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.
Where Oh When
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We looked at each other in the same way then
But I can't remember where or when
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
But I can't remember where or when
Seem to be happening again
And so it seems that we have met before
And that we laughed before, also loved before
But who knows where or when
In Julie London's classic song "Where or When," the singer reflects on a feeling of familiarity and déjà vu while in the presence of someone they've just met. The song opens with the lyric, "It seems we stood and talked like this, before/ We looked at each other in the same way then/ But I can't remember where or when." This sets the stage for the theme of the song, exploring the mysterious sense of having experienced something before, or having known someone in a previous life.
Throughout the song, the singer describes how the other person's appearance and mannerisms seem familiar despite having just met them. They note that "the clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore/ The smile you are smiling you were smiling then/ But I can't remember where or when." The description of the specific details of the other person's appearance and actions helps to create a sense of intimacy between the two despite the uncertainty of their past connection.
The chorus of the song adds another layer to the mystery, with the lines "Some things that happened for the first time/ Seem to be happening again/ And so it seems that we have met before/ And that we laughed before, also loved before/ But who knows where or when." Here, the sense of familiarity is extended to include moments shared and emotions experienced in the past. The singer muses on the possibility of having a deep connection with this person that transcends time and space.
Overall, "Where or When" is a poetic and evocative exploration of the emotions that can arise when encountering someone who feels simultaneously new and old. Its dreamy, nostalgic quality has made it a favorite of jazz musicians and listeners alike for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
It seems we stood and talked like this, before
We are having a conversation that feels familiar, as if we have spoken like this before.
We looked at each other in the same way then
The way we look at each other now is the same as how we looked at each other in our past encounters.
But I can't remember where or when
Unfortunately, I cannot recall the time and place when we first met and had these types of conversations.
The clothes you're wearing are the clothes you wore
The clothes you are dressed in now are similar to those you wore during our previous meeting.
The smile you are smiling you were smiling then
The smile on your face right now reminds me of the one you had during our previous encounter.
But I can't remember where or when
Unfortunately, despite these striking similarities, I cannot seem to recall the time or place where we previously met.
Some things that happened for the first time
The unfamiliar experiences we have had before seem to be repeating themselves.
Seem to be happening again
It appears that we are experiencing the same events and emotions that we had in our past meeting.
And so it seems that we have met before
Based on these familiar experiences and emotions, it is clear that we have met each other before.
And that we laughed before, also loved before
Not only have we met before, but we have also shared moments of laughter and love in our previous encounters.
But who knows where or when
Despite these concrete feelings and experiences, the exact time and place of our previous meeting still remain a mystery.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
K Tomplait
This wonderful lady has soothed my two year old to sleep so many times... I'm so thankful for her voice...
Riz Woods
This is a great song. Exactly how I feel about my ex. I wish there was a lady out there who could sing like this and remake Dion's 'Runaround Sue'...revise the words to runaround dude or something. It would be epic.
Наташа•95
I thought this song would have more views feels like I've heard it my entire life
John Salas
v for vendetta brought me here such a classic and yet makes you feel new
T. J. Payeur
Yeah, man..me too...
Sekani Yahimba
Classic movie
Sylvia Potts
@Dallas Williams yep we definitely are. More people need to notice before it's too late.
Dallas Williams
@Warren Kirkwood bro I also believe we are living the movie.
Warren Kirkwood
and now it's the 5th and yet we are still silenced.
Kevin Malone
Julie London was flat out beautiful, with a full figure to go along with her looks.