🎵 AotW Classics Claudine Longet THE LOOK OF LOVE SP-4129

[Harry]

Claudine Longet
THE LOOK OF LOVE
A&M SP-4129

Also released as mono LP-129 and on Japanese CD POCM-1940 (and probably others)

Tracks:

Side One
1. The Look Of Love (Bacharach-David) 3:20
2. Man In A Raincoat (Warwick-Webster) 3:17
3. Think Of Rain (Margo Guryan) 2:29
4. How Insensitive (V. de Moraes-A.C.Jobim) 3:22
5. Manha De Carnaval (V. de Moraes-Luiz Bonfa) 3:58

Side Two:
1. I Love How You Love Me (Barry Mann-Larry Kolber) 2:16
2. Creators Of Rain (Smokey) 2:25
3. When I'm Sixty-Four (Lennon-McCartney) 2:49
4. Good Day Sunshine (Lennon-McCartney) 2:07
5. The End Of The World (Sylvia Dee-Arthur Kent) 2:45

Credits:

Produced by: Tommy Li Puma
Engineered by: Bruce Botnick
Arranged by: Nick De Caro

Note: Track times are taken from the CD as reported in Windows Media Player. There are large discrepancies from what was listed on the album cover.

 

[Harry]

I first heard this album in around 1998 or 1999 when the old Thoughtscape Sounds was selling out their inventory cheap. They had the first four Claudine Longet albums on CD from Japan for $10 each. I couldn't pass them up even though they were basically blind buys.

I've come to appreciate Ms. Longet's vocal style, such as it is, and really enjoy her take on the Brazilian material.

Harry

 

[Dave]

The cheery, calliope-like organ on "Think Of Rain" is what stands out as excellent me...

I think the Brasilian material, "How Insensitive" and "Manha De Carnaval" are good, too...

On a large scale, this is the sort of album that Tommy Li Puma and Nick De Caro and even A&M Records had in mind... The sexy cover would certainly be repeated and giving us even better views of Claudine throughout the rest of her career and what was to come, unfortunately thereafter...



Dave

 

[mexicat]

People look disbelievingly at me when I tell 'em I love this LP...

"Dude, how can you possibly go from listening to a Mingus LP or some Meters 45s to this?!"

My answer is simple: "I just can."

My girlfriend bought me CL's debut LP maybe 15 years ago and I picked up all the others real quick. And sure, her voice ain't to everybody's taste (Claudine, not my girlfriend) but tracks like "Manha De Carnaval" and "How Insensitive" are superb. And Nick De Caro is a hero round ours.

Great album.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

Claudine's A&M albums are very fine, very enjoyable.

 

[Dave]

And "Claudine" doesn't do bad on the title-track of this either... The eerie "Man In A Raincoat" shows Ms. Longet's dark side... While "When I'm 64" and "Good Day, Sun Shine" show such a joyful, lighter side, covering The Beatles at that... (And there'd be a whole, lot more...!)

And even despite the sad quality of a song like "The End Of The World" can be, especially at the end of this album, it still seems so bright and touching...

I like this album a lot better than her first and the album's arrangements are laid out very simple and unspoiled... Luckily at least the ones that followed would be, too, or at least try...



Dave

 

[JOv2]

Even better than the debute, the follow-up contains an extraordinary reading of The Look Of Love. In deference to Dusty Springfield, Claudine's voice and vocal acumen fit the content spot on; to these ears, she assumes ultimate ownership of the song (similar to how Herb takes This Guy's in Love with You for many listeners).

I agree in that her stylings align well with Brazilian faire.

Be sure to listen to the Manha De Carnaval coda, which may very well be the earliest (recorded and released) example of a purely improvised extended solo from Herb: He superimposed two parts for an extended solo section + fade (although the '90s Japanese version faded this out rather quickly). This is very significant to those interested in the state of his "jazz"/improve chops during the TjB heyday -- as it reveals a technical approach not exhibited on his '60s TjB LPs.

 

[Steven J. Gross]

"Man in a Raincoat" is probably the classiest, classic tracks of all time...

 

[Bobberman]

I voted for Man in a Raincoat I had it as a white promo single which I believe was a B side the A side was Small talk which sounded like Andy Williams singing a Duet with Claudine but I later found out it was actually Producer Tommy Lipuma. But I found Man in a Raincoat very intriguing

 

[Harry]

I voted for Man in a Raincoat I had it as a white promo single which I believe was a B side the A side was Small talk which sounded like Andy Williams singing a Duet with Claudine but I later found out it was actually Producer Tommy Lipuma. But I found Man in a Raincoat very intriguing

Surprise! The mono single had Andy Williams in the duet, but the stereo album version was Tommy Lipuma.

Andy's version is on CD on the 2000 compilation, THE VERY BEST OF CLAUDINE LONGET:

Claudine Longet - The Very Best Of Claudine Longet

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2000 CD release of "The Very Best Of Claudine Longet" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

That comp was largely Barnaby releases with I think four A&M tracks that they managed to license, and one of them was the single with Andy Williams.

 

[Bobberman]

Surprise! The mono single had Andy Williams in the duet, but the stereo album version was Tommy Lipuma.

Andy's version is on CD on the 2000 compilation, THE VERY BEST OF CLAUDINE LONGET:

Claudine Longet - The Very Best Of Claudine Longet

View credits, reviews, tracks and shop for the 2000 CD release of "The Very Best Of Claudine Longet" on Discogs.

www.discogs.com

That comp was largely Barnaby releases with I think four A&M tracks that they managed to license, and one of them was the single with Andy Williams.

My Goodness I knew it sounded like Andy and the Lp version was actually the LiPuma one now I know thank you Harry for the confirmation I guess I should have stayed with my first gut assumption circa 1984 ( and back then people told me I was stupid aaaahhh What did they know?;

 

[rockdoctor]

I just recently got this album. As with the two other Claudine A&M releases that I have, it is very quiet and subdued and that is what makes it enjoyable.
I voted for Manha de Carnaval.