miliosr Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Are there any admirers of the 50s/60s jazz/pop/cabaret singer June Christy out there? Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I loved June Christie in the fifties, when Stan Kenton was my favorite band. Anita O'Day (Gene Krupa) in the forties and fifties was another favorite. ("He's got a face like a fish, shape like a frog, when he loves me I holler ooh hot dog!") I identified with that lucky guy. What can you tell me about June Christie? Link to comment
papeetepatrick Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 I love her YouTubes of 'Something Cool'--"A cigarette--well, I don't smoke them as a rule...but I'll have one...it would be fun--with SOMETHIN' COOL...." 'My Shining Hour' is good too, but the first has the great photo-montage. Her original name, Shirley Luster, is not so bad either (and there was another one between those two. I bet she was a character.) Link to comment
miliosr Posted January 11, 2009 Author Share Posted January 11, 2009 June Christy made 18 records for Capitol Records between 1954 and 1965. They're all interesting to one extent or another but here are my picks: Something Cool (mono) (1954/55) -- Her first full-lengther for Capitol and her masterpiece. The title track, in which Christy brings a Blanche Dubois character to life so vividly, is simply extraordinary. But the entire album is of a very high standard. Duet (1955) -- As the title implies, this is a "duet" between Christy and her mentor, Stan Kenton. Not for the feint of heart as the latent harshness in Christy's voice and Kenton's furious pounding on the piano combine to create what the writer Will Friedwald described as "the scariest vocal record ever made." Gone for the Day (1957) -- As mentioned above, Christy had a certain harshness to her voice. Not here, however, as Christy's loose meditation on pastoral themes sees the harshness disappear and features some of her loveliest singing. Ballads for Night People (1959) -- A full-length "after hours" collection full of standards ("Bewitched", "My Ship") and obscurities -- this is my favorite. Something Cool (stereo) (1960) -- The original mono version of Something Cool had sold so well for Capitol that, in 1960, the record label had Christy re-record it note-for-note in stereo. But, between 1954 and 1960, Christy's voice had changed and had become deeper and huskier. So, while the songs and the song order are the same on the rerecording, the finished results aren't, as Christy was a different singer by 1960. Link to comment
Farrell Fan Posted January 11, 2009 Share Posted January 11, 2009 Thanks so much for the info (including the spelling of her name) on June Christy. One of the greats. Link to comment
dirac Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Thanks so much for the info (including the spelling of her name) on June Christy. One of the greats. I add my thanks to Farrell Fan's. Christy's name was familiar to me, but I've never heard her sing, as far as I know. I'll look into these. Thanks, miliosr. Link to comment
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