Eartha Kitt performing “C’est Si Bon” in 1962. I don’t speak a word of French so for all I know, she’s singing about thermal conductivity in covalent bonds.
But who cares? That voice. That look. That… Eartha. Yum. She could make the directions for burning toast sexy.
I’ve found YouTube videos of her in concert just months before she died at 81 and she Still. Had. IT.
Amazing woman.
For her, we need something icy cool with a French twist. So here’s a little something I invented called Martel’s Hammer.
You’ll need:
1.5 ounces Magellan French gin
1.5 ounces Grey Goose vodka
1 lemon twist
1 cornichon (it’s a tiny, sour French pickle)
Rub the lemon twist around the rim of your martini glass, then discard. Gently stir your gin and vodka over ice until well chilled, then strain into the glass. Garnish with the cornichon and — if you like them dirty — add an extra splash of the cornichon juice.
Here’s the one I just made.
I like to tell myself Eartha would approve.
Cheers.
I love cussing in French. It is exquisite.
Besides, when listening to Dalida or Mylene Farmer I’d like to know what they are saying.
Eartha is always sublime. Come up with a cocktail for ‘Santa Baby’ sometime around Christmas. Because, when Eartha sing sit, all a man could want for Christmas would be to be Santa, Baby.
On a lighter note, here are “Sam and Friends” (early Muppets) lip-synching to Stan Freberg’s lampoon of this song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg_asQSkPug
Is the headline from “Lush Life”? Or, is that a just a hip phrase from the era which go into the song?
“Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life, to get the feel of life, from jazz and cocktails.”
I can hear Nat King Cole singing it now.
Somebody once said he wanted to see Eartha Kitt and Yul Brynner compete (rassle, maybe?) to determine Champion Stage Presence of the Entire World.
That woman was eeeeeeeeeeeevil. In a good way. Wish I had half her presence. And I’ll second Mark about Santa Baby (from observations of the males around me. Just wish I could sing like that…lol.)
And, well, “Santa Baby” is a MAJOR classic. Listen to it if you haven’t yet. It’s priceless. Or maybe pricey…
All by Myself. Recorded just a couple years before her death. Yeah – she Still Had It.