Legendary singer P. P. Arnold shares her secrets of the swinging sixties

Legendary soul singer P. P. Arnold has shared candid memories of her extraordinary journey through the swinging sixties, revealing the highs, the struggles and the pivotal moments that shaped her career.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz boss and renowned journalist Rick Sky at the celebrations for Immediate Records’ 60th anniversary in London on Friday night (19.09.25), Arnold reflected on how chance encounters and bold decisions set her on the path to stardom.

The event, held at the iconic Olympic Studios in Barnes, saw rock legends and '60s icons gather to toast the milestone of the independent label founded in 1965 by The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Tony Calder. Guests were also treated to a screening of 'Immediate Now, A Celebration of Creativity' starring P. P. Arnold and other artists from that period.

Arnold, who gave the world unforgettable recordings such as 'The First Cut Is The Deepest' and 'Angel Of The Morning', revealed that her career almost took a very different turn. She admitted that she once planned to return to the United States to become a legal secretary, but it was Andrew Loog Oldham and Mick Jagger who persuaded her to stay in London and continue making music.

Her road to success began even earlier when, after a single phone call, she "suddenly" found herself in Tina Turner's living room – the beginning of her time as one of the Ikettes.

Reflecting on her signature song, Arnold was adamant about its importance: "My version is the definitive version," she said of 'The First Cut Is The Deepest', which she recorded almost a decade before it became a global hit for other artists.

More than six decades after she first stepped onto the London scene, Arnold's voice and story remain as powerful and uncompromising as ever.