Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast

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Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
JulieLondon NiceGirlsDontStayForBreakfast.jpg
Studio album by
Released 1967
RecordedLate 1966
Genre Traditional pop
Length33:11
Label Liberty
Producer Calvin Carter
Julie London chronology
For the Night People
(1966)
Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
(1967)
With Body & Soul
(1967)

Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast is an LP album by Julie London, released by Liberty Records under catalog number LRP-3493 as a monophonic recording and catalog number LST-7493 in stereo in 1967. The song arrangements were by Don Bagley.

Contents

In this album, Julie interprets classic ballads from the 1920s and 1930s with a blend of warmth and subtlety. Her performance straddles the line between pop and jazz, showcasing what might be termed the art of nuance. She takes liberties with melody and phrasing, often using glissando to enhance her low-register tones. Julie's minimal accompaniment — often just a guitar and bass — highlights her ability to convey profound emotion through her voice alone, transforming each song into an intimate experience rather than mere entertainment.

It was ordained that Julie should capture public fancy with Arthur Hamilton's imaginative torcher Cry Me A River. The hoarse, frog-in-throat style and the lowdown, soft-and-slow delivery were to be re-imagined in this album.

Producer Calvin Carter adds a modern twist with the inclusion of organ, trumpet, and subtle saxophone, enriching the sound while preserving the intimate quality of Julie’s performance. The result is an album that resonates with the emotional depth of past and present romantics, providing a nostalgic yet fresh listening experience.

Critical Reception

Following the artistic success of All Through the Night and the intriguing albeit uneven exploration of pop-soul in Sings For the Night People, this album has often been described as a misstep that failed to capitalize on her revived popularity. Critics and fans alike have noted that this record, released at a time when London's career needed further rejuvenation, instead presented an unfocused and lackluster effort.

Don Bagley’s arrangements have been described as "soporific" and uninspired, with the musicians sounding more like they’re going through the motions rather than participating in a dynamic, collaborative jazz session. The arrangements often fall into a repetitive, generic small-combo style that lacks the flair or inventiveness required to elevate the material. Julie’s voice, normally the highlight of any recording, here lacks the expressive nuance and warmth that defined her earlier work. As Bruce Eder from Allmusic points out, while her voice remains "pleasant," it is ultimately "unexceptional," contributing to the overall dullish sound of the album.

The production elements also draw criticism, particularly the sonic quality of the recordings. The album suffers from variable recording quality, with some tracks sounding harsh on the treble notes and lacking depth in the mix. Julie’s voice, normally a warm and inviting presence, occasionally has an unpleasant edge, particularly on the poorer tracks. The organ, which should have added richness to the arrangements, instead sounds artificial and thin, further detracting from the overall sound.

Critically, the album's cover art failed to re-establish London’s image at a time when visual presentation was becoming increasingly important in the music industry. The cover, featuring London sitting on a bed wrapped in a light raincoat, was previously used as the image on the back of her "Send For Me" LP, and seems to play on the album's title but fails to evoke the sophistication or intrigue that might have made it memorable. The grainy distortion of the photograph, possibly intended to evoke an older era, instead appears as a questionable artistic choice that doesn't complement the music inside.

It’s clear that there was an attempt to push Julie’s music in a more contemporary direction, but the execution falls short, leaving the listener with a collection of tracks that range from mildly interesting to utterly forgettable. As one critic noted, “the album is not as off-putting as some of London’s other missteps, such as Feeling Good or Send for Me, but it remains a largely uninspired effort with inconsistent involvement from all concerned.” While not without its moments, the album does little to further London’s artistic legacy and serves as a reminder of the challenges she faced in trying to stay relevant in a rapidly changing musical landscape.

Track listing

  1. "Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast" (Jerome J. Leshay, Bobby Troup) 2:25
  2. "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" (Sigmund Romberg, Oscar Hammerstein II) 2:52
  3. "I've Got a Crush on You" (George Gershwin, with lyrics by Ira Gershwin) 2:13
  4. "Everything I Have Is Yours" (Burton Lane, Harold Adamson) 3:05
  5. "You Made Me Love You" (James V. Monaco, Joseph McCarthy) 2:18
  6. "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" (Charles Warfield, Clarence Williams) 2:11
  7. "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) 2:50
  8. "Give a Little Whistle" (Leigh Harline, Ned Washington) 3:06
  9. "I Surrender, Dear" (Harry Barris, Gordon Clifford) 3:40
  10. "You Go to My Head" (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) 3:07
  11. "There Will Never Be Another You" (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) 3:16
  12. "Mickey Mouse March" (Jimmie Dodd) 2:08

Personnel

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References

JULIE LONDON Album By Album: 1967 - 1969 /Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast to Yummy Yummy Yummy