SOMETHING COOL - June Christy

YEAR: 1955

LABEL: Capitol

TRACK LISTING: Something Cool, It Could Happen To You, Lonely House, This Time the Dream's On Me, The Night We Called It A Day, Midnight Sun, I'll Take Romance, A Stranger Called the Blues, I Should Care, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise, I'm Thrilled

IMPRESSIONS: The mono version is the best (but the stereo version is good too). There are very few song standards which are as epic as "Something Cool" and there's no mystery as to why the song immediately became Christy's signature song. This is another perfect late-night "sitting-at-the-end-of-the-bar-enveloped-in-cigarette-smoke-and-sour-depression" albums (like Sinatra's "IN THE WEE SMALL HOURS"). The spectacularly fitting "all-blue" album cover matches the mood perfectly (and is ruined by the addition of other colours on the 1960 stereo reissue). While Christy never had the instrument of an Ella or a Sarah, she sings with a smoky, husky voice which perfectly matches these kinds of torch songs. It's the emotion in her voice that carries her through; not the technical perfection. June Christy replaced the founder of the "Cool School" style of singer Anita O'Day in Stan Kenton's orchestra from 1945 to 1949. After recorded her monumental single "Something Cool", Christy persuaded the powers-that-be at Capitol to let her construct an album around the song (long-playing record albums were relatively new at the time). When the album came out, it took everyone by surprise by becoming a huge hit. The album sold and sold but nothing she ever did came close to the amount of success engendered by this one album -- and the epic song that opens it.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Something Cool, Lonely House, The Night We Called It A Day, Midnight Sun, I'll Take Romance, A Stranger Called the Blues, I Should Care, Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

BONUS TRACKS: The cd reissue also includes the entire 1960 stereophonic re-recording; the song list is exactly the same in the same order as above

GUEST ARTISTS: Maynard Ferguson (trumpet), Jimmy Guiffre (tenor sax)

FACT SHEET: SOMETHING COOL is June Christy's first album. It was originally released in 1954 as a 10" mono LP containing only seven songs. In 1955 it was re-released as a 12" mono LP containing 11 songs. The album became a surprise big hit. With the advent of stereo, June Christy re-recorded the album in stereo with slightly different musicians and an altered album cover. The album was arranged and conducted by Pete Rugolo who composed for television as well as released his own classic lounge music albums.