It's Pearlie-time! Back in the 1930s, she was Philadelphia's favorite performer at all the finer black nightclubs. Then she went on to have a wowza recording, Broadway and TV career, as you surely know. A career in movies? Not so much.
But she sure popped out - and how - in the few movies that she did do, like "Carmen Jones" and "Porgy and Bess." But I've never seen one movie she did, 1958's "St. Louis Blues - have you? - and I need to see it ASAP. Why? Because of the amazing cast! Get this line-up: Nat King Cole, Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Ruby Dee and Pearl!
As a stand-alone experience, it's fantastic. If singers are instruments, then Pearl's a trumpet, and she's well served by this set of rousing tunes written by the revered W.C. Handy, or "The Father Of The Blues," as he's known. Be forewarned, if you're feeling sleep-weepy or ready for nap-time, this is not the LP for you. But really, who needs sleep when you can just blast Pearl?
And now, let us pause to consider the come-hither gaze of Julie London. The eyebrow game is on point, the lips are slightly parted, the gown is gold lame - plus there's that piece of bric-a-brac that looks like a gold-plated Georgia O'Keefe vulva hanging in the background. Which is exactly what you'll see when Julie uncrosses her legs (you know I'm right). This. Picture. Is. Everything.
For someone selling sex, Julie London was never subtle. In 1968, she released an LP entitled "Easy Does It." But really, I much prefer the German release. Everything's the same, including the songs and the cover art. The only difference is the title: "Lady Sex." And, yes, its a Lucious London Cheerful Exclusive! for you and your boudoir partner(s).
Julie pants heavily and breathy-sings on every tune. She wasn't known as the premiere "Cocktail Siren" for nuthin'. Which reminds me, I need to add another item to my bucket list: become a "Cocktail Siren." #goals
Meanwhile, the many kidults in your life probably don't know that Tony Bennett used to look like this:
Hubba-hubba. Or as the Italians say, "Che bello." I bet your kidult friends also didn't know that he positively slayed in concert. His best live performance? It's got to be his 1962 stint at Carnegie Hall.
He was already pretty famous at that point, but this was right before he released "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," which, as we know, made him a household name (like Cher or Vicodin or Jell-O), and for good reason. This 2-CD set is the swingin'est live concert around. And, yes, "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" is included, though the audience wasn't yet aware of how it, and Tony, would blow up in the next few months. It's a great concert.
Sometimes I forget that
Not that she couldn't be now, but am I the only one who's disappointed in how much work she's done on that mug of hers? Why couldn't she take a hint from her predecessors, who aged beautifully. I always thought she looked her best in 1990's "Dick Tracy" (which holds up better than you think, by the way). Not only that, she gave a fantastic performance (yes, I stand by that statement; come at me). She also sang a clutch of terrific Sondheim ditties. This was back when comic book movies were both fun and classy. How quickly we forget.
The Secret Song File was looking in her bathroom mirror the other day and thought, "Is that my pal Al? Did he actually stay over last night?" I've told you this story before, but it's worth repeating in these trying times. True story. I knew a girl in NYC who would always run into Al. At a diner, a deli, wherever. She was at least 20 years younger than him, but he always asked for her number.
We dubbed these her "My Pal Al" encounters, because they happened so often (even though he never remembered that he'd already hit on her two, three, four, five times before) (bless). She didn't give him her number, but she's always maintained that he was a "gentleman flirt." Let this be a lesson for our times. Be like Al, not like this.
What does this have to do with today's secret song? Nothing, of course! But this is a wonderful, spanking new CD by a British band that's been labeled "alternative" and "dream pop" (wtf is that?). Let's just say that it's part rock, part electro-trippy, and thanks to the lead vocalist, part smooth as smooth can be. It goes wonderful with chocolate sheet cake, which I just made from scratch. And, no, it won't last long.
If I could share it with you I would!
Spread a li'l chocolate in the comments if you like.
