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.
S Wonderful
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You should care for me!
S awful nice, s paradise,
S what I love to see.
You've made my life so glamorous,
You can't blame me for feeling amorous!
Oh s wonderful, s marvelous,
In 'S Wonderful', Julie London conveys the feeling of being swept off one's feet by a partner who brings all the good things in life. The first two lines of the song suggest that the couple's chemistry is a perfect fit for a harmonious relationship. The repetition of 's' sounds creates a sing-song quality that reflects the upbeat mood of the song. The lyrics in the second verse suggest that the artist sees herself as glamorous and that her partner is the reason for it. The line, "You can't blame me for feeling amorous," shows how much she appreciates her partner's influence on her life. The song ends on a positive note, expressing happiness at the partner's attention and care.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was composed by George Gershwin, a celebrated songwriter from the 20th century. It was originally written in 1927 for the Broadway show "Funny Face," but it became more famous when the song was included in the 1951 film adaptation of the same name. The song has been covered by numerous artists, including Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Diana Krall, among others. Another fact is that in Julie London's version, the accompaniment consists of a string orchestra and a simple percussion track, which adds to the song's dreamy and romantic quality. Additionally, 'S Wonderful' has been used in several films, including "Manhattan" (1979) and "Four Weddings and a Funeral" (1994).
The chords for 'S Wonderful' are as follows:
Verse
G A7 D7
'S wonderful, 's marvelous
G A7 D7
You should care for me!
G A7 D7
'S awful nice, 's paradise
G A7 D7
'S what I love to see!
Chorus
G A7 D7
You've made my life so glamorous
G A7 D7
You can't blame me for feeling amorous
G A7 D7
'S wonderful, 's marvelous
G A7 D7
That you should care for me!
Line by Line Meaning
S wonderful, s marvelous
It's amazing, it's wonderful.
You should care for me!
I am lucky that you care for me.
S awful nice, s paradise,
It's really nice, it's like heaven.
S what I love to see.
I enjoy seeing this.
You've made my life so glamorous,
You have made my life full of luxury and elegance.
You can't blame me for feeling amorous!
It's not my fault that I am feeling romantic and loving towards you.
Oh s wonderful, s marvelous,
It's truly wonderful and marvelous.
That you should care for me!
I am grateful that you care for me.
Lyrics © Word Collections Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ira Gershwin, George Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind