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.
Sleigh Ride in July
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh I must have been a setup for a sigh
A mocking bird was whistling
A sentimental tune
And I didn't know enough to come in
Out of the moonlight
So the the big romance
Just a sleigh ride on a balmy summer eve
My dreams were safe all winter
And then to think that I
Was taken for a sleigh ride in July.
The lyrics to Julie London’s song Sleigh Ride in July convey a sense of disappointment and betrayal when the singer realizes that their romantic experiences were all a lie. The opening line of “I was taken for a sleigh ride in July” is a metaphor for the deception that has taken place. The phrase “sleigh ride” typically connotes an experience that is fun and jovial, but the added detail of it being in July turns the phrase into something that is unexpected and absurd. The singer realizes that they have been set up to be fooled, just like taking a sleigh ride in the middle of summer.
The next line, “Oh I must have been a setup for a sigh” conveys the singer's realization that this romance was all play and that they were the punchline to the joke. The mocking bird whistling a sentimental tune represents the deception taking place, as the bird too is mocking the singer's misplaced hopes of a true romance. The moonlight in the lyrics is a common symbol of romance. But, in this case, it only adds to the absurdity of the situation, as the singer is in a winter-themed romance in the heat of summer. The final lines, “My dreams were safe all winter and then to think that I was taken for a sleigh ride in July,” reinforces the sadness and disappointment of the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I was taken for a sleigh ride in July
I was led on a journey of false hope and romantic notions during a time of year typically reserved for warm, sunny weather rather than winter festivities.
Oh I must have been a setup for a sigh
I was probably a target for manipulation, causing me to feel regret and disappointment.
A mocking bird was whistling
A bird was singing a melody that appeared to be making fun of my naivety and inexperience in matters of the heart.
A sentimental tune
The music was evoking feelings of nostalgia, reminding me of past loves and lost opportunities.
And I didn't know enough to come in
I lacked the wisdom to recognize the signs of deceit and overly romantic gestures that were leading me on this sleigh ride.
Out of the moonlight
I was blinded by the romantic atmosphere of the moment, unable to see the situation for what it truly was.
So the big romance
The grand passion that I thought was unfolding before me was just an illusion.
Was only make believe
It was all fabricated and not based on any real emotions or intentions.
Just a sleigh ride on a balmy summer eve
It was a meaningless and temporary fling during a time of year when such activities are not typically associated with romance.
My dreams were safe all winter
I had avoided any heartache or disappointment during the cold, harsh winter months.
And then to think that I
It was surprising and disheartening to realize that I had been deceived and misled.
Was taken for a sleigh ride in July.
I had been the victim of a cruel and unusual hoax during a time of year when such behavior is unexpected and inappropriate.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIMMY VAN HEUSEN, JOHNNY BURKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind