I just ran into the original version of Boulevard of Broken Dreams, and it’s fantastic in so many ways I can hardly begin to tell you. Yes, it has it all – Constance Bennett’s dress, her hat, the delicious French accent, and the future superstar Lucille Ball as one of the choir girls.
But on top of that, the song is presented in such a scrumptious way – many ways in fact – that although just about everyone has sung it since, it has never been quite this plush since its first appearance in Moulin Rouge (1934). This is a great way to use music in cinema – to weave the entire flashback sequence into the song and vice versa. It’s also a reminder that a great song will be a great song no matter in what manner and on what instruments it might be played – on one guitar, an entire symphony orchestra, as a waltz or a tango.
I do have album-related news too: I just approved the final artwork proofs, which means that the production is starting very soon indeed!
– Laura
Café de Abejas 