Love Me Tender is a studio album released in 1982 by English singer Julie Andrews. It was produced in Nashville by Larry Butler,[2] earlier that year when she briefly stepped away from filming The Man Who Loved Women in Los Angeles.[3] The album was first released in England by Peach River Records and distributed by PRT,and includes fourteen songs,the American release by Bainbridge Records offered only ten of the cuts,while the Japanese issue features sixteen songs.[4]
The project began when Julie Andrews' husband,Blake Edwards,suggested a country album as a departure from her usual repertoire. Recorded with Nashville session musicians,it was released by a small label in 1983. The album included the single "Some Days Are Diamonds",which charted in Canada,and a duet with Johnny Cash ("Love Me Tender"),though contractual issues affected its release.
The album reached number 63 in the UK and number 41 in Australia,while selling over 60,000 copies in South Africa. Critical reception varied,with some noting its unconventional pairing of Andrews with country music. She later described the recording process as an enjoyable experience.
Background and release
The project was initiated by Andrews' husband,filmmaker Blake Edwards,who suggested a country-inspired album when the singer revealed she wanted to record an album unlike her past repertoire,moving beyond show tunes and theatrical songs.[5] Andrews was reportedly insecure about how she would be received as a country singer and chose to keep the recording process relatively quiet.[3] The fact that the album was released by a small independent label particularly pleased the singer,who said:"They've given the album the kind of personal attention that I know it would probably have missed had it been released by a major company".[5]
In June 1983,Andrews has flown to London from her Switzerland home for some low-key promotion of the album,about which she had been saying remarkably little.[3] The promotion includes the release of two singles:"Some Days Are Diamonds",a radio only single,which peaked at number 10 on the Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary chart,[6] and the title track,a duet with Johnny Cash,which came about spontaneously when Cash was recording in a neighboring studio. Andrews expressed interest in releasing it as the first single,but contractual issues with Cash's label,CBS Records,prevented it.[5] The "Love Me Tender" single released in UK (BBPR 5) includes two b-sides,"Love Is A Place Where Two People Fall" and "I Still Miss Someone".
When the singer released her ninth studio album,Love,Julie (1987),she talked about the experience with Love Me Tender:"That one is hidden away somewhere (...) But I had a ball doing it. Working with those Nashville musicians was very good for me,a wonderul experience. We just went into the studio and made music".[7]
The critic William Ruhlmann from AllMusic website rated the album three out of five stars,calling it a "true curiosity" as Julie Andrews' first non-holiday solo album in 20 years and her foray into country music. He wrote that Andrews avoids a Southern accent but adapts to the genre's informal lyrics,showcasing her beautiful voice with calm,distanced affection. Ruhlmann suggested the album feels hastily recorded and,despite featuring Nashville musicians and a Johnny Cash duet,is unlikely to impact her career or country music history.[8]
Music Week magazine's critic rated the album two stars out of five stars and wrote that although the singer's combination with the country music style may sound strange,she appears on the album with Nashville's best session players.[9]
Commercial performance
Commercially,Love Me Tender peaked at number 63 on the UK Albums Chart,[10] and at number 41 on the Australia's Kent Music Report chart.[11] By 1983,it sold over 60,000 copies in Soth Africa and was certified triple gold in the country.[12]
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