The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener
Encyclopedia
"The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" is a song written by Tony Hatch
and Jackie Trent
which was a 1967 hit for Petula Clark
.
After working exclusively with producer/songwriter Tony Hatch following their 1964 breakout collaboration "Downtown
", Clark had had her most successful single ever in the spring of 1967 with "This is My Song
" a Charlie Chaplin
composition recorded by Clark with producer Sonny Burke
.
The resultant These Are My Songs
album was also produced by Burke with Hatch contributing only one track albeit the one selected as the follow-up single: "Don't Sleep in the Subway
". Despite that single's success Clark proceeded to record her next album without Hatch's involvement again working with Burke except for the track "The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)
" which was released as an advance single in August 1967.
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" at #26 became Clark's lowest charting US single to that date and missed the UK Top 50 entirely, causing Clark to reunite with Hatch for a track to be added to her album as the title track and to serve as a second advance single. This track: "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener" — which Hatch says contains "a lot of deep thought [and] a lot of philosophy... [Clark] enjoyed singing those kind of songs"http://www.retrosellers.co.uk/features152.htm — was musically similar to "Don't Sleep in the Subway" but failed to approach that hit's success, reaching only #31 on the US charts.
Clark would again bypass Hatch for her next single: "Kiss Me Goodbye
", which would return her to the US Top Twenty. Conversely in the UK, "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" would bring Clark back to the UK Top Twenty - at #20 - for the final time1 while "Kiss Me Goodbye" would just reach #50 effectively ending Clark's career as a mainstream hitmaker.
In Australia, "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" reached #30.
Clark's recording of "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener" was featured in the 1997 film Twin Town
playing under the opening credits.
The song has also been recorded by Ed Ames
and Vikki Carr
.
Tony Hatch
Anthony Peter "Tony" Hatch is an English composer, songwriter, pianist, music arranger and producer.-Early life and early career:...
and Jackie Trent
Jackie Trent
Jackie Trent is an English singer, songwriter, and actress.-Career:Trent's first stage appearance was as a ten-year-old ingenue in the pantomime Babes In The Wood, but her primary interest was a career in pop music...
which was a 1967 hit for Petula Clark
Petula Clark
Petula Clark, CBE is an English singer, actress, and composer whose career has spanned seven decades.Clark's professional career began as an entertainer on BBC Radio during World War II...
.
After working exclusively with producer/songwriter Tony Hatch following their 1964 breakout collaboration "Downtown
Downtown (Petula Clark song)
"Downtown" is a pop song composed by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark, became an international hit – No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK – at the end of 1964.-Original recording:...
", Clark had had her most successful single ever in the spring of 1967 with "This is My Song
This Is My Song (1967 song)
"This Is My Song" is a song written by Charlie Chaplin in 1966 and performed by Petula Clark.-Origin/ Petula Clark recording:"This is My Song" was intended for the film, A Countess from Hong Kong, which Charlie Chaplin wrote and directed...
" a Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
composition recorded by Clark with producer Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke
Sonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
.
The resultant These Are My Songs
These Are My Songs
These Are My Songs is a 1967 album released by Petula Clark. In a break with longtime collaborator Tony Hatch, Clark joined forces with producer Sonny Burke and arranger/conductor Ernie Freeman for this release....
album was also produced by Burke with Hatch contributing only one track albeit the one selected as the follow-up single: "Don't Sleep in the Subway
Don't Sleep in the Subway
"Don't Sleep in the Subway" is a song written by Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent and recorded by Petula Clark. Released in April 1967, it peaked at #5 on the US charts that June. It was Clark's final US top-ten single and the second of two #1 hits on the Billboard Easy Listening chart, following "I...
". Despite that single's success Clark proceeded to record her next album without Hatch's involvement again working with Burke except for the track "The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)
The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)
"The Cat in the Window " is a song with words and music by Gary Bonner and Alan Gordon which was a 1967 single for Petula Clark....
" which was released as an advance single in August 1967.
"The Cat in the Window (The Bird in the Sky)" at #26 became Clark's lowest charting US single to that date and missed the UK Top 50 entirely, causing Clark to reunite with Hatch for a track to be added to her album as the title track and to serve as a second advance single. This track: "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener" — which Hatch says contains "a lot of deep thought [and] a lot of philosophy... [Clark] enjoyed singing those kind of songs"http://www.retrosellers.co.uk/features152.htm — was musically similar to "Don't Sleep in the Subway" but failed to approach that hit's success, reaching only #31 on the US charts.
Clark would again bypass Hatch for her next single: "Kiss Me Goodbye
Kiss Me Goodbye (Petula Clark song)
"Kiss Me Goodbye" is a Les Reed/Barry Mason composition recorded in 1968 by Petula Clark.-Background:After recording the Reed/Mason composition "The Last Waltz" for her 1967 album The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener Clark had rendered that song as "La derniere valse" for release in France to...
", which would return her to the US Top Twenty. Conversely in the UK, "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" would bring Clark back to the UK Top Twenty - at #20 - for the final time1 while "Kiss Me Goodbye" would just reach #50 effectively ending Clark's career as a mainstream hitmaker.
In Australia, "The Other Man's Grass Is Always Greener" reached #30.
Clark's recording of "The Other Man's Grass is Always Greener" was featured in the 1997 film Twin Town
Twin Town
Twin Town is a 1997 revenge comedy film made and set in South West Wales. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llŷr Ifans and also features Dougray Scott...
playing under the opening credits.
The song has also been recorded by Ed Ames
Ed Ames
Ed Ames is an American popular singer and actor. He is best known for his pop and adult contemporary hits of the 1960s like "When the Snow is on the Roses" and the perennial "My Cup Runneth Over." He was part of a popular 1950s singing group called The Ames Brothers.-Early life:Born in Malden,...
and Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr
Vikki Carr is an American singer and humanitarian from El Paso, Texas. She has performed in a variety of music genres, including jazz, pop and country, but has enjoyed her greatest success singing in Spanish.-Career:After taking the stage name 'Vikki Carr', she signed with Liberty Records in 1962...
.
- 1except for the #10 remix re-issue of "Downtown" in 1988.