Lulu - To Sir With Love - Palais des Festivals, Cannes, France; 24th Jan 1968 (Rare) 20/6/2026

After much time was spent working on the original audio, bringing the sound back to life, I decided Lulu's performance deserved to be left intact just as it went out 'raw and live'. This rare performance was broadcast on French television on Wednesday the 24th of January 1968, Lulu also sang two other songs on the night "Shout!" and "The Boat That I Row". The show was held at the International Midem Gala (Gala du Midem, broadcast as Ce Soir On Danse). The festival was held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France. The TV special featured a variety of artists showcasing their international hits to the European audience. "To Sir with Love" is the theme from James Clavell's 1967 film To Sir, with Love. The song was performed by Scottish singer and actress Lulu (who also starred in the film), and written by Don Black and Mark London. Mickie Most produced the record, with Mike Leander arranging and conducting. The song peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and became the best-selling single of 1967 in the United States. At the time, it made Lulu only the second British female artist to top the US charts during the listing's Rock era after Petula Clark's "Downtown" in 1965 and third in the overall history of the US charts after "Downtown" and Vera Lynn's "Auf Wiederseh'n Sweetheart" in 1952, so far the first of two Scottish female solo artists to achieve the feat. Sheena Easton became the second when she topped the US charts with "Morning Train (9 to 5)" in May of 1981. "To Sir With Love" was initially recorded by Lulu with The Mindbenders, who also acted in the film. It was released as a single in the United States in 1967 and in October reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, where it remained for five weeks. The single ranked No. 1 in Billboard's year-end chart. It also became a gold record. Canada's RPM magazine put the song at No. 2 for the year 1967 although it did not appear on the weekly charts. Instead the A-side The Boat That I Row reached No. 1. Both sides were charted on the CHUM Charts reaching No. 1. "To Sir with Love" did not chart in the UK, as it appeared only as a B-side to "Let's Pretend" (released in the UK on 23 June 1967), which reached No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, (Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) was born on the 3rd of November 1948 at the maternity unit of Lennox Castle Hospital in Lennoxtown in 1948, and grew up in Glasgow, Scotland. Hope you'll all enjoy this wonderful performance by Lulu once again. This full original mono audio broadcast has been enhanced by EVB. Thanks for popping by The Square Disc. ‪@thesquaredisc‬ #lulu