Born on December 1: Julee Cruise, "Twin Peaks'" haunting voice
The American singer was born in Piisfield, Massachusetts, in 1956.
Some artists have entered popular imagination with a single, enduring song. You probably don't even know the name Sniff'n The Tears, but from the very first notes of “Driver's Seat” (1978), the heady guitar riff will bring back memories for most of you. The song was chosen for the soundtrack of “Boogie Nights” and also for an episode of the “Walking Dead” series in 2012. The same goes for Ram Jam's “Black Betty” (1977), which was given a second life by Dutch DJ Ben Liebrand in 1989, or Desireless' “Voyage Voyage” (1989). Very few of us can name a single other track by these artists, who have otherwise fallen into the backdrop of history.
While the 7th Art inevitably generates unforgettable images and emotions in the best of cases, it's sometimes aided by music or a song inextricably linked to a popular success. Such is the case with “Calling You”, sung by Jevetta Steele for Percy Adlon's 1987 film “Bagdad Café”. The same goes for composer Angelo Badalamenti and singer Julee Cruise, precursors of what is now known as dream pop, both of whom helped director David Lynch shape the unique and distinctive atmosphere of films such as “Blue Velvet” and the various incarnations of “Twin Peaks”. Both sadly left us in 2022, but their talent haunts every rerun of the American director's work.
As is often the case, miracles happen when you least expect them. Initially, David Lynch wanted to use This Mortal Coil's version of “Song To The Siren”, composed by Tim Buckley. Faced with the colossal sum demanded by the rights holders, the filmmaker took on the role of lyricist, with music by Badalamenti. When it came to finding an interpreter for this “Mysteries Of Love”, the composer remembered the ethereal voice of a participant in one of his workshops in New York. In 1989, with Lynch as artistic director, they teamed up to give him his first album, “Floating Into The Night”, with titles such as “Falling” (which all “Twin Peaks” fans know by heart) and “The Nightingale”. Although all in the same artistic vein, this was the only one of the four albums recorded by Jules Cruise to achieve any real impact.
(MH with AK - Photo: © Etienne Tordoir)
Photo: Julee Cruise at the Astoria Hotel in Brussels (Belgium) to promote his album “The Voice Of Love” in February 1994.