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.
You And The Night And The Music -
Julie London Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fill me with flaming desire
Setting my being completely on fire
You and the night and the music
Thrill me but will we be one
After the night and the music are done?
Until the pale light of dawning and daylight
Morning may come without warning
And take away the stars
If we must live for the moment
Love till the moment is through
After the night and the music die
Will I have you
Until the pale light of dawning and daylight
Our hearts will be throbbing guitars
Morning may come without warning
And take away the stars
You and the night and the music
You and the night
You
and the music
In this song, Julie London sings about the powerful combination of passion and music, and how they fuel her desire for someone. The night symbolizes a sense of freedom and the opportunity to indulge in this overwhelming feeling. The music, in turn, intensifies these emotions, making her feel alive and on fire. However, this intense connection begs the question of whether they will still be together after the night and the music are over. The uncertainty and fleeting nature of the moment add to the intensity of the experience. The lyrics also suggest that they must savor and live fully in the moment, as morning may come without warning and take away the stars, representing the loss of the magical feeling they have in that moment.
Line by Line Meaning
You and the night and the music
The combination of you, the night, and the music ignite a deep passion within me.
Fill me with flaming desire
The intensity of this experience overwhelms me with desire.
Setting my being completely on fire
This experience ignites every part of my being, leaving me consumed by it.
Thrill me but will we be one
This moment is thrilling, but is it fleeting or will it lead to something more meaningful?
After the night and the music are done?
Will this passion and connection continue after this moment has passed?
Until the pale light of dawning and daylight
This moment feels infinite, but it will eventually come to an end when the sun rises.
Our hearts will be throbbing guitars
Our hearts beat in sync, like the strings of guitars vibrating in harmony.
Morning may come without warning
The end of this moment may come abruptly without warning.
And take away the stars
The morning light will make the stars disappear, signaling the end of the night and the music.
If we must live for the moment
This moment is so intense and fleeting that we must focus solely on experiencing it fully while it lasts.
Love till the moment is through
We must love with all our hearts until this moment comes to an end.
After the night and the music die
Once this moment comes to an end, once the night and the music are gone, what will remain?
Will I have you
Will the deep connection and passion we shared in this moment continue beyond it?
You and the night and the music
You, the night, and the music continue to hold a special place in my memory.
You and the night
You and the night hold a special place in my memory, even as the music fades.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR SCHWARTZ, HOWARD DIETZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lupita Reyes
You and the night and the music
Fill me with flaming desire
Setting my being completely on fire
You and the night and the music
Thrill me but will we be one
After the night and the music are done?
^Until the pale light of dawning and daylight
Our hearts will be throbbing guitars
Morning may come without warning
And take away the stars
If we must live for the moment
Love till the moment is through
After the night and the music die
Will I have you
(Rep from ^)
You and the night and the music
You and the night
You
tuxguys
Howard Dietz, having written the most religio/philosophical lyric ever ("Dancing in the Dark"), writes the most poetic paean to what may be a one-night-stand, ever:
"You and the night and the music
Fill me with flaming desire,
Setting my being completely on fire!
You and the night and the music
Thrill me but will we be one
After the night and the music are done?
Until the pale light of dawning and daylight,
Our hearts will be throbbing guitars,
Morning may come without warning,
And take away the stars.
If we must live for the moment,
Love till the moment is through!
After the night and the music die, will I have you?"
Ms. London's vocal phrases end with vaporous quivers reminiscent of the phrasing of Ben Webster and Lester Young.
x͓̽ Miss Nina x͓̽
Julie was such a beautiful woman and her voice is just simply enchanting ♡ Such a pleasure listening to her songs 🥰
tanukisan666
This is a very difficult key to sing in, yet Julie London nails it, as always. Great rendition. Thanks for posting.
Bill McAlpine
Is it Eb minor?
Paddy Fitz
@Bill McAlpine Usually it's C Minor.
Bill McAlpine
@Paddy Fitz Right, thank you, sir.
Volons Lune
what a beautiful woman & what a smoky obsessing voice!
Julie London is a diva of all time to me
John Smith
Unforgettable. The lady and her music has been a part of my life for many, many years.
Alexandra Rieloff
Amazing! I'm so in love with her voice! What a lady! Beautiful, elegant and dynamic!!!!
wordreet
What superb voice! A proper classic jazz voice, and sooooo smoooooooth. B¬)
Francisco De Assis cola
É sempre um grande prazer ouvir a voz de Julie London. O seu canto acalma a alma! Perfeita!!!
Maravilhosa!