Shirley Luster was born in Springfield, Illinois, and moved with her family to Decatur, Illinois, when she was three years old. She began to sing with the Decatur-based Bill Oetzel Orchestra at thirteen. While attending Decatur High School she appeared with Oetzel and his society band, the Ben Bradley Band, and Bill Madden's Band. After high school she moved to Chicago, changed her name to Sharon Leslie, and sang with a group led by Boyd Raeburn. Later she joined Benny Strong's band. In 1944, Strong's band moved to New York at the same time Christy was quarantined in Chicago with scarlet fever.
In 1945, after hearing that Anita O'Day had left Stan Kenton's Orchestra, she auditioned and was chosen for the role as a vocalist. During this time, she changed her name once again, becoming June Christy.
Her voice produced successful hits such as "Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy," the million-selling "Tampico" in 1945, and "How High the Moon". "Tampico" was Kenton's biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.
Beginning Sept. 28, 1959, Christy began a five-week road tour of 38 performances called "Road Show". The all-star billing: Stan Kenton and his orchestra, June Christy, The Four Freshmen. Capitol recorded highlights on October 10 at Purdue University in Lafayette, Indiana, for a two-disc LP, reissued in 1991 on CD.
From 1947, she started to work on her own records, primarily with arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released a 10" LP entitled Something Cool, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper and alto saxophonist Bud Shank. Something Cool was re-released as a 12" LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. Christy would later say that the album was "the only thing I've recorded that I'm not unhappy with." Something Cool was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album, The Misty Miss Christy.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Christy appeared on a number of television programs, including the short-lived CBS show Adventures in Jazz (1949), Eddie Condon's Floor Show (1949), The Jackie Gleason Show (1953), The Tonight Show (1955), The Nat King Cole Show (1957), Stars of Jazz (1958), The Steve Allen Show (1959), The Lively Ones (1963). and The Joey Bishop Show (1967). She also appeared on the first sponsored jazz concert on television, The Timex All-Star Jazz Show I (December 30, 1957), which also featured Louis Armstrong, Carmen McRae, Duke Ellington and Gene Krupa.
Christy embarked on dozens of concert tours, playing in Europe, South Africa, Australia and Japan. She toured to such an extent that eventually it began taking a toll on her marriage. She began to pull back from touring in the early 1960s.
R.M. Cook and Brian Morton, writers of The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings, appreciated the singer's body of work: "Christy's wholesome but particularly sensuous voice is less an improviser's vehicle than an instrument for long, controlled lines and the shading of a fine vibrato. Her greatest moments—the heartbreaking 'Something Cool' itself, 'Midnight Sun,' 'I Should Care'—are as close to creating definitive interpretations as any singer can come."
Christy semi-retired from the music business in 1969, in part due to her battle with alcoholism.
In 1972, she sang at the Newport Jazz Festival in New York City, where she was reunited with the Kenton Orchestra. She also performed at a handful of jazz festivals during the late 1970s and 1980s, playing with a band of all-star West Coast jazz musicians led by Shorty Rogers, as well as taking part in a number of world tours.
Christy returned to the recording studio in 1977 to record her final solo LP, Impromptu. She recorded an interview for a Paul Cacia produced an album in 1987 called "The Alumni Tribute to Stan Kenton" on the Happy Hour label. A number of other Kenton the alumni-Shorty Rogers, Lee Konitz, Jack Sheldon, among them, plus Mort Sahl - interspersed their tunes with reminiscences of the man and the years on the road.
Christy toured one final time in 1988, again with Shorty Rogers. Her final performance was sharing the stage with Chet Baker.
Christy died at her home in Sherman Oaks, California of kidney failure on June 21, 1990, at the age of 64. Her remains were cremated and scattered off the coast of Marina Del Rey.
When the World Was Young
June Christy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I must admit I like it quite well.
It's something to be the darling of all;
Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
There's nothing as gay as life in Paris ,
There's no other person, I'd rather be,
I love what I do, I love what I see,
But where is the schoolgirl that used to be me.
Ah, the apple trees,
Where at garden teas,
Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Fashions of the day,
Vests of applique,
Dresses of shantung,
Only yesterday.
When the world was young
While sitting around we often recall,
The laugh of the year, the night of them all,
The blonds who was so attractive that year,
Some opening night that made us all cheer;
Remember that time we all got so tight,
And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
I laugh with the rest, it's all very bright.
Ah, the apple trees,
Sunlight memories,
Where the hammock swung,
On our backs we'd lie;
Looking at the shy,
Till the stars were strung,
Only last July,
When the world was young.
You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes , or in Spain,
I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
It's any old millionaire in a storm,
For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
And sometimes I see it all through the cloud
Ah, the apple trees,
And the hive of bees,
Where we once got stung,
Summers at Bordeau,
Rowing at bateau,
Where the willow hung,
Just a dream ago,
When the world was young
The song "When the World Was Young," performed by June Christy, reminisces about youth, specifically about memories and experiences from the past. The singer has grown older and views herself as a successful woman, having earned the nicknames "coquette" and "mademoiselle." She loves what she does in Paris, being the center of attention and the belle of the ball. However, amidst all this, she remembers the schoolgirl she once was and longs for the days of the past.
The first stanza of the song reflects on the singer's love for Paris and her successful life. She likes being the center of attention and all the attention she gets simply for being who she is. She reminisces about being a schoolgirl and misses the innocence of that life.
The next stanza focuses on the memories of the past that the singer shares with her friends. They recall past events and people who have made a significant impact on their lives. She also recounts memories of summer days spent lounging in hammocks and watching the stars with her friends.
The final stanza brings us back to her present life, where she travels the world and enjoys the finer things in life. However, she also acknowledges that she may drink too much and talk too loudly. But she refuses to let any negative experiences get her down and instead chooses to view the world positively.
Line by Line Meaning
They call me coquette, and mademoiselle,
People call me flirtatious and a young lady
And I must admit I like it quite well.
And I must say that I enjoy the attention.
It's something to be the darling of all;
It's an excellent feeling to be everyone's favorite;
Le grande femme fatale, the belle of the ball,
The great dangerous lady, the most attractive person at the event,
There's nothing as gay as life in Paris ,
There's nothing as joyful and carefree as life in Paris,
There's no other person, I'd rather be,
I wouldn't want to be anyone else,
I love what I do, I love what I see,
I enjoy my job and what I observe,
But where is the schoolgirl that used to be me.
But where is the youthful and carefree version of me?
Ah, the apple trees,
Oh, the apple trees,
Where at garden teas,
Where tea parties were held in the garden,
Jack-o-lanterns swung:
Jack-o-lanterns were hanging and swaying in the breeze:
Fashions of the day,
Popular clothing styles of that time period,
Vests of applique,
Sleeveless jackets decorated with needlework,
Dresses of shantung,
Dresses made of a silk-like fabric called shantung,
Only yesterday.
It seems like only yesterday.
When the world was young
When life was simpler and more carefree.
While sitting around we often recall,
When we gather together, we often reminisce about,
The laugh of the year, the night of them all,
The most memorable and funniest moment of the year,
The blonds who was so attractive that year,
The most appealing blonde from that year,
Some opening night that made us all cheer;
The night of a grand opening that we all applauded;
Remember that time we all got so tight,
Do you remember that time when we all got so drunk,
And Jacques and Antoine got into a fight,
And Jacques and Antoine ended up fighting,
The gendarmes who came, passed out like a light,
The policemen who arrived, fell asleep straight away,
I laugh with the rest, it's all very bright.
I laugh with everyone else; it's all lighthearted and fun.
Ah, the apple trees,
Oh, the apple trees,
Sunlight memories,
Memories of the warm and bright sunshine,
Where the hammock swung,
Where the swinging hammock was installed,
On our backs we'd lie;
We would lie on our backs
Looking at the shy,
Looking up at the sky,
Till the stars were strung,
Until the stars were visible all over the sky,
Only last July,
Only last July,
When the world was young.
When life was much more youthful.
You'll see me in Cape D'Antibes , or in Spain,
I could be seen in Cape D'Antibes and in Spain,
I follow the sun by boat or by plane,
I chase the sun whether by plane or boat,
It's any old millionaire in a storm,
Any wealthy individual, no matter how old, knows how to enjoy themselves when they're going through hardships,
For I've got my mink to keep my heart warm:
As a result of wearing a fur coat, warm clothes, and a heap of wealth, I feel content
And sometimes I drink too much with the crowd,
On occasion, I drink excessively with the people around me,
And, sometimes I talk a little too loud,
And, every once in a while, I may shout a bit too much,
My head may be aching, but it's unbowed,
I may have a headache, but I am resilient,
And sometimes I see it all through the cloud
And, sometimes, I can view situations more optimistically through the haze of my drunkenness.
Ah, the apple trees,
Oh, the apple trees,
And the hive of bees,
And the place where bees live,
Where we once got stung,
Where we used to get stung by bees,
Summers at Bordeau,
Summers spent in Bordeau,
Rowing at bateau,
Rowing a boat,
Where the willow hung,
Where the willow trees were hanging,
Just a dream ago,
Only recently, it felt like a dream.
When the world was young
During a time when everything felt young and innocent.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAVID JOLICOEUR, KELVIN MERCER, LONNIE LYNN, ERNEST DION WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind