In the liner notes to Julie London’s first album, "Julie Is Her Name" (1955), writer Bill Ballance began by describing Miss London as "the girl with the ‘come hither’ voice." He went on to refer to her recordings as "intimate, sleek, and sultry," her voice as a "molten mezzo," and her singing style as "furry." The album’s cover seemed to be designed to convey all of the above, clearly there was no attempt to mask Julie London’s appeal. What set London apart from other actress/singers of the day, however, was that she really delivered the goods. While her looks undoubtedly attracted record buyers, her voice was

truly breathtaking. Singing close to the microphone, London’s voice sounded controlled yet relaxed. While she undoubtedly put much work into her singing, on record she mastered the illusion of making it sound effortless. The very purity and naturalness of her vocal style tempts one to take it for granted, yet few if any singers have matched it. It was a powerful vehicle for conveying the heights of love and passion, and an even greater one for expressing the depths of sadness and isolation. Perhaps the anonymous author of the liner notes to London’s second album, "Lonely Girl", put it best: "there is an appealing loneliness in Julie, she has a way of getting out on a plane all by herself where no one can reach her".
   When Julie London recorded her first album, she had already been in show business for twelve years. Born Julie Peck on September 26th, 1926, she was discovered at age 16, while working as an elevator operator at a Hollywood department store. Film agent Sue Carol, wife of actor Alan Ladd, spotted her there and helped her to acquire a movie contract. Rechristened Julie London, she appeared in several Films between 1944 and 1947, including "The Red House" and "The Fat Man", but widespread fame eluded her. In 1947, Miss London became a Mrs., giving up acting to become a full-time wife to radio actor and future Dragnet star Jack Webb. While their marriage was reportedly not a happy one, they did share a love of jazz music, often spending their evenings club-hopping. After a seven-year marriage which brought forth two children, the Webb’s divorced in 1954. Julie retained her interest in music, and it was during one of her nightclub jaunts that she met the man who would become her second husband, bandleader Bobby Troup writer of "Get Your Kicks On Route 66". As Troup and London began dating, Bobby recognized her singing talent, and actively encouraged her to make a career of it. After much convincing, she began singing before nightclub audiences. The response was, by all accounts, wildly enthusiastic.               
   Despite Julie’s nightclub success, Bobby had difficulty convincing record labels of her commercial viability. After being turned away by several companies, he finally got a "yes" from Liberty president Sy Waronker. While Waronker wished Julie London to be backed on record by Troup’s quartet, Bobby was adamant that she record the same way she performed onstage, with a simple guitar-and-bass setup. Julie Is Her Name was done with Barney Kessel on guitar and Ray Leatherwood on bass. The result was an album so quiet and unassuming that it seemed to have little chance in a market that was quickly becoming dominated by rock and roll. Yet the first single, "Cry Me A River," became a top 10 smash, and the album became a romantic standard.
   In January 1952, "Julie Is Her Name" climbed to number two on the national album chart. Three years and several albums after "Julie Is Her Name", London came out with a similarly-styled and titled album, "Julie Is Her Name Volume Two". During the time since her debut album, she had flirted with a variety of musical backings, all the way up to full orchestrations. "Julie Is Her Name Volume Two" marked a return to form. This time around, the players were different, Howard Roberts on guitar and Red Mitchell on bass but Bobby Troup (by then Julie’s husband) was still at the production helm, and her voice was as velvety as ever. London continued recording albums through 1969. By that time, her style had changed considerably. While her singing ability remained intact, her material had grown more tongue-in-cheek.