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.
Mighty Quinn
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Everybody's building the big ships
And the boats some are building monuments
Others jotting notes
Ev'rybody's in despair every girl and boy
When Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Let me do what I wanna do
I can't decide 'em all
Just tell me where to put 'em
I'll tell you who to call
Nobody can get sleep
Someone on everyone's toes
When Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybody's gonna wanna doze
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Come all without, come all within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
The lyrics of Julie London's song "Mighty Quinn" seem to convey a sense of anticipation and excitement surrounding the arrival of a character named Quinn. The song starts with the lines "Come all without, come all within, you'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn." This suggests that Quinn is a unique and extraordinary individual, someone who is different from anyone else.
The second verse mentions how "everybody's building the big ships and the boats," while others are writing notes or creating monuments. This could symbolize people's efforts to achieve greatness or leave a mark in the world. However, regardless of these endeavors, everyone seems to be in a state of despair. But when Quinn the Eskimo finally arrives, there will be a collective jump for joy. This implies that Quinn possesses a certain power or charisma that has the potential to bring happiness to everyone.
The following verses highlight Quinn's influence over others. He is given the authority to decide and direct people's actions. The line, "I'll tell you who to call," suggests that Quinn has the ability to guide and connect individuals. However, his arrival also disrupts the peace, as indicated by the reference to sleep deprivation and everyone being on edge. Nonetheless, the prospect of Quinn's arrival is met with eagerness, and everyone will want to rest once he is finally present.
Overall, "Mighty Quinn" is a song that celebrates the enigmatic and captivating nature of Quinn, suggesting that his mere presence has the power to uplift and captivate those around him.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all without, come all within
Everyone is welcome, whether from the outside or the inside
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
There's no one else like Quinn, he is unique and extraordinary
Everybody's building the big ships
People are focused on ambitious projects and creating something significant
And the boats some are building monuments
Some are constructing boats that will be remembered as great achievements
Others jotting notes
While some are taking notes and gathering information for their own purposes
Ev'rybody's in despair every girl and boy
All individuals, regardless of gender or age, are feeling hopeless and discouraged
When Quinn the Eskimo gets here
But when Quinn arrives, everything changes for the better
Ev'rybody's gonna jump for joy
Everyone will be ecstatic and filled with happiness
Let me do what I wanna do
Allow me to follow my own desires and make my own choices
I can't decide 'em all
I can't make decisions for everyone
Just tell me where to put 'em
Just give me directions on where to place things or how to handle situations
I'll tell you who to call
I'll provide you with the names of the people you should reach out to
Nobody can get sleep
No one can rest or find peace
Someone on everyone's toes
Someone is bothering or troubling everyone
When Quinn the Eskimo gets here
But when Quinn arrives, people will finally find relief and tranquility
Everybody's gonna wanna doze
Everyone will feel the need to rest and unwind
Come all without, come all within
Everyone is welcome, whether from the outside or the inside
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
There's no one else like Quinn, he is unique and extraordinary
Come all without, come all within
Everyone is welcome, whether from the outside or the inside
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
There's no one else like Quinn, he is unique and extraordinary
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Obscene Angles
This sounds like smokey velvet being pulled over coarse granite rocks. I love it.
John Schips
Loved her and her hubby on the 70's tv show: "Emergency".
IMMATERIAL IMMATERIAL
Love this!
terracottapie
Julie London was a great talent and I love her voice, so this is not meant to disparage her in any way, but this song is just not a match for her style.
Michael Smith
check out the bass. the bass player makes this song
TheBigjohn527
That would be Lyle Ritz, Sessionsman extraordinaire.
Plays a mean Uke, too.
steven reed
LOVE
jsilence418
Yeah I can see why she would quit recording after this. thanks for the post,
steven reed
44 k
Bernard Rudd
The voice was still there, but the material was just dim, I'll bet Julie hated her final album