JULIE LONDON - "WHAT THE FUCK KEY ARE WE IN?"

The queen of the record cover girls was and is Julie London, the former Nancy Peck.

A bombastic beauty, she was coaxed into becoming a singer,  fortunately finding, as Rudy Vallee and Bing Crosby did, that an intimate delivery could be a remedy to not having a powerful voice. She chose songs that effectively masked her shortcomings, and paved the way for Rebecca Paris, Astrud Gilberto and Claudine Longet.

Just about EVERY album Julie made had a cover that made the vinyl a bonus. In the days when men's magazines were pretty tame, and some didn't even have nudity, Julie's pictures were a delight. They still are. The first one even made it seem like she was totally nude:

Julie indeed appeared in magazines, with ESQUIRE offering a "wet t-shirt" variation...a soaking wet dress. She began making movies, too.

Following an amicable divorce from Jack Webb, Julie married Bobby Troup, and being a musician, he was able to guide her  musical career. For a while, Julie wasn't taken that seriously as a singer. She was a record cover girl. But gradually, with her film work helping, as well as the excellent arrangements Bobby supervised, some critics realized she was deceptively good at what she did. Still, her record label made sure that each album was eye-catching. One of the best is "Round Midnight," which you might try to find in a record store. If you can find a record store. The originally pressing used some kind of special process that made the gold of her tight pants and pillow actually shimmer. Move it back and forth in your trembling hands, and you might start moving something else back and forth.

In middle age, long after her record career and film work had simmered, Julie had an unexpected second career when Jack Webb cast her for his TV show "Emergency" (1972-1978). A few years later, and the fad for "lounge" and retro-music saw an increased interest in her out of print vinyl. While these are still preferable as eye candy (and some have been re-issued on expensive designer vinyl for the in crowd) her albums are also available on 2-for-1 CDs.

A long time smoker, Julie had a debilitating stroke in 1995, and spent her last days in a wheelchair, passing on October 18, 2000. Her husband Bobby Troup had died the previous year, leaving the stoic star to be cared for by her daughter and professional help. One thing people remarked on back then, was how tough she was, compared to her sex kitten image. Indeed, she was a "broad" in the best sense of the word...the way Lauren Bacall and Ava Gardner referred to themselves. She could curse like a sailor, and in this outtake from an early recording session, she amusingly does.

I Can't Stand It! SHIT! listen online or download. No password, Paypal request, or creepy malware-porn website involved.