Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, Illinois, and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois, when she was three years old. She began to sing with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at thirteen. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his society band, the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden's Band. After high school she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York at the same time Christy was quarantined in Chicago with scarlet fever.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was chosen for the role as a vocalist. During this time, she changed her name once again, becoming June Christy.
Her voice produced successful hits such as "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon". "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.
Beginning Sept. 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week road tour of 38 performances called "Road Show". The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his orchestra, June Christy, The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued in 1991 on CD.
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper and alto saxophonist Bud Shank. Something Cool was re-released as a 12" LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. Christy would later say that the album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with." Something Cool was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album, The Misty Miss Christy.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963). and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the first sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957), which also featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan. She toured to such an extent that eventually it began taking a toll on her marriage. She began to pull back from touring in the early 1960s.
R.M. Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's body of work: "Christy's wholesome but particularly sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for long, controlled lines and the shading of a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments—the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun,' 'I Should Care'—are as close to creating definitive interpretations as any singer can come."
Christy semi-retired from the music business in 1969, in part due to her battle with alcoholism.
In 1972, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City, where she was reunited with the Kenton Orchestra. She also performed at a handful of jazz festivals during the late 1970s and 1980s, playing with a band of all-star West Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking part in a number of world tours.
Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final solo LP, Impromptu. She recorded an interview for a Paul Cacia produced an album in 1987 called "The Alumni Tribute to Stan Kenton" on the Happy Hour label. A number of other Kenton the alumni-Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them, plus Mort Sahl - interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the man and the years on the road.
Christy toured one final time in 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Her final performance was sharing the stage with Chet Baker.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64. Her remains were cremated and scattered off the coast of Marina Del Rey.
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The song "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" by June Christy talks about the struggles one goes through when they are broke, and how they want to give their loved ones everything they desire but can't due to financial constraints. The opening lines "Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse" sets the tone of the song and showcases the singer's frustration with their financial situation. The next line "My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse" depicts the singer's desperation for luck to turn in their favor, and how things seem to be getting worse for them.
The song shifts from the struggles to the hope of one day being able to provide for their loved one. The line "Who knows, someday, I will win too. I'll begin to reach my prime" talks about how they still have hope of achieving success and providing the best for their partner. The chorus of the song forms the crux of its message where the singer admits to not being able to give their partner anything materialistic except for love, which is the only thing they possess in abundance. The lines "I can't give you anything but love, baby. That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby" showcases the sincerity and devotion of the singer towards their partner. Towards the end of the song, the singer reassures their loved one that they will always love them, no matter what. The lines "Please don't be blue for the present. When it's so pleasant to hear you say, I can't give you anything but love" displays their unwavering love and loyalty towards their partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being impoverished is very difficult, my dear.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
It's not something to be laughed at, it's a serious affliction.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
My fortunes are taking a turn for the worse, going from bad to even worse.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Perhaps someday I'll experience victory as well and reach my peak.
Now though I see what our end is,
All I can spend is just my time.
Currently, I am aware of our situation, but all I can offer is my companionship.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
I can only offer you affection, my dear, as it's the only thing in abundance.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Let's dream and plan together, we will surely find joy and all the things you've wanted.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Oh, how I'd love to see you looking wonderful, my dear, with jewelry that Woolworth's doesn't carry.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Until that fortunate day, my love, you know very well that all I can give is my affection.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Great things take time, my dear, and you must put forth effort to attain what you desire.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
However, I am willing to wait patiently, my love, and I will always remember our relationship.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
You have your whole life ahead of you, my dear, and I will love you unconditionally through it all.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
Don't be sad for the time being, my love, when it's so lovely to hear your voice saying
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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June Christy - I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1946) - The Overjazz Channel aims to offer only the best recordings of the begining era of modern music. Re-discover genius compositions from the parents of todays music like Miles Davis, Billie Holiday or John Coltrane. Subscribe for free to stay connected to our channel and easily access our video updates!