Julie Is Her Name Vol 1 & 2

Julie London | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 28, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000008HTO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #131,223 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

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

Product Description

Part of the 'Super Bit Jazz Classics' series. Japanese 24-bit remastered limited edition reissue of 1992compilation packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A defining voice of 50's music, still appreciated today..., March 4, 2002

By 

William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Julie Is Her Name Vol 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

Julie London's first and third albums (I think) re-issued here on CD. This one's getting hard to find, so buy it quick. She was sexy, sophisticated, intimate and artistic. Now they call this type of thing "lounge music." Back when it was fresh, in 1955 and 1958, some called it jazz, some called it "pop" and some called it "mood music." I think the last phrase is the most accurate. Julie's warm vocals and the excellent but unobtrusive accompaniment of guitar and bass are great for background sound, but equally great for a headphone experience of deliberate listening. If your heart is broken, half the songs in the collection will feed your need for pity briefly, then begin to heal you. If you are new-fallen into love, the other half of the tunes give you hope and sunshine. While her Capitol collection, "Wild, Cool and Swingin'" is also good, that one lacks "Cry Me a River" her first hit and forever signature song. This one kicks off the disc with it. My personal other favorites include "It Never Entered My Mind" and "No Mood at All" from the debut album, "Julie is Her Name." From the 1958 record, "Julie is Her Name Vol. 2" I like especially "Blue Moon" and "The One I Love Belongs to Somebody Else" and "I Got Lost in His Arms." However, all 25 are enjoyable. None are overly long, there is no novelty filler here either. This collection is just under an hour of excellently crafted love songs rendered by an excellently crafted singer, inside and out. Can't go wrong buying it.This sounded good 45 years ago, and will be worth playing 45 years from now, if you can find a machine then to reproduce it. Well-written songs, seemingly sung by a woman who wants to fill your head with her body and soul, while guitar and bass keep both of you in the mood---who can ask for anything more?

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best torch singers, July 13, 2004

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Julie Is Her Name Vol 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

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.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Julie is Fab!, April 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Julie Is Her Name Vol 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

Julie is Her Name is one of the two best Julie London albums. London is accompanied by guitar player, Barney Kessel. In most of her later albums, Julie is accompanied by a full orchestra. These orchestras tended to over-shadow her beautiful voice. She sounds better with just a guitar. Her next album, 'Lonely Girl,' (she sings with guitarist Al Viola) is as good or better.