Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast

1967 studio album by Julie London

Studio album by

Julie London

Released

1967

Recorded

Late 1966

Genre

Traditional pop

Length

33:11

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.

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.