Julie London's Holiday Album

Actually, Julie London never recorded a holiday album. Just one side of a 45. So several years ago, I assembled all of her seasonal tracks for a Julie London holiday album that never was. London is a favorite of mine. She had a cool, sultry singing style that never felt forced. Her sophisticated phrasing was deeply nocturnal and consistently relaxed. And she loved off-beat songs and aced them with a beckoning delivery backed by seemingly effortless vocal power.

I've long wondered why London resisted recording a holiday album. Her sole holiday side—I'd Like You for Christmas (1957)—was written by her husband, Bobby Troup. Did London keep the Yule at arm's length because she thought recording a holiday album would be square? Or did her label, Liberty Records, decide to avoid one to preserve her with-it image? Or maybe she recorded one but it's lost among dozens of other forgotten reels in some vault.

Several years back, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I created a London holiday album by assembling her winter-themed recordings. I playfully named it Julie London Wishes You a Merry Christmas. This year, it's only fitting once again to revisit my phantom London Christmas classic using the seven seasonal songs plus a new one I uncovered last year as a bonus:

Here's I'd Like You for Christmas...

 

Here's Warm in December...

Here's I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm...

Here's Sleigh Ride in July...

Here's November Twilight...

Here's The Thirteenth Month...

And here's The Party's Over...

Bonus: And here's London with Pat Boone singing Winter Wonderland on TV's Pat Boone in Hollywood in 1967...