Julie / Love on the Rocks

I'm the author of the first book on Julie London: "Lady Liberty: The Definitive Julie London Handbook".I'm delighted EMI (who bought out Liberty Records.. Julie's original label) released these two albums, but I feel it is a totally wrong pairing as "Julie" is Julie London's 6th album for Liberty while "Love On the Rocks" is her 19th album. The albums are completely aesthetically different, and thus I find it a bit annoying they were released together, compared to albums that are closer in years and style."Julie" was released in 57 with soon to be 2nd hubby Bobby Troup as producer. Jimmy Rowles conducted the orchestra.. [A note Jimmy Rowles was monumental in bringing Diana Krall to the public many years later] As a jazz pianist and vocalist myself, I had also worked briefly with Jimmy but more notable performing with Julie's guitarist Al Viola. (My interview with Al is in my book)"Julie" has free and easy playful feel. Bobby Troup penned "Daddy" which became the signature song for the album and a song that would always be associated with Julie through her career. Julie also does a great rendition of Bobby's "Free and Easy". Another of my favorite tracks is Midnight Sun. Si Waronker the president of Liberty Records, wrote the original liner notes for this album. I give it a 5 star rating. It is Julie in a playful, happy and cheeky mood and it contrasts the vulnerability and loneliness of her previous albums About the Blues and Lonely Girl beautifully. The cover photo is quite provocative in in skimpy lingerie with her legs hanging over a chair."Love On the Rocks" dates 6 years later from 1963 and is also a brilliant album produced by Snuff Garrett with arrangements by Peter King. It was well known that Julie smoked like a chimney.. she was also the spokesperson for Marlboro cigarettes and made 7 commercials for them in her career. By the time she made Love on the Rocks she was already married to Bobby, and have given birth to Kelly and her twin boys Jody and Reese. Julie was the mother of raising 7 children (two girls by Jack Webb, Bobby's two girls from his previous marriage, and Kelly and the twins).. Love On the Rocks features songs dropped down about a 3rd in vocal range from "Julie" it has a smokey and more mature sound with a bit of embitterment. "Guess Who I Saw Today" is the most devastatingly haunting and poignant. Though all the tracks are superb. I also give it 5 star rating. Though again these albums don't pair particularly well. Yet they are digitally remastered splendidly by EMI.For more info on Julie be sure to check out my book "Lady Liberty" on amazon or visit julielondon.org

You will see me standing by her side bragging her up,I am only one of thousands that have found Julie and been able to enjoy her. I remembered her as a child while I listened to my parents praise her talent. Thanks to the technology of the present. Without it Julie and many of her counter parts of the 40's and 50's equally as talented would have been lost..... Go to the past, The Music History left to us in totally incredible in many cases. Just as is the Art and writings from that era. Julie London tops that list.

Smooth, sultry, smoky and in the groove is how to describe Julie on these great songs. I had only been exposed to her debut album which was done with bass and guitar only and these songs are backed by a nice combination of strings, horns and percussion...Julie sounds great either way and I am thrilled by this double offering...Julie rules...

What a voice. I don't know that many people who know who she is and they are mostly jazz freaks but her music is more than that, Big Band I would say and her voice is incredible.

Julie London was never the greatest technical jazz singer; her range limited, but her deep clear voice was very popular in her day and is still enjoyable to jazz enthusiasts.

Great voice--some great songs.

Wonderful.....

How can you miss with this artist? Wonderful selections and as always a marvelous one of a kind voice!

Two wonderful albums that demonstrate the sublime singing voice of Julie London and how suited she was to the jazz genre. She may not belt them out like Shirly Bassey nor have the silky smoothness of Karen Carpenter but here she shows that she could match anyone for interpretation, pitch perfect and wonderful tonality leaving the listener in awe. Pure musical enjoyment and not to forget the fantastic upbeat backing on the first album, Julie, from the Jimmy Rowles Orchestra. On the Love On the Rocks album the pace is slower, Julie in her more pensive and reflective mood bringing out the emotion and pathos, contained in this collection of great standards, as only a great artist can do. A must have CD.

Julie London had her critics and plenty of them, not only among those who didn't like her style of music, but also among those who think that plenty of other people could do better. Sure, Julie's voice had its limitations, but Julie knew that and invariably recorded material that showed her voice to best advantage. As a consequence, her album were filled with romantic ballads and those presented in this twofer are no exception. Julie's music changed through the years, with the very sparse backing of her early albums giving way to a more substantial orchestral backing, but Julie's sultry voice was always the dominant instrument throughout. The contrast in musical backing is illustrated here, with the first album, Julie, dating from 1957 and the second, Love on the rocks, dating from 1963. There's a further contrast provided by the moods of the respective album, with the first album being mainly upbeat and the second album being all about heartbreak. Although some of the songs will be very familiar to fans of the Great American Songbook, there are plenty of less famous songs including at least one original song on each album from the pen of Julie's husband and record producer, Bobby Troup.The first album opens with Somebody loves me, from a 1924 Broadway musical. Two instrumental versions (Paul Whiteman, Ray Miller) were enormously popular that year, while two vocal versions (Marion Harris, Cliff Edwards) were successful in 1925. Another popular song from the twenties featured here is Bye bye blackbird., which was originally successful for Gene Austin in 1926. (It is worth noting that Gene Austin was the most popular singer in America during the late twenties and his other successes included Yes sir that's my baby, Five feet two eyes of blue, Tonight you belong to me, My blue heaven and Carolina moon, all of which have stood the test of time well even though Gene Austin himself is largely forgotten.) Completing a trio of twenties classics is When the red red robin comes a bob bobbin' along. Several singers were successful with this song in 1926, none more so than Al Jolson. Doris Day had a minor hit when reviving it in 1953. From the thirties, there's the classic You're getting to be a habit with me. Diana Krall fans know this song from her album, Love scenes, but Bing Crosby was the original artist in 1933, it being one his early successes that laid the foundation for a great career. There are many other great, if less famous, songs, on this album.The second album is a concept album based on the title track. As you can imagine, all the songs are very sad, exploring the different emotions and events in the life of a spurned woman. I don't know what inspired Julie to record this album. Perhaps it was about her first huband (Bobby Troup was her second), but whatever the reason, Julie was, as ever, in top form when recording it. Among the great songs here are What's new?, I'll be seeing you, Don't worry 'bout me and Willow weep for me, but there are many other wonderful songs including my favorite here, A cottage for sale, which was originally successful for Guy Lombardo in 1930.Julie recorded many excellent albums and the two presented here are among the best. Most of her albums have now appeared on CD, showing that her music remains popular despite the critics.

ich frag mich immer, warum man über leute mit stimme und der fähigkeit, diese auch dem gefühl des songs entsprechend einzusetzen, überhaupt ein wort verlieren muß, außer, daß das gehörte spitze ist. andererseits, wenn man die cds im schuber kauft, fast umsonst, aus einer zeit, in der der schuber noch nicht erfunden war, sollte man nicht traurig sein, zielführend war ja schließlich die eigene dummheit mit geiz vermengt. vom schuber tät ich die finger lassen.noch eine kleine nebenbemerkung: damals hat man den hall erfunden und erkannt, daß damit aus stimmchen stimmen werden, also diesen trick bei fast allen aufnahmen eingesetzt. leider auch bei ihr, wiewohl absolut unnötig - und auf fast jeder cd kommt das einmal durch, nicht total häßlich, nur unpassend und überflüssig wie ein kropf. kling dann wie aus einer gießkanne oder einem brunnen. schließlich wurden früher auch bekannte meister nur deshalb mit firnis überzogen, um ihnen so den gewünschten gallerieton zu geben, mochte man damals - und heute geht der dreck nur extem schwer ab.jezt aber schluß, die cds sind alle ein klarer kauf, und dass gilt für alle vier uneingeschränkt, weshalb sie auch alle vonm mir den gleichen text bekommen.r. p.

I've now got all her albums. In my view she was terribly underrated. Though her vocals couldn't stretch to varying octaves, she was able to inject a rich warmth and seductiveness with 'feel' for the lyrics she sang. And that's the most important element for any song - interpretation; she had it in spades.

A very enjoyable collection of 'standards', some of which can be described as coming from 'the great American songbook'. Julie London is a very good singer, and the arrangements have a jazzy feel, but would be enjoyed by most people I think.