London's 35-year acting career began in films in 1944 and included playing opposite Gary Cooper in Man of the West (1958) and Robert Mitchum in The Wonderful Country (1959). She achieved continuing success in the TV medical drama Emergency! (1972–1979), co-starring her real-life husband, Bobby Troup, and produced by her ex-husband, Jack Webb, in which London played the female lead role of nurse Dixie McCall. She and Randolph Mantooth, who played one-half of her medical students, a paramedic, in the series, were very close to her family, until her death in 2000.
Born in Santa Rosa, California, she was the daughter of Jack and Josephine Peck, who were a vaudeville song-and-dance team. When she was fourteen the family moved to Los Angeles. Shortly after that, she began appearing in movies. She graduated from the Hollywood Professional High School in 1945.
London began singing under the name Gayle Peck in public in her teens before appearing in a film. She was discovered by talent agent Sue Carol (wife of actor Alan Ladd), while working as an elevator operator. Her early film career, however, did not include any singing roles.
London recorded 32 albums in a career that began in 1955 with a live performance at the 881 Club in Los Angeles. Billboard named her the most popular female vocalist for 1955, 1956, and 1957. She was the subject of a 1957 Life cover article in which she was quoted as saying, "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of oversmoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate."
London's debut recordings were for the Bethlehem Records label. While shopping for a record deal, she recorded four tracks that would later be included on the compilation album Bethlehem's Girlfriends in 1955. Bobby Troup backed London on the album, for which London recorded the standards "Don't Worry About Me", "Motherless Child", "A Foggy Day", and "You're Blasé".
London's most famous single, "Cry Me a River", was written by her high-school classmate Arthur Hamilton and produced by Troup. The recording became a million-seller after its release in December 1955 and also sold on reissue in April 1983 from the attention brought by a Mari Wilson cover. London performed the song in the film The Girl Can't Help It (1956), and her recording gained later attention in the films Passion of Mind (2000) and V for Vendetta (2006). The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured on the HBO television series Six Feet Under and appears on its soundtrack album. London's "Must Be Catchin'" was featured in the 2011 premiere episode of the ABC series Pan Am. Her last recording was "My Funny Valentine" for the soundtrack of the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine (1981).
Other popular singles include "Hot Toddy", "Daddy", and "Desafinado". Recordings such as "Go Slow" epitomized her career style: her voice is slow, smoky, and playfully sensual.
She was married to Jack Webb, of Dragnet fame. Her obvious beauty and self-poise (she was a pinup girl prized by GIs during World War II) contrasted with his pedestrian appearance and stiff-as-a-board acting technique (much parodied by impersonators). This unlikely pairing arose from his and her love for jazz; their marriage lasted from July 1947 to November 1953. They had two daughters, one who was killed in a traffic accident in the 1990s and one who survived London. In 1954, having become somewhat reclusive after her divorce from Jack Webb, she met jazz composer and musician Bobby Troup at a club on La Brea Blvd. They married on December 31, 1959 and remained married until Troup's death in February 1999. Together, they had one daughter and twin sons.
London suffered a stroke in 1995, and was in poor health until her death in Encino, California, at the age of seventy-four, survived by four of her five children. She died on18th October 2000, and was buried in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.
Cuddle Up a Little Closer
Julie London Lyrics
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Lovers sat on the glist'ning sand
And they talked of love while the moon above
And the stars seemed to understand
Then she grew more cold, and he grew more bold
Till she tho't that they had better go
But altho' he heard, he not even stirred
Only murmured in tones soft and low
Cuddle up a little closer, lovey mine
Cuddle up and be my little clinging vine
Like to feel your cheek so rosy
Like to make you comfy, cozy
'Cause I love from head to toesie, lovey mine
Then she deigned to rest on his manly chest
Her dear head with its flowing curls
And she said, "I'd stay on this lap for aye
How I envy the Capland girls!"
For Miss Esquimaux, 'mid the ice and snow
Has no steam-heat when he comes to call
Not a single glim, so it's up to him
To whisper in summer or fall
Cuddle up a little closer, lovey mine
Cuddle up and be my little clinging vine
Like to feel your cheek so rosy
Like to make you comfy, cozy
'Cause I love from head to toesie, lovey mine
In Julie London's song "Cuddle Up a Little Closer," the lyrics depict a lovers' conversation on a summer shore. The auditory description of the beach, "where the breakers roar," and "glist'ning sand," coupled with the romantic setting of the "moon above" and "stars," presents a serene and intimate atmosphere. The song continues with the lovers' conversation until the woman grows "cold" while the man becomes more "bold," but he murmurs in "tones soft and low." The lyrics suggest intimate physical moments as the woman rests on the man's "manly chest," and she mentions how she'd like to stay there forever.
The lyrics suggest that the lovers understand one another entirely, and it's not just the stars and the moon above that know their intentions. The man's murmurs and attention to his lover showcase a level of understanding and attentiveness necessary for mutual intimacy. The song also touches on a desire for physical comfort and appreciation, with the woman expressing how she'd "like to feel" her lover's "cheek so rosy" and" make [her] comfy, cozy." Overall, the song's simplicity and focus on intimacy create a sensual atmosphere that appeals to a broad audience.
Line by Line Meaning
On the summer shore, where the breakers roar
At the beach where the waves crash onto the sand
Lovers sat on the glist'ning sand
A couple sat on the shiny sand
And they talked of love while the moon above
They discussed romantic feelings under the moon
And the stars seemed to understand
The stars appeared to comprehend their emotions
Then she grew more cold, and he grew more bold
She became distant while he became more assertive
Till she tho't that they had better go
Until she reckoned that they should leave
But altho' he heard, he not even stirred
Even though he heard her, he did not move
Only murmured in tones soft and low
He only whispered in a hushed and gentle voice
Cuddle up a little closer, lovey mine
Get closer to me, my beloved
Cuddle up and be my little clinging vine
Hold onto me like a vine
Like to feel your cheek so rosy
I enjoy your blushing cheek
Like to make you comfy, cozy
I want to make you feel comfortable and cozy
'Cause I love from head to toesie, lovey mine
I love every bit of you, my beloved
Then she deigned to rest on his manly chest
She consented to laying her head on his manly chest
Her dear head with its flowing curls
Her beloved head with its soft, flowing hair
And she said, "I'd stay on this lap for aye
She said, 'I would remain in this position forever
How I envy the Capland girls!"
I'm envious of the girls in the tropics
For Miss Esquimaux, 'mid the ice and snow
For a person from a cold location
Has no steam-heat when he comes to call
There's no warmth when someone visits
Not a single glim, so it's up to him
There's no light, so he's responsible for creating warmth
To whisper in summer or fall
To speak quietly in any season
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KARL HOSCHNA, OTTO A. HARBACH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind