While overall conforming to the hit formula Hatch had come up with for Clark with "Downtown" - and being especially reminiscent of Clark's 1965 #1 hit "My Love - "Colour My World" acknowledged the sound of the later 1960s by featuring a riff played on the sitar. Recorded in New York City, "Colour My World" was rush released in December 1966 in an attempt to counteract the disappointing performance of Clark's preceding single "Who Am I?" which had fallen short of the US Top 20 and more seriously had become the first Petula Clark single since "Downtown" to not rank in the UK Top 50. Billboard magazine's original review of the song predicted it would make the top 20 of the Hot 100. "Chalk up another chart topper in this intriguing Hatch-Trent rhythm number featuring the popular Indian sitar sound and exceptional Clark vocal work."
Chart Performance
Although it did return Clark to the US Top Twenty with a #16 peak and was also an Australian Top Ten hit, "Colour My World" became the second consecutive Petula Clark single release to fall short of the UK Top 50 with a #52 peak. The album named for this failed UK single: Colour My World was similarly overlooked upon its January 1967 release. However, after a month the original edition of the album was withdrawn in the UK, but later became one of Clark's highest charting UK albums, bolstered by the inclusion of Clark's smash hit "This Is My Song" in the reissued album's revised track listing. This boosted the Colour My World album to a #16 UK chart peak.
Australia
Canada
New Zealand
United States
#10
#14
#13
#16
Cover Versions
Tony Hatch later produced a recording of "Colour My World" for Two of Each, a group whose lead vocalist Mally Page was the sister of the song's co-writer Jackie Trent to whom Hatch was then married. The Two of Each version of "Colour My World" was issued in January 1970 on a single featuring a version of "Here Comes the Sun" with neither track charting.
In Spanish as "Pinta mi mundo" by both Mexican singer, Angélica María and by Spanish singer, Gelu.
Popular Culture
In addition "Colour My World" gained a high UK profile by virtue of being used by BBC Television as the theme song for the July 1967 launch of colour service on BBC2.
In 2004 "Colour My World" - referred to as "Color My World" - was utilized as a jingle in US television commercials for M&M's being rendered in various versions including as a languid ballad; the vocal on the last named version was by Reneé Cologne.
UK furniture retailer DFS used the Petula Clark version in a UK television commercial campaign run in 2008.
