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.
Desafinado
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poets have compared it to a symphony
A symphony conducted by the
Lighting of the moon
But our song of love is slightly out of tune
Once your kisses raised me to a fever pitch
Now the orchestration doesn't seem so rich
Tune we used to sing
Like the bossa nova love should swing
We used to harmonize two
Souls in perfect time
Now the song is different and
The words don't even rhyme
'Cause you forgot the melody our
Hearts would always croon
What good's a heart that's
Slightly out of tune?
Tune your heart with mine the
Way it used to be
Join with me in harmony and
Sing a song of love
We're bound to get in tune
Again before too long
There'll be no Desafinado when your
Heart belongs to me completely
Then you won't be slightly out of tune
You'll sing along with me!
The lyrics of Julie London's song "Desafinado" explores the theme of love and its complexities. The opening lines suggest that love is compared to a never-ending melody, with poets comparing it to a symphony. This metaphor implies that love is beautiful and harmonious, conducted by the gentle lighting of the moon. However, the following phrase, "our song of love is slightly out of tune," introduces a sense of discord or dissonance in the relationship.
The second stanza reflects on a change in the dynamics of the relationship. The singer recalls how their kisses once elevated their emotions to a feverish pitch, but now the orchestra of their love seems less vibrant. The tune they used to sing, like the bossa nova, a style of music known for its swinging rhythm, is now altered. The harmony they once shared has become disjointed, and the words no longer rhyme. The singer laments that their partner has forgotten the melody their hearts would always croon.
Line by Line Meaning
Love is like a never ending melody
Love is a beautiful and timeless experience
Poets have compared it to a symphony
Many poets have likened love to a harmonious and grand orchestral composition
A symphony conducted by the
Lighting of the moon
Love is guided by the magical and romantic ambiance created by the moon's illumination
But our song of love is slightly out of tune
However, our love and connection have lost their perfect harmony
Once your kisses raised me to a fever pitch
In the past, your passionate kisses ignited intense emotions within me
Now the orchestration doesn't seem so rich
But now, the overall orchestration of our love feels lacking and less fulfilling
Seems to me you've changed the
Tune we used to sing
It appears that you have altered the melody and rhythm of our once-shared love song
Like the bossa nova love should swing
Similar to the lively and rhythmic bossa nova music, love should have a vibrant and rhythmic flow
We used to harmonize two
Souls in perfect time
In the past, our souls were perfectly synchronized and in harmony
Now the song is different and
The words don't even rhyme
Now, our love song has changed, and the words no longer create a cohesive and meaningful connection
'Cause you forgot the melody our
Hearts would always croon
Because you have forgotten the harmonious melody that our hearts used to sing
What good's a heart that's
Slightly out of tune?
What value does a heart hold when it is no longer in perfect sync and harmony?
Tune your heart with mine the
Way it used to be
Restore your heart's alignment with mine, just like it was in the past
Join with me in harmony and
Sing a song of love
Come together with me in perfect harmony and let's create a beautiful love song together
We're bound to get in tune
Again before too long
We are destined to find our harmony again, it is only a matter of time
There'll be no Desafinado when your
Heart belongs to me completely
Once your heart is fully committed to me, there will be no dissonance or lack of harmony
Then you won't be slightly out of tune
You'll sing along with me!
At that point, you will have found your perfect pitch and sing in harmony with me
Lyrics © CORCOVADO MUSIC CORPORATION
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dearmalika
Que mulher tao extraordinaria, que voz!
Svetlana Irawan
Splendid!! her voice make my heart melt...
filmcomposer7
Ernie Freeman always had a knack for promoting simplicity and brilliance into his arrangements...One of the unheralded, but one of the best...
Kely Pits.
Me fascina su voz he grabado todas sus canciones. Felicitaciones por subir sus videos,ántes no la conocía.
Arturo Marin
una voz previlegiada, Krall,Sutton,Civello,Milman,Lemper,Olstead, son aún discípulas que no superan a la maestra.Chile.-
ANTONIVSLVCIVS
Chris It's the first time for me listening to Julie london singing Desafinado.Very good really.She is not out of tune,on the contrary....lol... Thanks and ***** hugs Antonio
Uranus Nefarius
The song was written by Antonio Carlos Jobim. These lyrics I believe are by the great Jon Hendricks.
Vagner Arruda
Muito bonita, mas ouvi-la em português com João Gilberto é melhor.
nauort23
"She could sing the phonebook..."!!! LOL I agree completely. mocooshie: the voice of reason in a nest of pedants and mewling & puking brats.
renofirvine gronos
a friend of mine's mom was good friends with her and a friend of my brother's grandmother was her housekeeper-strange how paths cross--she also was the hostess for newport beach's fashion island opening in 1967-'takeoff to adventure' was the theme...