Celebrity Jukebox #88: April Stevens

I'm guessing Caroline Vincinette LoTempio changed her name to April Stevens because she was born in the fourth month of the year. Sadly she passed away April just gone, aged 93. With her brother Nino Tempo, she had a big hit in 1963 with a song that would later name a famous rock band...

Nino Tempo & April Stevens - Deep Purple

A few years earlier, she'd caused quite a scandal with this raunchy solo hit...

April Stevens - Teach Me Tiger

The Celebrity Jukebox remembers April through two fine tunes, both referencing her tiger cub days, firstly from another of our Canadian pals...

You be April Stevens, I'll be April Wine
You be Israel, I will be Palestine
Come on "Teach Me, Tiger", come on and show me tricks
Let me take my time and take a couple lazy licks

And secondly from our old pals Tullycraft...

From a mic stand on a milk crate
To a rhinestone Butterfield 8
Audition tapes play on
The house band plays behind her
A pinned-down "Teach Me Tiger"
The stage lights flicker on

The barkeep whispers treason
And lights a flame for April Stevens
And the Nino Tempo fanbase
As he defends and counts the reasons
The pavement shows on her skin
Like the distant sounds of Berlin
He's convinced to death that she’ll fail
Still she paints her toenails red for him