ethos stamped all over it. “Only in NYC can an aspiring actress stage a tribute to a ‘60’s pop icon and go on to record a first class album — and I hope to add, ‘and sell millions of copies worldwide,’ soon. In this city you can dream big!” – David Weiss

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