Julie Is Her Name, Vol. 1-2

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Although she's now in her senior citizen years, listen to Julie London's stunning 1955 debut, and you'll still think she's one of the hottest creatures on two legs. "The girl with the come hither voice" is how the original liner notes described it, and London's sultry vocals simply oozed it. With the first track--which became her first single--London's legend was etched in stone. "Cry Me a River" became one of the greatest torch songs of all-time, and while it's been reinterpreted over the last 40 years by everyone from Streisand to Joe Cocker, the song forever belongs to London. The other standards here--from the likes of Irving Berlin, Kern & Hammerstein, and the Gershwins--are nothing to slouch at, and one listen to her version of "I'm in the Mood for Love," and you just may be, too. She's semi-famous for being the ex-Mrs. Jack (Dragnet) Webb and, later, Mrs. Bobby ("Route 66") Troup--but genuinely forever famous for this LP. Female lounge singers have been trying to sound just like her ever since. --Bill Holdship

Julie Is Her Name, Vol. 1-2, Music, Julie London, Cool, Pop, Popular Music, Traditional Pop, V/a Compilations

Julie Is Her Name Vol.1 & 2
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The definitive Julie London collection

One of the best torch singers

Two Classic Fifties Torch Albums

This is a CLASSIC!

Julie Is Her Name Vol.1 & 2
Julie London
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music
General | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000564ZX

Customer Reviews:

The definitive Julie London collection.......2003-05-13

Back when I was a teenager, it was considered rather camp and kitschy (and a young boy's masculinity could easily become rather suspect) to like Julie London. She was a regular on the television series "Emergency" and was often thought then to be little more than yet another has-been celebrity. No one acquainted with her voice and phrasing, however, could possibly feel this way, and time has proven her fans correct. Nowadays, everyone from Diana Krall to Sinead O'Connor, Natalie Cole to Rod Stewart, and many other established artists, are reinterpreting classic Julie London songs, but these new versions only remind us how wonderful and unbeatable Julie's versions are. In this single-CD set, billed as "two original classic LPs," we hear how playful she can be ("I'm in the Mood for Love," "Goody Goody"), how cool and jazzy ("I Love You," the too-groovy "Hot Toddy"), and how poignant and raw her emotion ("If I'm Lucky," the haunting "Laura," and her signature piece "Cry me a River"). True fans might miss the bongo-laden "You're my Thrill," or "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," or even her late-in-life "My Funny Valentine," (you can't please everyone with an anthology) but the 25 songs on this set well represent her talent for conveying her emotions as well as for expressing our feelings, and these songs showcase her amazingly clear, seemingly effortless voice. It may sound like a cliche, but I really believe that Julie London never realized just how good she was!

One of the best torch singers.......2003-03-17

Julie was originally an actress, but the success of her first record, Cry me a river, ensured that she would forever be remembered as a singer. Some critics complain about her vocal limitations, but Julie knew about those and worked within them. Torch singing was her speciality, and she was certainly one of the best at it. On these albums, the musical backing is very sparse, in contrast to her sixties music which generally has a fuller orchestra. I love all her music, but I think sparse is best.

Cry me a river opens this set, which consists of her debut album, Julie is her name, from 1955 and another album from 1958, confusingly titled Julie is her name volume 2. I say confusingly, because there were other albums released between those two.

The songs to found on these two albums were mostly selected from the Great American Songbook, and were well chosen, mostly soft, seductive ballads. Even a more upbeat song like S'wonderful is done with restraint. No doubt included to provide a bit of variation, it works quite well but it's not really Julie's type of song.

Apart from the title track, there are many other excellent ballads, including I'm in the mood for love, It never entered my mind, No moon at all, Blue moon (very different from the versions by the Marcels or Elvis - delicious) and I got lost in his arms.

This twofer was released some years ago but is becoming increasingly hard to find as I write this - however, it is well worth seeking out.

Two Classic Fifties Torch Albums.......2003-02-14

Plenty has been written about Julie London's terrifically sexy and understated voice, but this is where it all began. These two albums ("Julie Is Her Name" was her debut) best capture the sound associated with her- a soft voice with just guitar and bass (Barney Kessel and Ray Leatherwood on "JIHN"; Howard Roberts and Red Mitchell on "Volume II"). Julie's definitive classic, "Cry Me A River", is the first track here and sets the tone for what follows. The catch: these two concept albums, recorded in 1955 and 1958, respectively, were not meant to be heard as one continuous piece, and the combined length may diffuse some of the energy here. You may want to play tracks 1-13 and come back later for 14-25. And if you're only going to buy one Julie London disc (or, rather, think you're only going to buy one) I'd go for Rhino's "Time For Love" first- these are classics, but that one's a better overview.

This is a CLASSIC!.......2001-05-22

What can I say about these two albums? Absolutely brilliant and enchanting. The stripped down guitar/bass backing really brought out the intimacy in London's voice. The sound is sultry, intimate and gently swinging. It just doesn't get any better than "Cry Me a River". Her subtle phrasing and gentle delivery are impeccable. These two platters were true milestones in American music. Quiet, gentle swingin' perfection. Add a martini and you are in absolute heaven. A Masterpiece. There will never be another Julie.

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