Love Letters

by Nick Dedina Every Julie London album before Love Letters has something to recommend it for fans of vocal pop and jazz or lounge music, but this 1962 release is for London completists only. Love Letters isn't a bad album, but it is a dull one, with boring orchestral charts and a track listing that seems thrown together. The only interesting item may be London transforming the Rosemary Clooney ethnic dialect joke and novelty hit "Come on-a My House" into a sensual invitation. Liberty Records even dropped the ball on the cover by using a pencil drawing of the sexy singer rather than the usual racy cover photo -- no wonder most London albums are pricey collectors' items while this one remains in the dollar bins. Thankfully, London's next release, Sophisticated Lady, contained a better selection of songs and proved that she could do a worthy orchestral album.