CDA: Claudine Longet

My brother Howard alerted me to the death of his beloved Claudine Longet, who died yesterday at the age of 84. She was a singer and actress at her peak in the 60s. Howard sent me a couple of CDs around the turn of the century, highlights from his vast Longet collection. I found something strangely unsettling about her singing and the bright, sparkly production vibe of her recordings. It reminded me of Twin Peaks - - the surface is so squeaky clean I felt there must be something vile lurking under the surface. This is a pleasurable experience for me.

Here's my favorite recording of hers, a masterpiece of the genre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDUxu5tQpEwIw&v=Uxu5tQpEwIw

Another treasure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDRby89j-Wb-k&v=Rby89j-Wb-k

Her label was Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss's A & M Records. She fit right in with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, and The Carpenters.