One sadly poignant note about the new Cherry Red double set ‘Fall – Float – Love (Works 1989-1993)’ is that its three main protagonists Julee Cruise, Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch are no longer with us.
Compiling her first two albums ‘Floating Into The Night’ and ‘The Voice Of Love’ with bonus edits, remixes, a demo and a cover version, the young Julee Cruise had moved to New York to make her fortune in acting and singing. A theatre workshop produced by Badalamenti brought her to the attention of the Brooklyn-born composer who had just begun working with David Lynch; the director himself had just come off the success of his 1984 film adaptation Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’.
Working on his new noir drama ‘Blue Velvet’, Lynch had wanted to use THIS MORTAL COIL’s cover of ‘Song To The Siren’ for a key scene but the asking price was beyond the allocated soundtrack budget. He suggested that Badalamenti write a song in a similar otherworldly style featuring a suitably haunting female vocalist. Badalamenti recommended Cruise, the track became ‘Mysteries of Love’ and the rest is history.
Having been schooled in a more theatrical style, Cruise had taken time to adapt her vocals to suit Badalamenti’s mood pieces and Lynch’s stream of consciousness lyrics while also accepting the heavy use of digital reverb on her voice. The three way creative relationship continued to produce music for Lynch’s cult TV series ‘Twin Peaks’ and Julee Cruise’s debut album ‘Floating Into The Night’ released in Autumn 1989; with its shimmering glacial perfection, it has since been acknowledged as a key album in the development of dream pop.
Although using conventional instrumentation like guitars, sax and brushed percussion highlighting Badalamenti’s jazz background, ‘Floating Into The Night’ was characterised by his Fender Rhodes electric piano with synthesised and sampled textures coming from a range of equipment including the Roland D550, Roland MKS70, Yamaha DX7, Akai S1000, Emulator II and Linn 9000, often played by Kinny Landrum.
The iconic ‘Falling’ as the vocal version of the ‘Twin Peaks’ theme needs no introduction in its crystalline moods and twangy Duane Eddy influences samples, but ‘Floating Into The Night’ began with ‘Floating’ which as title suggested, was a gorgeous slice of wispy avant swing that set the scene for an outstanding album. A more minimal cousin to ‘Falling’, ‘I Remember’ maintained the standard with an unexpected shuffle dropped in to throw off the scent; the airy mood recalled 1961’s Phil Spector produced ‘I Love How You Love Me’ by THE PARIS SISTERS which itself would later appear in ‘Twin Peaks: The Return’.
Although melancholic, ‘Floating Into The Night’ was no doom fest but with its gently swinging backbeat, ‘Rockin’ Back Inside My Heart’ provided a spritely uplift to proceedings. Following it, ‘Mysteries Of Love’ stands up nearly 40 years on as a bonafide classic that has since been covered by Claudia Brücken, Kid Moxie and ionnalee. Shaped by Fender Rhodes and slowly sweeping synths, ‘Into The Night’ was another fine lesson in minimal atmospheres from the ‘Twin Peaks’ universe while ‘I Float Alone’ provided a variation on the ’Floating’ theme at a more funereal pace.
Another song from ‘Twin Peaks’, the rich arrangement for ‘The Nightingale’ was laden with all the Badalamenti signatures of gentle melodies and delightful oddness. But ‘The Swan’ was bare and exposed with off key twists in the most minimal accompaniments while ‘The World Spins’ presented a beautifully orchestrated closer to the Lynchian drama with the sounds from ‘Falling’ all reprised in the dreamy waltz along.
After the cancellation of ‘Twin Peaks’, Lynch made a prequel spin-off movie ‘Fire Walk With Me’ in 1992 and with it came soundtrack contributions, some of which became songs for Julee Cruise’s second album ‘The Voice Of Love’ released in 1993. Although conceived as a companion to ‘Floating Into The Night’, this sophomore offering was less immediate and much hazier with an emphasis on mood. Instrumentally it was more organic than its predecessor, with bass guitar from Reggie Hamilton acoustic string bass from Buster Williams adding components that had not been present on ‘Floating Into The Night’.
Opening the album, ‘This Is Our Night’ sprang a surprise with an unexpected reggae inflection. ‘Movin’ In On You’ hypnotised in its repeated vocal phrasing but inspired by the Wim Wenders film that the trio contributed a cover of ‘Summer Kisses, Winter Tears’ to, ‘Until The End Of The World’ offered an exercise in elegance despite the metallic rhythm.
However, the eerie avant jazz of ‘Up In Flames’ proved challenging while the swinging piano-led moods of ‘Kool Kat Walk’ outstayed its welcome. And although ‘In My Other World’ played with a looser feel and hints of dysfunctional Americana, it lacked structure. The album was put back on track with ‘She Would Die For Love’, the vocal version of the ‘Fire Walk With Me’ theme and ‘Questions In A World Of Blue’, a song that would be the zenith of the Cruise / Badalamenti / Lynch axis when performed by her as herself in the film.
The soothing piano title song provided the formal ending to ‘The Voice Of Love’ but part of this set’s appendix, the gorgeous Elvis cover ‘Summer Kisses, Winter Tears’ recorded for the ‘Until The End Of The World’ soundtrack perhaps highlighted that while ‘The Voice Of Love’ was swathed in the aural wash of its predecessor, it lacked the accessibility that the songs on ‘Floating Into The Night’ had. But maybe ‘Floating Into The Night’ was just too tough an act to follow?
Whatever, ‘Fall – Float – Love’ gathers some fine music and in ‘Floating Into The Night’, a masterpiece in its not easily defined and yet instantly recognisable aesthetic. While originating from an arthouse cinematic headspace, the key is this music stands up without having to view any of the David Lynch filmography, conjuring images in an individual’s own mind from simply listening.
Wherever they are now, Julee Cruise, Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch are together making positive vibrations again.
In memory of Julee Cruise, Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch
‘Fall – Float – Love (Works 1989-1993)’ is released as a 2CD set by Cherry Red Records on 18th April 2025, further information at https://www.cherryred.co.uk/julee-cruise-fall-float-love-works-1989-1993-2cd-gatefold-digisleeve
Text by Chi Ming Lai
16th April 2025
available as a download via the usual digital outlets
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