The Girl With the Come-Hither Voice

I can't say enough about Julie London. She was one of the most popular female singers of the 50s and 60s, and her debut album Julie Is Her Name, released in 1955, contained the huge hit "Cry Me a River" (NOT, dear readers, the Justin Timberlake song).

After k.d. lang cited her as a vocal influence about 10 years ago, I came across a CD version of that album, coupled with Julie Is Her Name Vol. 2, released a few years later. I was instantly enthralled with both her voice and the production--it's literally just a bass, a jazzy electric guitar, and that voice. She was dubbed "The girl with the Come-Hither voice," and for damned good reason. Smoky, low, intimate, and above all else, sexy, Julie London's vocal delivery was a revelation (and at the time very controversial).

London may be known to you as Nurse Dixie from the 1970s drama "Emergency." She was also briefly married to Jack Webb, from TV's Dragnet. She retired from the business in the late '70s and died in 2000 following a stroke at the age of 74.

Julie London has seen a bit of a comeback among aficionados of 50s swingin' music. I strongly suggest checking out a track or two from Julie is Her Name (and keeping it on hand for 'mood music,' if you catch my drift). I mean, look at her. The chick was sex incarnate.