ABSTRACT
Every musical cliche and gimmick known to British pop is thrown into the mix along with lyrics that begin with the all-too-true line, "I can't sing but I'm young." Though the "Brit Girls" of the 60s were heavily influenced by American pop, particularly the girl groups, Lucy O'Brien suggests they were also part of another, even older continuum: O'Brien's placement of Petula Clark at the end of this wholesome and peculiarly British line of female singers is apt. Although frequently grouped among the 60s Brit Girls, her association with the British Invasion is, to a great extent, coincidental; "Downtown," her first truly global hit, was released in late 1964, mere months after the Beatles had made their American debut. If even relatively young singers such as Lulu and Sandie Shaw seemed somehow older than their American contemporaries, one explanation might well be that they were, for the most part, altos with relatively dark timbres.
