Julie Andrews

Love Me Tender, Julie Andrews' first non-holiday-related solo studio album of new recordings to be released in 20 years (and her fifth such disc overall), is a true curiosity. Simply put, it's "Julie Andrews Goes Country." Of course, the British have always shown an affection for American country music, and British performers have dabbled in the style with different levels of seriousness, from Ringo Starr's modest one-off Beaucoups of Blues to Olivia Newton-John's string of hits and controversial CMA Female Vocalist award. Andrews, a British subject long residing in Malibu, CA, whose best-known efforts include the movie musicals Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, has not previously revealed a taste for country. From the looks of things, she didn't spend much time on this record, perhaps flying into Nashville for a few days and cutting it quickly in a minimum of sessions. Producer Larry Butler has brought in plenty of Music City studio regulars (steel guitarist Pete Drake, background singers the Jordanaires, etc.), and the song list is full of familiar, mostly recent country hits (John Denver's "Some Days Are Diamonds," Billie Jo Spears' "Blanket on the Ground"). Johnny Cash drops by (or perhaps is merely overdubbed) for an unlikely duet on Elvis Presley's title song. To her credit, Andrews makes no attempt to sing the songs in an American Southern accent, even though it is odd to hear a singer known for her precise pronunciation and clipped British phrasing dropping her G's and using "don't" when "doesn't" would be correct, in keeping with the grammatically challenged song lyrics. Of course, she still has a beautiful voice, and she uses it here to render the songs with calm, distanced affection, rather like a female Roger Whittaker. Needless to say, this is not an album that is going to have much impact on her career or on the history of country music. (It is worth noting that when this LP was released in the U.K., it became Andrews' only chart recording as a solo artist. Also, the inclusion of the song "I Wish I Could Hurt That Way Again" predates the slightly retitled hit version of T. Graham Brown by four years.) ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide