Produced by Alan A. Freeman and featuring Big Jim Sullivan on guitar, "Romeo" was Clark's recording of a 1919 composition by Robert Stolz entitled "Salome" which had featured a German-language lyric by Arthur Rebner. The lyric for Clark's "Romeo" was newly written by Jimmy Kennedy: Arthur Rebner is sometimes afforded a songwriting credit for "Romeo". The song peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart dated 26 August. Despite peaking lower than her No. 1 UK comeback hit "Sailor", "Romeo" earned Clark her first Gold record by selling 400,000 units in the UK. In Ireland "Romeo" reached No. 2. :fr:Jean Broussolle|Jean Broussolle who had translated Clark's precedent hit "Sailor" rendered "Romeo" as "Roméo" which became Clark's first No. 1 hit in France on 20 January 1962 – Clark's next two singles would also reach No. 1 in France where overall she'd top the charts five times. "Roméo" was also ranked at No. 1 on the chart for the Wallonia region of Belgium while the original English version had been a hit in Belgium's Flemish region. "Romeo" also achieved hit status in Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Australia.
Cover versions
;"Romeo"
Rina Pia recorded a Flemish rendering of "Roméo" which reached No. 3 on Belgium's Dutch chart in the autumn of 1962.
A Czech rendering of "Romeo" was recorded in 1963 by Yvetta Simonová.
;"Salome"
An earlier English-language rendering of "Salome" by lyricist Bartley Costello entitled "Sal-o-may" had been published in 1920 but was evidently never recorded although instrumental versions of Stolz' piece were recorded under the title "Sal-o-may" by the Paul Biese Trio and also by the Joseph C. Smith Orchestra in 1921.
An Italian version of Stolz's "Salome" entitled "Abat-jour",lyric by Ennio Neri,in late 1950s and recorded by Nilo Ossani and remade by Aurelio Fierro, reached No. 4 on the Italian hit parade in September 1962 to rank as the year's No. 9 hit via a remake by Henry Wright which bested a rival version by Milva. The success of Wright's "Abat-jour", which was perceived as a local cover version of Clark's "Romeo" prompted the decision to have Clark herself cut songs for the Italian market.
*Henry Wright's version of "Abat-jour" is prominently featured in the 1963 filmYesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Sophia Loren, playing the prostitute Mara, plays Wright's record as the background music for the strip tease she performs for a client played by Marcello Mastroianni. The 1994 filmPrêt-à-Porter featured Loren and Mastroianni in what was in effect a remake of the strip tease scene from Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow with Wright's "Abat-jour" again played as background music.
Kukonpojat recorded a version of "Salome" with Finnish lyrics in 1961.
