Julie London - Julie...At Home (WOW!)

From Wikipedia:
Julie...At Home was an LP album by Julie London, released by Liberty Records under catalog number LRP-3152 as a monophonic recording in 1960, and later in stereo under catalog number LST-7152 the same year.

Track listing
1 "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" 2:15
2 "Lonesome Road" 2:24
3 "They Didn't Believe Me" 2:19
4 "By Myself" 1:42
5 "The Thrill Is Gone" 3:21
6 "You've Changed" 2:45
7 "Goodbye" 2:23
8 "Sentimental Journey" 2:26
9 "Give Me the Simple Life" 2:03
10 "You Stepped Out of a Dream" 2:13
11 "Let There Be Love" 2:03
12 "Everything Happens to Me" 3:40

Personnel

• Julie London - Vocals
• Earl Palmer - Drums
• Emil Richards - Vibraphone
• Don Bagley - Bass
• Al Viola - Guitar

"Recorded in Julie London's living room."

^REALLY?! Was it really made in Julie's living room? How is that possible? I bought a new EU/PD 3-in-1 reissue of Julie today. It's a gatefold with 180g white coloured vinyl. The sound is crystal clear. Probably digital masters, but hey, they still sound good. Sides 1/2 are Calendar Girl, 3/4 are Julie..at home and sides 5/6 are "Julie".

All I can say about "At Home" is WOW. Julie made 32 albums but I only had about 7 in my collection. This is the first time I've heard these three. I had to make a thread about this one in particular because of my curiosity at the suggestion it was recorded in her living room, and the quality of the performances themselves. Her rendition of Gordon Jenkins' "Goodbye" knocked me off the sofa. Sonically, the set is superb and as quiet as any studio I've ever heard. If it truly was made at her home, there's no sound of air ducts or passing traffic and not a single barking dog. NOTHING but gorgeous music and Julie front, center, and crystal clear. I'll have to listen again in headphones.

One thing that might have been a nice addition is if she had a crackling fire going in the background. But, hey, I'm happy with it just the way it is. "Lonesome Road" has always been one of my favourite songs - in the hands of any artist - but Julie takes it somewhere truly special. And her trombone-like vocal slide down to the final note of "Everything Happens To Me" just slayed me.

 

Well remember they recorded it in a Hollywood living room, not Your living room. Not having access to session info it's possible that it was recorded partly at her home and touched up in the studio. The stereo issue does have a somewhat narrow stereo image which is consistent with a home recording. Julie was an extremely consistent singer although sometimes let down by poor production or arrangements. I would rate Julie At Home as sort of in the middle of Julie's LPs. A four star effort (out of 5).

PS Look for an original Liberty or at least an early rainbow pressing. Julie At Home is not that expensive generally because of the sedate cover.

 

How would they "touch up" a home recording at the studio? Widen the image? Apply noise reduction and EQ? I wish Julie was in my living room. This is the closest I'll get.

Out of curiosity, what are your favourite Julie offerings? I really like Sings The Choicest of Cole Porter with Bud Shank.

 

No not widen the image. An overdub or two, EQ/reverb etc.

The Cole Porter LP is excellent although the recording is a bit thin. My top 5 would be Lonely Girl, Julie is Her Name Vol 2, London by Night, Julie is Her Name Vol 1 and Around Midnight.

 

Agreed about the sound on the Cole Porter album. But the bass has a thick, tangible texture and the percussion has a nice slam. I haven't heard ANY of your Top 5 except Julie Is Her Name. I've got some collecting to do!

Spinning At Home a second time before I move onto the third disc in this set, Julie. Loving the attack on the vibes during "Give Me The Simple Life".

I've only come across one London album I didn't like. In fact, it went beyond indifference and became dislike. It was Send For Me. Benny Carter is talented, but he's the wrong arranger for Julie London. Stylistically, it was like polkadots on pinstripe, and Julie had to strain her vocals to keep louder than the blare of the brass section. It made her sound thin and hoarse. I pawned it.

 

Playing Julie now. Sounds quasi-stereo, like the soundtrack of an old film reprocessed to sound stereo. (Snow White comes to mind). Great album. Not crazy about the sound quality or the imaging, though.

GORTS, can we please rename this thread "New Julie London 3-in-1 LP" ?

 

I rate Send For Me low myself - a two star effort. The sonics are bad as well. There are 5 worse though IMO for varying reasons : Our Fair Lady, Love Letters, In Person, Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast and Feeling Good.

 

I LOVE Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast. What is it about this one, and the others in your list that you dislike? The one comment I will make about Breakfast is that Julie's vocals aren't at their best. But it's those imperfections that make me love it. The title song personifies her character so well. I love it. The lyrical content was risky for any vocalist back then. If anyone could pull it off, it's Julie. And she did

 

One constant with Julie is a natural unforced interpretation so that doesn't provide a basis for ranking her albums. Obviously preference is subjective but at least I am very familiar with all of Julie's LPs and am making judgments based on that.

Nice Girls has a very nice cover and a few of the songs are memorable including the title song. But mostly the material is bland and similar sounding, the arrangements are insipid and every one including the musicians and even Julie sound disengaged. The sonics are rather harsh in the treble which affects Julie's voice as well as the instruments. Also concluding an album having a suggestive title with the Mickey Mouse March in slo-mo was a major mistake. I'm sure there was an inside joke there somewhere but they forgot to tell us what it was. But having said all that, Nice Girls is not unlistenable. Her only album that I would be sad if someone liked is Feeling Good.

 

This thread is sorely lacking in photos...

 

We didn't realize anyone else was here.

 

<--- me in the corner

 

Happy to oblige, Scopitone.

 

When I first heard Nice Girls I thought the inclusion of "Mickey Mouse March" as its final song was peculiar. Surprisingly, it's grown on me and it's one of the performances I like best from this album!

 

I came across this STUNNING footage at YouTube the other night. Husband Bobby Troup does probably the sweetest thing a fella has ever done for his girl and serenades Julie in front of the lens. You can tell they're very much in love. The way Julie drags on that cigarette at the 2:00 mark drives me absolutely crazy. The way she looks at Bobby does, too.

 

The girl could rock a sweater, a bikini, and an evening gown. She was gifted.

She sings good, too. I love the Cole Porter album, as well as At Home. Gonna have to spend some time with her music this week.

 

Agreed. I'm a gay man, but even I can't help feeling "giggity" when I see, watch or hear Julie London. There's a husky, masculine quality to her beauty, and apparently she swore like a trucker. Perhaps the sum of that unique package is what gets her under my skin

 

This is such a bizarre photo. It looks as if Julie is wearing her bath robe. Then again, why would anyone dress up to go work in an isolation booth at the studio? I'd probably go in pajamas myself



Nice to see they've finally cropped the coffee urn out of the image.

 

Mine, by far:

 

I haven't heard this album yet. Interesting to see Liberty use a different take of "Meaning of the Blues" for the LP release. I bet they forgot which one was pulled for the single and used an alternate by mistake.